EDM is a big part of my life, and my goal is to travel to around world and experience every single venue that delivers them in epic rage fashion. I want to also provide a knowledgeable review from a rager's perspective on which places are both up and coming, and worth spending your hard earn money on both VIP and general admin style. I also run a party group featuring a tight knit group of EDM lovers called Team Cali. You can check us out at:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/teamcali/
Now that the dust has cleared and most of my cracked out
sleep has been recovered I can look back at the best rave in modern day
America.
Best stage: Neon Garden! Techno is where my heart is.. Yes,
the game plan was to run the trap, and I did plenty of that. But my home was
always with epic performances by Claude von Stroke, Carl Cox and... how bout
that banging Loco Dice set? Lots of people lost their minds.
Best "turn up" set of the weekend goes to A-Trak
at Cosmic Meadows. Real DJ skills really came into play here, and of course his
track section is a notch above your big name first year trappers.
Best set to bring the sun up: Infected Mushroom. Just go to
one of these and you would understand. My first time hearing them, and there is
a time and place for everything.
Highlights:
Fireworks and Kandi Masks
Its awesome to see the tech crowd get younger, and yet more
mature. Talked to many people that have been to movement, BPM and Ibiza while I
was there at the same time they rocked the fluffies like a champ for the
occasion.
Also fireworks upon, fireworks. You can never have enough!
Lastly that 7UP stage brought in some great mid-level
tech/bass talent that can keep a party going at any random time when you walked
by. Great setup.
Recommendations:
I will stick to my schedule of just doing EDC and taking separate
trips for pool/ nightclubs since I actually was able to enjoy the festival from
dusk till dawn following this schedule. On a side note it might be wise to give
up the strip and just stay closer to the speedway as well. The drive and
parking situation still bugs the shit out of me. (Fix that insomniac!) Other than
that, let’s do it all over again headliners!
Even in the lines to EDC you can turn up with friends!
So the Tomorrowland Aftermovie was officially released today. I remembered the last two years exactly on this day I was sitting in front of my PC at work
thinking "Damn! I need to be there and show them how to rage!" Well this year I actually went,
and was part of all the madness. I figured after watching the video, it would be a good opportunity for me
to share a few pointers and thoughts for those of you looking to lose your Tomorrowland virginity as well.
If you haven't seen the official 2013 After Movie, click on the link below. It's moving shit just like every year:
My top 15 Recommendations for a Tomorrowland Newb
One: Do Dreamville camping instead of any other accommodation
option. You can setup wherever you want
and make new friends! Hotel people
pretty much missed half the fun of the TL experience. How do you guys think I
made a train car full of new friends from different countries after losing ALL of the friends I came with?
Came with no friends, left with hook ups in 5 countries
Two: Plan to go for FOUR days of festival. The Dreamville pre party
is a rage-a-thon which lasts an entire day. Pretty much come here as soon as
you setup your tent.
Three: While are you are at the Dreamville party, grab yourself a
drink and keep the plastic cup. You will never get a chance to get another one. Also keep your daily newspapers as memorabilia. Two of my three copies got destroyed in the rain
unfortunately.
Four: BBQ'in or any type of cooking is almost impossible, especially
if you are traveling by air. Also who wants to cook when you are hung over. I
kept my meals simple, or just bought them at the many dining options available
in Dreamville. They actually had pretty good Mexican food believe it or not. Our go to drunk munchies was of course Belgian fries (fries with soaked in ketchup and mayo).
Five: Rep your country, and rep it hard. Except if you are from
Cali, then the Republic of California is your actual country.
Rep your country each and everyday
Six: When europeans yell "hey.." respond by saying
"ho!" It means you are really raging hard to a set with the crowd.
Infact, I started a few of my own without even knowing the significance of it.
Seven: They didn't show much of the thunderstorm which pretty much
took over day two of the festival. Rain boots and ponchos could be essential since it rains a lot in Boom.
Spend a little extra and get yourself a tent that doesn't flood. Also be
mindful of where you setup your tent. Some areas at camp are prone to flooding.
Eight: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, the home town boys ruled the entire weekend. I m not sure where
that closing set came from, or if they got outside help on putting it together. It
was an epic set that you would expect a Tiesto or Guetta of 2011 to close with. From the Dreamville party to the festival, they made it known that they were the hometown favorites.
