There are hundreds of music festivals open to the public. They promise good times and great music. The best of the best is Electric Zoo. This coming September will be the seventh installment of the best house music festival in the US. I can proudly say I have been to six of the seven Zoos.
So what makes Zoo special?
Zoo is special for a few reasons. Not only do the biggest names in the industry attend, like Benny Benassi, Armin Van Buuren and David Guetta, but the sexiest house girls on the east coast. I always treated Zoo as a barometer on whom I’m going to follow throughout the winter. All the Zoo DJs come into and out of New York on a regular basis and Zoo becomes their sounding platform. Every year they do something extraordinary.
The beautiful thing about EZoo is Made Events concentrates on the music. There are no Ferris wheels or other attractions. You are free to get lost in the music.
Best EZoo moments.
Who can forget Skrillex closing down Sunday night in 2012. How about the pyro provided by Knife Party as 18 wheelers pass the Triboro Bridge over head in 2013 when they opened the new main stage west. Or the uniquely EZoo problem of “Oh My God, how do I watch both Benassi and Avicii.” By any account that is a good problem.
My favorite EZoo moment is when you pass the ticket entry area, and approach the hill. You look out and see tent after tent after tent- you know this is going to be a great weekend. Musically, my Ezoo moment is in 2013 during Benny Benassi’s set. Benassi was spinning some of his sexiest beats, paused, it was probability all of 2 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. In that 2 seconds we felt the hush come over the crowd, our attention was gotten. He came out of that spinning triple basslines and the rest of the night was a blur.
The first headliners announced were The Chemical Brothers, Above & Beyond and Alesso. Since then industry giants Zeds Dead, Jennifer, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schultz, Excision and Pete Tong have been added to the lineup.
I understand the tickets are expensive- a 3 day GA pass is $240, VIP is more, but if you decided to see all these artist on their own, it would cost 4 times that, and it wouldn’t be festival style. That is the value of EZoo. You get to dance your ass off with NYC as your backdrop.
Electric Zoo is Friday September 4th, Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th at Randall’s Island. For tickets click here.
