Considering the sheer scope of the Illenium tour production, Nicholas Miller entered the 713 Music Hall stage, in Houston, Texas, rather unceremoniously on July 2. So unceremonious was his entry that many of the front row, leaning over the pit barrier excitedly awaiting the show, didn’t realize he had walked on. The lighting was sparse at that moment. It wasn’t entirely clear what was on the stage—a series of geometric blocks? A staircase and inverted DJ stand were clear, only just. And a wall of lights behind it all. Above the stage, hung a matrix of lighting so vast I had to wonder if it was Illenium’s or just a permanent fixture of the venue. The darkness soon made sense, though: like the Phoenix depicted on the DJ’s new self-titled record, out of the black a wall of pyrotechnics illuminated the stage, reintroducing Illenium to his fans.
The stage was designed by Italian architect Arturo Tedsechi with lighting by Chuck Williams (Nexus Production), and creative direction by Sandy Meidinger. Miller’s music is compelling on its own. It’s the stuff of iconic EDM lore and regularly hits the top of the dance charts. But so much of the live Illenium experience owes itself to the set, pyrotechnics, and light design. This tour takes those elements to a new level. Atop the stage lay modular, geometric platforms which, together, made a symmetrical boulder-like formation upon which Miller and his band mates, Drummer Nick Totton, and producer Trevor Christensen, preformed. A lighting wall and projections often silhouetted the performers and tucked neatly into the platforms: flame mortars jets, and lots of them. Always a crowd pleaser, the pyrotechnics of this tour, alone, were well worth the price of admission.
American EDM artist Said The Sky (Trevor Christensen), opened the night with an impressive hour of remixes and originals which many fans were familiar with. In Particular, his mix of Panic! At The Disco’s ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ struck a chord with the room.
The show started with a mashup of ‘Luv Me A Little’, ‘Shivering’, and ‘Feel Something’ and moved through 5 records of hits. In the mix during Miller’s 90-minute set were covers by The Chainsmokers, Linkin Park, Skrillex, and even Taylor Swift. As an encore: ‘Nightlife’, ‘Sad Songs’, ‘From the Ashes’, ‘Fractures’, ‘In Your Arms’ and ‘All That Really Matters’ were performed to a confetti covered sea of bodies. It’s clear that Illenium fans are devoted. Many wear his name boldly across their backs on the official merch jersey, or some, on unofficial fan-made shirts and hoodies. These are fans earned by an artist who has managed to marry tender, deeply personal music with captivating, larger-than-life visuals (with the help of a few friends), creating a live performance that feels, at once, like a handwritten letter and the Super Bowl.
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