THE GOOD
Chris Liebing. The rare Stateside appearance from the German techno heavyweight was a worthy reminder of his star status in Europe, drawing a modest but devoted crowd at Neon Garden that was there from the start to the bitter sunlit end. So much of commercial EDM is built on formulaic buildups and bass drops, and that makes it easy to forget that a DJ’s give and take with the crowd can really be an art. In that sense, Liebing is a master, diving deep into extended grooves and shifting tempos just when you thought you’d figured out where he’s going. Nothing he does is predictable. My mouth was parched, my arms felt like stone and I hadn’t sat down for hours—and still, just when I thought I’d had enough, I couldn’t tear myself away. –Andrea Domanick
It’s easy to complain about the traffic on the way to the Speedway, but it’s also not too difficult to enjoy it. Why? With radios blasting EDM, attendees popping out of their windows and one dude who had to tell every single car he passed “I love you, man!,” the dance party—and PLUR attitude—really starts at Las Vegas Boulevard and Nellis. Traffic on the way home, however, is another question … –Mark Adams
Las Vegas producer/DJ Justin Blau packed the Circuit Grounds stage area to the point of overflow on Saturday night—a huge showing for the rapidly ascending artist, the lone local picked to play EDC’s eight principal stages this weekend. And, per his Weekly interview last week, he debuted new material to the enormous throng. –Mike Prevatt
Best sign of the night: F*CK SIGNS. Oh, the irony. –MA
How did I know the party had really begun on Saturday night? When I spotted drag queens—I mean real, to-the-nines drag queens. I’ve never seen them at EDC before, and no, straight guys in tutus and makeup don’t count. –MP
Nooooooooowzawenyahhhhhh! You wouldn’t think Disney music would make its way into a trap music set at America’s biggest rave, but think again. Slander effectively mixed the beginning of “Circle of Life” from The Lion King into his Bass Pod set, and the crowd went wild. Were the 19-year-olds even alive when that movie was released? Equally amazing: working in Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” inspiring an audience-wide sing-along (and some Armageddon flashbacks). –MA
The ice man. As dawn approached and water became a scarce commodity, at least one fan got hold of a bag of ice and walked around doling out handfuls to stragglers still dancing. An absolute godsend. –AD
A good-looking guy in a tank top, and with his girlfriend, saw that I was overheating during Hardwell’s set at Kinetic Field and rubbed his bag of ice on the back of my neck. I quickly got over my personal-space issues (at EDC, no less). Ice, ice, baby. —Don Chareunsy
The large, Burning Man-inspired, propane-powered art installation, featuring the El Pulpo Mecanico art car, a steel cage-sphere made for climbing (and reminiscent of the Robot Heart icon from Further Future) and Porto Arbori sculptures made by the Vegas-based Boko Fine Art collective. –MP
A vendor inside the Carnival Square was selling etymotic earplugs, which actually block out harmful frequencies better than—and let you hear more clearly despite noisy environs than—the usual foam stoppers. That’s some smart merch. –MP
If you were at the festival last night and you didn’t see Krewella get down and dirty at Circuit Grounds, boy did you miss out. Known for their radio-friendly, pop-tastic EDM hits, they deviated from the norm with a hard-hitting set that included rock tracks from The White Stripes and System of a Down. Don’t worry, EDM disciples, the sister DJ duo wrapped things up with megahit “Alive.” –MA
Speaking of Hardwell, there’s a reason why he’s the two-time reigning top global DJ per DJ Mag. His 70-minute set was awesome. Maybe that’s why I overheated? —DC
THE WEIRD
I literally saw pasties 2.3 seconds after I parked. Oh, EDC, you’re so naked this year I can’t even handle it. –MA
