Dubstep duo Zeds Dead showed Phoenix what they were made of with a performance titled after their newest album, “Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness."
Organized and produced by Relentless Beats, the May 3 event brought together dubstep talents Don Jamal, SIPPY and Tape B to support Dylan Mamid and Zachary Rapp-Rovan who make up Zeds Dead.
Relentless Beats has transitioned many of their large-scale Arizona events from the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale back to the Rawhide Event Center in Chandler, where many of their festivals were previously held. Rawhide is located closer to downtown Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale, shortening the commute for some attendees and making rideshare a more accessible option. Rawhide also has both outdoor and covered pavilion venue options, which is important to accommodate shows year-round, despite varying temperatures.
The different venue options available at Rawhide call into question why the fully enclosed pavilion was chosen for an event in May, when temperatures in Chandler regularly reach upwards of 90 degrees. With no overhead fans or air conditioning inside the pavilion, the heat was intense in the crowd. The Event Center pavilion does feature evaporative cooling, which unfortunately did very little to help with the muggy air of a sweaty crowd.
Despite the heat, SIPPY, Truth, Tape B and Zeds Dead featured their biggest hits, keeping the crowd dancing and headbanging, of course. Some of the most anticipated features of the night included “Get Wompy” from Sippy, “Dark Light”from Truth, “Dopamine” from Tape B and “One of These Mornings” from the namesake album of Zeds Dead’s tour.
Tape B brought a bass-heavy dubstep set for the second-to-last performance of the night, but was unfortunately interrupted by what seemed to be a technical malfunction. Floodlights above the back half of the crowd were turned on for around five minutes during the middle of the set, much like what typically happens at the end of an event. The sudden illumination seemed to confuse attendees and the performer alike, as Tape B could be heard over the speakers calling for the lights to be turned off. His set finished without any further problems, and set up a smooth transition for the headlining duo.
Zeds Dead embraced a genre-bending approach to the final set of the night, displaying the range of music elements found within their discography. Dubstep, drum and bass and deep house were some of the stylistic highlights.
Unfortunately the show ended before its scheduled 2 a.m. finish, with the duo saying goodnight and leaving the stage at 1:45 a.m. Both concert attendees and security staff were under the assumption that an encore would take place, especially given the unsatisfying final song choice.
After failed attempts of chanting ‘one more song!,’ the reality of the early ending set in and most members of the crowd began to make their way to their rides home.