Tiesto- The Concert vs The Show Offstage

Last night Sandy and I went to see Tiesto at Ricoh Coliseum as he stopped by Toronto for his Club Life Tour. It was the second time we've seen him and the night was all I expected.

Wolfgang Gartner opened, and while he was high energy I wasn't crazy about the way he kept breaking tempo, killing the beat just as I was really getting into it. On the upside it allowed us to take breaks every now and then.  Tiesto came on two hours after we arrived (at 11:00), the crowd really came alive and we danced our asses off.  The light show was blazing, the strobes were frenetic, the music way-too-loud just as it should be.  Most of what he played was off the new CD, but he included tracks like "Escape Me", "I Will Be Here" and "Feel It In My Bones" from Kaleidoscope. Also older cuts like "Traffic" and "Silence".  Tiesto's a must-see if you're even slightly into trance.

The show offstage was just as big. Not surprisingly about 95% of the people who came were in their twenties. Awesome, I find familiarity in this. Sandy and I were in a spot on the floor last night which had a lot of traffic and was a prime spot for people-watching. These concerts always attract the same characters and they all stand out for different reasons:

Mr. Already Wasted-  shows up high or sloshed and gets turned away at the gate before the show even starts. Or once inside pops E or some other designer drug, gets into an altercation and has his ass turfed before the opening act is finished.

Miss I'm Too Hot To Be Freezing- wears a minidress two sizes too small, barely covering her ass cheeks or other assets, in 40 degree weather and stands in line desperately trying not to look cold.

Mr. Ray Bans- wears sunglasses and runs into people when the lights are down. Sometimes convinces his gf to do the same.

Miss I'm Too Sexy For Pretty Much Everything- has the uncanny ability to walk by you like you're not even there. What colour is the sky in her world?

Mr. Mosh Pit- groups of two to five neanderthals bumping chests and body slamming like they're at a Green Day concert. This is always followed by pissing off guys they bump into who don't happen to be part of their group. If Mr. Already-Wasted is one of them the real fun starts.

Miss Touchy-Feely- some girls just like to hold each other's hand. Fact. As I watched the endless parade of girls with their besties in tow I couldn't help but wonder. Was it just to keep track of each other in a heavy crowd, or was there more to it? Don't answer this, let me dream.
  It's also common in clubs to see two or three girls grinding up on each other. I fully support and encourage this as an important social bonding tool. :)

The nerd/geek/dork/dweeb- plaid shirt with a tie? Some people can pull it off. These guys can't.

Miss Lost In The Music- one of the best sights at a concert. Arms outstretched, head tilited way back, dancing with complete abandon like nothing else exists besides the music. Awesome. Note this is a complete turn-off if she's high, regardless of how attractive she may be.

Mr. Shirtless- as a guy what better way is there to show you want to get laid than to take off your shirt in a building full of hotties? Note to guys everywhere: if you're going to take your shirt off in public at least make sure you have a decent body.  Some did, most did not.

Miss Green/Pink/Blue Hair- something tells me that's not your natural colour. Just a hunch.

Mr. Familiar- "Hey man, I saw you guys at Arrow Hall last year."  No bud, actually you didn't.

Great partying with you this year though.