Dancing Astronaut

I've been writing this blog for almost a year now and I want to thank all of you who have supported me and read my entries. From here on out, I will still be doing reviews & EDM blogging, only on a different website. Please bookmark http://www.dancingastronaut.com/ and check daily for "the latest and greatest in house, electro house, progressive, electro, and dubstep". Thanks again for all of the love & support! -A5ia

Deadmau5 at Hollywood Palladium

Last October I flew to San Francisco for Treasure Island Music Festival to see the legend that is formally known as Deadmau5. I was blown away by the positive crowd, intricate lighting, and his incredible song selection. However, when his set was cut short before even an hour, I was beyond devastated. Since the release of his album 4X4=12, which was a completely different style than the Canadian's usual electro hits, I still hadn't seen Zimmerman a second time but was elated upon hearing about his four-show residency at the Hollywood Palladium.

I was hoping that Friday's set would include some of his older upbeat tracks such as Hi Friend and Attention Whore, but Deadmau5's style has completely changed and he decided to take a different approach.  He only played songs that he produced/co-produced, which is really no surprise with his wide selection of bangers. The set included predictable hits such as The Reward is Cheese, Ghosts n Stuff, Raise Your Weapon, and Sofi Need a Ladder (Sofi even came out on stage to sing her part).

He started off the night in a neon green head and after a brief breather finished the set in a badass all-white version. The visuals were imaginative featuring images of his well-known cat Prof. Meowingtons over a game of Mario Brothers and backlit LED lighting spelling out words such as "Lets Do It LIVE" when Joel put his impressive live-mixing skills to use. He played for a full two hours but the energy was substandard and mildly melancholy. I actually preferred Zedd, the opening DJ, with his upbeat song selections such as Alesso's remix of Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO, a mashup of Wolfgang's Undertaker vs. 5th Symphony, and Avicii's Levels (ID). I was also thrilled to hear his popular remixes of Skrillex's Weekends and Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites which are far preferred over the originals.

Some favorites of the night from Deadmau5 include his mashup of Some Chords mixed with Tiny Dancer, Animal Rights feat. Wolfgang Gartner, and his edit of Daft Punk's Harder Better Faster Stronger. Also heavily influenced by Skrillex, he chose lots of dubstep (the Caspa remix of Kaskade & Deadmau5's I Remember) and trance-like inspired jams. Mau5 gave the mediocre set an even duller ending by closing with a drawn-out and extremely ineffective version of Strobe. Hopefully Zimmerman realizes soon that fans come to his shows to dance - not sleep. 

The King of Dirty Dutch

On Sunday night I made my way over to The Music Box Hollywood to see none other than DJ Chuckie. He blew me away at EDC Vegas with his prime song selections, mixing skills, and overall phenomenal energy so when he announced his Hollywood show, there was really no question.

He opened by debuting his brand new song Who's Ready to Jump which features his own vocal samples from EDC Vegas as the main "chorus". The crowd seemed to absolutely love the new song and of course I was happy reliving his stellar EDC performance. After requesting that he play my current favorite jam, Chuckie kept his word and song #3 was his remix to Mohombi's Bumpy Ride. He also played many other favorites such as Let the Bass Kick, Move it 2 the Drum (feat. Hardwell), his LMFAO remix I'm DJ Chuckie B*tch, his Chris Kaeser remix Who's In The House, and the Gregori Klosman remix to Avicii's Sweet Dreams (fell in love with this track when he first played it at EDC). He also played a sick version of Laidback Luke's Til Tonight mashed with Congrorock's Babylon that I had never heard before.

It's not only safe to say that he's the 'King of Dirty Dutch' but I'm about to give him another impressive title - my #1 favorite DJ. Way to go Chuckie, keep cranking out the bangers!

