Kaskade sets Staples Center headline date
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Fresh off two well-received Coachella sets, the electronica artist Kaskade already has another high-profile L.A. date booked. But the upcoming July 27 Staples Center set from the O.C.-based artist born Ryan Raddon is a landmark in its own right: it offically makes him an L.A. arena-rocker.
The show will be the first headlining Staples Center set from an electronic dance music artist. The venue is usually the top L.A. stop for touring pop acts like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.
Festivals like the Electric Daisy Carnival and Tiesto’s Club Life College Invasion tour attracted larger crowds to outdoor venues in the L.A. area recently. But Kaskade’s Staples set — alongside major recent EDM events like Skrillex and Swedish House Mafia’s Madison Square Garden shows — suggests that promoters like AEG and Live Nation want to incorporate the top tier of EDM artists into pop’s traditional major-headliner venues, and that mainstream fans don’t see much of a cultural difference between the two worlds anymore.
Pop and EDM have been merging for years on recordings. This set shows their touring business models are blending as well.
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