On Tuesday September 4, electronic dance music rocked Faculty Hollow for the first time with the appearance of legendary producer Steve Angello.

The former member of Swedish House Mafia brought his popular sounds to Welcome Week at a time when mainstream infatuation with celebrity DJs couldn’t be hotter. The overwhelmingly positive response Angello’s appearance received is proof of the timeliness of introducing EDM to the campus amphitheatre’s previously rock-centric history. Al Legault, Director of MSU Campus Events, said Angello was sought after because “student energy is really high at the start of the week and we wanted the Tuesday show to reflect that.”

A tremendous 5,748 students in total enjoyed Angello’s two-hour-long DJ set – a record audience for MSU Campus Events staff who eagerly made use of the higher budget the recent Macpass levy provided.

For Welcome Week 2012, approximately 35 per cent more funds were allocated for the concerts than in years past. With pressure to demonstrate that the levy is worthwhile and adds to incoming students’ experiences, securing an impressive lineup for the concerts was a priority. “We wanted to match the caliber of the Welcome Week entertainment that other schools are able to showcase. I think a lot of students saw the value in that… and [with this concert] we were able to reach 25 per cent of undergraduate students in one night,” Legault explained.

The bigger budget show was an obvious improvement from previous years and the high-energy dance party and light show that accompanied Angello’s appearance was clearly enjoyed by the sweaty, wildly dancing crowd. Lasers rented from suppliers of the ACC shone 14 miles into the night and an LED screen positioned behind Angello provided a continuous psychedelic visual experience.

Throughout the night, Angello was tight-lipped, pausing his set only occasionally to shout brief encouragement (“make some noise!”) to the adoring crowd. Post-show, however, Angello was eager to comment on the energy of the night. He said, “Nothing beats a good crowd at an event and as a DJ I really feed off the crowd. Best of all is the fact that this is the next generation of music lovers so being able to do show like this one was a great experience for me.”

For the incoming first years, he offered this piece of advice: “Stay in school! You can come a very long way with ambition and dreams but education is the key to a good life.”