The Best of EDC Las Vegas 2015: Day 1

Yesterday, a year of coordinating, planning, aspiring, dreaming, wishing and hoping came together at dusk out in the desert during the first day of EDC Las Vegas 2015. Between the next-level stage designs, the music, the fireworks, the performers and the energy of the more than 134,000 Headliners who came out to play yesterday at the fest, it truly felt like the best incarnation of EDC thus far.

Here’s some of the best stuff we experienced during day one of the festival, which resumes this evening.

Motez Opens EDC

Warming up kineticFIELD on day one of EDC LV is no easy task, but Motez looked like a seasoned veteran as he hit the decks while the sun set on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Australian producer flirted with the ever-burgeoning future house genre but stayed true to his roots with some jacking, bass-heavy house tunes. It was impressive to see the sea of colorful, totem-carrying Headliners catching a vibe to the deeper sounds. Toward the end of his set, he dropped his newest single, “One 2,” before closing with a bootleg of Afrojack’s 2009 anthem “Polkadots,” which primed the crowd for Benny Benassi. —Troy Kurtz

Bixel Boys “Get Down”

Founders of the #Freelife movement, Bixel Boys’ meticulous branding and aesthetic have helped produce a devout set of fans who flaunt their wide variety of jerseys like flags. Despite having to go on after a very rambunctious Kennedy Jones set, they fed the frothing crowd a furious mix of tunes that were accompanied by piercing black-and-red visuals. When the Boys ripped into the screeching synth line on Jack Beats’ “Get Down,” everyone lost it. Other standout tracks from their set included “Black December” and Wax Motif & Baytek’s bass-heavy remix of Rihanna’s “BBHMM,” which got every girl acting on their worst behavior. —Troy Kurtz

The Debut of Flume

It was quite a treat to have Flume grace this year’s EDC Las Vegas lineup, as a mob of Headliners packed out both cosmicMEADOW and the nearby grandstands. The Australian-born musician kicked off his set with his new track, “Some Minds,” which is fighting for space in our list of top tracks of 2015. He then segued into his feel-good anthem “Sleepless” before tearing through a selection of remixes (Lorde, Sam Smith) and a few unreleased tracks. After nearly an hour of vibey, future bass originals, he turned things up to 11 and closed out with RL Grime, which absolutely leveled the joint. I think everyone in attendance would have enjoyed it if he’d played for another hour. —Troy Kurtz

Dusky at neonGARDEN

It got deep, dark and sexy at neonGARDEN during Dusky’s set. Mixing a few of their classics with some on-point underground selections, the London duo had the vibe going strong. Walking into the upgraded and redesigned stage for the first time was a treat, and the hanging centerpiece created a ballroom feel. This will definitely be a frequent stop this weekend! —Joe Wiseman

A New Look

With a totally new layout, festivalgoers had a ton to explore on day one. Whether it was roaming through Carnival Square or getting down at the funkHOUSE, fans had the chance to be a part of the experience in a completely new way. If you missed some of these new destinations and their head-turning looks, be sure to catch them on day two. Standout spots include EDC Town, Buddha Garden, Palace Blue and Star House—perfect chill spots during your EDC experience. —Joe Wiseman

Graham Funke

Imagine a set incorporating killer remixes of jams by Lil Wayne, Drake and Jay Z, along with Whitney Houston’s always sensational jams “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know.” Sounds incredible, right? That’s because it was! Funke dropped all this and more around 2am during his set at the appropriately named funkHOUSE. There was much dancing and many men wearing very short shorts. Someone please get this man to play my next birthday party. —Katie Bain

The Livestream

The thing about working at a festival is that you can’t always make it to all, or any, of the sets you’d typically go see. Lucky for all of us EDC employee types, and for all the people around the world who couldn’t physically make it to the fest, the EDC Livestream delivered music and hyphy vibes straight from the stages, through our computer screens and into our ears and eyeballs. The livestream was how I digitally immersed myself in sets by Flux Pavilion, Skism, Zomboy and Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, whose killer sunrise set I’m listening to literally as I type this very sentence in the backstage production trailer. —Katie Bain

Gerard and Tony’s Engagement

Gerard and Tony shared their experiences as gay ravers with us for Pride Month, and today they took their love one step further by getting engaged! Pre-EDC, Tony told me he wanted to propose to Gerard on the first day during the fireworks. We surmised a plan to get their proposal on camera, pretending to interview them for a follow-up article (even the camera crew were in on the secret). One minute into the interview, fireworks and the big question both popped off. Tony and Gerard, their friends, the camera crew and I were in tears as we watched Tony slip the ring on Gerard’s finger Under the Electric Sky. To cure your post-EDC blues, check back here for their video after the weekend. —Anum Khan

Virgin Eyes

We met a lot of EDC first-timers last night. Hearing the thrill in their voices and seeing their faces brighten upon first sight of the flashing lights and booming bass reminded us of exactly why we love our jobs. As Headliners made their way through the Speedway tunnels, you could feel the energy grow stronger and stronger. It all burst into one enormous cloud of zest when Headliners caught their first bird’s-eye view from the top of the grandstands. That sense of wonderment only became more intense once they made their way down the staircase and onto the grassy field at cosmicMEADOW. Nothing beats that first time seeing the city of EDC. It’s like falling in love. You cannot re-create that feeling. Welcome to EDC Vegas, Headliners. You’re home. —John Ochoa

Making a Wish at the Fountain in EDC Town

The hidden gem known as EDC Town is a new addition this year. Made largely of recycled materials, EDC Town recreates the look and feel of an old Western town. The vintage aesthetic and throwback vibes juxtapose perfectly among the modern-day lights and lasers and the high-tech stages of cosmicMEADOW and neonGARDEN. At EDC Town, you’ll find tons of fun novelties: the beautiful wedding chapel where you can legit marry your rave bae; a fully functional post office; an operating movie theater; a saloon and speakeasy; and all your favorite interactive performers. Our favorite, though, was the water fountain, where we made one final wish before heading into the night: for EDC to never, ever end. —John Ochoa