Mad Decent Block Party Toronto Was Pretty Decent [Review]

This past Friday Diplo rolled through Toronto for his annual Mad Decent Block Party. Taking place at Fort York the festival line-up was mixture of rising new stars and OGs. On the sunny Friday afternoon I took a trip down to revel in the annual excitement. After a thorough pat down and search I was let into the familiar world of MDBP. Along the right of the entry were rows of food trucks offering everything from wood oven pizza, to burritos, burgers, ice cream and more. There was more than enough food options to make skipping dinner with plans to eat there a solid choice. With Bud Light as a main sponsor it meant beer drinkers had one choice…Bud Light. While I understand the importance of corporate sponsorships I could’ve at least gone for a Budweiser or even a Bug Light Platinum (if that’s still a thing?). Other drink options included cider and your standard mixed drinks. After grabbing a beer and some food I headed into the action to catch Slushii heating up the party. Despite it being early in the day the young DJ had a solid sized crowd with great energy. His set consisted of smash hits (‘All I Do Is Win,’ ‘I Can’t Stop’,) dirty dubstep and some tracks that blended both (a nasty ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ remix).

As Slushii’s set came to a close Louis The Child came on for a stellar set. The blend of future pop, future bass and touch of trap made for the perfect early evening programming. It was upbeat, embodying the summer weather with just enough hard hitting bangers. The QUIX remix of ‘After Hours’ was especially viscous while Lambo’s flip of Drake’s ‘Controlla’ had everyone singing along. The combination of great selection and energy made Louis The Child a surprise standout.

Next up came one of Canada’s finest – Grandtheft. I’ve seen Grandtheft 8-10 times and have never been disappointed or tired of his sets. Although the set begin with some sound issues they were easily forgotten as he delivered the most impressive set of the evening. His ability to move between genres and stellar selection gave fans everything from trap classics like ‘Roll Up,’ to rap hits like ‘No Problem,’ and ‘Antidote’ and next level turnt anthems (think Herobust). From beginning to end Grandtheft rocked the crowd and impressed all.

NGHTMRE and Slander were up next for a 3 man b2b. They came out hard and kept the energy throughout. They had the crowd jumping on every drop and screaming for more on the builds. Their choice to mix in rock ballads and hip-hop classics seemed a bit disjointed to me but fans didn’t seem notice, eating it up and singing along at the top of their lungs. I can front, I got pretty into singing along to ‘Just A Friend’ too. By then the event was filling in heavy but thankfully beer lines never got out control, pointing to better organization than previous years.

Right before the finale from Mr. Mad Decent himself, came a set from marshmello, which prompted me to wonder how the hell an artist who’s existed for less than a year could land such a lucrative spot. After taking a look round and seeing the vast number of people rocking marshmello gear, from tees to home made marshmello helmets it was apparent his popularity is at it’s peak. Going into the set I didn’t have high expectations, writing him off as a shitty gimmick. His visuals of a dancing marshmello didn’t help his case but as the show progressed and the marshmello (in his visuals) began to get roasted I smiled and realized there’s an element of humor and ridiculousness that softened my hate. Sure some of his set was generic as possible future bass but he also mixed in some killer dubstep and trap bangers that made me wonder why I was hating on marshmello in the first. Sure it’s a gimmick, but he knows it, embraces and actually delivers beyond expectations.

As the night drew to its climax it was time for Diplo to takeover Toronto. Diplo did what he does, delivering a set that rocked the crowd and was an undeniable highlight. At this point Diplo’s DJ sets almost feel like a victory lap. There’s nothing left for him to prove and he’s out to have as much fun as the fans are. That said, I’ve never had less than an awesome time at a Diplo show. He gives the people what they want while keeping the energy flowing. Whether it’s anthems from his deep catalog, Drake smashes or straight bangers, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. He jumped on the mic several times to further build excitement and reiterated that Toronto was his favourite (although he probably says that to every girl city). Despite all that, I would’ve loved to see him take a few more risks and play something really unique, it just felt a little to safe for a guy who incited mosh pits in the same space just a few years prior during the Full Flex tour. In the end, Block Party proved why it’s a mainstay in Toronto’s festival circuit and has me looking forward to next year.

For more from Mad Decent Block Party Toronto look out for our full photo gallery on Facebook.

All photos taken by Tania Hiriart Mosca. Follow her on Instagram.