Kaskade starting 54-city tour on familiar ground in Vegas

Kaskade is kicking off a 54-city tour Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas' Chelsea Ballroom. Take a look at that number again. It's a staggering schedule.

"I'm doing 54 cities in 10 weeks," Kaskade (Ryan Raddon) tells me.

"It's freaking mental. I'm like, 'Am I really doing this?' " he says and laughs. "What did I get myself into?"

This Chelsea Ballroom show is different than the usual Kaskade residency gig at Marquee dayclub (where he performs on Sunday).

First of all, Saturday's ballroom show is an age 18-and-up event.

"I play 18-and-up shows very rarely," he says.

Second of all, the ballroom gig is an outright concert with a gigantic visual presentation - and Kaskade spins only his own music.

"I'm taking out a fully produced show. This is the first time in my career," he says. "I dabbled a little bit with it last year with the Identity Tour. I did 17 cities. It was me and a tour bus and a truckload of my stage following me."

But this "Freaks of Nature" tour is bigger, longer and uncut.

He previewed the "Freaks of Nature" set while headlining at the recent Coachella music festival.

"I did it at Coachella. I've gone back and worked the kinks out. That was the first time anyone had seen it, myself included," outside of rehearsals, he says.

So here's your question: Why is Kaskade - who was named America's top DJ by DJ Times magazine last year - launching his tour from Vegas?

Seriously, are you kidding me with that question? Where else would he begin?

"I remember playing in Vegas at club Ice, like, six or seven years ago. Back then, it was like electronic music barely had a foothold in the city," Kaskade says.

"Now it's the mecca. You've got everyone in Europe moving to L.A. so they can be closer to Las Vegas."

And on a personal level, Kaskade performs at Marquee nightclub and Marquee dayclub so frequently, Vegas is a home where he doesn't own a house.

"Starting in Vegas is like home court advantage," he says.

"I know everything's going to work. It's friendly territory. I'm in Vegas all the time. I just wanted to start somewhere familiar."

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at
delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.