Deadmau5 is a Canadian DJ and producer with over 25 years of experience in the electronic music industry. He is most known for his iconic mouse masks. As one of the most successful music producers, with eight of his own labels and huge collaborations ranging from remixer Kaskade and audio engineer Steve Duda to house DJ and singer Rob Swire; it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name on an EDC lineup, especially for its 30th anniversary in Orlando. Or is it?

According to Deadmau5’s vast Reddit fanbase, Deadmau5 isn’t a fan of playing EDC. @spacekief began the conversation with, “Circa 2012-2016, he didn’t want to play at EDC and was whining all about it. Why the change of heart?” Other redditors in the comments came to the conclusion summed up by user @RubberBabyBugyBumpin who responded, “Promotion, plain and simple. Promoting new music, Cubev3, Mau5trap, etc. I doubt his gripes have changed, however he is still trying to run a business.” After watching his performance I might agree with the redditors.

EDC’s 30th Opening Ceremony was kicked off by a classic Deadmau5 house set with an orange Orlando sunset as its backdrop. Countless fans danced around to a range of techno and progressive house beats wearing renditions of his iconic mouse mask. However, there were no fan interactions from the man behind the mask. It may not have been Deadmau5’s personal choice, but he could not be seen unless you were right next to the stage due to the screens not showing him at all. When other artists like Dillon Francis and Valentino Khan were seen most of their set. With thousands of people in attendance and other acts being shown on the screen, it got a little irritating. After about 30 minutes I was more mesmerized by the pyro and fireworks than the faceless music. I know some artists choose to perform in anonymity, but he isn’t one of them. He’s known for headbanging in his huge masks, so who chose to not display that onscreen?

My impression of Deadmau5’s opening ceremony was a little disappointing. Yes, he played countless hits across his entire discography like “Escape” feat. Kaskade and “2448,” but there was a sense of disconnect from the fan to the performer. I wonder if his EDC pre-show at The Vanguard downtown was more interactive because it was a smaller venue. Overall, Deadmau5’s opening ceremony was built for the people in the front of the crowd. Was he there for the paycheck? I hope not.

Review by Emily Tonnessen

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