First Gig

Yesterday was my first time deejaying a party ... and not just any kind of party - a pool party. Located in the backyard of a sick Brentwood mansion, I spent about 5 hours taking complete control and mixing together a set composed of all my current favorite jams. Included in my set was the new Wolfgang Gartner song Ménage à Trois, the sickest Nirvana remix of Smells Like Teen Spirit by DJs Snake & Mercer, the Michael Wood's remix of La Roux's In For the Kill, LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (Alesso remix), and the Arno Cost remix of Moby's Lie Down in Darkness. Had an absolute blast and can't wait til the next opportunity to show my skills!

The EDC Experience

Last night I went to Rave Cinemas 18 (can't get over how fitting the name of the theater was) to see the first movie that really immerses viewers into the current mainstream rave culture - The EDC Experience. As an actual movie, it was pretty terrible. Although Insomniac puts millions of dollars into the production of their massive events, it's evident that they did not put much into the production of this documentary. However, they did accomplish their goal of exposing the EDM movement realistically without ever having to actually attend the Carnival. The cameras cut from live EDC sets of favorite DJs such as Kaskade, Laidback Luke, Moby, and Swedish House Mafia to footage of the performers, go-go dancers, fireworks, and all that goes into the assembly of an event so large. Most of the footage was taken from EDC 2010 in Los Angeles; the aeriel views were absolutely nuts! 

There were at least 20 cops surrounding the theater and they were being so strict with unnecessary security that viewers were not even allowed to bring their purses or wallets inside. It's a shame that the movie was cut from so many theaters after the Kaskade riots broke out at the premier but I'm sure when it comes out on dvd it will be in high demand. I'd even like my parents to see it, along with all other skeptics, just so that they can see what exactly EDC is all about. Aside from how the media portrays rave culture, this movement is about a generation coming together, embracing each other, listening to great music, being happy and showing love - bottom line.

Kaskade at Supperclub

I'm not exactly sure how I let this much of my life go by without seeing Kaskade spin, but now that I have I will forever be a fan. He is one of the first DJs I had ever heard of, due to the fact that we are both from the North Shore of Chicago, and for some reason I always seem to miss him when he's in town. But finally he announced a Hollywood club show and of course I was on board!

 I was a bit nervous about attending his show because hours prior he made national headlines when a riot broke out on Hollywood Blvd. after announcing to twitter that he was doing a free "block party" show following the EDC Experience movie premier. Unruly ravers apparently got violent and smothered a cop car, which is the type of behavior you may expect from Korn fans - not the mainstream angelic vocals of Kaskade. However, the mob of crazies eventually cleared out and a much more civil crowd gathered for his Supperclub performance.

I've been to Supperclub on many occassions to see popular DJs such as Donald Glaude and Benny Benassi, but never had I seen the club more packed than it was for Kaskade (and let me remind you that it was a Wednesday). I'd say 50% of the tracks were his own, including his newest hit Eyes featuring Mindy Gledhill. The other half were current popular jams such as SHM's Save The World, his remix of Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, Laidback Luke's remix of Benassi's Cinema, and the Nicky Romero remix of Green Velvet's Flash.

Some of the highlights included Will.I.Am coming up on stage, as well as Paris Hilton, along with the dozens of face-painted gogo dancers and acrobats. But the best part was getting to go up in back where the lasers are controlled and learn how to change the colors and patterns of the lights. Damn, do I give a mean light show! :)

Another epic night for the books...

Avicii at Music Box

Friday night was my second time seeing up and coming producer Avicii (Tim Bergling) spin live at The Music Box Hollywood. Perfect timing too because earlier in the day the new Leona Lewis track Collide was released, which caused a huge controversy due to the fact that the tune she is singing over is undeniably Avicii's Penguin. For more on the Leona Lewis vs. Avicii debate, check out this article: avicii-leona-lewis-controversy-fade-darkness

Of course he played most of his original tracks including Penguin/Fade into Darkness, ID (Levels), and his famous remix of Armin's Drowning. My favorite surprise of the night was getting to hear his new track Enough is Enough (Don't Give Up on Us), here's the link: Enough is Enough. However, I still have the same problem with Avicii that I had when I first saw him back in December- as a producer he works absolute wonders but as a DJ (who for the most part only plays his own tracks) he weaves from upbeat high-energy tracks straight into slow trance-like songs; I guess it's just personal preference but I prefer DJs to start off with their slower tracks (if they must include them at all) then gradually raise the key and energy-levels throughout the set.

