An air of excitement rained down in State College as Zedd lined up to perform at the Bryce Jordan Center. The sold-out show also featured prominent DJs Morgan Page and Dillon Francis, on top of the headliner Zedd. The place was fairly calm when Morgan Page opened the concert. The artist stemming from Vermont laid down some heavy house style music and prepared the crowd for the raucous show that followed with Dillon Francis.

Many attendees were more excited for Dillon Francis than they were for Zedd. Francis went through hits off his newest project This Mixtape is Fire and live mixed his singles “When We Were Young (Remix)” and “Get Low (Remix).” Francis, the prodigious young DJ discovered by Diplo, really got the crowd fired up. Since the first time I saw him, he definitely has discovered his brand and sells it much harder now in his visuals and his interactions with the crowd. I did enjoy his Jack Ü remix, and when he did decide to break out an old classic like “IDGAFOS,” his usual magic entranced me once again. I was very disappointed he didn’t play his “Carried Away” remix, but I guess you don’t always get everything you want from an artist’s performance.

Zedd, on the other hand, stole the show. He came out guns blazing and really articulated why his tour was called the “True Colors” tour. The visuals were next level, completely blowing away the two openers. He had a huge set and ran through all his favorites. “Beautiful Now,” “Stay The Night,” and “Clarity” were all played and remixed multiple times. The crowd loved it and combined with a beautiful laser light show. Although also very commercial, the quality of the music seemed to be at a bit higher of a level. Always in a special spotlight, dressed in all white, Zedd came out with a very energetic and elegant presentation. I was so happy to hear he played “The Legend Of Zelda” remix, the song just exudes nostalgia and I was glad to see it stayed in his setlist. Zedd also brought out a Zombie Nation playlist special for Penn State. The crowd was loving it and hanging off of every bass drop and buildup. He closed with the first song I had ever heard by him, his Empire Of The Sun, “Alive” remix.  A perfect way to finish the set, he saved it for a small encore, in which he maintained the attention of the crowd, even after a long performance. The climax of the show for me was when he whipped out an ode to EDM pioneers, Daft Punk, and played an awesome “Around the World” remix.

All in all, Zedd touched on all aspects of his music that people enjoy listening to. From his incredibly popular radio hits to his obscure personal concert live mixes, Zedd hit on all cylinders with his production and enactment. There is a reason he sold out, and although EDM purists have their qualms with Zedd, I found his performance to be engaging and much more solid than Dillon Francis or Morgan Page. He is a top electronic dance music DJ in the world for a reason and proved why to everyone who came out to see him at the BJC Friday.