DJ Riot Ten has only one message for concertgoers: “My sets are not for the faint of heart.”  

Ahead of his trip to The Westcott Theater on Friday night for his concert with Crankdat, Riot Ten said he’s visiting fans throughout the United States and Canada to expand his fanbase that’s predominantly overseas. Crankdat’s manager, Dave Rishty, said his group has the same opportunistic mindset coming in. 

Wes Johnson, the marketing director for Creative Concerts, said audience members should bring the energy, because the hope is to create an electrifying atmosphere.  

“They should expect a party,” Johnson said, in an email. “Crankdat and Riot Ten are headlining multiple music festivals throughout the US (and) they’ll get to see some of the Syracuse locals who are devoted to our music scene.”   

The event, sponsored by Creative Concerts, is part of a winter tour for both artists. Riot Ten is recognized worldwide — he’s toured nearly every continent and is associated with some of the most well-known names in dance music, including DJ Snake and The Chainsmokers. Crankdat has gained popularity by creating remixes of songs by Drake and Travis Scott, among others. 

Riot Ten is no stranger to Syracuse. In his 2018 Hype or Die world tour, he visited the city and said he fell in love, adding, “it’s time for a return.” 

For Crankdat, The Westcott Theater performance will be his first visit to the city. “We really wanted to hit some towns that neither of us had been to,” Rishty said in an email. “And since neither of us have been to Syracuse, it felt right to tackle it together for the first time.” 

Rishty added the duo aims to give people an unforgettable experience. He said they “put on a hell of a show start to finish” and they separate themselves from other performers with how they enliven the venue.  

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Riot Ten, who was in Mexico City for a concert just last week, said that he brings the same amount of energy to every show but remains committed to creating an environment suitable for everybody.  

“It’s all about the community and all are welcome,” he said in an email, “whether you like to headbang and break the rail, or you like to chill back and just vibe out to the visuals and music.” 

Riot Ten said that if you have never heard of him, you should head over to his Spotify or SoundCloud pages to listen to his music and decide if you like it. But he also added that those platforms don’t give a full idea of the environment at these events.  

“Maybe head over to my Instagram page,” he said, “to get an idea of what the live show is all about.”  

The Hype or Die Squad is also a big part of Riot Ten and his tour. His two “Hype or Die” albums thus far have helped him make a name for himself. He has 120,000 followers on SoundCloud, and a remix of one of his songs — “Till We Die” featuring Lit Lords — has been played over 83,000 times in a month and a half. 

Knowing that number is only going to increase, Creative Concerts saw this as an opportunity for the Syracuse community to experience two music creators who are on the rise.  

“Not everyone has the time and money that goes along with going to big music festivals,” Johnson said. “We try to bring that experience right here to Syracuse.” 

The concert being on a Friday night only adds to the excitement, Johnson said, adding that it means a lot to host these performers on the weekend, because they’re often tied up in the major cities on the weekends.  

“People from Rochester and Buffalo travel, so there’s always lots of new faces and people from all walks of life come out,” he said. “It’s a sort of culture that most people aren’t aware of, but one that a lot of people end up falling in love with.

Published on February 26, 2019 at 10:09 pm

gfpagano@syr.edu