Whether or not I was completely satisfied with his song order, he's clearly making a name for himself, with two sold-out shows in a row and lines down the block, everybody wanted to get inside and see the hype that is Avicii. Some highlights of the night? Avicii made it rain. The Music Box had sprinklers from the ceiling cover the crowd in water, which was awesome for my sweaty-mess of a self after dancing for hours but I could tell some other fans weren't too thrilled. Another awesome moment is when Avicii bent down under his tables to smoke a joint with a couple friends. He's got an undeniable stage presence and a dedicated fan base so I know he's only moving up. I can't wait to see what happens with the whole Leona Lewis controversy, hopefully he decides to sue.

*Just bought tickets to Chuckie at Music Box, Ingrosso at Wavehouse, Electric Zoo Music Festival in NYC, and Monster Massive - check back for lots of reviews :)

Dada Life at Playhouse

5th times a charm.. well, this time it was. I've been a huge Dada Life fan since I first saw them spin at Nocturnal last year. Since then I've been to every LA show they've had - am I a creepy fan? Whatever. I tweeted the Swedish duo before the show asking them to deliver a fresh set (since I've been there done that so many times) and they promptly responded "oops, now we're nervous. ;)". No need to be nervous when you're making roughly 10k a show. Maybe it was the close and personal setting that really drew me in but I'd have to say it was one of their best sets yet.

I've always said they should remix Gwen Stefani's This Sh*t is Bananas and they finally did! They also spun a remix of Xzibit's Alcoholic that had an epic drop followed by a crate of bananas being thrown out into the audience. Did I mention all of the giant inflatable bananas hanging from the ceiling? I also need to give Playhouse props on really stepping up their display; LED lights everywhere and even spelling out 'DADA LIFE' directly in front of the stage to give the feel of a larger festival set. Towards the end of the night special guest and friend of Dada Life - Avicii came up on stage. This of course drove the crowd wild and I'll luckily be able to see a full Avicii set this Friday at Music Box.  A few hours later and hair full of champagne, we stumbled out of Playhouse with my favorite remix of Kaskade's Dynasty still in my head. Thanks again guys for NEVER letting me down - it was one of the best Monday nights I've ever had!

EDC Vegas 2011

I'm speechless. And not because I completely lost my voice but because this weekend will go down in the books as being one of the best displays of electronic music being blasted throughout the sickest environment I've ever seen! I really gotta hand it to Vegas - this venue was 100x better than the LA Coliseum.  The main stage (Kinetic Field) was supposedly the largest in North America, with insane LED lighting to match. Insomniac turned the Vegas Speedway into a ravers' paradise. While standing up in the VIP stands I took a panoramic snapshot in my head starting with the neon lit ferris wheel, to the crazy display of fireworks above our heads, to the thousands of people dancing and jumping to the beat - they literally looked like ants; every inch of the grounds were covered. Now let's get to the music!

Friday

Wolfgang Gartner - After his awful Roxbury set, Wolfgang redeemed himself again. He played all of his hits including Illmerica, Wolfgang's 5th Symphony, Space Junk, and Undertaker. I wasn't completely blown away but then again Wolfgang has already set himself up at a bar that is hard to outdo.

Dirty South - Dragan tweeted before EDC " i don't play dubstep..it's ok to listen to....sometimes.....but i DO NOT play it in my dj sets.." and this is why I love him, probably the best set of the night. I made my way to the very front and was surrounded by massive speakers that I could feel vibrating through my body. Was stoked to hear my favorite remix of Kaskade's Sorry and was in heaven when Phazing came on. He killed it by dropping Red Hot Chilli Peppers "Otherside" mixed into Nicky Romero's remix of Green Velvet's Flash; that drop was mind-altering.

