Drap The Beat

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Electric Zoo- Day Two

September 1, 2012- Randall's Island Park. Brooklyn, New York. Since Above and Beyond sunk the island the night before Dre and I had to scuba dive to back to Randall's. It took us a little bit longer since there was a lot more people at day two. We were pretty sore from day one, but we were not about to let that stop us from raging hard again. We actually went twice as hard and it was AWESOME. We headed to Main Stage to wait for Bingo Players while Nervo was still on. They were pretty good, but Bingo Players ripped Randall's to shreds. Their drops were sick and their mixes were on point. Dre and I could not control ourselves. Sander Van Doorn was next and his set was also something just unforgettable. The crowd had such an awesome vibe and Sander nailed it; it was crazy. We met two kids, Brendan and Henry(such awesome ass kids), who ended up raging with us for the rest of the night. Next, we all headed to Riverside for 12th Planet. He was probably one of my favorite sets of the weekend. His filthy ass completely demolished the tent. His set was just insane. After 12th, we headed back to Main Stage for Dada Life and Axwell. Dada Life threw it down and it was a total rage fest, I was loving it. Axwell was so packed. His set was good, but it wasn't one of my favorites. After Axwell, we headed back to the Riverside for Steve Aoki. I had been anticipating his set all weekend and I could not wait for it. I've never seen anyone get a crowd pumped like Aoki does. He is like the Jesus Christ of djs and his Zoo set was the resurrection that brought Randall's Island back afloat. He totally and completely destroyed, I mean DESTROYED the tent, like I do not know how it was still standing. Everyone lost their minds when he dropped "Turbulence," and "No Beef" was just beautiful. Between his cakes, bottles, and raft, Aoki constantly interacts with the crowd keeping everyone so pumped. To end the night, we all headed back to Main Stage for the rest of Above and Beyond. Once again, it was just beyond gorgeous. It was still packed and the overall vibe of the crowd was amazing. "Sun and Moon" is such a great song and it was great to see it live again. It was a life changing moment. As day two of the Zoo was coming to an end we started a stretching circle in the grass as it was MUCH NEEDED after raging our faces off for the past two days. The Zoo was just an amazing experience that had me totally out of my mind staring at my brain on the floor all weekend. I will definitely not forget this experience and all the wonderful, amazing friends that I made. Thanks Electric Zoo.

Electric Zoo- Day One

August 31, 2012- Randall's Island Park. Brooklyn, New York. All aboard the Randall's Island ferry boat. Dre and I were off to day one of Electric Zoo with the rest of the raging animals who flooded the boat. The anticipation was killing us and I was beyond dying to be inside the Zoo. The ferry ride wasn't too long and there was no line so we got right in no problem. We checked out the tent stages and then headed to Main Stage to wait for Nicky Romero. Netsky was on before him and we were not impressed at all, but it was def worth the wait for Nicky. People crowded in and the dance floor was jammed packed. Finally Nicky was on and right from the start he murdered it. How the island did not sink was beyond me. He totally shredded Randall's Island into pieces. His entire set was just way too good for words; the whole crowd went out of their minds. Next we headed to Fool's Gold to see Dillon Francis who also killed it. The tent was super packed, hot as balls, and everyone was going bananas. Once Dillon was done we headed back to Main Stage for Laidback Luke. Now that was the epitome of demolition. Laidback Luke completely threw it down and we made the dance floor our bitch. The whole crowd went berserk when he dropped "Turbulence." Next, up was David Guetta. The first part of his set was pussy shit and once he figured out how to put his pants on he threw down some sick drops. After Guetta, we headed back to the Fool's Gold for A-Trak. By the time we got in there it was already packed and super ratchet. We had a friggen blast in there. Finally, we ended up in Group Therapy for Above and Beyond. That set left me just speechless. The light show was beautiful and the drops were out of this world. All of us animals had to swim back to the Zoo day two because Above and Beyond totally sunk Randall's Island. Day one of the Zoo was just beyond amazing and we could not wait for day two.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Kaskade: The American DJ

Kaskade Freaks of Nature Tour- Miami, Fl

Finally the day was here, KASKADE DAY.I felt like a little kid waiting to go to Disney World. It has been one extremely long month since EDCLV and I was dying to get out and go rage at a show. Kaskade was my favorite set at EDCLV and I could not wait to relive that moment in Miami. Once again, I found myself waiting in line at Bayfront in Downtown for another night that I was not going to forget. The anticipation was killing me. The line was packed and it was super hot out. Jimmy and I were finally inside and I was so pumped. I felt like I was right back inside UMF all over again. We got some beers and checked out the merchandise booth and then enjoyed the opening djs- Alvin Risk and Fareoh. They were both sick. Alvin Risk finished right before Kaskade got on and he killed it. He had the whole crowd pumped and ready to rage. “The sun was down it was time to rage,” as Alvin said it. The night kept on getting better and better.

