Electric Zoo threw down like no other festival this past Labor Day weekend, with sets from artists ranging from Above & Beyond to Zeds Dead and celebrity guests like Dan Bilzerian reserving his own space at the festival to rage with the best of them. Thinking about going next year? Good – because these 5 insane things you missed this year would’ve blown your mind had you gone.
1. Awakenings Made Its First Appearance In The United States
This was the first time that Awakenings, the best techno party based in the Netherlands, made an appearance across the pond in the United States. It’s not often that techno heads get much love, but Electric Zoo’s Friday lineup had it all – The Martinez Brothers, Adam Beyer, and Alan Fitzpatrick brought the house down and showed that us Americans love techno just as much as our friends overseas.
2. The Ambience – No Really, We’re Not Kidding
Not every festival puts as much effort into really curating the landscape into what makes attendees feel like they’ve crossed into another country, but Electric Zoo really put the effort into making you feel like you were literally in an “Electric Zoo.” From neon animals roaming throughout the festival to a symphony of lights illuminating almost every tree on Randall’s Park Island, Electric Zoo truly stepped up their game to make the whole festival an immersive experience.
3. The Fireworks and Lightshows Were On A Whole New Level
Did you go to Electric Zoo last year? Okay, then if you went this year there’s no way your mind wasn’t blown by how much they stepped the production up, from fireworks to lightshows to the general sound quality of the speakers. That’s not to say Electric Zoo 2014 wasn’t intense – we just mean it’s like comparing having 1 unicorn to having 2 unicorns. Yeah, 1 unicorn is super-special-awesome, but why have only 1 when you can have 2?
4. The Location
Most festivals are either out in the middle of nowhere or crammed in the middle of some dense metropolitan city – while that’s true for Electric Zoo (it is New York City, after all), leaving the festival at the end of the day was a complete breeze since cars weren’t allowed. You either took a shuttle or rode the ferry over the East River, meaning that instead of sitting in traffic for 60 minutes trying to pull out of a parking lot you got to see the NYC skyline from the water or make a bunch of new friends on the bus and talk about what your favorite sets from the day were. Even once you got off the ferry / boat it was still smooth sailing; New Yorkers ride the subway for a reason, and that’s not just because it’s cheap – it’s quick, easy, and the chances of someone cutting you off when all you’re trying to do is get home is exactly 0%.
Plus, once you got out of the festival the list of things you could do was ENDLESS. Clubbing in the meatpacking district? Hitting up dive bars with new friends? Chilling in central park and just enjoying the views? NYC is known as the city that never sleeps for a reason, and after an intense day at Electric Zoo we all know that the last thing you want to do is slow down and go to sleep – NYC is the perfect place to avoid just that.