So I've been a fan of Markus Schulz since 2007, and ever since he's started playing at Stereo in Montreal I've always wanted to make the trek to see one of his solo sets there. For whatever reason I didn't go the past few years but when I saw that he was going to be playing there again this past Canadian Thanksgiving (October 8), I figured it was the perfect time since I'm getting married next summer and really wanted to check this off my bucket list.

I went alone - yep, traveled from Los Angeles to Montreal all by myself, spent the entire weekend there doing touristy things, going to dinners alone, etc. To be honest, I loved it, really gives you an opportunity for some self-reflection and to really just spend time with yourself and your thoughts.

With that said, I'd say the hardest part was the 2 AM start time since I'm used to going to Avalon at 9-10 PM when he's in town. It was also pretty damn cold waiting in line outside, it was somewhere in the 40's with some wind as well. The line was longggg - from what I hear Markus Schulz is one of the biggest if not biggest nights of the year for Stereo. Once I got in and checked my coat, it was time to walk into the Cathedral.

In short, Stereo surpassed my expectations by a long shot. From the perfectly tuned sound system that didn't leave my ears ringing after 10 hours, the dark and moody lighting that was just perfect, and the meticulously cared for dance floor that has a spring to it so you're feet don't tire out. Everything was perfect, the vibe was also amazing. Good, happy crowd that was just there to enjoy the music. Since it's an afterhours club, they do not serve alcohol, but the crowd didn't seem like a drugfest either. While I don't doubt the majority of the crowd was on a stimulant, it didn't have that cracked out vibe that Avalon has. Also a very good looking crowd as well which took me by surprise as well. What was interesting was security is on you if you try to take pics or videos - I tried a few times and they would quickly ask you to put your phone away. This is pretty awesome as it really maintains the vibe of the club.

Markus played from 2 AM to noon, and out of the countless times I've seen him, this takes the cake. His set programing is completely different, he starts off with a very dark buildup and gets to the rabbit hole very quickly and stays there until the last hour or so when he closes with classics. He did play a few songs off his new album, but they were afterhours edits so it fit the vibe perfectly. To this day I'm still at awe over how focused Markus is during these solo sets. While he did dance and engage with the crowd here and there, it's pretty amazing how dialed in he is. Once in a while he would take a sip of iced tea and eat some peanuts, otherwise he was on stage and did not move for the 10 hrs.

Here are some tracks I recall him playing, and I think I did see a recorder box connected to the CDJ so I hope he continues tradition and uploads the entire set on his Soundcloud in the upcoming months.

https://soundcloud.com/gai-barone/un-theme-extended-mix
https://soundcloud.com/nizar-abouch...-b2-exile007mp3
https://soundcloud.com/drumcode/tho...cher-the-unseen
https://soundcloud.com/secondstatea...h-me-perc-remix

Finally, here are some quick pics I took.

https://imgur.com/a/l6Az6yA
https://imgur.com/a/fC5pMq5 (this was right when doors opened)
https://imgur.com/a/FA5BuTh

All in all, this trip was amazing and I'll forever cherish the memroeis. I will definitely go back and see him at Montreal again; it's just too special to only go to once.

Last edited by modthispny on Oct-26-2018 at 16:47