Seven Lions’ The Journey Tour celebrates two, back to back, sold out shows this past weekend at The Fox Theater in Oakland. Take it from me––this is one party that you don’t want to miss!
Jeff Montalvo, better known as Seven Lions, is an American DJ hailing from Santa Barbara. Musically, Jeff grew up playing guitar and bass, with roots in metal and punk. It wasn’t until 2010 when he started releasing music under the moniker Seven Lions. His musical productions blend a whole range of styles including trance, dubstep, techno, and electro.
Seven Lions is currently making his way down the California coast on his U.S. and Canada headlining tour. This tour is full of tracks off his newly released studio ep Creation, as well as some of his most notable songs, including “Strangers” and “Don’t Leave” which feature vocals from popular female singer-songwriters Tove Lo and Ellie Goulding respectively. Witnessing Seven Lions’ live set is much more than an average night of entertainment. Appropriately named, The Journey Tour is in all aspects, a journey.
Jeff, with the help of a devoted crew, has ultimately created a euphoric masterpiece for this tour. There are a handful of epic songs that undoubtedly convey feelings of an overall sense of well-being. These are the songs where arms are held high, eyes are shut and you can’t help but bob your head from side to side. There are also the very fast paced, dubstep tracks that have you jumping and sweating bullets before you even make it thirty seconds into the song. This perfect blend of musical styles makes for an incredibly enjoyable and well-balanced show.
The visuals that accompany each and every track are grand entertainment, all by themselves. Jeff’s stage setup includes multiple large LED panels as well as varying sizes of pyramid shaped mountain peaks. Throughout the set, the visuals evolve from vivid, geometric shapes into wild, technicolor flashing orbs. The more cinematic tracks feature on screen clips of a female, Viking-like warrior, clad in fur and bearing weapons-clearly on a mission to conquer the world. With each song comes new, visually pleasing sights that are creatively synced with the tempo and vibe of each track. The array of lighting, unique structures and projections used are all impressive and truly enhance the show.
Another aspect of this concert that added to my overall enjoyment was the attendees. Everyone I encountered was so genuinely nice, not to mention absolutely elated and 100% stoked to be witnessing Seven Lions live and in the flesh. There is a very powerful feeling of acceptance and friendship for each and every individual. No one cares what anyone else is wearing- or isn’t wearing in some cases. So, a very big shout out to Seven Lions’ fans for their authenticity and positivity.
Ultimately, Seven Lions succeeds in taking you on an epic journey from earth to far off, intergalactic space and everywhere in between all in a matter of 90 minutes (give or take). His songs build into an epic and immense wave that ultimately washes over you-in the form of loud bass and techno beats. There are so many sights, sounds and feelings, that it’s impossible to convey everything in just a few words and photos. Experiencing The Journey Tour is a technicolor trip through sight and sound that makes for a real adventure.
Click here to see when you can catch Seven Lions on The Journey Tour near you!
On October 14th, a crisp fall evening in the city, I found myself on the corner of Sutter and Van Ness, standing outside the brightly lit Regency Center. This building was once home to the Scottish Rite Temple, built as a masonic lodge in 1909. Since then, it has undergone a handful of transformations, ultimately becoming one of the most popular live music venues in the bay area. The most well-known room of this building is the Regency Ballroom. The ballroom features hardwood floors that make up dancefloor– where, to no surprise, I always manage to find myself. I do, however, make my way up the stairs from time to time. The second level features stadium style seating in the shape of a horseshoe; though only two rows deep, still a nice alternative for when I need a break from dancing. Tonight, I make my way up to the balcony right. At this vantage point, I am essentially floating above the stage. I do believe this spot is closer than when you’re at the very front of the dance floor. Plus, I get a sneak peek backstage into all of the typically hidden shenanigans.
Tom Stræte Lagergren, better known by his stage name: Matoma, takes the city of San Francisco by storm with his contagious energy and catchy tropical beats on the Party at Your Place Tour. Matoma makes his way to the the stage around 11p.m., absolutely pumped to be playing a sold out show, full of dedicated fans. The crowd radiates energy and pure excitement. Matoma is only two songs deep, if that, and everyone is dripping with sweat. This is partly due to the inability to keep from dancing and partly due to the fact that the ventilation inside the ballroom is practically nonexistent. Nonetheless, throw on your Hawaiian-print shirt and grab a pina colada because we are traveling to the sandy beaches of carefree Ibiza tonight.
Matomoa is a Norwegian DJ originating in Flisa, Norway. After becoming quite the expert, as a young boy, at classical piano, Tom turned to mixing beats on his computer. Matoma has had much early success with his remixes of popular songs including Ja Rule’s “Old Thing Back”, Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando”, and Eminem's “Business”. Currently, Matoma is responsible for remixing some of the top charted artists of this current year including both One Direction and Coldplay.
To paint a picture for you, Matoma’s music is full of airy, upbeat tracks that make you want to throw on a backpack and hike alongside the beach while making your way down highway one, with the sun rising cinematically in the background. His live set is packed with these islandish feels mixed with the after hour sounds of deep house. The songs are in perfect sync with dramatic cryo cannons and technicolor lasers. The production is jaw-dropping, literally.