Tiesto - I went with a crew of 10 wearing matching "Tiesto is the Besto" tanks, so needless to say, I was more than stoked to see the legend himself for my second time. The first was at the Shrine a couple year ago and I had been anxiously awaiting his EDC set. He played a perfect mix of Tiesto originals, remixes, and other DJ's new jams. There were giant colored monsters on stage and at one point the LED lighting behind him made a giant boom box! His set was definitely the most crowded of any set all weekend, he drew in around 50,000 people (or so they say) but it looked like way more. From as far as I could see there were people in the crowd with zero open spaces. One of my favorite parts of the entire weekend was when Showtek screamed "I want everybody to jump!" then watching from the stands above I witnessed all of the music-lovers jumping in unison. Here's the link so you can see it yourself --> TiestoJump

Steve Angello - Not as amazing as his Coachella set but still pretty epic. He of course played both Swedish House Mafia hits Save the World Tonight and One. But I was most excited when his awesome remix of Pendulum's The Island came on and fireworks burst into the sky! There were even acrobatic dancers bouncing off trampolines near the front of the stage doing flips high into the air; this was quite the production and an amazing nightcap. 

Saturday

Bassnectar - The last time I saw Bassnectar was about four years ago, and only because I was dragged by my sister, but was peculiarly surprised by how much I liked his style. I generally hate dubstep but he fuses the wobbly bass noise with an eclectic mix of sounds, whether it be rappers or pitch shifted vocal samples, it somehow all comes together to make funky harmony to my ears; definitely a great way to start out night #2.

Benny Benassi - I love Benassi but this was not his best set. Not only did he choose to pass up his perfect original version of Cinema for the Skrillex remix (even the Laidback Luke version would've been better) but he was all about the dubstep Saturday night. When House Music came on, I was elated until the drop went directly into that wobble noise that literally turned my smile into a frown. I forgive you Benny but please stick to what you do best - HOUSE MUSIC!

David Guetta - Hate to say it but he played way too many top 40 songs for a rave. We hear Love is Gone, When Love Takes Over, Where Dem Girlz At, and Getting Over You every day on the radio so why wouldn't he pull out some new stuff or even some of his old dirty house songs? Guetta is an amazing producer and I was luckily able to listen to some of his unreleased songs that are insanely similar to Daft Punk, so I just don't understand why he decided to go so mainstream at an event that draws in people who know their electronic music and want something fresh.

Chuckie - I might have to say that he had the best set out of everyone all weekend! After his mediocre Coachella set I was not expecting the filth he brought to Vegas, some of the best drops I've ever heard! Maybe he brought his A game because it was his birthday, as he announced to the crowd. He opened with his original Mutfakta then dropped into Guetta's One Love mixed into Move it 2 the Drum, another sick Chuckie original featuring Hardwell. He also dropped the Sidney Samson remix of Ferry Corsten's Punk, one of my faves. But the best surprise of his set was the Gregori Klosman remix of Avicii's Sweet Dreams. Every single song bumped hard and I could not stop myself from dancing. Step aside Afrojack, when it comes to dirty dutch - Chuckie takes the crown. Check out his live set here: Chuckie's EDC set

Dada Life - That shit was bananas, literally. Perfect way to end my night/weekend was getting to hear White Noise Red Meat, Fight Club is Closed, Cookies with a Smile, and of course their amazing remix of Kaskade's Dynasty. This was my 4th time seeing them and they always put on a good show - how can you not have fun when there's a crowd surfing gigantic inflatable banana in the mix?! 

When I first found out that EDC was no longer being held in Los Angeles I was very disappointed, however, it turned out to be one of the best massives I've ever attended. The venue could not be beat, it was surprisingly organized, not as many teens as the LA raves usually draw in and did I mention that it was in VEGAS?! Now time to recover..

Sander Van Doorn

Upon hearing that Sander Van Doorn would be spinning at EDC Vegas the night I'm attending, I decided to get a sneak peak at Playhouse on Monday night for their MNS 15 year anniversary and see what he's all about. I missed the dutch DJ at Avalon a few weeks ago and didn't want to miss out again so I brought my little sister (her first time coming to a club with me!) and we ended up staying til the early hours of the morning dancing our butts off to his amazing set. 

