Jason Ross is one of those musicians who spent a lot of time livestreaming during the pandemic. The 33-year-old DJ and producer, known for his contributions to Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats and Seven Lions’ Ophelia labels, says he was not surprised by the powerful connections formed and strengthened with fans during the long months apart.
But he didn’t feel the full impact of those efforts until he got back out on the road again. “I had the know-how and the tools to do that, to connect, but ... I didn’t foresee it having the impact it did,” Ross says. “People were coming up and saying, ‘Your livestreams really helped me get through those times,’ I’m still hearing that on this tour. It’s amazing.
“Feeling like I was there somehow when everything else sort of fell by the wayside, when people were losing their jobs, it reinforced my goal to give them something to look forward to.”
Ross’ fans are getting what they wanted now, as his massive Atlas Tour has been rolling back and forth across the country since August, and checks in for a rare Vegas performance October 22 at Hard Rock Live.
Ross has been pushing his creative process and transcending his breakthrough genre, trance, for the better part of his career. His ambitious experimentation has come full circle with the current tour set, which incorporates wildly different EDM styles, from dubstep to more melodic bass to psychedelic trance. It’s also the first time he has time-coded a live set complete with a full visual production.
“I learned by working under Above & Beyond that if I make a song [in a different genre], I really want to figure out how to do it well,” he says. “It has to hold up against the stuff other people are making in that genre.
“And it’s so much more challenging to create a set that covers these different genres and tempos, but ... I also think I’m having much better live shows because of incorporating different styles. I can deliver something more unique than what you’d hear at a dubstep show or a trance show; it’s just a lot more work.”
Ross says he has more confidence than ever when it comes to playing with his sound, and part of that comes from his fans’ reactions during those livestreams. “My fans are more open than I thought. Those shows helped me see what it is they are most excited about.”
Outside of EDC sets and a 2018 tour stop in support of Seven Lions, Ross hasn’t really performed in Las Vegas—certainly not in a major nightclub. While he agrees the evolving soundtrack of the Strip’s club scene could become a little more welcoming to artists like himself, Ross is never one to force disparate pieces together.
Still, he’s excited about the Atlas Tour gig at Hard Rock Live on the Strip and envisions another Vegas visit among 2023 travel plans.
“I can’t talk about what’s to come after this tour, because we’re still in the thick of it, but there are definitely some exciting things and I’m getting back on the road with some artists that I love,” Ross says. “And I’m really looking forward to coming back [this time] because of the amazing crowd energy from my last show there.”
JASON ROSS With Genix, October 22, 8 p.m., $30-$45. Hard Rock Live, seetickets.us.
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