EVENT REVIEW: I AM Hardwell Tour at Arrow Hall (International Centre) 01-11-14 by Amrit Sandhu

Last time I was at Arrow Hall for a show, it was Tiësto on October 3, 2009. Five years later, his protégé Hardwell alongside Dannic took the stage and I can honestly say “wow”. The Dutch really know how to bring the noise. Brought to you by  Electronic Nation Canada and INK Entertainment, the I AM Hardwell Tour was phenomenal. Rumour has it that nearly 4,000 people were in attendance and I don’t question that number. I arrived at Arrow Hall around 7:45 p.m. Thank you so much to the wonderful LiveNation crew for a smooth entry. Once inside, I knew I was going to have an amazing time.

Note: A lot of people were wearing close to nothing on this frigid night. I hope everyone made it home safe because it was freezing outside.

Photo: ZACJACphotography I have never seen Arrow Hall so packed before. I initially had a good spot near the stage, but that quickly changed as more and more people came in. Dannic was first up at 8:30 p.m. (he actually came on 10 minutes earlier which was a bonus). I previously saw Dannic at VELD 2014 and I knew he was going to be phenomenal. He started off  the night with Alright 2010 by Red Carpet ft. Hardwell, which kicked things off in a tizzy. Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs and was singing along. He followed with crowd favourite In My Mind (Axwell Mix Edit) by Ivan Gough and Feenixpaw ft. Georgi Kay.

As soon as I heard the next song, I had tears streaming down my face because it was Fatboy Slim with Praise You, one of my all time favourite songs. I could see the crowd being mesmerized by Dannic and this continued until Hardwell came on the stage. Dannic then did a remix of Put Your Hands up for Detroit by Fedde Le Grand and quickly switched into Habits by Tove Lo, to which everyone knew the words. Even the EMT’s were singing this song and having a good time. He transitioned into Otherside by Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Benny Benassi Remix) and I was just loving it.

I made new friends to rave with and I honestly did not want to leave, but because of the girl in front of me who kept elbowing my ribcage, I had to leave my spot. As I was leaving to go get a drink, I heard The Veldt by deadmau5 ft. Chris James and it was the perfect song to end with. Everyone put up their hands and was waving it from one side to the next. Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap (Axwell & Dirty South Remix) got the crowd going again and everyone was jumping up and down. Dannic slowed it down with Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, but soon brought back the energy with Like Home by Nicky Romero & Nervo (Dannic Remix), and honestly I’ve never seen the crowd react with such intensity during a track; this was their moment.

Photo: ZACJACphotography Dannic played Live for The Moment by Krewella, and it was basically the theme of the night. Everyone from the young and old (including parents) were living for the moment. It was an awesome sight to see and everyone was having a good time. Wait For You  by Dannic & Shermanology was the last song he played and I lost my voice singing the lyrics. This song was magical. Everyone’s voices singing this song filled up Arrow Hall, and I could hear it all the way from the main entrance. As soon as Dannic was done, we all knew who was up next and the chants echoed the massive venue, Hardwell was coming.

When Hardwell graced the stage, the introduction was simply amazing. The visuals along with the story made it seem like you were in a sci-fi movie. The experience was just magical. Hardwell started the night off with Lionhearted by Porter Robinson (Arty Remix), and everyone was getting amped up. I moved onto the side to dance, but then realized how close I was to the barrier. This placed me just to the right of Hardwell, which was pretty sweet. Hardwell continued to play brilliance throughout the night.

Here We Go was up next and everyone continued to chant. Hardwell kicked it into overdrive with Dangerous by David Guetta ft. Sam Martin and then played Young Again ft. Chris Jones (Extended remix). It was one of those moments that you had to be there to experience. It was such a beautiful moment to see everyone singing in unison and everyone just loving the music. Continuing on with the hot streak, Hardwell played Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars, to which I lost my voice again. I then smiled because this song at that moment had me in absolute awe as confetti fell all around me.

Under Control by Calvin Harris & Alesso ft. Hurts was up next and this banger just completed the night. People were screaming with tears in their eyes. I will never forget that moment. Hardwell came out with a phenomenal mash up of Bastille vs. Krewella (Pompeii vs. Live For The Night) and switched to Bad by David Guetta & Showtek ft. Vassy. When Heroes by Alesso ft. Tove Lo came on, I knew Hardwell had nailed it. The night had become a tremendous successful and everyone loved their evening. I had to leave a bit early, but I knew the crowd was in good hands. I heard a bit of Ping Pong by Armin Van Buuren (Hardwell Mix) and left knowing that my heart was completely satisfied with the wonderful Hardwell experience I’d had.

Thank you Dannic and Hardwell for making this an unbelievable night filled with magic, wonder and love. I cannot wait until the next time these two come to town and I will be sure not to miss them. Thank you to LiveNation and EDM TOR for an amazing opportunity. I had a blast and hope to see you at the next event. Also, a huge thank you to the wonderful police officers from Peel Regional Police and the EMTs as well as the security guards. EMTs and police were on point making sure everyone was safe. Last but not least, thank you to the security guards for handing out water to the people in the front row.

 You can find the rest of the photo album here.

LINKS:

ZACJAC Photography
Facebook

Hardwell
SoundCloud 
Website

Dannic
SoundCloud
Website

 

Amrit Sandhu for EDM TOR