I wasn't too familiar with the songs he chose to spin, but they all bumped hard and had the entire club on their feet. I was surprised how packed Playhouse was on a Monday night; Sander had people lining up down Hollywood blvd. waiting to get in. I'm very excited to see what he has planned for EDC Vegas in a few weeks and can't wait to see him again!!

Supper Club

Last week I hit up one of my favorite Hollywood clubs (Supper Club) on Friday and Wednesday due to the amazing lineup. Friday I was able to get up on stage and watch Donald Glaude perform on the DJM-2000s that I desperately want! Wednesday night there was no way I was staying home because the dj of the night was none other than Benny Benassi!

The last time I saw Morgan Page at Avalon I left before getting to hear Donald Glaude's after-hour set but heard nothing but great things, so I jumped at the chance upon hearing that he would be performing at a more intimate club setting. Luckily I was able to get right up on stage and watch his technique from 2 feet away. For such a big guy he had loads of energy; dancing, jumping, giving out high-fives, Glaude was ready to party! When 2 am was nearing and he still hadn't played my current favorite song - his remix of Scooter and Lavelle's Beats Inside My Head, I leaned over and asked him to pretty please play it for me. He told me he was saving the best for last and I was able to finish out my incredible night dancing my ass off to my favorite song with Glaude rooting us on! Keep up the good work Donald! :)

I have a weak spot in my heart for Benny Benassi because for as long as I've listened to electronic music, he has always produced complete bangers. Benassi is one of the most talented producers/djs in the industry and the last time I saw him perform (at Rain in Las Vegas) he blew my mind. Although the atmosphere at Supper Club is much smaller and personal, the sound system was not! The bass vibrated the building so much that we knew Benassi came on stage while in the women's restroom upstairs - ha! He of course played all of his hits while 'BENNY BENASSI' lit up behind him in LED lights. Cirque de Soleil type performers flew from the ceiling contorting their bodies as neon lasers lit the sky. What a show! His set was a little short but I'm not complaining since it was free. I'm crossing my fingers that Benassi will be doing one of his famous sets at EDC Vegas this year!

*Just bought tickets to see Deadmau5 at the Hollywood Palladium - stay tuned!

Ghostland Observatory

Sunday night I went to Club Nokia to see Ghostland Observatory for my very first time! Aside from their famous laser shows and electro rock vibe, I really had no idea what to expect. I will be the first to admit that front man Aaron Behrens has some major talent - and dance moves to match. The duo is very unique and their performance was nothing short of awesome, however, I'm still not the biggest fan. Nothing against the Texas-based group but it just wasn't my thing; I'm addicted to house. But truth be told - the laser shows were seriously unreal and I wouldn't mind catching them again in the future.

Sharam

This weekend I hit up my usual stomping ground, Avalon, to see the talented producer & DJ Sharam. Back in 2007 I attended my first EDC where I saw Deep Dish, the Grammy award-winning DJ duo that Sharam makes up one half of. However, Saturday night was my first time seeing him solo. Although Deep Dish has been around for close to 20 years, Sharam has been getting a lot of recognition recently due to his new banger Fun (I personally like the Funhouse remix best). He has also done collaborations with big names such as Daniel Bedingfield, Kid Cudi, Tommy Lee, and Diddy.

He did a great job with musical selection, weaving from his classic songs we all know and love like "She Came Along" and "Party All The Time" to unrecognizable jams that were equally as tight. My only problem with the night was the fact that Avalon was hosting a contest in which hopefuls could win a chance to open for Sharam, and the winning DJs were just not my cup of tea. One DJ in particular, the one that spun right before Sharam, absolutely tortured the crowd with his minimal and ever so repetitive tech house. All was forgiven though when Sharam came up to bat - and I was overjoyed to hear the much anticipated "Fun". On his own, Sharam brings a harder style of progressive house than the usual sounds of Deep Dish - and I'm glad I got to see him live in action!

