A guide through the best dance party events in the country
By Liquid Todd
There are thousands of club nights, raves, festivals and other dance music parties every year in America, but there are a few really big events that draw crowds numbering in the tens—and even hundreds—of thousands. These are the “massives” which have established their credibility with artists and fans—and proven their profitability for promoters. What are the essential U.S. dance music destinations of the year? I’m glad you asked:
Electric Daisy Carnival, Los Angeles
The L.A.-based promotion company Insomniac has been doing EDC for 13 years and now takes their big parties—EDC and The Nocturnal Festival for example—on the road, producing a nearly year-round schedule of large dance events in major cities all over America. However, last summer’s EDC at the Los Angeles Coliseum was marred by the death of a 15 year-old girl from a drug overdose. Television news anchors and local politicians pounced.
“Raves took a big hit over the summer when an underage girl died at EDC,” says DJ Jason Bentley, longtime Los Angeleno and the host of the renowned “Morning Becomes Eclectic” show on KCRW. “And so then what transpired is the classic—and it happens every few years—knee-jerk reactionary panic. Hit the panic button. ‘Our kids are on drugs’ kind of thing. The real big problem is that she was underage and there is something that festival and rave promoters can do and that’s to maintain an age limit.”
www.electricdaisycarnival.com.
Ultra Music Festival, Miami
Held during the weeklong Winter Music Conference—the big dance music “convention” where panels and poolside business meetings run during the day, but parties run around the clock—UMF, of course, being the biggest. celebrated its 10th year in 2008 and has steadily grown bigger each year with the 2010 edition selling out completely. Over 100,000 people came to Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami last year and organizers have announced that next year’s event will be three days long for the first time. The very first Ultra was held on the beach, but over the years the festival has grown.
“Ultra is just a money making machine,” says dance music TV host Buster from the Miami-based A3 Network. “50,000 to 70,000 people a day walk through there—its just crazy.”
www.ultramusicfestival.com.
Electric Zoo, New York City
The hot new kid on the block, Electric Zoo debuted on Labor Day weekend 2009 with a two-day festival in New York City that was widely expected to lose money—at least for the first year – but ended up more than breaking even, drawing an estimated 76,000 to Randall’s Island Park. The second edition of the Zoo featured more than 100 artists, including The Chemical Brothers, Moby and Benny Benassi, performing on a main stage and three large tents that sold out. After pulling in over 100,000 people in only its second year, no one expects this event to go anywhere but up.
www.madeevent.com/electriczoo.
Liquid Todd is a NYC-based DJ and producer who hosts a show called “Boombox Radio” on Sirius XM’s Alt Nation channel. He’s been DJing on the radio and at the Coachella, Lollapalooza and Ultra Music festivals for two decades. Go to www.liquidtodd.com.