Nine: Most of the focus was on the main stage in the video, but there is more to it! Just remember that the main stage 1/15th of the fun you could be having somewhere else. The best rage honestly was discovering a random stage hidden
underneath a bridge or just simply following the music with a few friends. (Yes there is a stage
underneath a bridge and another one in between a food stand).
Ten: Samsung Galaxy Secret forest was a great place to meet your
friends. It's located almost in the direct center of the festival, and also
away from the crowded areas.
Eleven: Guys on guy's shoulders. It's perfectly common in Europe.
Call it a bro bonding experience.
So many places to get drinks from, theres no reason not to (Elise Loeb)
Twelve: Don't expect to bring a random ratchet with you to The
Church of Love. That is what your tent is for. Besides you don't want to catch
an STD while you are in Europe.
Thirteen: Since tokens are used throughout the festival and Dreamville,
I found it easier to get wasted on that high quality European beer such as
Desperados (6% + tequilla) or double fisting Maes Pils which are 3-4 tokens max.
While mixed drinks start at 6 tokens, they aren't very strong and run out fast.
Fourteen: Buy a booze bag! It comes with a collectible bag, and a Tomorrowland phone book. Also tokens to get your schwaste started.
Fifteen:Lastly if you are thinking about going, your only realistic
shot of getting a ticket is through the Global Journey travel package which
gets released before all the other tiers of tickets. General public tickets sell out in 1-2 seconds, so your odds of getting one are slim to none.
Final Thoughts
It's hard to compare Tomorrowland to any of the other fests
I have been to in the US, simply because there is nothing like it. I would say
hands down it's the best organized festival out there strictly for EDM. Only
Coachella can go head to head as far as size and organization, but still it's not an
EDM only festival. Tomorrowland's venue is almost twice the size of Coachella. EDC Vegas
still is the best EDM festival in the US, but it is about 1/8 the size of
Tomorrowland.
We will have to see how TomorrowWorld turns out, but one
thing for sure is that you can not duplicate the international rage like you
can at TL. Imagine everyone there feeling like they have won the lottery
(because it's impossible to get tickets) then raging balls to the walls daily.
Also at the sametime people respect one another's cultures and also do their
part in taking care of one another. I m glad I embarked on this journey and
can't wait to do so again in 2015. To do this right, you do have to plan a year
ahead. So I will start my planning again next year. If you guys have any
questions feel free to send me a message or email. Those going next year, rage
extra hard for me at the 10th Anniversary!
There are more countries then the olympics here! (Elise Loeb)
Vegas, please welcome Ibiza into the building. For the first
time, Vegas has built a mega club that compares to the best in the world such
as Pacha, Amnesia and maybe even Space Ibiza (nobody can really touch Privilege
quite yet). I got in at a decent time with my friend Elise, and we lost some causalities
to the pool during the day. Or else we would've had another epic ratio day.
Fortunately our friend, and VP of customer development at the Light, Norman
knows that scenario all too well.
Unlike the scene the night before at the MGM, the Light does
in fact have a moving line and at the same time it is kept spread out and
organized. It was very clear as to where the ticket holders, guest-list and
table service clients should line up. We walked up to the very first person at
the ropes, and he was able to quickly point us to Norman right away. Within minutes we found him, and exchanged a
few pleasantries along with a token of appreciation and IN we go.
As soon as we walked in, we heard the loud bass thumping
from the dance floor. We already knew the sound system was on point in
comparison to Hakkasan. There was only one room, so they didn't need to noise
proof the main room with worries of sound leaks into other places. As we turned
the corner and finally saw the dance floor, we saw an arena full of madness.
There were Cirque the Soleil performers dangling from the ceilings, and rage
all around. Surprisingly it was spread out rage, so there was plenty of empty
room for us to cruise all the way to the front of the stage. DJ Stellar started
the night out with some epic tech house to get the dance floor moving in the
right direction.
DJ Stellar throwing down the tech house
We decided to cruise around, and this place is absolutely
huge. The best way to describe the stage, is a club with a built in rave sized
HD stage. HD as in being wider then your normal stage. This allows room for a
wider dance floor, thus way more room to rage and dance. The best part is that this
place comes with a second level balcony just as spacious as walkways of the
first level. The bathrooms for both male and females are on both floors! These bathrooms were in the perfect location,
the corners of the club, where one with common sense would think to put them.
The bars were built along the entire back wall, and there are plenty of waiters
and waitresses ready to serve you with minimum wait and maximum service.
Bottle popping time, and with tons of Light
As the night progressed from the opening DJ to the next, the
production value went up by a notch progressively until the ultimate build up.
