100 reasons to be excited for Electric Zoo 2014

100 reasons to be excited for Electric Zoo 2014

With only two days standing between thousands of electronic dance music fans and one of the most coveted holidays of the year, fans from all over the country have spent the past several months gearing up for the Northeast’s most prevalent music festival yet, Electric Zoo. Weighing in as a prime destination spot each Labor Day Weekend, Randall’s Island will contain a generous six stages this year and play host to newcomers Been Trill, Hot Since 82, What So Not and many more. As industry leaders and attendees brace themselves for the annual three-day affair, we’ve gathered 100 reasons to be excited for Electric Zoo’s arrival.

1. Discussing your plan of action with friends while on the ferry.

2. Stepping foot on Randalls Island for the first time in 365 days.

3. Scanning your bracelet and the satisfaction of walking through the main entrance.

4. Chanting “Ezoo! Ezoo! Ezoo!” as you make your way to the first stage of the day.

5. Feeling infinite with your friends.

6. Having the option of walking across the RFK Bridge to the island, for those who prefer the scenic route.

7. Spending hours putting on eye crystals from Michael’s.

8. Endless acres of grass to lie on.

9. The intense art installations.

10. Getting separated from and subsequently finding your friends after being led to believe you would never find them for the rest of the evening.

11. Randomly running into old acquaintances you had no idea would be at the festival.

12. Free, high-speed water stations.

13. Inching your way closer to the front of the crowd, and finally getting there just in time for the headliners.

14. The moment when the sun begins to set and twilight approaches.

15. Burning more calories in one weekend than you did all summer at the gym.

16. Making and trading kandi.

17. Spreading the PLUR vibes.

18. The potential of dancing in the rain while listening to your favorite DJ. Electric Zoo is rain or shine.

19. Pretending you’re an animal. After all, this is a zoo.

20. A ton of New York City street vendors to choose from when you get hungry.

21. Discovering new artists and instantly falling in love.

22. Not having to worry about $100 falling out of your pocket because “EZ Bucks” are now a thing.

23. Lasers, lights, more lasers.

24. When it rains confetti at the drop.

25. Fireworks at the end of a beautiful night.

26. Raging out for ten hours a day for three days, not including the afterparties.

27. Singing along to your favorite songs like “Ready For Your Love” or “This Is What It Feels Like.”

28. Entering Dada Land for the fifth time this year.

29. Watching Gesaffelstein chain smoke on stage while wearing an all-black suit.

30. Knife Party. And hopefully the chance to hear some new music off of their forthcoming album, Abandon Ship.

31. Witnessing the beauty that is Skrillex and Diplo together: Jack U.

32. Losing cell reception but not caring because the music is that good.

33. Kaskade.

34. The overwhelming amount of opportunities to meet your new bae.

35. Tweeting about the best sets you’ve seen each day, hoping that the DJ will RT you.

36. Candyland, and that afro.

37. The instant Netsky drops his remix of “Everyday.”

38. An upgrade to a sixth stage – “Summer School Vinyl Only.”

39. And the Beatport Stage, of course.

40. Fitting in one last celebration before school officially starts.

41. Shuffling and dubstepping to Brillz, Zomboy and Datsik.

42. Ookay B2B Kennedey Jones at the same time as Stefano Noferini B2B Sian.

43. Getting exotic tan lines due to your lavish bra top or bro tank.

44. Maintaining your Tritonian pride when Tritonal take the stage.

45. Realizing that two and a half years later, and “In My Mind” is still stuck in your head.

46. Griz’s saxophone solos.

47. Henry Fong’s braids.

48. Losing your voice from singing along.

49. Shaking your head at all the bros in douche-tanks.

50. Taking so many epic photos and videos on your phone that you’ve run out of space.

51. Showing off the cute outfits you either made or purchased six months prior.

52. Discovering that you actually do like deep house.

53. Going blind due to the overwhelming amount of neon and glitter.

54. Getting weird with A-Trak.

55. Not knowing what to do when Tensnake performs his remix of “I Got U.”

56. And when Alesso ‘tears the roof up.’

57. Crying tears of joy simply because you are that happy.

58. Having an excuse to wear sunglasses at night.

59. Creating hand hearts in photos and setting them as default on Facebook.

60. More ALS ice bucket nominations and challenges?

61. Watching that couple get engaged at Electric Zoo.

62. Zoo York.

63. Witnessing Madeon up close and personal as he breaks away from the studio for the first time in months.

64. Instagramming the greatest moments of the festival and making your friends jealous.

65. Enjoying the music for the music and nothing else, nothing more.

66. Seeing The Bingo Players’ return to Electric Zoo and remembering that they will always be plural.

67. Jaguar track. Enough said.

68. Zeds Dead’s magical transition into deep house with “Lost You.”

69. Wandering the streets of New York in your costumes and getting blank stares from confused pedestrians.

70. Trying to find your way to Output or Pacha for the after party – whichever is closest.

71. Being so tired that you’re delirious.

72. And to that end, chugging Red Bulls for three days straight.

73. Smiling at the person standing next to you in the crowd because you both share a love of the music.

74. Getting that guy/girl’s number.

75. Still asking the question, “Why are you my clarity?”

76. Having that glimmer of hope that Kill the Zo may make a special guest appearance.

77. Offering explanations as to why trance is not dead, and meeting fellow Trance Family members during Paul van Dyk’s set.

78. Finding names and numbers in your phone that you don’t recognize.

79. And embarrassing photos of yourself that you don’t remember taking.

80. The overwhelming feeling of needing to be at four stages simultaneously, but realizing that this is physically impossible.

81. Living in the moment and not knowing where you will end up next.

82. Mastering your time management skills so that you can see both Armin van Buuren and Knife Party.

83. When the fire on stage is so hot that you can actually feel the heat.

84. The amount of feels when BT plays “The Emergency.”

85. Turning down for DJ Snake, who is there in spirit.

86. Convincing yourself that you’re going to have the time of your life on the third and final day of Electric Zoo 2014, and doing just that.

87. Jumping and clapping your hands because the DJ said so.

88. The availability of Zookeepers throughout the fest in the event you’re feeling sick.

89. Moon Boots’ Zoo debut.

90. The moment when things get ratchet.

91. Flaunting your Electric Zoo bracelet days after the festival just to show off that you attended.

92. Pulling an all-nighter on Sunday and heading straight to the airport from the club.

93. Sitting across the aisle from someone you just know was at Electric Zoo and shares the same memories as you.

94. Losing your dignity.

95. Finding a crumpled set times brochure in your pocket and hanging it up on your wall as a souvenir of your trip.

96. Actually going out of your way to hang out with that person you met at Electric Zoo, and becoming festival friends.

97. The blisters on the backs of your ankles that serve as proof you had a good time.

98. The fear of cutting your wristband off and the year-long separation anxiety that ensues.

99. Wishing you could go back in time and experience those three glorious days all over again. And again.

100. Saying “See you later” to old and new friends, as you know you will run into them again at the next major festival.