Swing and a Miss
by Alexandra on 1/9/24Armory - MinneapolisZedd at the Armory was one of, if not THE worst EDM shows I have been to at the Armory. First off, the crowd was extremely dense, which would not usually be a problem if there weren’t so many desperate people always rudely shoving through the crowd to get to the front. Maybe they thought they’d have a better time up there? If the music is good and you know how to make your own fun, you can have an awesome experience standing anywhere at the Armory. Second, it did not help that there were so many belligerently drunk (yes, drunk) people, which tainted the overall vibe due to the drink spilling, unsolicited attention from extremely drunk men, and constant pushing. I get that being at a rave means you’re gonna get pushed around a little because people go hard dancing (as they should). However, if I’m getting pushed around because you’re falling over and stumbling cus you’re so smashed or think you’re entitled to more space than those around you, it kills the vibe. Try taking care of yourself? Third, the music did NOT hit at all. I get trying to play crowd pleasers, but when every single beat drop is the same, the audience gets tired quickly. You could literally feel the boredom in the crowd. So people just bounce around to try to get the energy up, but it ends up just feeling like you’re at a college frat party listening to lame pop remixes. The terrible beat drops and just general sucky music that Zedd played were not redeemed by the few good moments he had playing his usual bangers. The opener, Surf Mesa, was even worse. His music made me feel like I was inside a millennial’s Instagram travel blog, or at a mega church concert. I really tried to embrace their unique sets and stay positive and get the energy up, but it was just a terrible set overall, and I didn’t wanna force it. I’ve been to many shows at the Armory, and this is the only occurrence I didn’t have a good time. Don’t see Zedd live. You could get the same experience at a dirty dive bar that’s playing Clarity over the radio.