Following Stellar, Sebastian Drums threw together a high energy progressive
house set which got the liquor flowing. My connect Kirk whos in with the
security got us into the VIP section for a better of the stage, and more room
to rage without bumping into anyone. I would say, I m surprised by the amount
of Dom Perignon Magnums
ordered at a consistent rate at these center aisle tables. I had a chance to go
over the price list for the tables at the Light beforehand, and it is along the
lines of XS and other clubs in Vegas. Unlike Hakkasan where there is a clear
inflation of prices, and unfilled tables.
The Light - Way too much going on at any given time
Every few minutes the dance floor was flooded by confetti, with an act behind
stage, a gymnast doing tricks from the ceiling and even a go go would pop up out
of no where start dancing. It was a complete sensory overload. The last time I
had a feeling like this within a night club was most definitely in Ibiza. By
the time Thomas Gold the main DJ came on, the entire club turned into a set for
main stage DJ at EDC. After the night
was over, I believe I found my new favorite club in Ibiza, wait Vegas. Which
fortunately is only a few hours away. I will most definitely be coming back for
years to come. For all of your Light
Nightclub reservations inquiries, please contact Norman Ly at 702.688.9115 and tell him I sent you.
One of the most hyped clubs since last year has been the
Hakkasan. When I was at WMC this year in Miami, I saw cab after cab advertising
for this place. After a month goes by, I heard many reviews both positive and
negative and I thought the only way to find out is to go see it for myself. On
this particular trip, I will be doing a preview and comparison between two of
the newest mega nightclubs that Vegas has built to cater to the EDM crowd. My other review will be on the Light at
Mandalay Bay.
Located at the MGM Grand, the prime real estate serves as a
convenient spot for the South end strip dwellers. Most of the younger crowd
ends up staying at hotels around this area to be close to all the clubs without
spending a fortune on cabs. I didn't get
checked into my hotel at the Platinum (by Ballys) until 9:30 and somehow I had
enough to get changed in my Vegas bests (tie, vest and the whole 9 yards) and
still make it to the club by 10:45. I
had a fairly good ratio of females with me and I had already texted my long
time host which worked at Wet Republic, Thomas to get me us in.
Ratios. Don't leave home without them in Vegas. RK and Anatasia from EDME
As I approached the club, it was a zoo surrounding the
place. Also the guestlist line wrapped around the building and into the hallway
where the stores are. Finding Thomas was almost impossible, especially when he
caters to mostly the higher end clientele and was probably busy seating one of
his 25K min tables that he sold on that particular night. Thomas directed me to
someone else that worked the ropes at the front, and he was able to get our
group of ladies in smoothly. The process after getting past the ropes didn't
last more then 5 mins after the bouncers checked your credentials for entry.
I physically set foot in the club at about 11:15 PM, and the
dance floor was still not crowded. I managed to get a quick tour of the entire
place and found a few sweet spots where the bass hit very well. Surprisingly the
sound on the dance floor itself is not as loud as the second level. Another
thing I notice is that the crowd tends to flow from the right side of the dance
floor. If you are entering the dance floor, you would probably have an easier
time staying on the left without being bumped into. By midnight, all bets are off for free
movement on the dancefloor.
11:15 is about the only time when there is room on the floor
One of the gripes I read a lot on the other reviews was that
there are too many stairs. I did not find this to be an issue at all. If you
are comparing the stairs that are at Marquee, these are just baby steps. There
is also an elevator that takes you to two places, the exit or the downstairs
hip hop room. The guys working the elevator specifically tell you where they are
going, so make sure you take the right one.
So finally I decided I had enough with getting bumped into
with the sub-standard opening EDM acts, and I went to the hip hop room with Chris,
a promoter from Light that I met that night. We took the elevator down and I
heard nothing but ratchet music and tons of smoke. People were definitely
getting their party on. In the hip hop room there is actual dance space, and it
seemed the crowd was able to have more fun. I spent a good 45 minutes down here
before it was almost time for main act to come on at the main stage.
Dada Life as the main DJs at Hakkasan
When Dada Life finally came on, it seems like the lighting and
volume increased and the production value went up. By production, I mean more
confetti then ever before. Dada played a very expected set. It wasn't one I
haven't heard before from other festivals and clubs. I think the problem with
signing resident DJs that play every other week is that they tend to lose
interest in changing it up for the crowd. It's probably more of a problem in
Vegas now days then anywhere else.
