A Veteran Raver’s Impressions of EDC Las Vegas 2015

Dazzling. Magical. Inspiring. Even after eight years of attending the Electric Daisy Carnival (first in Los Angeles, now in Las Vegas), those initial moments when the festival is revealed always make me take a pause. Whether it be descending the stairs of the Coliseum the first time or entering through the Speedway tunnels atop the stands and watching the entire festival spread out as far as the eye can see, even the most jaded raver would be lying if they weren’t impressed. We’ve come a long way from the dilapidated warehouses of the ‘90s with a bit of blacklight paint and cardboard props.

This year, as with every year (minus the first) that I’ve attended, I was on a mission. For a journalist covering electronic music since 2007 (but raving since ’99), EDC is an opportunity to write a plethora of articles. Between DJ interviews and dissecting certain sets, it can be hard to spend sufficient time with friends. I usually volunteer to be the designated driver for my pals, plan a meet-up time and location for the end of the night if cell phones aren’t working, and then head off on my own for the first assignment.

For those new to EDC, I don’t know how their heads didn’t explode with excitement and awe.

My favorite routine for EDC is to first get a lay of the land, studying the map and wondering if the reggae ice cream truck that’s my own personal favorite will be making an appearance again—no luck this year. I always like to size up the intricate details at each stage. Without a doubt, bigger and better is always a guarantee for EDC, and 2015 was no exception. The largest stage in North America, kineticFIELD was awash in elements of water and fire, with a signature owl presiding over the booth and an animatronic dragon as well, with theatrical storytelling transitions between DJ sets. For those new to EDC, I don’t know how their heads didn’t explode with excitement and awe upon seeing that.

Always my favorite stage on a musical front, neonGARDEN has transformed from a simple, arching covering to a big top-esque tent with a shimmering centerpiece. A temple and nature-communing feel permeated the sweaty crowd intent on summoning the techno gods, as if the tent itself were a vortex of energy from the dancing.

bassPOD and circuitGROUNDS were nothing to shake a stick at, either. Plus, you can’t go wrong chilling in the cool grass of cosmicMEADOW. And how rad was funkHOUSE? It was like being in someone’s ‘70s rec room, but in the open air. Equally creative was the old-timey EDC Town. The only thing missing was one of those photo booths with the sepia images and period costumes.

But my favorite, hands down, were the aesthetics of wasteLAND. As a fan of all things apocalyptic, from zombies to drone footage of Chernobyl, it’s fascinating to see life after humans. Many gold stars to the fallen metropolis that set the stage at wasteLAND, with the DJs perched high atop the crumbling torch of the Statue of Liberty, the remnants of her crown-adorned head off to the side. It could have been something you’d see on the Universal Studios lot tour.

As far as the music, being on assignment can mean you have to sacrifice seeing all the artists on your bucket list. But some of the best sets I did get to hear included Loco Dice, Pretty Lights, Duke Dumont live (with a badass percussionist, by the way), Kaskade’s Redux set on the Mayan Warrior Art Car, Astrix and Z-Trip.

The only major downside: With 140,000 people a day, some ravers are new to the scene and haven’t had a lesson in PLUR—like apologizing if you bump into people and not abandoning your friends or leaving them to try and hitch a ride back to the city. Not cool.

The only thing that matters is finding your joy.

But then again, I was also limited in spreading good vibes; my entire crate of pony beads went untouched this year, because I didn’t have time to make kandi. This was something I was seriously regretting when hanging around, too embarrassed to dance by myself in the age of camera phones and without my typical icebreaker.

I did bring one piece I made, which I’ve actually been wearing to festivals for quite a while, but I hadn’t found the right person to give it to. It was a black-and-clear glow-bead-striped cuff; the glow beads also changed color in the sun. On it were two tiny silver spoon charms. I was saving it until I found someone I’d consider spooning material—as a cheesy joke. Right as Kaskade was about to take to kineticFIELD, and as the fireworks were lighting up the sky, a tall, handsome guy introduced himself. We ended up meeting up periodically, and I introduced him to new DJs, while he never protested about holding my sweaty hands in the hot desert night. Needless to say, he got the spoon kandi, even though it was tragically lost the next night dancing to Astrix.

If you’re like me, even though I was working, I’m suffering from post-festival depression. Getting to escape the real world for three days to a virtual Disneyland for adults can be uplifting. No matter how much walking you do (my phone’s pedometer clocked around seven miles on Saturday; maybe they’ll let me wear roller skates next year as part of a costume) or how long it takes to get out of the parking lot, for those hours inside the gate, the only thing that matters is finding your joy. Whether it’s seeing your favorite DJ, discovering a new one, riding every ride, marrying your “rave bae,” locating a funnel cake stand (a personal mission at each festival) or meeting a new awesome person to be your partner in crime (errr—partner in PLUR?) for the weekend, may we all find that special moment Under the Electric Sky.