It’s no secret that we at Dancing Astronaut are big fans of the German mega-DJ Thomas Gold, and we are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting his return to the one and only Pacha NYC this Saturday, August 11th. Of course, we want our readers to party in style, so one grand prize winner will win a VIP table for four people with a complimentary bottle of champagne — or energy drinks for the under 21 crowd. As if that wasn’t good enough, it will also come with a Pacha gift bag filled with various kinds of merch (and you just might find some DA gear in there as well).
Even if you aren’t lucky enough to take home the grand prize, we have also secured a guest list to give everyone the chance to see one of the most entertaining DJs out there at one of New York’s best clubs. Anyone 21+ will receive $10 admission before midnight, and 19-20 will have reduced cover. To put yourself on the list, go here, and don’t forget to say Dancing Astronaut at the guest list door.
Update: Tim Mason has been added as support for Saturday night’s festivities. Get your entries in!
Though it took until the week of to sell out, expectations ran alarmingly high for Eric Prydz’ return to New York City. On the day of the show, nearly every dance music enthusiast without tickets was clamoring for a last minute chance to see the one and only Pryda.
While there was no shortage of hype for the show, there was a shortage of space at the venue, Beekman Beach Club, which filled up quickly and felt at or near-capacity by midnight. If you did your homework, this wouldn’t have been a surprise; Beekman has had its fair share of misfortunes this summer. Unfortunately for excited Pryda fans in New York City, the night did not exactly go according to plan.
Pacha NYC has been teasing an upcoming event with the hashtag #September22NYC on Twitter for the past few days, releasing clues for an upcoming event through Instagram and collecting them at September22NYC.com. What seems pretty obvious from the Instagram account associated with the campaign is that Size Matters is involved, but we’re here to break things down for you.
Stepping into Pacha NYC, you never really know what to expect. Sometimes you can’t breathe and other times there’s enough room to warrant staying until sunrise. Friday wasn’t the most packed we’ve ever seen the NY hotspot, but when Adrian Lux took to the decks at 1AM the club came to life. While Lux might not be the most recognizable name, you have definitely heard many of his tracks, which have received support from the likes of Axwell, Avicii, and even the videogame FIFA 2011 which features “Can’t Sleep.” The Swede seems to be gaining traction in the industry and a killer set at Pacha only seemed to solidify his skills. Keep reading for 5 tracks you need to know.
Wrapping up the month of June, Pacha hosted one of those most underrated producers of 2012: Deniz Koyu. With his tracks highly supported by Swedish House Mafia and Fedde Le Grand (and pretty much every other big name DJ in the game right now), there is no denying Koyu’s potential as both a DJ and a producer. Koyu’s productions are mostly anthem-sounding and powerful enough to shake stadiums, festivals, and even Pacha for that matter. As John Dahlback was ending his praiseworthy set I was expecting Deniz Koyu to maintain the high energy levels. Instead, opening with his unreleased remix to Zedd’s Beatport top charter “Spectrum,” Deniz Koyu surely lived up to my expectations and from 3:30am until sunrise.
It was our first night at Pacha NYC since DJs got a heartfelt but necessary reality check about the state of the industry, and we were anxious to see how one of our favorite crews would respond. Just last month, the Jacked family closed out EDC NY with their own tent (and an afterparty at Pacha for good measure). So with a familiar taste in the mouths of New Yorkers, the pressure was on for Afrojack and friends to deliver something completely different.
Upon entering the dance-mecca on 46th street on Manhattan’s West side, the vibes were noticeably special. Afrojack, along with Quintino and R3hab, would throw a party for New York that was not only memorable for the crowd, but a huge relief for dance music hopefuls. From start to finish, the Jacked boys proved their versatility and quickly separated themselves from the play-pressing pack.
n following, we’ve brought you the surreal experiences from Knife Party, Benny Benassi, Kaskade, Laidback Luke, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, and Afrojack. Crazy, we know – and July won’t be any different as another hot summer month offers loads of talent, our favorite venues, and much more partying. New Yorkers have the luxury of choosing between Fourth of July celebrations, a dance music-style 21st birthday, a dirty Dutch paint party, and a day festival that includes the most anticipated touring return of the season. We were glad to help our readers make smart event choices last month, and we are back to ensure that you continue dominating the summer as an astronaut would.
It’s been exactly five years since Swedish house producer Eric Prydz graced the decks of Pacha NYC. This summer he embarks on a North American tour with Identity Festival, stopping to play some special shows across the country as well. On July 28th, the same venue that brought you Knife Party will host the musical guises of Eric Prydz. Beekman Beach Club will provide for an intimate and authentic Pryda set; dedicated fans can skip the Identity charade and enjoy music from Eric Prydz on the NYC waterfront.
Should you be interested in doing a Pryda double header (like most of the DA staff), we’re told that Beekman’s doors will open at 10PM, providing enough time for people to make it to both. We encourage you not to sleep on these tickets when they go on sale Friday at Noon EST. An appearance by this longstanding legend is a rare one, and a double-header is even more unheard of.
At the end of his first set of on the last day of the inaugural Electric Daisy Carnival New York, Afrojack addressed the crowd of his own JACKED tent: “You know I fucking love you New York,” he said. “[Electric Zoo two years ago is] where it started, and [New York is] where I’m gonna finish it.” Well, after seeing him go on to play another 90+ minute set at the Main Stage, we can all be assured that he doesn’t plan on finishing it any time soon.
Like he did at last year’s UMF, Afrojack had a highly anticipated, if not a little controversial, double header to end the festival. In true Afrojack fashion, he brought his usual rowdy, happy go lucky, larger than life self to both of his sets, emanating an energy that makes almost anything he plays sound good.
Sebastian Ingrosso showed us his true self when he came to New York back in April, but seeing him again in an environment like Electric Daisy Carnival was something different altogether. The two story confines of Roseland Ballroom seem minuscule in retrospect after seeing Seb tear up EDC’s main stage, also known as the Kinetic Field. He played new bootlegs, old bootlegs, new tracks and old, and the 90-minute set was ignited by the constant pyrotechnics. Keep reading for a full recap of one of the best sets of the day.
