Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

Kaytranada just makes people want to dance. 

As the headliner for the Sleeping on Gems Fest in San Jose last month, the Canadian DJ commanded the crowd from a 360-degree stage as he switched back and forth between boards facing opposite sides. Even with his back turned to half the audience at a time, fans remained captivated, maintaining an incessant bounce even between songs.

Kaytranada was a master of energy, carefully balancing the anticipation of his big hits to weave in his lesser-known songs. 

Just a few minutes into the set, he played “Need It,” which, with Masego’s repetitive chorus making it easy to sing along, immediately got the crowd moving. Soon after, he played “Snap My Finger.” Pinkpantheress’ vocals overlaid on the vibrant electronic track — the melody seemingly influenced by Wham!’s “Everything She Wants” — locked everyone into the rhythm and kept the groove going.

The richness of the sound and reactions to the first few songs made clear that headphones cannot do Kaytranada’s music justice. The atmosphere the DJ creates is unique, filled with a kinetic energy that moves throughout the crowd.  

Concert attendees, including Josh Buenviaje ’27, also noticed the difference in hearing Kaytranada’s music live.

“I’d been listening to him for years, but seeing him live was just like a surreal experience,” Buenviaje said. “It was better than I could have even imagined.” 

Planes also flew over Discovery Meadow during the set to land at the nearby San Jose airport, creating a dreamlike aura at the outdoor venue. 

Toward the middle of the set, Kaytranada played “Lover/Friend,” featuring Rochelle Jordan — one of the festival’s slept-on gems who performed right before the DJ.

Despite being a lesser-known artist, Jordan drew a crowd and excited fans. “I hadn’t even heard of her, but thought that she was a great performer,” Buenviaje said.

In the later part of his set, Kaytranada brought out popular songs “YOU’RE THE ONE,” “Witchy” and a flurry of songs from his “BUBBA” album — “Freefall,” “Go DJ“ and “10%.” 

He seemingly saved the best for last, playing cemented hits “Be Your Girl” and “Intimidated” in the final 15 minutes of the set. “I know this is your favorite song right here,” Kaytranada told the crowd as they clapped in unison to the beat of “Intimidated”.

Kaytranada had a unique way of engaging with the crowd, not only instructing them to dance, but busting out moves himself and incorporating lights triggered for specific beats in the songs. 

“He just understands his audience really well,” said Buenviaje. “When we were dancing, he was dancing. That was really cool of him as a performer to be so in touch with the people that he’s making music for.”

During the start of “Dance Dance Dance Dance,” people would pose every few seconds. As the song continued, more people caught on, making the set feel like a collective experience.

“Everyone was grooving, everyone was dancing and we were all synced,” said Buenviaje.

The DJ’s perfectionism was also on display. After dropping the beat to a song, which led the crowd to break out into dance, he was seemingly frustrated with his mixing and transitioned into a different track. “Hold on,” he said, “I want to do something else.”

Even before the set started, he instructed the technicians over the mic to turn down the bass on the speakers, which was notably overpowered throughout the festival.

Kaytranada has previously spoken about his perfectionism, including when discussing the rationale behind the title of his debut album “99.9%.” After spending more than two years working on the album, the artist repeatedly thought he reached the final cut but was “always only 99.9% sure,” leading to his album name, he told i-D magazine. 

His efforts have not gone unnoticed by fans. These countless iterations have culminated in an exceptional live experience and a must-see show.