Cascada at UC Santa Barbara: 2008/2009
Cascada, the German Eurodance project, performed at UC Santa Barbara. The group behind "Everytime We Touch" brought pure, uncut Eurodance euphoria to the college crowd.
What Is Eurodance?
Eurodance is a specific European electronic dance music style from the 1990s and 2000s - soaring female vocals, thumping four-on-the-floor beats, synthesized melodies, and absolutely no cynicism. It's music designed to make you feel euphoric, to transcend whatever's weighing you down, to just dance.
Cascada (Natalie Horler on vocals, Manian and Yanou producing) updated classic Eurodance for the 2000s, bringing that '90s energy to a new generation.
"Everytime We Touch"
The song that made Cascada famous is pure Eurodance perfection. Natalie Horler's powerful vocals soar over the driving beat, the melody is instantly memorable, and the emotional content is earnest without being subtle. It's a song about longing and connection that makes you want to dance.
"Everytime We Touch" was everywhere in 2005-2006 - on the radio, in clubs, at parties. Hearing it live, with the full production and Horler's vocals filling the venue, created the euphoric release the song promises.
The UCSB Performance
College crowds are perfect for Eurodance - young, energetic, ready to dance without ironic distance. Cascada delivered exactly what the crowd wanted - big beats, soaring vocals, and songs designed to create communal euphoria.
Besides "Everytime We Touch," they played other hits like "Miracle" and "Evacuate the Dancefloor." Each song followed the Eurodance template - build anticipation, deliver the drop, let the vocals soar, keep the energy high.
Natalie Horler's live vocals were impressive. Eurodance can rely heavily on studio production, but Horler could actually sing live, hitting the high notes and maintaining energy throughout the set.
Eurodance's Unfashionability
Eurodance has always been critically unfashionable. It's seen as cheesy, too commercial, not "serious" music. Electronic music fans prefer more experimental or underground sounds. Pop fans prefer more sophisticated production.
But Eurodance serves a specific purpose - it creates joy and energy without requiring anything from the listener except willingness to dance. There's value in that simplicity and directness.
The Vocal Performance
What distinguishes Cascada from purely electronic acts is Horler's live vocal performance. She's not just singing over backing tracks; she's performing - moving, engaging the crowd, selling the emotional content of songs that could feel hollow without genuine delivery.
Her voice is powerful and clear, capable of the belting required by Eurodance's dramatic songs. Watching her deliver "Everytime We Touch" live showed the difference between a produced track and a performance.
The College Setting
Performing at a college brings different energy than clubs or festivals. Students are there to have fun, to blow off steam from studying, to create memories with friends. Cascada's music is perfect for that context - uncomplicated, energetic, communal.
The show wasn't expensive or exclusive. It was accessible entertainment for students who wanted to dance and feel good for an evening.
The Electronic Music Spectrum
Electronic music spans a huge spectrum - from experimental ambient to underground techno to mainstream EDM to Eurodance. Each serves different purposes and audiences. Eurodance exists on the most accessible, populist end of that spectrum.
Purists might dismiss it, but accessibility isn't a flaw. Music that makes people happy and gets them dancing is doing its job, regardless of whether it's cool or critically respected.
The 2000s Dance-Pop Moment
Cascada was part of a moment when European dance-pop was crossing over to American audiences. Songs like "Everytime We Touch," "Barbie Girl" (Aqua), and various David Guetta productions showed that electronic dance music could work on American radio and in American venues.
This crossover helped pave the way for EDM's later American explosion. Cascada was part of that bridge between European dance traditions and American pop audiences.
The Verdict
Cascada at UCSB delivered exactly what Eurodance promises - big beats, soaring vocals, euphoric energy, and simple joy. It wasn't cool or edgy, but it was fun.
If you love Eurodance, if you appreciate powerful vocals over driving beats, if you want music that makes you happy without requiring analysis, Cascada delivers. They're not trying to be the most innovative or the most serious - they're trying to make you dance and feel good.
Sometimes that's exactly what you need. Thank you, Cascada, for keeping Eurodance alive and for understanding that earnest euphoria has value.