Review: Paul van Dyk ‘Evolves’ at Commodore Ballroom Vancouver 4/20/12

Time of Our Lives erupts over the speakers as Paul Van Dyk takes the stage at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, celebrating his Evolution album tour. Within seconds the energy in the room explodes. Since DJ Magazine’s inception in 1997 there have only been eight number one DJs. Of those eight, four have graced the list on multiple occasions. Without question Paul Van Dyk deserves to rank amongst these four greatest DJs in the world. Dyk’s company includes: Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, and Armin Van Buuren. The dance floor sways as musical energy and stomping feet create a relentless flow of feel-good vibrations.

The crowd beamed as they danced under the soft hue of Dyk’s minimal stage setup: the night focuses on the man and his music. For Paul, trance is about musicality. Effortlessly weaving through decades of musical knowledge, you feel an innate connection with the world. Relinquishing control your subconscious takes over. The experience moves you. Paul Van Dyk’s wheels are turning now. You can see him thinking through the set. Everything is layered in true trance fashion. He sets down simplistic beats and the audience can feel every detail he adds to the growing masterpiece. As the set drives toward hysteria, Dyk revels in what he has achieved. The crowd’s energy spikes but Paul is patient. He’s reading the crowd, gleefully waiting for the perfect moment to lead us even deeper into the world of Trance. Expecting the beat to crescendo into a dark dripping drop (as mainstream EDM would dictate) Paul surprises and slowly begins to peel off the intricately woven layers. Minutes melt away and the set slowly simmers and reduces into something rare: a fragile naked synth heartbeat that gives birth to Dyk’s final thirty minutes of glorious trance.

The crowd is transfixed as thunderous applause rains down on the Commodore’s legendary dance floor. Dyk throws down his arms for every drop. He can’t stand still – the music excites him as much as it does the crowd. He jumps. We jump. His energy is infectious. Lighthearted euphoric energy whistles through the Commodore. We have collectively reached a world of pure trance, surrounded by nothingness, calm and content. Suddenly, jerked away from Dyk’s dream world and back to reality, a two ton hammer hits us in the face. We flew too close to the sun – back to pounding bass. As white lights and bass flood the audience you realize the crowd’s older demographic. This is a true testament to Paul Van Dyk’s legacy and solid evidence of his lasting appeal. Paul van Dyk is a true DJ and a rarity. A genuine DJ set mixed live, on the edge of collapsing in on itself, entirely unique in the era of arena shows. Never stop dancing Paul Van Dyk. And stay true to Trance – the EDM world needs you.