The crowd at Disclosure. Considering Disclosure has been one of dance music’s biggest breakout acts this past year, their crowd at the Neon Garden Saturday night was unusually sparse. While there was a crush of fans surrounding the tent, inside was roomy. Halfway through the set we were able to easily walk up to the front third of the space for a close view of the duo on the decks. Perhaps fans were less interested in hearing them spin than seeing a live set of the original songs that have made them a top draw at other festivals like Coachella. Not that we’re complaining—the brothers Lawrence are worthy DJs in their own right, curating a diverse decades-spanning set of house, tech house, jungle and garage that had us greedily taking advantage of all the space to dance. The pair did close out their hour and a half with their ubiquitous Sam Smith smash “Latch,” at which point the tent was suddenly inundated with fans. But those looking for the hits missed out on what was otherwise a great opportunity to get to know the rich underground roots that inspire their chart-toppers. It’s why we’re all the more excited about the group’s residency at Light at Mandalay Bay and for what’s in store as dance music in Las Vegas continues to deepen and evolve. –AD
Hey, Vegas-based radio stations: What the hell are you thinking playing Fifth Harmony and Jason Derulo on the biggest EDM weekend of the year? Give the kandi kids something to listen to on the way to the Speedway when their Spotify craps out because of service issues. Just sayin’… #endrant –MA
See previous note about the bag of ice and personal-space issues. I quickly got over it. Baby steps. —DC
U.K. garage/house titan Duke Dumont earned a rare live slot at the expansive Cosmic Meadows stage area, but the energy level was the lowest I saw for any performers either Friday or Saturday. Not even half of the attendees on the grass area were even standing up, and those who were barely seemed to move. It wasn’t that Dumont’s R&B-kissed synth jams lacked a pulse, nor did the trio phone in the musicianship. Chalk this one up to crowd disinterest and/or fatigue. Which is too bad, because it could give Insomniac Events another reason to keep passing on live music programming. Meanwhile, the act it should have booked—barring a potential non-compete for the Southwest U.S.—was Underworld, which by all accounts slayed in LA on Sunday and could have brought both exhilaration and pedigree to EDC the night before. –MP
THE UGLY
Metro reported early Sunday that a 24-year-old male festivalgoer died at the festival. The cause of death won’t be known until toxicology reports are complete, which can take four to eight weeks. It’s the second attendee death to happen on the grounds of the Speedway since EDC moved to Las Vegas in 2011. –MP
Quit it with the selfie sticks, people. Just stop. We’ll let the GoPros slide. –MA
Misogyny T-shirts. To the guys we saw wearing shirts that said, for example, “SHOW ME YOUR SNATCH” “PARTY WITH SLUTS” and “HIGH FIVE FOR SLUTS”: How’s that working out for you? –AD
Gates were late to open for a second night in a row—right when temps hovered around 113 and attendees were required to stand inside hot, stuffy tents awaiting pat-down and entry. –MP
The longest line of the night was no longer the one for purchasing empty water bottles—it was lost and found. –MP
Sure, the metal canopy at Circuit Grounds looks really cool, and I dig the video screens and industrial-looking chandeliers inside, but holy hell does that thing trap in the heat. As the chandeliers lowered to put on a sick light show, my friend turned to me and asked: Where are the misters? Hey, Insomniac: If misters aren’t in the budget, how about some strategically positioned fans next year? Love, a very sweaty and overheated festivalgoer. –MA
A slice of cheese pizza that took maybe five bites to complete cost $7. I received double the amount of pizza at Rock in Rio, which was pricey itself. –MP
Selfie sticks. EDC ought to take a cue from Coachella and Lollapalooza and ban these obnoxious totems of narcissism. We understand wanting to capture the barrage of awesome spectacles but having to maneuver around your duckface and a three-foot pole really kills the view. –AD
Why are so many behind the booth still playing Alice Deejay’s 1998 club hit “Better Off Alone”? I quote Morrissey: Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ ... –MP
The couple that fought next to me during the last half of Avicii’s set. Sometimes the feelz go the other direction ... –MP
I can’t say the trash problem improved from Friday, because I didn’t attend opening night, but it certainly was worse than last year. The overflowing trash cans (with a 2-foot radius of garbage surrounding them) on the way in were telling of what was to come, and I almost ate pavement while dancing at the Circuit Grounds stage because of an overabundance of water bottles on the ground. Fail. –MA
By all means, be safe and form lines to snake into and out of crowds. But how about not push people out of the way? —DC