Coachella Review

It would be quite a task to write a full review on each act I saw at Coachella, so instead I will just go over the highlights (of the electronic acts only):

Friday

I started off the weekend with a set by Skrillex which was exactly what I predicted: a bunch of wobbly dubstep. I can appreciate good dubstep but it was definitely not my favorite - especially when a member of Korn came on stage to wail into the mic. Dubstep mixed with metal = double ouch. Afrojack started off with the same several songs in exact order as his Music Box and TAO sets but this did not stop me from dancing my ass off and loving every minute of it. I was not alone, in fact Paul McCartney and Usher were seen dancing on stage to Afrojack as well. I unfortunately did not get to see Erick Morillo or Magnetic Man's full sets but was pleased with what I did hear. Boys Noize stole the show with his truly epic set. The Sahara tent's LED lighting matched up with his ability to feel out the crowd and play exactly what they were in the mood for. The only downside was that his set coincided with Chemical Bros.

Saturday

The first DJ of the day was Chuckie, who I have been wanting to see for a long time now. Although I was pleased with his set, it didn't compare to the following DJ's set - Laidback Luke. Luke even brought out Wynter Gordon to sing along to his biggest hit Dirty Talk, seriously amazing. Due to all of the other non-electro acts going on at the same time, I missed Fedde's set and only caught the very end of Paul van Dyk's which sounded promising but the best set of the entire weekend goes to Steve Angello who truly pumped up the crowd with banger after banger. My only regret was missing the end of Arcade Fire, where hundreds of giant glowing plastic balls were launched into the audience. But I'm not complaining, the visuals in Sahara kept me satisfied.

Sunday

Again, there were so many other bands I wanted to see so I only got to see a handful of DJs. Started off with some dubstep for Caspa's set, which was slightly more pleasant than Skrillex. As soon as he ended, I made my way up to the front and center for Jack Beats - I still kick myself for missing their full TAO set. Absolutely LOVED Jack Beats, they play a little of everything and always make me happy. The real surprise of the day went to Duck Sauce who surprisingly knew how to get the crowd going without just playing the usual hits, although they had to include Barbra Streisand (which they did end up playing after every other DJ spoiled their moment already). Sadly, I had to miss Axwell to see my beloved Kanye but left Coachella with a healthy dose of EDM and a beat in my head that just would not stop going.

Now that Coachella is over, I've got EDC on my mind. Just purchased a ticket today and cannot wait to finally see Tiesto in Vegas (I've been dreaming about this for months). As for Coachella, I've been made a believer. I'll be going back until I'm that weirdo that is obviously way too old to be there.

Coachella Lineup

In 17 days I will be attending my first ever COACHELLA! I am beyond excited for the experience in general and to hear some of my favorite artists perform, not just electronic music. However,  I am going to list the DJs only that I'm most excited about. I am going to try my best to see as many of the following artists as possible, then later blog about:


Friday, April 15th:
Afrojack
A-Trak
Boys Noize
Erick Morillo
Sasha
Skrillex
The Chemical Brothers


Saturday, April 16th:
Chuckie
Fedde Le Grand
Laidback Luke
Paul van Dyk
Steve Angello


Sunday, April 17th:
Axwell
Bloody Beetroots
Chromeo
Duck Sauce
Jack Beats
Tinie Tempah

And so the countdown begins.. 

Girl Talk

Saturday night I revisited the Hollywood Palladium to see Girl Talk (real name Gregg Michael Gillis) in concert for my second time. Any show that involves a mix of old school hip hop, electro, pop AND colorful balloons being released into the audience is going to be a guaranteed good time. And of course it was. 

The opener acts, God help whoever had to witness them, were absolutely atrocious. But I guess thats what you get when you need opening DJs the same weekend as Ultra. He played mostly songs off his latest album All Day and although a little short (he ended the show around 12:30), it was a great night filled with high energy and tracks that you can't help but dance your ass off to. 

Afrojack is BACK!