Surrounded in by all the tall buildings of Downtown, everyone came together once again for one reason. The place was packed and filled with awesome vibes. The stage had a huge shadow of a butterfly on it as the crowd anxiously awaited for Kasakde’s opening. I was standing on a staircase directly towards the center middle so I had a pretty good view and enough space to dance. FINALLY, KASKADE WAS ON. He opened with “Eyes” and it was beautiful; had the goosebumps within seconds as the crowd sang along. It was really a magical feeling being there. The lights, the lasers, the fog, the sound was all so perfect. Kaskade really does never fail to disappoint. He dropped “Fire In Your New Shoes” remixed with SHM’s “Antidote,” “Llove,” “Lessons In Love,” “Room For Happiness,” “Angel On My Shoulder,” “Don’t Stop Dancing,” “Turn It Down” remixed with Nicky Romero’s “Toulouse,” “I Remember,” and so much more. Kaskade dropped “Epic” just like did in Vegas and the crowd went berserk. The show was coming to an end unfortunately. For all the anticipation and waiting that you go through for these shows, they just fly by so fast and you get lost in the moment while you’re there. “Turn It Down” was the last song we heard before Kaskade’s unforgettable, movie-type-of-shit encore. Right as “I

Remember” started the rain started falling from the clouds as if it was planned or something. It was so incredible and sublime. The beat and the rain flowed effortlessly with each other. It made me so happy and I could not have asked for anything more. It was such an eccentric way for a show to end.

Kaskade was such an unreal, memorable experience that I was fortunate enough to be a part of yet again. I find these shows so uplifting and powerful. I find it nearly impossible to leave these types of shows without withdrawals. I always have the time of my life and genuinely enjoy the music, the vibes, and the people. It’s a way of escaping reality for a little while. Thank you so much Kaskade; you totally turned my world completely upside down, sideways, diagonally, and any which way possible.

Rage on, JD.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

UMF2012 MIAMI: Best $300 I've Ever Spent

Downtown Miami sunset

ULTRA Music Festival 2012 Miami, FL Recap

Waiting in line!

March 23-25, 2012- Bay Front Park, Downtown Miami. It was a typical Friday afternoon at work, listening to the Office Ravers podcast itching to get out. The view through the window of the bright blue, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky type of day looked way more appealing than a computer screen. I got a message on Google Chat from my meatball Steph saying, “Jess, we gotta go to ULTRA.” I was immediately so thrilled and pumped. We had just seen Calvin Harris the night before for WMC and there was no way I could not attend friggen ULTRA yet again. We had one problem- it was SOLD OUT. Tickets always sell out months before the festival. Immediately, Steph and I got on Craigslist and contacted as many people as we could. There was no way in hell we were not going to ULTRA. Finally, Steph found this guy on Craigslist with extra tickets. Right at 4:45, we were out and went home to change and go pick up the tickets. We planned to meet the guy at a random gas station near a Marshalls. We were nervous at first, but the guy actually turned out to be really nice. We finally had the tickets in our hands and we were ready to destroy ULTRA. With our red bulls and sour patch and Skrillex blaring, we raged the whole way there. We got to Downtown, parked, met up with our friend Jonathan from the job and his friends, and started heading to the line. Of course the line was packed and four miles long. The amount of people was unreal and there was so much diversity. People travelled fromall around the world for this and once again we were a part of history. The line was finally approaching and we were about to be inside UMF2012.

Skrillex

My adrenaline was pumping.People were EVERYWHERE, so many stages to choose from, and so much fucking good ass music in one place, I didn’t even know where to start. The crowds were insane and the amount of people was overwhelming. The sun was going down and the tall buildings of Downtown surrounded us all around. The vibe was like nothing I had experienced before. I felt like I was finally home. Everyone there was extremely passionate about the music. We headed to Main Stage and Afrojack was performing with Lil’Jon. It was sick. Then we headed over the Carl Cox and Friends cacoon. Now that was intense and yet again nothing like I have been to before. Everyone was raging and having a bomb time. On the way to Carl Cox, we stopped and raged to Dirty South. The stage was packed and there was no room to move, but that’s what made the experience even better. It was finally dark, so I headed back to Main Stage because I knew the light show was going to be out of this world. Let me tell you, it was. Skrillex totally surpassed my expectations and Tiesto went in like there was no tomorrow. The crowd was HUGE, people dancing everywhere like the world was coming to an end. It was great. Day one of ULTRA totally gave me a new perspective on life.  

Avicii

Day two was incredible as well. It seemed even more packed than Friday. We saw Ducksauce, Carl Cox, Justice, and Avicii. Ducksauce was crazy. I vividly remember the duck bobbing around and when he dropped “Big Bad Wolf.” Everyone went nuts. Avicii’s set was sickk. The crowd was enormous. Madonna was performing with him. The light show and fireworks completely blew my mind. The crowd went nuts. I felt like it should have been on the news.

