Seven Lions is currently traveling across America on the Pantheon Tour, the first official tour for his Ophelia Records label.
I’d say one of the most consistent artists of the last decade is Seven Lions. Now well known as a headliner across the EDM scene and as leader of Ophelia Records, he has completely carved his own pathway in the music industry. Seven Lions and his labelmates are currently on the Pantheon Tour, stopping in twelve US cities through December 18.
The Pantheon Tour started on September 30th in Royal Oak, Michigan with sets from Seven Lions, Jason Ross, Trivecta, Xavi, and Gem & Tauri. The same lineup returned to Radius Chicago on October 1st, delivering nearly five hours of music at the city’s best concert venue.
One of the most notable additions to this lineup was Xavi. Based in Chicago, the up-and-coming producer threw down one of my favorite sets of the evening in his early slot.
Trivecta followed up with a creative melodic bass set, ending with an unforgettable guitar solo of “Reload” by Sebastian Ingrosso and Tommy Trash.
Jason Ross then played an hour of seemingly every EDM genre, mixing trance from his early Anjuna days, big drops from his recent Ophelia releases, and basically everything in between (even hardstyle).
The openers were really what impressed me the most at Radius. Everyone exceeded expectations, and I heard a lot of styles and variety that I did not anticipate. I left with an increased appreciation of all of the artists and even more respect for what Seven Lions is doing with Ophelia Records.
Speaking of Seven Lions, he definitely did not disappoint with his nearly 90-minute closing set.
Playing a mix of his classic songs along with a taste of dubstep and psytrance, Jeff Montalvo (Seven Lions) proved once again that he’s an artist I’ll always go out of my way to see. I don’t think there’s anyone that blends dubstep, psytrance, and melodic bass music quite like him.
While I’ve seen him a couple of times this year at Ubbi Dubbi and Sunset Music Festival, I found his set at Radius to be much different. I felt like it was much heavier on psytrance this time. Being a fan of his Abraxis project, this was a pleasant surprise for me.
One of the most memorable parts of this night was seeing Jeff hanging out on the side of the stage and watching all of the openers play. For someone who is firmly established in the industry as a headlining DJ, it was amazing to see him hanging out at the show and being a genuine fan. You can tell that he truly loves the music and the vibes, and it shows in both his productions and his live shows.
The Pantheon Tour runs through December 18, hitting venues in Atlanta, D.C., Texas, San Francisco, and Denver before ending with two shows in Brooklyn.
Next up is Believe Music Hall in Atlanta, a newly renovated venue within a repurposed church. The Ophelia crew will then travel to Washington, D.C. for two shows at Echostage, recently voted the best nightlife venue in the world by DJ Mag. Other stops include the Toyota Music Factory in Dallas and the Great Hall at Avant Gardner in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition to the Chicago lineup of Gem & Tauri, Xavi, Trivecta, Jason Ross, and Seven Lions, there are many other artists playing the rest of the tour. Blanke and Kill The Noise bring a heavier style of music to the table, while Last Heroes will keep things melodic. Psytrance duo Dimibo is scheduled to make two appearances in Brooklyn. Wooli will throw down a dubstep set in San Francisco and on the second night at the Great Hall.
With a wide variety of artists and several tour dates still to come, the Pantheon Tour should be on every electronic music fan’s radar.
Featuring a hand-picked lineup by Jeff himself, the Pantheon Tour is also a great opportunity to discover (or re-discover) new artists. My first introduction to Seven Lions was the Worlds Apart EP in 2014, and I’ve felt an intense emotional energy in his music ever since then. The Pantheon Tour confirmed that I’ll be coming back for more soon. He will also be making appearances at both EDC Las Vegas and EDC Orlando later this year.
Whether you’re a seasoned Ophelia fan that knows every artist on the lineup or someone who’s only heard a few Seven Lions songs, this is a tour you don’t want to miss.
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