By Madeline Hartnett

Insomniac’s third annual Crush concert made an appearance in downtown Dallas for the first time this year after being exclusively held in Los Angeles. The sold-out electronic dance music (EDM) event Feb. 13 showcased four rising electronic music artists: The Chainsmokers, the Lost Kings, NGHTMRE and Slander.

The Chainsmokers, who performed at an SMU fraternity event two years ago, headlined the concert. Their hit single “Roses” broke No. 6 on Billboard.com’s “Billboard Hot 100” last week.

“I loved when ‘Roses’ came on, and the confetti shot out from the stage,” junior Caitlyn Rutan said. “[Crush concert] was different from all of the EDM concerts I’ve been to before. The confetti gave it a different feel from the concerts that I’ve been to which were held outside during the day. It was more like going to a club.”

EDM concerts attract students because of the culture at the events. High-energy dance music accompanied by flashy light shows, carbon dioxide canons and falling confetti are all staples at these types of shows.

“Saturday evening was only my second EDM concert that I’ve ever attended,” junior Jorge Hinojosa said. “I have been to many rock concerts in my lifetime, and I’ve been to a fair amount of them at Southside. Southside is as pure a venue as you’re gonna get in Dallas, and that’s why it’s one of my favorites. A venue that bare and spacious works perfectly with higher energy genres (Rock, EDM, Hip-Hop), and I can’t think of another indoor venue in Dallas that better suits the EDM genre specifically.”

The electronic music culture is slowly making its way on the SMU campus as students embrace the growing EDM market which was valued at $6.9 Billion in 2014, according to Billboard’s “Global EDM Market Hits $6.9 Billion” article.

“I always hear the most recent electronic music playing at parties and venues that SMU students go to,” junior Allie Knobbe said.

Electronic music performances offer an experience that is different from the traditional concerts students experience. To give fans with a broad taste in music a unique experience, many acts mix in several styles of music to accompany the high-energy dance music.

“I loved that The Chainsmokers worked in old Blink 182 songs into their set,” senior Tori Hernandez said.

Hernandez enjoyed the other performers as well.

“My favorite song of the night was the Slander and NGHTMRE song ‘Gud Vibrations,’” Hernandez said.

After playing their new song “Dead,” one of the members of Slander got on the mic and reached out to the crowd.“Dallas, will you dance and run away with us tonight?”

The Chainsmokers earned their widespread reputation over the past four years by consistently releasing music and touring around the world.

During their set, The Chainsmokers took a moment to explain the meaning of their song “Kanye.”

“Our song ‘Kanye’ is not about Kanye West like most people assume. It’s really about not caring about what other people think,” The Chainsmokers said.

Fans at the venue were impressed by the hard work and dedication of The Chainsmokers. Senior Avery Hansen has been following the duo since high school. She is also a friend of eight years to one of the duo’s members, Alex Pall.

“The Chainsmokers are super dedicated to their fans, so they try to make every one of their shows such an amazing experience,” Hansen said.