A Rad Day at the Zoo

Posted by gabriellenp in Editorial, Entertainment, Music News, Reviews | 0 comments

It’s a shame I couldn’t attend Saturday’s lineup of shows at the Electric Zoo Festival. If the energy from the performers on Saturday were just as vibrant as Sunday’s lineup, then I wish I could hop into a hot tub time machine to attend the first day. I had the privilege of having a casual conversation with the A&R/Promotions Manager of Ultra Records, the key sponsor of the Electric Zoo Festival. She informed me that last year’s festival attendance was a little over 25,000 and this year was over a whopping 40,000! As the upbeat buzz from attendees continues, I am more than positive that the festival will become the next Coachella or Glasgow Music Festival. Better yet, the Electric Zoo Festival will be a must-attend standalone music festival entity comparable to no other event. In a nutshell: The Electric Zoo Festival is where the cool kids are going and it’s a pity if you missed it! The festive vibe, unparallel talent of the performers and the stellar art installation created an atmosphere conducive for dancing and discovering new music.

…And So It Begins
I was beyond nervous because this was my first non-fashion event to cover. I covered the Maloof Cup this past spring, but this was completely different. I love music just about as much as I do fashion, so one would wonder why I would feel uneasy. As soon as I entered through the gates, I felt like I was reliving my Coachella Music Festival experience. I saw toddlers, Europeans, ravers in Jnco pants circa 1998, hippies, hip-hop heads, my parents (not literally, just in regards to age) and even my grandparents. One of the highlights of seeing Boys Noize live was watching an older gent use his cane as a prop for dancing. He will forever be my inspiration when I become old and gray-headed. I suppose you are never too old to love any genre of music. Who gave music an age limit anyway? The “Living Objects” art installation by Jason Krugman was amazing. In the center of the festival grounds were lit human-form sculptures. The sculptures were interactive in that they were created to exude a feeling of emotional warmth through sight. I studied the set times and could not help but feel an electric charge go through my body as I eagerly anticipated what I would listen to. I felt like I was at an all-you-can-eat buffet that was chock full of delectable foods. There were so many acts to taste that I became a music glutton and hopped from stage to stage just to nibble a piece of each act to write home about. No pun intended. Everything goes back to food…

What I Ate at the Zoo:

The Glitch Mob:

The Glitch Mob

This LA-based mob of three hot and talented guys kicked my afternoon off to a pleasurable start. The sick combination of MIDI controllers and laptops made for an extremely tasty treat for both my eyes and ears.  They are the quintessence of electronica. I should have known this would be a great set considering the guys’ debut album, Drink The Sea, debuted at number five on the iTunes Electronic Chart.  I highly recommend that everyone should download the song, “Drive It Like You Stole It” to take an impactful bite of what these guys have to offer. The aforesaid song was one of several songs that served as a crowd-pleaser during the Mob’s performance.

DJ Medhi:

DJ Medhi

It was at this set that I got over my jitters of covering a music festival solo. I’ve seen Medhi live almost two years ago in Brooklyn. I remember being mesmerized at the aforementioned set and had that same feeling during his performance on Sunday. The French electro and hip-hop producer/DJ even took brief breaks to dance on stage to his own creations. He started the set with a clever twist on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song, “Rich.” Midway through the show, I began to dance insanely in my black dress and combat boots out of excitement. Medhi’s unique blend of house, dance and electronica spins truly made for an amazing set that held the rapt attention of the audience and their hips.

Diplo: 

Diplo

I have always heard and read reviews about how ridiculous (in a good way) Diplo’s shows are. The praise was confirmed in my musical mental notes when I was standing in the front row for the show’s entirety. There was never a mellow moment. His choices of music mixes were as unpredictable as the economy. Diplo’s music stratagem consisted of electronica, house, trip-hop and rap. The highlight of his set was his carefully masterminded mix on “Bucky Done Gun” by M.I.A. which resulted in crazier dance moves and Red Bull-induced screaming from the crowds.

DJ A-Trak: 

DJ A-Trak

Thank you Canada for providing DJ A-Trak to the music world. This was my third time to see A-Trak live and he never fails to put on anything less than an excellent show. He’s an effortless trendsetter that has true turntable skills which makes him one of the best DJs to witness live. Anyone that manages to win the World DJ Championship at the ripe age of fifteen obviously bleeds talent. The crowd went especially bonkers when he “A-Traked” Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock.” “A-Traked” can best be defined as a verb or even an adjective and occurs when a song is remixed on a turntable to the point of creating awe to the listeners. Oh, Canada.

Armin Van Buuren: 

Armin Van Buuren

I felt like I teleported to Europe. The partygoers were waving flags from an assortment of countries from all over the globe. There was not one person who wasn’t dancing. Even the individuals that are “too cool” to dance were at least nodding their head to the beat. Buuren’s set consisted of a colorful light show and contagious lively energy transference from the audience to Buuren and vice versa. Buuren is one of the primary pioneers of dance music. His production of tunes that consist of tantalizing trance combined with techno and progressive music has kept him busy for over ten years. I can’t wait to see him live again!

Bassnectar: 

Bassnectar

The question is: What didn’t California-bred Lorin Ashton (also known as Bassnectar) play? This set made me think of a hippie from the Woodstock 1969 befriending Lil’ Jon to collaborate on music that consists of bumping bass, electronic undertones and catchy turntable scratches. Salsa? Check. Dance? Check. Ska? Check. Hip-hop? Check. Random gypsy music via Eastern Europe? Check. The backdrop of the stage consisted of a projection of streamed film of random images from the lifespan of a plant in fast-forward mode to an African tribe ritual dance. I found myself going from spectator to dancer within the brief period of time that I arrived to the stage. I couldn’t wait to get home just so I could download his latest album, Timestretch.

The Final Feeling:

I walked away from the festival with renewed confidence, new DJs to research and a musically “full” feeling.
I eagerly look forward to seeing what next year holds for the Electric Zoo lineup. Until next year’s festival lineup, I will just have to be satisfied with my eclectic mix of iTunes and dance crazily at DJ sets in the city.