On Tuesday night (yes - Wednesday morning was awful) I went to see Afrojack at The Music Box Hollywood. After being a bit disappointed by his new year's set at TAO, I had low expectations. Perhaps that is why I was so blown away this time around! Nervo (a badass female duo made up of Australian twins) prepped the crowd with some crazy electro tracks but when Afrojack came up to bat the crowd seemed to double in size.

Opening with sick remixes of Bangduck then Bounce Little Kitty, he went on to play EVERYTHING an Afrojack fan could dream, including: Polka Dots, Take Over Control, Spencer and Hill's Cool, Duck Sauce's Barbra Streisand, Martin Solveig and Dragonette's Hello, Angello's Knas, Guetta and Rhianna's Who's That Chick, and much more!! He even took breaks to chug vodka right out of the Grey Goose bottle - now that's my boy. Totally satisfied with his stage presence and stellar set, Afrojack is right back to being one of my top favorite DJs.

Morgan Page

I finally got to see Morgan Page and boy was it awesome! After hours of listening to terrible tech house at Avalon I was so glad when Mr. Page came on stage and opened up with a song I've never heard before Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers - Blow Up (Hook N Sling & Goodwill Remix). He went on to play all the crowd favorite's including Unleash The F*cking Dada, I Fight For You, Take Over Control, Red Meat White Noise, and my personal MP favorite - his remix of Florence and the Machine's Cosmic Love. He went on at 1 am and by 3:15 I was ready to be an old lady and pass out so unfortunately I missed Donald Glaude's after hours set (which I heard went until 6am!) but I did hear that Donald rocked the house for those who were able to stay up all night.

I am now looking forward to seeing Afrojack next Tuesday at The Music Box and attending Beyond Wonderland that Saturday where I will be hanging out with Christopher Lawrence. I will also be seeing Kaskade for my first time ever and the rest of the BW lineup is pretty amazing:

INFECTED MUSHROOM	NOISIA	RICHIE HAWTIN	KASKADE
COSMIC GATE	DATSIK JOKER & MC NOMAD	LOCO DICE M.A.N.D.Y	DIRTY SOUTH
CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE	DIRTYPHONICS	MARCO CAROLA	CALVIN HARRIS
JUDGE JULES SIMON PATTERSON	NETSKY	PACO OSUNA DROOG	MANUFACTURED SUPERSTARS
ANDY MOOR	FRESH	JAMIE JONES RAIZ	SUNNERY JAMES RAYN MARCIANO
SHOWTEK	JAKWOB & KASTLE	DROOG	ADRIAN LUX PEACE TREATY

BAD BOY BILL  //   CONGOROCK   //  DONALD GLAUDE
KILL THE NOISE   //  PORTER ROBINSON   //  ZEDD

Get ready for some stellar reviews!!

Bob Sinclar @ The Playboy Mansion

Saturday night was not only my first time attending one of the famous Playboy mansion parties, but also my first time getting to see the French producer and DJ, Bob Sinclar. 

 The only song from the set that I recognized is his hit "Love Generation", which definitely was a crowd-pleaser. I also took a video and I'm currently trying to upload it (stupid internet is acting up). The rest of his set was made up of unknown French-house tracks, best described as "heavy usage of sampled and filtered disco strings". He really does have the look of a star, dressed to the nines with a bustling entourage. Although this was not one of my favorite sets (a little too much reggae for the feel of the night), it was definitely one for the books.

Get ready for some more reviews next week. I'm very excited for this weekend's lineup of shows: EC Twins, Morgan Page, and Donald Glaude!

I finally got my own tables!!!!!