Dada Life - Ending the Night by Kicking out the Epic
The night came and went. I can't say that it was let down. I
also can't say it was mind blowing. I
think the owners really focused on keeping the restaurant element of Hakkasan
and left out a few essentials that can probably help put this place over the
top. The over crowding issue tends to occur at clubs converted from restaurants.
I.e. Tao nightclub is almost unbearable on most nights with a full house.
Hakkasan does have a few places for you to take a breather, only if you know
where to look. I would definitely come back.
PS. I met my favorite dayclub hostess, Danny at Wet
Republic. That, on its own made my night. For all your Hakkasan needs, contact Thomas Gorman at 702.340.6498.
Just like every year, I went ahead and contacted my veteran direct hosts and put together a collection of information for VIP reservations in Vegas. The recommended hosts are proven and tested in the industry, and most of them have been at their respective venues since their inception. Also, they are direct hosts, not third party hosts. Meaning they work at the actual venues, not for a third party service. Hopefully I will see some of you guys at these epic parties filled with nothing but the best of the best festival headliners.
Note: prices may change, and advisable to contact and confirm with a host for up to date pricing. Prices are based on availability. Also prices do not include taxes, gratuity and host tip. Please see my previous article on What VIP is in Vegas for further breakdown on table minimum pricing in Vegas and how to tip properly in Vegas.
Daylight, Eclipse and Light
Contact: Brian Sweet Phone: (702) 806-3942 Email: bsweet@daylightvegas.com
Daylight
Friday: daybeds 500. cabanas 1000-1500. lilypad 500-1000 (1000 for the ones right by dj) bungalow 5000
Saturday: daybeds 3500 (opened at 2500 but we are selling quickly on those so they are now 3500). cabanas 7500 (opened at 5k but we sold some so pricing has increased. will increase again as we start to run out of cabans). lilypads - 3500 as well. bungalow 50000 (already have one reserved for that price, only have two total)
Sunday: daybed 2500. cabana 5000. lilypad 3000. these prices may increase as we start to run out of spots as well. bungalow 25000
*bungalows admit up to 20 people in, cabanas up to 15, daybeds are for 6-8, depending on group dynamic.
Eclipse
Sunday Night: party w skrillex - daybeds 2000. cabanas 3500-4500. bungalow 10000
Light
Dancefloor: Friday is 5k, Sat is 10k, Sun is 7500
First Tier Prime: fri is 4-6k, sat is 6-8k, sun is 5-7k. non prime is 2k fri, 3500 sat, 3k sun
Second Tier Prime: fri is 3-4k, sat is 5-7500, sun 4-5k. non prime is 1-2k fri, 2500-3000 sat, 1500-2500 sun
Mezzanine: is from 500-2000 fri, 1000-3500 sat, and 500-3000 sun
Hakkasan and Wet Republic
Contact: Thomas Gorman Phone: (702) 340-6498 Email: 702vip.gorman@gmail.com
Marquee Dayclub
Contact: Robert Montero Phone: (702) 612-2789 Email: robert.montero@marqueelasvegas.com
Daybeds: starting at 2K
Cabanas: starting at 7.5K
*individual table prices to come
Encore Beach Club
Contact: Bryce Giorgio Phone: (702) 528-5209 Email: brycegiorgio@gmail.com
Andrea's Patio- up to 2k
Gaming- up to 3k
Beach Couch- up to 3.5k
DJ Table- up to 6k
Lily Pad- up to 5k
Water Couch- up to 5k
Day Bed- up to 5k
Cabana (Top)- up to 6.5k
Cabana (Bottom)- up to 10k
Bungalow (Top)- up to 10k
Bungalow (Bottom)- up to 30k
*note all prices are not posted because they are constantly changing on demand
For every WMC, I try to plan a venue with that’s considered
the latest and greatest hotspot. Last year it was the Arkadia pool, this year
it had to be Hyde Beach at the SLS Hotel which had its very first year of WMC pool
parties.
The Afrojack "Kings of Ace" pool party brought a
slew of dutch electro artists to the lineup including a few tech house acts as
well. Knowing that drink prices are expensive in Miami at the top notch places,
we came prepared with flasked sunscreen bottles of vodka to sneak in. The only
problem was that all of us were wearing string bags, which for some god awful
reason this particular place does not allow. In fact my whole time here, it
felt like SLS just wanted to find ridiculous ways to make their patrons less
welcomed and up their douche factor by making up rules on the fly.
