After recently being named one of the top DJs in the world, electronic dance music artist TiÃsto is riding the wave of success and gearing up to bring his energetic live show to Columbus.
TiÃsto, whose real name is Tijs Michiel Verwest, is slated to play at 7 p.m. Thursday at Nationwide Arena, along with opening acts Quintino, Tommy Trash and Alvaro, as part of his “Club Life College Invasion Tour,” which is specifically targeted toward college students.
“I love playing for the college kids. They are so energetic and passionate about the music,” TiÃsto said in an email.
TiÃsto, who is from the Netherlands, embarked on the first installment of his “College Invasion Tour” in 2011, visiting 18 college markets around the U.S. The second part of the tour was originally scheduled to come to Columbus last October but was rescheduled after he suffered a back injury last fall.
Jay Veal, promotions director for Prime Social Group, which has been promoting the concert around Columbus using yard signs to social media, said he expects the show to be a big success.
“It’s definitely an action-packed tour. The production is second-to-none, and TiÃsto’s at the peak of his career,” Veal said.
He said he is expecting Thursday’s show to be better than TiÃsto’s last gig in Columbus, which took place at Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in March 2011.
“The last time we brought him to Columbus was great … but with how well he’s been doing and with the growth of the electronic dance music scene, we wanted this to be a much bigger production,” Veal said.
TiÃsto said he agrees this show will be bigger and better than before.
“I really want to deliver a memorable TiÃsto experience – along with the music I have a big production,” TiÃsto said. “I want to give people an experience they will never forget for the rest of their lives.”
TiÃsto was recently ranked second on DJ Mag’s list of the top 100 DJs of 2012 – one spot behind Dutch DJ and producer Armin Van Buuren – which has given him even more buzz.
“There’s kind of an aura around his name,” Veal said. “You hear the hype and it’s something that, as a music fan, why wouldn’t you want to experience that?”
Caleb Williams, a second-year in finance who is planning to attend the concert Thursday, said he is looking forward to experiencing the concert’s “party atmosphere.”
“I’ve been a fan for a long time … but I’ve never seen him live before so I’m expecting to hear some solid music,” Williams said. “I like to go to these shows for the light shows and effects.”
TiÃsto said that, because of the nature of his music, concertgoers can definitely expect a memorable show.
“Electronic music has no boundaries. As long as people are dancing you can connect with them on many different levels,” TiÃsto said. “Some tracks trigger different emotions in people, some tracks make people go crazy. It’s a musical journey every night and that all starts with making the music.”
Tickets to the show can be purchased through Ticketmaster and range from $28-$38.