Steve Aoki

Day 3 was, yet again, the time of my life. It was a total rage fest. The freaks were all out with their rage faces glued on. Steve Aoki, Knife Party, Cazette, Bingo Players, Fedde Le Grand, and Kaskade; could not get much better than that. The way Aoki gets his crowds pumped is unbelievable. I’ve seen him a few times and everyone is just so amped to be there. From crowd surfing on rafts, popping bottles, throwing cakes, Aoki has everyone going bananas. Knife Party was pure insanity. Their filthy, dirty bass got the crowd jumping like crazy. I couldn’t even old my phone out to take pics and vids. Kaskade was my favorite set. His sound is so different. The vocals are so serene and calm while his beat is carefree and uplifting. His music makes me feel like I’m soaring through the stars in outer space. The stage lights illuminated perfectly with his beat. He’s from the homeland so I always make sure to support :) The sun was setting as his set was just beginning. I felt like I was in a dream; Kaskade never fails to disappoint.  

Bingo Players

After three days of hardcore raging in the sun, I was exhausted, but bummed that it was all over. It was the absolute time of my life. Whenever a person asks me about ULTRA, I say that it was the best $300 that I have ever spent and that I feel bad for people who do not get to experience it. The only thing I would do differently is get a hotel for the weekend because it’s way more convenient to go out to the clubs after. The next day Steph and I booked our tickets for EDC Vegas to help cure our ULTRA withdrawals. (Which I currently still have) There is no way in hell that I will not be coming back. My world was totally rocked, see you next year UMF.

Rage on, JD.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

EDCLV 2012: Pure Sublimity

Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas 2012

Luggage, check. Boarding passes, check. Tickets and shuttle passes, check. EDC gear and kandi, check. My meatball- Steph, check. Rage faces, check. See you later Miami and nice to finally meet you Las Vegas. It was about time we landed in Vegas after two long months of anticipation. After experiencing ULTRA in Miami for the first time EDCLV was a must. No way in hell that we were passing up a chance like this. We were finally in Vegas checking into the Circus Circus, only hours away from Day 1. Waiting to check-in in a mile long line full of other ragers built up the anticipation more. We had no idea what the night had in store for us, but we were PUMPED. We finally got our room keys, put our stuff down, and decided to explore Sin City before all the freaks came out for EDC. We walked up and down the strip, got some vodka and candy and we were good to go for the night. It was finally time to get on the shuttle and head to the speedway for a night that we were never going to forget. The traffic was crazy and it was a mission getting there. Once we got there we had to wait in a line that seemed forever long. All we wanted to do was hear good ass music and rage until the sun came up. And that is exactly what we did.
Finally we got through the lines and we were inside EDC. The view from the top of the speedway was unreal. You could see every stage, all the rides, installations, lights and thousands and thousands and thousands of people. It’s mind blowing the amount of people who come together for this shit- 300,000 people making history and we were a part of it. We were fortunate enough to be part of what I called- a life changing experience. I could not contain myself. There were no words for how amazing the view was looking down over all of EDC. Right when you walked down the stairs Benny Bennasi was killing it at cosmicMEADOW. It was insane. People dancing their asses off and having an awesome time everywhere. I wondered what have I been doing all my life by not coming to these types of events. I had been living my life all wrong; to say I was missing out would be such an understatement.

In the middle of kineticFIELD, we were surrounded by so many people jumping in unison to Afrojack. He was so sick just like he was at ULTRA back in March. After Afrojack, was KASKADEEE! His show completely and totally blew my mind. Lasers, fireworks, lights, lyrics, and beats. I had never seen anything like it. He was absolutely amazing at ULTRA, but his performance at EDC has not gotten me to shut up yet. The whole EDC experience still has me running my mouth. It was just so motivational, uplifting, and like nothing I have never experienced before. The best money I have EVER spent. The ferris wheel ride was spectacular. You could see the entire speedway. What a friggen view. Steve Aoki had everyone going hard later that night with Afrojack again. Aoki always knows how to get a crowd going and pumped on life. The amount of people embracing the moment with you is just so unbelievable it’s hard to take in. By 4:30am the sun had already started rising. From dusk til dawn we survived Day 1.
Day 2 was cancelled due to the wind so we heard absolutely no music at all. It was depressing, but there was nothing that we could do about it. No point in dwelling on things out of your control. The shows will always be here and the cancellation just gave us another excuse to keep attending more music festivals.
Since Day 2 was cancelled going all out was in order for Day 3. Our flight was at 6am on Monday so it was crucial we got into EDC earlier and we saw the DJs who we wanted to see. Chuckie, David Guetta, Major Lazer, Dirty South, Pretty Lights were just some on the incredible performances we saw. The whole EDC experience and time in Vegas was definitely unforgettable and life changing. I had the time of my life and couldn’t have asked for anything more. It sucked having to come home back to Miami, but at least EDC will be here next year and the year after that and the year after that. EDC, you blew my mind and sent it to another planet.

Rage on, JD.