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.