Yes, Excision Still Puts On the Best Show in Dance Music

4 days ago 10

Excision returned to San Francisco during his 2026 Winter Tour, and yes, his stage show still puts the rest of the scene to shame!

After a year away from the bustling city of San Francisco, Excision made his yearly return to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for two nights of thunderous bass music as a part of his 2026 Winter Tour. I’d covered this show two years in a row, making this time my third. Despite my continued attendance, I still discovered something new that strengthened my love of dance music.

As I mentioned in my last review of Excision’s tour stop in San Francisco, I’ve made it my mission to see him anytime he stops by in the Bay Area. I’ve always felt like I was going in blind, but I’m finally starting to become more familiar with the supporting acts. In fact, this year I specifically chose to attend night one because of the openers.

I was really looking forward to seeing Dion Timmer and LAYZ. I was able to catch NEOTEK on Adventure Club’s throwback tour back in October 2025, so I was somewhat familiar with him. On the other hand, Grabbitz was someone new for me entirely, but I still kept an open mind despite going in with high expectations.

NEOTEK and Grabbitz brought fun vibes to get the party started with a lot of interesting and straight-up weird bass music. I mean that as a compliment, because I thoroughly enjoyed both.

I knew that Dion Timmer was going to put on a great set, and he did exactly that. He made it memorable with hilarious visuals like Hello Kitty smoking on the beach and an awesome remix of “Shiawase” accompanied by colorful lasers, fire, and Geometry Dash visuals. As a longtime Rocket League player, getting to witness this live was a nice check off the bucket list.

After Dion Timmer, it was time for LAYZ. A few years ago, I saw her at Toxic Summer in San Francisco, and she played one of the only sets I enjoyed. I knew I had to keep an eye on her.

I hadn’t seen her since, but I finally had a chance to catch her again years later during her direct support slot for Excision. Of course, this meant that her set would have insane production and extremely loud speakers — the best way to see LAYZ, in my opinion.

As expected, she threw down for the entire set. Her stunning visuals told a story that matched whatever song was playing. Although it seemed like a small detail to most, I appreciated the fact that this set was banger after banger while also making sense visually, as if you were playing a video game or watching a movie. LAYZ also threw in a bunch of hard techno, which I always love as a hard dance head.

Music aside, LAYZ had the best crowd of the night by far. There was even a moment during her set when I looked out into the audience as I was sitting up in the balcony area, and there were at least four mosh pits all happening at the same time.

After witnessing this set, I’m happy that LAYZ has only stepped up her abilities as an artist years after seeing her at a smaller show for the first time when I knew nothing about her. I truly can’t wait until she’s the one headlining the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and bringing this same energy.

After LAYZ, there was a short changeover while Excision was getting his stage show ready. While this typically isn’t a part of event reviews, I need to point out that Ray Volpe has ruined any and all changeovers for me.

The entire time I was waiting for Excision, I couldn’t get Ray Volpe’s Bay Area hip-hop and K-pop changeover out of my head. I hope that more artists start incorporating the Bay Area culture into these fun little moments because when they’re missing, it’s glaringly obvious.

Nonetheless, Excision still obliterated the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium when it was finally his time. I do need to admit that it’s difficult to cover the same show three years in a row as I’ve almost run out of good things to say about Excision. But it’s not even a debate that he is still putting on the best show in bass music, and arguably dance music as a whole.

This year, he upped the production by adding colored flames, CO2 cannons around the floor and roof of the venue, and bursts of confetti. These additions were nice touches that made the experience feel that much more immersive.

I’ve already focused on his performance for two years in a row, so now, I think that it’s important to bring attention to how perfectly Excision curates his lineups. The first time I saw Excision in San Francisco, Ray Volpe was one of the openers who had put on a highlight set for me. Fast forward a few years later, Ray Volpe returned to the same venue but this time as the headliner to showcase his brand-new album!

This time around, I loved all of the artists, and I’m getting a similar feeling with LAYZ. I think she can sell out the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for a headlining performance sometime in the near future. Of course, this doesn’t come without Excision’s ability to keep a finger on the pulse of the scene and provide a platform for the future headliners at his events.

So if you’ve never seen Excision, go do it! His live show is undoubtedly the best one that you can see today. There is no bar because Excision is the bar. And for the fans who have seen him multiple times over, I still recommend going simply for how he perfectly curates supporting acts. The opener you’re seeing today might be headlining just a few years later, and there’s nothing better than seeing this progression in artists.

There are still multiple dates left on the 2026 Winter Tour, so head over to Excision’s official website and snag your tickets right now!