Making it to Dancefestopia

     If you have been following the blog, you have likely ran into either a post or reference to multiple festivals. What I omitted was the "horrendous" cost of these large festivals. Making it to Dancefestopia will cost you, but I doubt you will regret it.

Electric Daisy Carnival 3-day general admission tickets are 426$
Tomorrowland 3-day general admission is 868$
Dancefestopia however is only about 168$

   "Only" may seem like an under exaggeration, it is a-lot to spend for most people. When you consider what that 168$ purchases though it is actually quite the deal. There will be 75+ sets performed at Dancefestopia this year, 3 days of nonstop music and enjoyment, the experience is more than worth it. There are other expenses to consider though before you just run out and get festival tickets. A 3-day festival will require you to purchase/bring plenty of food and water. Also if you don't have a tent, you will either need to get one from the DFT shop or buy your own. Also gas and a required parking pass if you drive there. This means in reality the entire weekend will cost you around 300$ to 400$.

     BUT Dancefestopia offers you the opportunity to get your tickets free by selling them on their behalf. http://dancefestopia.thephysicalnetwork.com
Sell 8 tickets get yours free, there are also a number of other incentives depending on how many tickets you manage to sell. This is a cost effective way for determined festival-goers to make it to them more often.

     It located on the bank of the river.

Dancefestopia

     The footage of EDC 2014 and Tomorrowland always invoke a sense of excitement in ravers hearts. For some of us though, those events are out of reach. For those of us living in Kansas though, we have Dancefestopia, and Dancefestopia is awesome.

     Don't believe me? Check out this video teaser for last year's Dancefestopia.

     Dancefestopia is in Kansas City, which for most of us is a relatively short drive. It is a 3 day festival with onstage performances non-stop. There will be 3 stages and with the way acts are set up it is possible to see all 35 of the headliners and majority of the other 40 or so acts that will perform during the festival: and most importantly there will be access to showers this year! Which if you've never been to a festival seems like an odd thing to be excited about... but trust me you, and anyone near your tent will be more than happy about it.

Here are a couple of pictures from Dancefestopia and also this years line up of performers.

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DanceSafe is Your Friend

     If you have ever been to a rave in a major city, you may have seen various tables setup with brochures and various other reading materials. This was a "DanceSafe" table if you were not intrigued enough to go investigate.
 
     DanceSafe is a nonprofit started in the late 90's. This group has youth volunteers that go to raves and other edm events and set up tables. They distribute non biased information on drugs, and supply event patrons with water, condoms, and ear plugs. They even wade through the crowd to ensure that people are hydrated and safe.

     Though DanceSafe is only in 9 cities across the U.S. their are many groups mimicking this trend and working to keep raving safe for everyone.

     This video was made by the DanceSafe volunteers and it sums up this great organization.

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!

Venues on the Menu

     Venues are the place where shows are held, they are usually local clubs and theaters, but in festival showings venues are sometimes put up specifically to host shows. This blog is directed at people in the midwest, and me being a native kansan leaves my personal experience very limited, so I will direct everyone to the much more experienced electronicmidwest.com writers for their opinions on the better venues near us. This site is also a great resource to look for when you are thinking of making a longer distance trip, and need to know where the best shows are gonna be.

     I will say it is very important to not only research the popularity of venues, but also their quality. What are their sound capabilities, how many people can fit in the venue, how many people are projected to attend the rave, the security quality of the venues, and any local reputation the venue may have. Some places are really "shady" and not where you wanna be. A short anecdote from my life, I went to a rave in Lawrence. It wasn't at the Granada, or as it is better known the "Granasty," the local venue I frequent. It was in a makeshift venue in a warehouse. I came in and their was what I was told pigs blood smeared on the wall in the shape of pagan symbols and people doing drugs and self harming in the crowd. Not what I was shopping for, so I always caution people to be very careful and selective when choosing a venue or rave to attend.

     This is a photo from inside my "home" venue the granada. Which if you are looking for a first venue this one is great with an extremely smooth learning curve. By the second or third trip you will feel confident inside it and move as you please.

(Photo Credits: Hy-Tekk Productions)

All the Pretty Lights!

     If you are a reader that is interested in going to a show the information in this post could potentially save the life of you or a friend. A popular and often sought after facet of shows/raves are the light shows. The lights show style and intensity varies based on the show. It is possible, and very easy for those susceptible to seizures, to go into one during these intense light shows. It is important to keep that in mind when considering going to shows. There are also a variety of projectors you can buy for at home light shows to accompany your music.

      I highly recommend those for people that like to emulate the rave environment at home with friends.
     
      Below are some examples of what to expect during light shows.

     This is the upscale end of light shows you wont usually see, but if you ever do cherish the experience. Most shows feature a strobe light, a few lasers, and some fog.

     Most "light shows" you will see will actually be performed by other ravers. Light up cloves and other accessories are used in light shows performed by crowd members. There are even "street performers" set up depending on the venue that have their own light performances. You can buy the gloves and lights at any local niche gift shop (ex. Spencers, Hot Topic, Zumiez)