This is a very exciting day for me. I've been searching for a good price on Pioneer CDJs for a while now and last night I came across a deal I couldn't beat. I am now the proud owner of CDJ-800s! My hunt for a good mixer begins - preferably a Pioneer DJM. Also trying to figure out if I should use Serato or Traktor as my mixing software. All recommendations or offers on a mixer are VERY welcome! Much love!!! xoxo

EDM Pre-Grammy Party @ Roxbury

    Last Saturday I attended a pre-grammy party for the EDM nominees. The DJs chosen to DJ at a party celebrating the best DJs? None other than JFK from MSTRKRFT and Wolfgang Gartner. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that only 150 tickets were given out, so this would be the first of 4 times seeing Wolfgang in a more personal setting. I was literally 2 feet away from the DJ booth the entire night with room to actually dance! I also must comment on the Roxbury itself, being such a new club (opened on January 14th) and already boasting a stellar DJ lineup (Tatiana Fontes & Erick Morillo spun the previous weekend). The decor is absolutely beautiful with vines and back-lit french phrases lining the walls giving an outdoorsy feel. The crowd was also much different than the usual "raver-scene". These were the Hollywood regulars you see frequenting trendy clubs such as Teddy's and Bar Marmont.  Now let's get to the MUSIC!

     JFK blew me away. I've never seen MSTRKRFT before and to be honest, really don't know much about the Canadian duo. More popular for their remixes than their own productions, I was expecting to hear some Justice and Kylie Minogue. However, JFK was not messing around. He came to Roxbury to put the filth back in house music. Song after (unidentifed) song, the entire club started feeling their drinks as heads were bobbin' everywhere. I just couldn't stop dancing, even in my heels (which ended up sucking for my feet hours later). Towards the end of his set people started rushing up to the front in preparation for the legend that is Wolgang.

    Let's rewind. I first saw Wolfgang Gartner in early August at Avalon. I had never heard of him before but was astounded by what I was told when I asked about him so I decided to see what the hype was about. So impressed with that set, I purchased tickets to see him in San Diego on Halloween. Again, totally electrifying. Then for my third time, I brought in the new year at Together As One with my boy Wolfie. All three performances brought his signature sound that is clearly heard in Wolfgang's 5th Symphony, Undertaker, Space Junk, and my favorite Illmerica. With all of these groundbreaking performances under his belt, I was sure this was going to be his best show of all.

    I was sadly mistaken. Apparently he decided that since he was playing in a small Hollywood club, he should play the generic top 40 crap that you might typically hear. The most disappointing of all was looking around at all the drunk kids dancing on their tables, swinging around their grey goose bottles, thinking that the Usher remix was a Wolfgang original. After the epic show that JFK had just put on, this was child's play. I ended up leaving early with a bad taste in my mouth. Sorry Wolfgang but no fooling me - save the pop for kissfm.

Afrojack Round 2!

After Afrojack's disappointingly over-packed TAO set, I am ready to give him another shot! Just bought my ticket to Afrojack +More Live at The Music Box Hollywood on Tuesday March 15th. Get your tickets now while they are still at the cheap pre-sale price of $30. Can't wait!

It's Been a While...

It has been about a month since I last blogged, so sorry! Here is a quick recap of what I have been up to:

New Years - Together As One

feat. Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Markus Schulz, Wolfgang Gartner, Dada Life, Richard Vission, Swedish Egil, Major Lazer, Diplo, Jack Beats, Rusko, Nero, Pendulum, and more

 Overall I'd have to say this LA massive was a let down. After months of planning and excitement to finally see my favorite DJ of all time, I was extremely disappointed when I was stuck in a 2 hour mob just to enter the grounds. I could barely make out the speck that was Afrojack because I was a football field away from him and any time I tried to move closer I met an elbow in the face. Insomniac & GoVentures definitely oversold this show and it made it very un-enjoyable for all. Dada Life played the same set as Nocturnal & their San Diego Halloween show. Because there was no room to breathe, we were stuck outside in the freezing cold for most of the night. However, Wolfgang kicked ass.. as always.

Sebastian Ingrosso & special guest Steve Angello @ Avalon

This was my 2nd time seeing Ingrosso at Avalon and I was impressed that he completely switched up his set and brought out Angello for a guest appearance. The show didn't seem as overly packed as usual and the crowd seemed classier than the normal "raver" types. SHM never lets their fans down and I had an amazing night! 

***Stay tuned... planning on seeing Felguk & Bingo Players this Friday night!