Concert review: Tiesto

The crowd at Epic on Friday night. Photo by J. Pinkley. By J. Pinkley Not surprising, Tiesto packed Epic Friday night with a crowd that mirrored the title of his new album and North American tour, "Kaleidoscope." Halloween eve revelers of all shapes and colors poured into the club, nearly selling the place out for the Sound In Motion-sponsored show. Jack Trash wound up the crowd early, which was hopping on the dance floor by the time he ended his set around 11 p.m. Costumed partiers pushed their way toward the front, brandishing digital cameras and cell phones as they chanted, "Ti-es-to" before Trash had even stopped playing. The dance purists parted to make way for those who seemed to really want a piece of the international superstar and Tiesto delivered by kicking off his set with the title track, "Kaleidoscope" featuring Sigur Rós singer Jónsi Birgisson. The light wall behind Tiesto dramatized his entrance by randomly flashing the album title and pulsating to his beats. The crowd roared. After listening to the new album at home on a laptop, I wondered if Tiesto's new direction would translate into a club. He sought creative power from the likes of Canadian indie duo Tegan and Sara, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris, and Emily Haines (Metric) for a distinctly different sound from his past work. He also parted ways with his old record label, Black Hole, for a new one -- Musical Freedom. But it became clear during his nearly 3-hour set that his latest work is also a crowd pleaser. He deftly moved back and forth between new and old, coaxing clubgoers to spend less time tweeting and texting and more time dancing. One non-costumed fan told me he came all the way from Utah just to see Tiesto live. After awhile it grew challenging to actually see him unless you wanted to get pushed around in the throng or watch the TV monitors. But going to a Tiesto show just to see him would be missing the point. Tiesto is about liking what you hear and being inspired to get your groove on.