This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Kaskade performs tonight in Park City.Many University of Utah alumni have gone far in life: Jon Huntsman Jr., Karl Rove, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, Stephen R. Covey, Alex Smith, LaVell Edwards.
But no one has been able to match the success in electronic dance music of Ryan Raddon, better known as world-famous DJ Kaskade. Several days before his headlining set at the club formerly known as Harry O's, Kaskade headlined a sold-out concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles — the first electronic artist to do so.
In a phone interview, Kaskade used the world "humbled" to describe his recent popularity, which included a set at Coachella, where he drew tens of thousands of fans, while playing at the same time as Radiohead.
The former Mormon missionary (he served in Japan) saw his 2011 album "Fire & Ice" reach No. 1 on the Billboard dance charts and No. 17 on the overall charts — another spectacular achievement. Kaskade said he was proud to include plenty of Utah talent on that album, with contributions from co-songwriter Finn Bjarnson and vocal spots from Marcus Bently, Mindy Gledhill and Neon Trees.
With his friends in Neon Trees, Kaskade said he never had to worry about them contributing subject matter that offended his beliefs — as they're LDS, too.
When • Tuesday, July 31, at 8 p.m.Where • Park City Live, 427 Main St., Park CityTickets • Sold out