The crew at Hyde Beach, special thanks Baha Hallaby
So after scrambling around, Mike, myself, Gio, Chirag and
our lovely rager Canadia lady friends were on our way in. I manage to get at least
one screen bottle snuck in through the single pocket of my board shorts.
Michelle, one of our Canadia friends brought some of her north of the border
magic and managed to sneak in a bag of chips in a full sized grocery bags. If
we knew better, we would've had her help us start a picnic in there.
Mike wasn't able to sneak much in, so he ends up ordering
the very first drink at the bar. Needless to say, his reaction to the bill was
all I needed to hear. $52 for two Vodka redbulls. Wow! I thought LIV Nightclub
was outrageous, but these guys take it to the top for a day party.
The weather was highly unstable, so there was the occasional
rain that would come and go. Michelle, Liv (our other lovely Candia friend) and
I found some comfortable refuge in the euro style salted and heated side pool.
This isn't the main pool facing the stage, but one off the side for relaxation
and fun in the sun. Even though the drink prices were outrageous, Hyde Beach
was the only close to Vegas pool experience I got during my entire WMC. I never
got in the water again the rest of my trip at any other pool parties.
As the day wore on, the DJs came after one another. The ones
left over to rage in the rain were the true WMC enthusiasts that came to
support their artists. I was there during R3hab's set, and I believe I missed
Afrojack by an hour. This is a typical dilemma that happens during a week of
pool and night club raging. I just had to leave at a decent time so I can get
to my next party. Maybe next year I will plan an entire day around Hyde Beach
because this venue delivers, with ridiculous prices and all.
After finding out at 9am that the cover was $80 at Space, we were looking for a budget party since were coming off an epic show from Ferry vs Markus at Mansion and we might only have an hour or two of rage left in us. We walked by the parking lot of Mekka and saw a ton of Orange Mekka wristbands on the floor. I randomly decided to pick up one up and used the sticky side to keep it together. All of my friends did the same, infact one of them had a generic Orange wristband which had no logo what so ever. So we walk up to the dark entrance which wasn't even a door, it was just a ripped black sheet they used as a curtain. The security points us in the direction to get our wristbands checked. The guy glances at it and just tells us all to walk in. Boom we just saved cover.
So the dance floor is dark, almost like a crypt. I noticed they pump fog on there to make it even darker so you would have trouble seeing the girl's faces. There were about 12 girls and 3-4 guys to the sides like sharks trying to swoop up on them. I couldn't see the girl's faces to confirm that they weren't trannies, but they were all wearing tight pants so atleast I can be sure they are post-op. The bar serves drinks in small plastic cups. Like the ones you use as a rinse cup at Motel 6. The first one I bought I set it on a box. When the bass dropped the cup flew off and I lost a full drink. Turns out that box where people pass out on was a subwoofer.
There was a couch which apparently is the "gay zone". There were 6 guys sitting very close to each other. I walked by and one of the random ones there offered me a cigarette to start a conversation. "No thank you."
Mike B said from last year that he never found the bathroom. So I put myself on this quest to find this secret bathroom. There are 6 doors labeled as 'Exits' in this club. 1 is the first entrance you walked in which you will lose clearly since the lay out is like a haunted Halloween maze. Then there are 4 more which apparently they use some ply wood to jam it so you won't be able to open it. Then there was this last entrance next to back bar where I see a security guy in a red Mekka shirt passed out on the chair. This door leads to the bathroom.
So I walk into the guys bathroom, and the first thing I see is an attendant sitting on a chair, but his head is actually in one of the sink and hes passed out sleeping or throwing up, who knows. I guess I won't be getting my hands dry if I decide to wash my hands. Then one of the stall doors open, and 5 guys rush in. They spend a good 10 minutes in there sniffing around, so I finally gave up and decided to pour my flask out in the open next to the urinals. I got my drink made and walked out of there. Weirdest bathroom experience ever.
The night continued with countless randoms coming in. Some getting scared immediately and leaving, others staying there to continue their rage well into the afternoon of the next day. I spent a total of 2 hours there just watching the DJ drop some epic minimal techno and tech house tracks. Then I look back at the crowd and their reaction never changes. Just standing around like zombies and doing the same moves over and over again. I finally decided to call it a night.. or day at about 11:30. I ended up taking the bus across the block because cabs don't stop infront of Mekka. All in all it was a surreal experience, and I see myself coming back here again next WMC.
