It’s just two weeks into 2015 and superstar DJ Kaskade is already having a benchmark year. On Friday, Billboard announced that the Los Angeles-based producer had signed his first major label deal with Warner Bros. Records, becoming the label’s first ever EDM artist. On Saturday, the Grammy nominee kicked off a new multi-year exclusive residency with the Encore Beach Club and XS Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas.
The residency is a bit of a homecoming for Kaskade (real name: Ryan Raddon), who played his first exclusive series of shows at the Encore in 2010. The new contract will have him play roughly 50 shows — 30 at XS and 20 at Encore Beach Club — through January, 2017. (His tour dates will be updated on www.wynnsocial.com.)
“He’s top tier,” said Jesse Waits, managing partner of XS and Tryst, when asked why the hotel decided to re-book Raddon. “And he has a huge female following, which is necessary for nightclubs.”
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Waits first booked Raddon eight years ago at Drais After Hours. A lot has happened since then. Raddon has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold out stadium shows, and played top-bill gigs at some of the country’s biggest festivals including Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra, and Coachella, where he’ll play for the fourth time this April. And for its part, XS recently underwent a $10 million renovation that includes a laser system, 360-degree DJ booth structure and a double kabuki drop in front of the booth featuring project-mapped video content.
Waits said there wasn’t a major bidding war to bring Raddon back to the Wynn. “He came to us directly and we offered him the highest rate possible,” he said.
It helps that Raddon’s shows typically sell out. Encore Beach Club’s Sean Christie likened Kaskade’s fan base, loosely, to jam bands. “They’re rabid and incredibly loyal,” he said. “He’s a sure thing.”
To keep the performances feeling current, the clubs underwent a major technology upgrade that, ironically, is meant to tame the vibe a little. They’ll still have some of the flashy elements of a standard Las Vegas EDM show, such as pyro, LED lights, and digital screens, but the atmosphere will match Raddon’s sound, which is deeper than other Vegas staples like Tiesto and Hardwell. Waits and Christie added blue and purple mood lighting and a large white-draped golden arch to frame the stage projectors. Find a video of the club’s renovation below.