EDC NY Day 2. Eye crystals? Check. Ridiculous outfits? Check. After filling our camelbaks with water, we were ready to make a second drive back to Citi Field. The sky was cloudy and despite the fact that it was breezy, we prepared oursel...
EDC NY Day 2. Eye crystals? Check. Ridiculous outfits? Check. After filling our camelbaks with water, we were ready to make a second drive back to Citi Field. The sky was cloudy and despite the fact that it was breezy, we prepared ourselves for yet another epic day. The only difference was that I'd be going for fun, rather than working with Ground Control.
When Insomniac released its 2013 lineup in late April, reviews from Facebook fans began rolling in immediately. Headliners on Saturday ranged from Afrojack to Calvin Harris to Porter Robinson. “WHY people still consider Afrojack headliner material is BEYOND me,” complains one female fan. Another fan commented, “Chicago lineup smokes this.” On the other end of the spectrum, a fan praises the lineup for this year’s event: “Love this. Mad Filth. Enough house and techno get that heavy electro and heavy dubstep in there for once, love it.”
We started off at Circuitgrounds where Bassjackers were playing, and their set was absolutely amazing. You could tell that Marlon and Ralph were having a great time, enjoying massive amounts of attention from avid fans. Their show, which is always a good time, was interactive and got the crowd moving to tracks such as Tiesto’s “Pair of Dice” and Chuckie’s “Make Some Noise.” Although they played mostly electro-house tracks, the duo did manage to throw in some trance with W&W’s remix of “Clarity.” Overall, what made their set so memorable was that it was well rounded and appealed to several different genres of music, while still sticking to their sound.
Wanting the full-blown EDC experience, we then headed towards the Ferris wheel and braved a line that appeared to be an hour-long wait. Was the line worth it? Absolutely. If you haven’t been to EDC before, or have attended in the past but never bothered going on the rides, it’s a necessity (particularly at night). The Ferris wheel was strategically situated in between the two most popular stages—Kineticfield and Circuitgrounds, and I was lucky enough to get on the ride as Gareth Emery performed right in front of me. I can’t even begin to explain how cool it was to be so high in the air, getting a view of the entire grounds and, more importantly, the stages. I remember being at the highest point of the ferris wheel, seeing Gareth play his remix of Hardwell’s “Apollo” and the thousands of colorful, moving dots that crowded around him. It may not seem too thrilling in words, but as newbies to EDC, we couldn’t help but to be fascinated by the merging of carnival rides and EDM. Fans (unwisely) stood up, cheered, fist-pumped, and documented through cell-phone pictures the privilege of being able to see nearly the entire festival all at once. It was pretty breathtaking if you ask me.
Some other names I managed to see later in the evening include Seven Lions, Cosmic Gate, The Bloody Beetroots and of course, Porter Robinson. While I enjoyed each of their sets equally, one aspect that people are beginning to realize is that “music stays the same.” Many chose not to attend EDC NY this year for two reasons—a two-day festival is no competition for the three days Vegas has to offer, and the belief that they would be seeing the same set all over again. Other fans believe that “although it is true that a lot of the same artists perform at the same festivals the energy and the experience they bring to everyone there is different every time.” Although EDC NY gave me a taste of something new, EDC Vegas clearly has much more to offer, such as an additional day to party, and a stellar lineup featuring bigger and better artists. I’m glad that I attended, but at the same time I would have been okay with not going at all. My advice? Wait until you’re 21 and fly out to Vegas for the ultimate experience. You won’t regret it.
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