EDC NY Roundup: The best, the worst, and what needs to be fixed for 2013
Before we start the mayhem of EDC Las Vegas, our ears have barely stopped ringing since EDC NY ended just over a week ago. We figured everyone likes to relive one of the greatest weekends in NJ. We wrote our hearts out and took over 3000 pictures to bring our fans the best coverage possible. Besides the old coverage we wanted to give you the Editor’s take on the overall experience of EDC . Click past the break for more and expect coverage like this a lot more because the summer is just starting.
EDC NY Liveset Downloads
EDC NY Grounds Revealed
Friday
Day 1 Highlight Video
Day 1 Photos
Madeon at EDC NY
Chase & Status: 5 Tracks you need to know
Armin Van Buuren at EDC NY Friday & Saturday
Saturday
Day 2 Highlight Video
Day 2 Highlight Video PT. 2
Sebastian Ingrosso at EDC NY
AN21 & Max Vangeli at Size Matters
Thomas Gold at Size Matters
Steve Angello at Size Matters
Sunday
Afrojack’s Double Header
Shermanology:5 tracks you need to know
R3hab: 5 tracks you need to know
Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano: 5 Tracks you need to know
Chuckie: 5 Tracks you need to know
Editor’s Takes
Jacob Schulman
Good: The arrangement of stages in the parking lot made me worry about possible sound leakage when I checked out the venue before EDC started, but it turned out to work just fine. I was glad to be able to walk relatively quickly between the three outdoor stages, with the stadium being the only real pain point. Of course, there were downsides to having cement pavement rather than nice grassy fields, but I think the arrangement was solid.
Bad: The stage in the stadium felt really disconnected from everything else and in my opinion it was a huge waste. It rarely filled up to capacity (if ever at all), and the cavernous space felt on the empty side. I was also really underwhelmed with the art installations around the venue and feel that there could’ve been a lot more inventive additions. There’s always next year!
How to improve: Next year, the lineup shouldn’t be so stacked and should be distributed more equally. The stadium had some excellent acts (and I went to many of them), but it was simply too far removed. I also think Insomniac can step up the art game for next year, and hopefully find some way to appease people who needed a place to rest.
Dylan Farella
Good: Tech-house, tech-house, and more tech-house. For the authentic New York rave scene, Neon Garden was the place to be. Years before most of the weekend’s headliners were around, EDM in New York was limited to tech house DJs in basement raves. Insomniac and Pacha brought that scene to the festival forefront with three days of tech-house at its own stage headlined by Boris, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, and the recently resigned Danny Tenaglia.
Bad: The addition of the third day. Sure, I enjoyed myself on Friday of EDC, as did thousands of others, but it reeked of last minute preparations. MetLife was a ghost town even after Pacha gave away tons of free passes in a last minute attempt to salvage Day 1. The crowd was miniscule, Cosmic Meadow (the stage in the stadium) was out of commission, and the lineup paled in comparison to the rest of the weekend.
How to Improve: Attendants of Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas receive a full-blown memorabilia package in coordination with their ticket purchase. The big box they received includes an Insomniac sticker, an EDC keychain, a 10-page booklet with event information, EDSeeds (a package of daisy seeds), and a pass resembling a credit card that is swiped for entrance at the festival. Attendants of Electric Daisy Carnival New York received mere individual ticket stubs for each day – Insomniac could definitely make this part of the experience as special for the east coast as they do the west.
Jesse Grushack
Good: The only time the festival got unbearably crowded was Saturday night. Otherwise the place seemed a little empty — but that wasn’t a bad thing. There was more than enough room to make your way to the front of any stage and the openings at the front sides allowed for easier flow between them. The rides all had manageable lines (except a reported two hours for the ferris wheel) and the water refill stations were a nice change from spending $5 a bottle.
Bad: The entire time I was kicking cans and walking on bottles or pushing them out of the way so I could have somewhere to sit on the dirty pavement. Festivals are tiring and sometimes you just need to take a seat and enjoy the show for a little. If the stadium seating was open it would have been a much better experience, but there was definitely not enough “chill space” in the parking lot either.
How to Improve: The whole production seemed a little barebones, and you could tell it was being done for the money. If they put a little more into making the parking lot less of a pavement desert it would have been a lot more enjoyable. Seating would be a huge plus, and garbage cans so the place would be less dirty.
So, what did you think of EDC NY? How should Insomniac and Pacha improve for next year? Let us know in the comments!
Categories: Music