You probably heard of the expression “before you liked EDM you liked Emo.” Emo Nite released a Coachella exclusive hoodie with this saying because EDM stands for Emotional Dance Music and Emo is an abbreviation of Emocore, which stands for emotional and hardcore. Recently, both heartfelt genres have teamed up on tracks. Illenium has collaborated with several bands in the rock community. “Back to You” features “All Time Low, “Nothing Ever After” features Motionless in White, “Paper Thin” features Tom Delong and Angels and Airwaves, and “Feel Something” features “I Prevail.” Kayzo has also worked with the top names in rock including Mice & Men, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, Underoath, and Bless The Fall. Insomniac and Emo Nite announced in July their creative partnership, kicking off a new event series, Grave Rave, fusing the sounds of electronic music with the melodies of the emo, pop-punk, and rock genres.
These collaborations have helped broaden my music taste. I’ve been listening to punk, emo, and indie music most of my life and recently have found myself drawn to electronic artists including Gryffin, Illenium, and Martin Garrix. I’ve never been to an electronic festival, but have seen some artists at clubs while partying in Vegas. I used to travel to Randall’s Island for the Vans Warped Tour, but this year I found myself wearing neon and heading there for my first Electric Zoo Festival.
Electric Zoo cancelled day one because they couldn’t assemble the stage in time which left fans devastated. Day two they opened the gates late leaving fans standing in line for over 4 hours, and some did not even make it inside to see the sets they wanted to watch. Day three was at capacity which meant fans with passes were turned away, causing mass chaos. Ticket holders on the line stormed the gates after they were denied entry into the festival after it reached capacity. Ride shares were also banned on day three which caused long times for the bus and ferry. I never experienced any of these issues at Vans Warped Tour on Randalls Island. In fact, you were even able to park there!
Minus the major issues, I actually had a good time Saturday at EZoo. I was lucky enough to get into the festival just in time to catch Gryffin’s sunset set on The Convergence Stage, the main reason I wanted to attend. During “Just for a Moment”, “All You Need to Know” and “Feel Good” Gryffin showed he was a true musician by shredding on the guitar, giving the audience a real live performance. His high energy set also featured hits including “Bye Bye,” ” Remember,” “Don’t Leave,” “All You Need to Know,” and “Body Back”. Other highlights include the transition from Reckless to Darude’s “Sandstorm” and “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics.
Next, Alison Wonderland hit the stage. She premiered her new song “Fight or Flight” with MEMBA. This young mom also shared that her baby listens to techno as a lullaby to fall asleep. Her high energy set and extensive light show kept the crowd on their feet. Last but not least, Zedd hit the stage bouncing up and down like a jumping bean. He spun hits including “I Want You to Know” and “Are You Gonna Stay the Night.” His fans lit up the sky with their phones during “Clarity.” After the show, some fans kept the party going, by attending after parties at spots including the Brooklyn Mirage.
It was definitely a transition going from rock festivals to an electronic one. Hopefully, Electric Zoo’s staff will iron out the kinks before next year’s festival.
