Z-Trip

The crowd was dismal at the start of Z-Trip's DJ set, but within two minutes, the entire outdoor tent was packed to see one of the pioneers of the mash-up movement; even those meandering by the food trucks dropped their burritos and quinoa burgers to check him out. He opened with a shout-out mix to Victoria and Canada and was humble in his appreciation of being invited back after playing the first ever Rifflandia six years ago. Whether the crowd was there specifically for him, or pulled in by the fast-paced, eclectic mash-ups, Z-Trip is a master of commanding the crowd. This is a DJ who can go from Kurtis Blow to M83 to Daft Punk to Boston, seamlessly, in under two minutes; who can scratch over first movement of Vivaldi's "Spring" and have it sound mesmerizing. Also, anyone who can throw in Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," in its entirety, and get away with it, has my heart.