By Jae-Ha Kim
Los Angeles Times
July 10, 2018
One of music’s most prominent DJs, Tiesto has earned his nickname as the Godfather of EDM. The Dutch DJ, born Tijs Michiel Verwest, was performing in European stadiums long before it became cool to stan hipsters such as Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix. Of his many concerts, Tiesto, 49, says performing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was a highlight. “I loved it. It was such an unreal experience playing in front of the entire world. It was especially big for me when you consider that dance music wasn’t as big as it is nowadays.”
His latest song is “Jackie Chan,” which he collaborated on with Dzeko, Post Malone and Preme. For updates on Tiesto’s world tour, check out his website. Tiesto stays in touch with fans on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Q. If someone were going to visit the Netherlands, what are three things you would recommend they do during their trip?
A. There are so many incredible things to do in the Netherlands, but if I had to pick just three, I’d recommend that they take a boat through the canals and stop at a bunch of different restaurants for snacks and drinks; check out the Rijksmuseum; and visit the Efteling, which is a classic fantasy-themed amusement park that is so much fun!
Q. You’ve traveled all over the world for work. How often are you able to take some time to go sightseeing and check out the hot spots?
A. I try to see a bit of everything whenever I am traveling, so I do spend a lot of time in a city between gigs. Within an average week, I am basically playing three nights and then I have four nights off to sightsee and experience local culture.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. I wasn’t able to go on a vacation until I went on a holiday when I was 19, and that was when I went to Mallorca in Spain. I fell in love with dance music right there for the first time when I heard tracks like “Pump Up the Jam” and Lil Louis’ “French Kiss.” It was a mind-blowing holiday that shaped not only my professional career, but the rest of my life!
Q. Your fans often travel a considerable distance to watch you perform. Have you done that to attend a live concert?
A. Yeah, I love to see shows. I travel often to see a good one. I’ve traveled around to see Sigur Ros play all over Europe. I went to Vancouver to see my buddy Post Malone play. I love going to Coachella every year to see some artists that I’ve wanted to see and, of course, unexpectedly catch sets of some up and comers.
Q. Where have you heard the best live music?
A. Coachella! They’ve got everything — all genres and artists both big and small.
Q. How many different languages can you speak?
A. I can speak Dutch, English, German and a bit of French. If you go to school in Europe, you learn English and then you have to pick two extra languages to learn, so I took French and German.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. I love the Post Ranch Resort in Big Sur, California. I love to spend time in Vancouver, Canada, where they have some of the best sushi in the world. I also love Cabo down in Mexico.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. I often go to Vail in Colorado, which I love a lot. Of course, New York is always amazing during Christmas!
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Las Vegas, New York, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Vancouver.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I have been everywhere, but I would like to go back to places like Hawaii, Japan, Thailand and Italy and stay longer next time around!
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. My best vacation memory was taking a boat trip through the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The food, the people, the sea — it was all amazing! I can’t really say that I ever had a bad trip. I always try to look at the bright side of life, so I look for positive things to do and just focus on that.
© 2018 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
