Tiesto’s weekend: ‘Jackie Chan’ release, three shows in 24 hours
A few hours before paying tribute to Avicii with guest vocalist Aloe Blacc, who teamed on an emotionally charged “Wake Me Up,” Tiesto himself needed a second wind.
“I have to tell you, I’m tired, I’m not going to lie,” the superstar DJ and Electric Daisy Carnival headliner said Saturday night at Maverick Helicopters’ terminal on South Las Vegas Boulevard before flying out for his midnight set at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I played Hakkasan last night, the pool party at Wet Republic today and we have a late night tonight.
The Dutch dance-music legend just released “Jackie Chan,” featuring Post Malone’s first collaboration with an EDM artist. Earlier this year, Tiesto signed a contract extension to perform at Hakkasan and Wet Republic, both at MGM Grand, through 2020.
Tiesto also proposed to Annika Backes, his supermodel girlfriend, in December. The couple have not set a wedding date, but are expected to be married in Las Vegas.
Anticipating the night’s performance, he said, “I want to feel it all, hear it all, the roaring sound of 130,000 people,” he said. “It’s next-level stuff. It’s a unique and special to experience.” He said he was particularly proud of “Jackie Chan,” which he said “is just blowing up, it’s been amazing, and I’m going to see what happens” with further, inventive artistic partnerships.
Tiesto said the move from June to May is important to EDC’s future viability. “The race course is a great venue, it’s great setup, and now we have great weather. Moving from June to May was important — the weather is a little cooler and everyone is more comfortable.”
As he was about to be led to his chopper, the DJ spoke of EDC’s run at LVMS. The Vegas version of the event launched in 2011, when Insomniac Events founder and event originator Pasquale Rotella moved the event from the Los Angeles Coliseum.
“It’s been incredible here,” Tiesto said. “Pasquale said, ‘I am going to Vegas, where everything is possible.’ And it is true, everything is possible here. That’s why this city is the best.”
Contact John Katsilometes at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.