Do your research!

     You cannot go to just any show you find or hear about. I touched on this in an earlier post, but I want to address this with more specificity and create a 3 step walk through based on my personal practices when deciding whether or not a show is for me.

1. The first thing you need to know is who is headlining the event.

• You are gonna wanna know some background on them, if they have any gimmicks during shows or anything else that could surprise you. (E.X. There is a popular DJ that actually throws cakes into the crowd. Not something you want to be around if you have any allergies to cake ingredients)
• Genre and Subgenre you don't wanna go to a show with a genre you don't particularly care for. Shows are pricey and it would be a shame to pay so much for an experience you won't enjoy.

     2.  Check out who is opening the show.

• Are they local dj's, or are they touring with the main show.
• You want to look into all the questions you would ask about a headlining event to determine whether or not you will attend the whole show or just get there in time for the headline event.

     3.   Consider the venue the show will be in.

• Have you been before? If so then you should be familiar with anything you need to be wary of.
• If not you are gonna wanna do alot of research and asking around to make sure you will be somewhere safe.

So you wanna make your own EDM?

     It has come to the mind of every EDM fan I know, and it is natural. We all covet the idea of being the next great DJ getting paid to go to the shows we love, and all the glamour of being the DJ that just walks out and sends the crowd into a frenzy. It is a lot of hard work though to learn, and if you have no musical background it is even more difficult. The basic tools and software to start making EDM are also very expensive. I recommend researching EDM production, and also starting to learn to read music, and researching music theory.

Intimidated? 

(Photo Credits: Image-Line)

     You should, and should not be. When you start learning music production and have your own DAW(Digital Audio Workshop) you will know what all those buttons and knobs do.

     There is a Youtube series (many infact) that will teach you the basics to music production. This is their first video installment of the series. Watch it see if this interests you, if it does pursue it. Who knows in the next few years you could be the biggest DJ on the scene performing at festivals all over the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=457tWi-QxjM

Show Review: Kap Slap & Gazzo @ The Granada

     Kap Slap & Gazzo stopped in Lawrence on their "BREAKOUT" tour. The show hosted by Hy Tekk Productions at the granada was one to remember. The names attached to the show were not the biggest in the mainstream industry, so the crowd was not as packed as it gets at many Hy Tekk shows. There was however a building of over flowing support, and the slightly smaller crowd did nothing to dampen the night for the DJ's. Doors opened at 7 and the pre-show session was a nice primer for the sets starting at 8. Two local DJ's opened the show and they did great, but the show took on a completely different life after Gazzo opened his set. Gazzo's energetic set and use of familiar mixes put the crowd into the right energetic mood. Then the lights changed and Kap Slap appeared on stage and that was when the show had started to reach its peak. Kap Slap's mix selection was always in line with what the crowd wanted. He kept the crowd jumping, and dancing constantly. His pacing was also great too, some DJ's just hit you constantly with bass and that can get tiring physically and mentally. There were "rest" songs in between his hardcore mixes and he also shot a cooling agent out into the crowd to keep everyone cool. That is an underappreciated service at shows, the level of energy and body heat in the crowd, he very well may have saved a life with these practices. I could sing praises for days for his performance today, and the 4 or 5 encore songs he treated the crowd to. Kap Slap is definitely someone you want to keep your eyes on in the EDM scene.

     Here is a 60 minute Kap Slap Mix for your enjoyment.

Check out his youtube
https://www.youtube.com/user/KapSlapEntertainment

Hy Tekk Productions

    If you are an EDM fan in the NE Kansas & NW Missouri area then chances are you have either heard of or been to a show hosted by them. Hy Tekk Productions is a great EDM production company. Founded 5 years ago in Kansas City Missouri they have grown exponentially over the last couple years. They are now one of the biggest EDM show organizers in the midwest. They have an excellent reputation for their shows, and house parties and are attracting big names in the EDM industry to our little neck of the woods. If you are thinking about going to a show in this area of the country, then you are definitely gonna wanna check out their shows.

     Their Official website with everything you could want to know, and also a lot of great pictures from their events.
http://hy-tekk.com/

     Follow them on facebook for event details and free ticket opportunities.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hy-Tekk-Productions/184187091852

There are things better Tomorrowland out there!

   The last update I focused on what many believe is the "greatest show on earth" Tomorrowland. There are many other shows and festivals that are just as amazing as Tomorrowland as hard as it is to believe. Majority of them however do not travel like Tomorrowland does. So below is a video from a youtuber with what they thought were the best shows of 2014. I suggest watching and seeing if anything is close to home or close to a future destination of yours.

EDM Around The World

     EDM music and rave culture span the entire globe. The current rave culture and EDM trends were all born in western europe, not that the eastern half has not made significant contributions to the culture. What was originally a niche culture grew into a world wide phenomenon. EDM for the most part has no language with no language barriers many EDM DJ's have fan bases across the globe.

     The shows on the international circuit are a completely different beast.They are much larger, much louder, and from what I can tell much more fun.

      Tomorrowland is my favorite on the international circuit, and it is the favorite of many EDM/rave enthusiasts. It is hard to call Tomorrowland a "rave" necessarily for one it is not one and done. Tomorrowland is a 3 day festival that tours the different cities around the world. No description I nor even the official website can give does Tomorrowland justice. So below is footage of the 2014 Tomorrowland  festival tour. Feel free to add it to your bucket list like so many others before you have!