As the set comes to an end, Matoma makes his way to the front of the stage to throw out a handful of merch to the wide-eyed and lively crowd. Once 1 a.m. rolls around and everyone looks as if they just spent the last two hours swimming in the ocean, Matoma bids a sincere and appreciative farewell to his fans.
For a mini holiday away from the normal nightclub scene, find out when Matoma is playing nearest you!
On Wednesday November 23rd, the city of San Francisco kindly welcomed this powerful dj duo to the 
Porter Robinson and Madeon are two of the most respected and imaginative djs in edm, each possessing his own separate successful career. They share similar dreamy synth pop melodies but each still maintains his own, unique sound. Madeon has a keen affinity for live mixing a multitude of samples and sounds on his launchpads, ultimately producing cheerful, upbeat hits. Porter Robinson can be seen energetically jumping back and forth from mixing on his deck to playing live drum samples, producing dramatic and hard-hitting tracks that still manage to feel very dreamlike.
The energy and emotion that these two artists maintain throughout their full 75-minute set is remarkable. There is a very large live element to this tour that sets it apart from all other electronic music tours currently happening. Both Porter and Madeon take turns providing vocals on each other’s songs, which evoked feelings of unadulterated joy from the crowd. “Shelter”, the true beginning to this collaborative success, features fresh vocals from Madeon. Porter provides vocals, for what he refers to as one of his favorite songs, on Madeon’s “Beings”.
The Shelter Live tour is a real thrill, as it is not often that two extremely talented djs dominate the stage together. Musically and visually, this tour is unparalleled. One must not only hear the magic that is being made on stage, but must also visually witness it. Porter and Madeon prove to be creative geniuses as the visuals that accompany each and every track are mesmerizing. Scenes of floating lanterns and lightning flash across the huge led panels that line the backs of their setups. This is not just an audio adventure. Porter and Madeon take us on a magical, whimsical dream through each and every song. Several tracks from the set are also accompanied by confetti, streamers, and even pyrotechnics, making the night feel like a real dream come true.
It is safe to say that we are all thankful that Porter Robinson and Madeon teamed up and created this magnificent experience through sound and sight. From the moment, the spotlights hit the stage to the very last note of the feature hit track “Shelter” echoing throughout the entire auditorium, everyone remained in a state of pure bliss.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better...they gave us the Shelter Live tour. Click 
Porter Robinson and Madeon make their way back up California to touch ground in Sacramento. Halfway through the North American leg of the Shelter Live Tour, an additional date was added in northern California to the surprise and delight of thousands of fans that were unsuccessful in their attempts to get tickets to the two sold out shows in San Francisco.
This stop on the Shelter Live Tour took place at the conference center at the McClellan Air Force Base. The McClellan Conference Center is a very versatile space, as it is essentially a large, open warehouse. For the Shelter Live Tour, this space included a single stage, set in the very back of the warehouse. Though the venue proved to be a bit uninteresting, the production made up for the venue tenfold. Streamers, spotlights, and smoke were all synchronized to a flawless set bursting at the seams with all of Madeon’s and Porter Robinson’s hits.
The set that Porter and Madeon created is truly impeccable. Each artist's own original song, features a new, unique take, freshly remixed by the other. This means that classic hits like Porter’s “Creation” is reimagined by Madeon and Madeon’s song, “Beings”, is reinterpreted by Porter. Hearing these masterpieces firsthand, is a real thrill. Porter and Madeon independently, are both creative and organic talent. Each artist possesses his own style and technique and, when these creative geniuses combine these talents, the outcome is unsurpassed.
Madeon and Porter both provide vocals, as well as accompanying drum beats on synth pads and synth melodies on keyboards. Being able to witness both djs in such an authentic, raw performance is undoubtedly incredibly and every bit worth the wait. The sound inside of the building was just as clear and crisp as ever. This concert is not only meant to be heard and seen, but felt. By way of the bass through your bones as felt in “Shelter”, as well as emotionally through the pull on your heartstrings in the opening notes of “Fellow Feeling”.
The Shelter Live Tour takes us all on a 90-minute journey through sense, sound, and sight. Though this tour has 
.jpg "Kyle Kaplan | Phantoms")
On what was a rather warm evening, and I mean really quite warm for 9 o’clock on a day in mid-November, Phantoms returned to the city of San Francisco with their ever-so-catchy electronic synth beats and dark pop melodies.
The 
DJ Duo “Phantoms” consists of Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola. These guys have a thorough spread of devices that all contribute to their ability to make the melodious music we all beg to hear. There are synths and drum pads complete with illuminated drumsticks. Both Kyle and Vinnie share control of the stage, taking turns leading the tracks and contributing to the vocals. Phantoms brings the energy and emotion to the stage that each concert-goer longs to feel. From the beginning of their set to the end, Phantoms’ music evokes feelings of a mysterious nightlife that is unique to each individual.
To get more info and tour dates check out their site here: 
The band’s electric stage presence is well-received by the crowd, it is clear that The New Up’s live sound is just as impressive, if not more so their recorded tracks. The friendly interaction between the band and the crowd between songs makes for an enjoyable and immersive night. Keep an eye out for when they will be in your area next and visit their site for more info: 
The New Up is:
