Credit: Photo by Shelley Hiam

Major Lazer

Auditorium Shores, Nov. 5

A Major Lazer show is basically spring break compacted into an hour and a single stage, neither of which is enough to contain the insanity. It’s debauched, dangerous, filthy, and fantastic, and like spring break, much of your opinion of the show will depend on how deeply into the middle of the mayhem you’re willing to dive. Somewhere between all of the ass shaking, shots of rum poured into the open mouths of the front row, and the drunken idiot who pulled a showstopping face-plant from the stage speakers into the unsuspecting crowd (apparently he was fine), Diplo and Skerrit Bwoy unleashed a set that wavered precipitously between the bounds of impressive control and outright chaos. The stage was too small for their more infamously daring moves, but the troupe threw down a cardio-assaulting pace behind Diplo’s mixes while Skerrit Bwoy and his Lazer-ettes induced an orgy onstage. Everyone seemed bewildered when the set ended somewhat early, but Skerrit Bwoy’s final spread-eagled fling into the crowd provided enough of a spectacle to satiate the chants for an encore.

This article appears in November 11 • 2011.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.