SHAQ at Tomorrowland: What the Memes Won’t Tell You

At this point, you’re probably well aware of all the shenanigans that Shaquille O’Neil, known as DJ Diesel in this industry, got into at Tomorrowland, from riding the rail at Modestep’s set, to throwing his 7’1″ body around in a mosh pit. It’s meme-worthy material but what the memes and SportsCenter articles can’t show you is the bigger picture and influence Shaq has in the EDM scene.

Tomorrowland has always been known for its fairy-tale-like themes, and this year marks the first reprise of “The Book of Wisdom.”  The book overlooks the main stage crowd and announces each act as they come on.  DJ Diesel was the first act, kicking off the first day’s Opening Ceremony, putting all eyes on him for a cornerstone performance of his career.  An opening set in the middle of the day may not seem like much on paper, but the pomp-and-circumstance behind the Book of Wisdom being opened up brings quite a crowd. To be the first artist to perform after the ceremony concludes draws in a new crowd of prospective fans from across the pond.  Combine that with the Dub heads that were already there to see DJ Diesel tear the roof off the outdoor stadium style main stage and Belgium’s fandom of American Celebrity Crossovers, and it makes for chaos.

DJ Diesel | Tomorrowland Belgium 2019 – W1

Shaq has been making the most of his post NBA career, and you can’t help but enjoy seeing someone do what they love.  Shaq wasn’t just living his best life, he was celebrating a performance milestone.  He has come a long way in the few short years that he has ventured into EDM.  To have made it to the main stage at Tomorrowland, regardless of celebrity status,  is a unique accomplishment and to play the first opening ceremony of the weekend punctuates that with an exclamation point. DJ Diesel is more than hype and he proves that with every performance. If it were me I’d be out there celebrating like Shaq, too.

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