One year ago, following a chaotic block party turned riot on Hollywood Boulevard, mega DJ Kaskade promised Los Angeles that he would return, that he would not forget. True to his word, Kaskade emerged triumphantly on the Staples Center stage to a sold-out crowd this past Friday night, as L.A. turned out in full force for one of the biggest names in the electronic music scene. With ten plus years of experience under his belt, Kaskade has made his mark in the DJ scene playing clubs and festivals worldwide, and currently is making the rounds for his "Freaks of Nature" tour spanning 42 cities.

The lights dimmed as the ever-popular "Eyes" began to blare, with Mindy Gledhill's gently sweet vocals ushering in the night, sparking a roaring chorus of high-pitched screams from the overeager crowd. He started large, and kept the intensity throughout the night, mashing up favorites like "Angel On My Shoulder" with Hard Rock Sofa's banger, "Quasar," and even giving those at home a taste by broadcasting the show live on Fuse TV and YouTube. While the bass slapped you in the face and kept you moving, the dazzling visuals took the ecstatic crowd higher. Swarms of glowing beach balls bounced atop the writhing partygoers as the energy continued to swell, reaching an apex with a hailstorm of multicolored confetti dousing the dancing throngs. 

As his set came to a close, Kaskade graciously thanked his fans as the music faded away. The crowd, however, was not ready to say goodbye, chants of "one more song" booming through the Staples Center, begging an encore. Always game, Kaskade reemerged, satiating the masses with the mellow bounce of "I Remember." Three hours had passed. Three blissful hours of delirious, rapturous, sweat-soaked dancing. A year later, and now it seems we are the ones who will not forget.

Written by Michelle Moon