Monthly Archives: June 2013

Electric Forest Guide

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Electric Forest in Rothbury Michigan, is in my opinion the best music festival in the Midwest. The difference maker is its Sherwood Forest which is transformed into a magical place anyone could get lost in for hours exploring all it has to offer. That being said if you DON’T believe me check out my review of Electric Forest From 2012 HERE and some pictures HERE. That being said here are a few tips to make your Electric Forest experience that much better.

1. Know What You Are Getting Yourself Into – This pertains almost specifically to the music Electric Forest features ad the crowd it attracts. Note that this is not Spring Awakening or EDC. This is not an EDM  only type of festival so you will see a more diverse crowd and more diverse music selection. This includes but is not limited to jam bands, ska bands, some hip hop acts and all types of EDM. Because of This people from far and wide and form all walks of life show up. Be ready to see anything from hippies in their 40’s+ to young ragers.

2. Be Prepared –  For anything. Last year the area had record heat waves which threw everyone off including me. This resulted in very uncomfortable sweaty nights and a bad sunburn. That being said come prepared for any type of weather. Also be sure to bring any food or hygiene necessities you will need. There will be a store and showers available but I doubt anyone wants to pay $10 for a 12 pack of coke or $10 for a shower each day. Id highly recommend getting a camping shower to at least get that top layer of dust and seat off each day. The more food and beverages you bring with you the less you’ll spend at the store on things you NEED and you’ll have more on the things you want to get as souvenirs.

3. Be Respectful – Which  ties in with point number one; because this is such a diverse crowd you must realize that not everyone is there to party till the sun comes up. If your neighbors aren’t into that please be respectful and party somewhere else. Everyone there is trying to enjoy themselves in one way or another and no one should be there to kill anyone’s vibe.

4. Explore – Sherwood Forest and beyond. The festival is know for having artists put together impromptu performances throughout the grounds. Add to that all of the already scheduled performers and art displays and you’ll have plenty to do in between enjoying your favorite artists or walking form stage to stage.

5. Smile – You are truly at a great festival where there is no doubt you’ll make great memories and some new friends. enjoy your small get away from troubles of daily life as music and good vibes from 50k other souls fills the air.

Make sure to follow us on twitter and instagram and to like our page on Facebook. Don’t be shy just stay Chi.

See you in the forest!!

 

Spring Awakening 2013

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Is there a way to go back to Spring Awakening weekend?!?! I wish… Having gone to previous EDM events and concerts, I thought I knew what to expect when Spring Awakening rolled around the corner. I was wrong. The energy at Spring Awakening was so much stronger than any one-day event in Chicago. The first festival I have gone to left me speechless and recovering for a few days. According to others, in its second year Spring Awakening Music festival rocked Soldier field right here in Chicago harder than before. The festival seemed to be a larger production in general with a slightly different stage arrangement with expanded assortment of lights and effects. Da Main stage was larger and looked great and Da Equinox stage transformed to a grand open-air stage instead of being a tent-covered stage like the Drive Stage (which stayed the same). Da Colonnades received a tent and was turned around 180 degrees to minimize noise overlap of from the stages.

During day 1, Bingo Players played a great set with all their hits. We couldn’t be at EDC LV this year, but since we love Bingo Players here is their live set:

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Too bad the garbage cans that people were dancing on were taken away during their show. Everyone was having a blast. The night was closed out with Moby. His song choices and impeccable light show left an insane impression on me. I could not believe how amazing it all looked and how great the crowd was. Even though a lot of people complained about his “old” music, I still think he was one of the best. Day 2 and 3 included some of our favorites such as Nervo, Wolfgang Gartner, Krewella, the Porn n Chicken Crew, Calvin Harris, and Bassnectar. Even though it started pouring during Bassnectar’s set (also rained during Skrillex’s set last year), a ton of people stayed on the field. The lighting turned out to look pretty cool while raining, especially the lasers (see pictures below).

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As mentioned in last years (here is the LINK), beers were $8.50 and water was not permitted inside unless you walked in without a cap. There were plenty of refill stations though if you needed to refill a bottle that you purchased.

Overall, it is safe to say Spring Awakening blew me away. We are excited for any upcoming events (especially Kaskade in October) and festivals! Make sure to tag us in any Instagram photos/videos and Facebook posts (#whysochi & @whysochi)!!!! Can’t wait to see everyone there. Oh, and remember… don’t be shy, just stay Chi.

 

Some SAMF Tips

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It’s that time again; Spring Awakening Music Festival is back at the historic Soldier Field with Chicago’s amazing skyline as its backdrop. This year it expands from 2 to 3 days; which means more music, more lasers, more memories to make and more time to meet new friends. Having attended the entire festival last year and attending a few other ones since then I’m sharing with you a few pointers on how to have the most fun and enjoy yourselves.

1. Be Aware

This means be prepared to see anyone from young “ravers” aka ragers wearing kandi bracelets, to the stereotypical “douche bag” that is very prominent in Chicago’s Club scene to old school Chicago house purists. It is what it is just chill and focus on enjoying yourself, everyone is generally  there for the music.

2. Be Smart

This will tie in with point number one and a comment I made in my Spring Awakening post from last year (FOLLOW LINK HERE TO READ IT) but I feel it’s important. Don’t complain about water being overpriced. Better yet don’t complain about any prices. This is a major corporately funded music festival which means the prices will be at a premium. Make sure to scope out water REFILL stations and keep your original bottle of water and you’ll set. There is no need to constantly pay $5 for water if you are prepared.  Also if you or anyone you know part takes in any extracurricular activities please be safe, festivals are supposed to be happy events not tragic ones.

3. Be Positive

Many people are traveling from across the us to attend this festival, don’t assume its all local kids. Be open to meeting and seeing people that you don’t see on the regular. Be friendly and bring good vibes and you should have a good time. Make sure our out of town friends have a good opinion of Chicago and all of its residence when they leave after the festival. Don’t be a douche.

4. Be Supportive

If time and your work schedule permits, try to make it out early to get to see some of our local talent. It’s always good to support our own as it motivates them to keep working on  their craft.

5. Be Open

I’ve learned at other festivals that exploring artists you may not know could be just as rewarding as seeing the headliners and favorites. it never hurts to add to your music library and favorite playlists with new tracks.

Kaskade Atmosphere Tour Ticket Sale

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In an hour tickets for Kaskade’s Atmosphere tour will be going on sale. This is another intimate tour in which the DJ only visits a small selection of cities. If you missed him at Smart Bar here is your chance to get a ticket for his show on October 12 which will be taking place at Navy Pier’s Exhibition Hall.

At noon, FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR TICKETS if you’d like to be part of the experience. Atmosphere album comes out September 2013.

DJ Twitter Wars

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In case you missed it; on May 25th during the Neon Desert Music Festival in El Paso Texas Wolfgang Gartner took to twitter to show his displeasure with the track selection of another performing DJ. Later it turned out that DJ was Martin Solveig. Wolfgang Gartner was making everyone aware that he personally dislikes when A-List DJ’s end up playing the same top songs on the charts to appease the crowds that come out to see them.

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Regardless if Twitter was the right way to state his opinion,  I do believe Wolfgang Gartner has a point and I too share in his frustration. When I attended a dozen or so shows around Chicago in a span of a few months last year I noticed that I progressively had less fun at the shows as most of the artists played  a mix of their own hits with the hits of other DJs at the time. Eventually these concerts got very repetitive and annoying. This  doesn’t mean I wont attend any shows, of course not but it’s something to think about when buying concert tickets.

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