INSOMNIAC
Ten miles of darkness and 2000 cars separated us from the festival we had only dreamt about. As we stared forward, excited and anxious, there was a faint flicker towards the sky and then the familiar explosion of fireworks in the distance. A roar ripped through the desert from the cars around us. Indian chiefs and their topless girlfriends yelled and cheered out their windows, as packs of neon spattered fur boots ran by on foot. This was the scene I had heard so much about. The one that would save dance music events
Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival has consistently been remarked as the premier Electronic Music festival in the country. With steady competition from Ultra Music Festival , and the multitude of other events that have developed in the past few years, claiming that title is quite a feat. Insomniac’s founder, Pasquale Rotella, has rose through the ranks of California promoters to a point of utmost success. He has absolutely earned his stripes, with the immense scale of his events and consequences this sometimes brings. The risk involved with such massive gatherings as these has made it necessary for Pasquale to impose a new standard for safety at these events, both at the gates and in the festival. In both appearance and functionality, EDC proved to be nothing less than the world-class event that was beckoned for.
If you haven't already heard, EDM is a big deal now. A worldwide phenomenon (with the US joining the party a bit late...) dance music has become a major force not only in the music industry, but in the business world at large. From the slew of festivals popping up every month to concerts, shows, parties and nightclubs, the business side of EDM is taking on a life of its own; a fact that has not gone unnoticed by industry leaders.
Next month, Insomniac is hosting EDMbiz, the first of its kind conference focusing on the business side of EDM and all that this entails. The list of guest speakers is extensive, ranging from artists to record executives, promoters to internet entrepreneurs. With a jam packed schedule of keynote addresses, panel discussions and presentations, the air will be thick with new ideas. As EDM takes its place at the forefront of popular music, and thus the forefront of the music industry, the folks at Insomniac and the rest of the sponsors of EDMbiz are looking to progress not only the music, but the thought and ideology of the movement as well.
If you're reading this, chances are you're into the EDM scene. If that's the case, you most certainly know who Kaskade is. One of the original American DJs and producers from this most recent upsurge of dance music, Kaskade has been at it for years with a string of albums, more singles than can fit on this page and remixes of every great artist out there.
His first foray into the Billboard top ten was with his 2004 album In the Moment; but it would not be his last. A frequent occupier of the Hot Dance Club Play list, Kaskade has garnered interest in almost every country in the world, not to mention a huge following right here in the US.
Due to an overwhelming response, EDC NYC has expanded the festival to 3 days! Now concert-goers can look forward to an extra day of madness on Friday, May 18th, from 4pm-11pm. Insomniac confirmed the extra day via their official release:
We could not have imagined a more incredible response when we decided to bring Electric Daisy Carnival to New York. Our first allotment of tickets sold out within just a few hours so we went back to the drawing board to create an even bigger festival experience that more fans could enjoy! Not only have we expanded our daily capacity to accommodate more fans, we have also added an additional day.
The festival dates are now Friday, May 18, Saturday, May 19 & Sunday May 20, 2012.
Tickets for all three days go back ON SALE THIS THURSDAY, April 12 at 12 noon ET (9am PT). If you have already purchased a 2-day pass, you will have a special limited-time opportunity to purchase a Friday pass on Wednesday before the public on-sale on Thursday. Details will be emailed to you.
Official event hours:
5/18/12: 4pm - 11pm
5/19/12: 12pm - 11pm
5/20/12: 12pm - 11pm
We expect tickets to sell out quickly again so be ready when they go back on sale! We can't wait to see you next month at MetLife Stadium. Stay tuned for more details and artist announcements.
Whoever said our generation was one of apathy and indifference was sadly mistaken.
Music lovers will have the chance to enter the political realm this summer with Spin the Vote, a new national voter registration program created by electronic music concert conglomerate Insomniac and Rock the Vote.
Spin the Vote kicked off on March 17th at Beyond Wonderland 2012 in San Bernardino, California. Volunteers registered concert attendees in person and through QR code-enabled mobile voter registration, allowing youth the opportunity to feel empowered and have their voices heard at the tip of their fingers. Spin the Vote staff also handed out buttons and stickers, and spoke to EDM fans about how big of an impact the 18-25 demographic can have on the upcoming election.
Electronic music concert-production conglomerate Insomniac is facing dark days, with the indictment of the company’s CEO Pasquale Rotella on charges of bribery, conspiracy, embezzlement, and conflict of interest. However, Insomniac representatives say the upcoming Electric Daisy Carnivals, taking place May 19-20 at MetLife Stadium and June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will live on.
Rotella was among six defendants named in the case, stemming from shady work contracts at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Rotella has not pleaded guilty, but co-defendant Patrick Lynch, who managed the Coliseum for 17 years, announced his guilty plea last week - making him eligible to testify against Rotella.
EDC had enjoyed the Coliseum for years as its host, but following the overdose death of a 15-year-old girl in 2010 outside of the concert, the festival relocated to Las Vegas for 2011 where roughly 80,000 people were in attendance daily.
The end of EDC would not only mean disappointed ravers, but also a detriment to the city of Las Vegas, which saw a $130 million increase to the southern Nevada economy, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
House music industry key players are rallying in support of Rotella, taking their message to twitter with the hashtag “#FreePasqualeRotella.” Kaskade tweeted the message when the news of Rotella’s arrest first broke, and the hashtag spread like wildfire in the scene, garnishing tweets from electronic duo The Crystal Method and fans around the country.
According to a Billboard article, BBC radio host Pete Tong was heard backstage at his party at the Surfcomber Hotel saying, “I hope for the sake of the scene that it turns out OK. He's a great guy, and a major contributor to what is happening here in America, and why it's happening the way it is."
There’s no VIP treatment like VIP in LAS. That’s why Insomniac wants to give their VIPs an extra special, super-extravagant EDC Las Vegas experience. The most elite and exclusive nightclubs have partnered with Insomniac this year, including Marquee and XS, to host VIP Stage tables at the event. These sections come with the swankest aerial views of the stages and many additional benefits.
CEO and founder of Insomniac, Pasquale Rotella, said: “We are thrilled to be able to deliver top-notch service, Las Vegas-style, to our special guests this year. I’m honored to have the two best clubs in the world host our VIP Tables as we create a truly high-end experience, in addition to the premier sights and sounds that EDC already has to offer to all of our fans.” This is truly the ultimate, VERY Important Person package.
"Believe it or not, we at Insomniac are actually announcing the Electric Daisy Carnival 2011 line-up!"
The moment that thousands of anxiously waiting EDC revelers from around the world have been expecting for weeks-on-end is finally here: the official EDC line-up and time slots. With less than two weeks remaining until the June 24th kick off of the 3-day festival, it's about time this epic news be revealed.
Last year EDC received strong criticism after a 16-year-old girl died of an ecstasy overdoes during the event. A highly publicized investigation followed suit and a local legislation called on a temporary moratorium on all LA-based raves. This event, among others, created an environment that made producing the Electric Daisy Carnival at an appropriate venue in LA an insurmountable challenge for 2011. However, the show must go on, and so it will in another world-class destination-- Las Vegas. With such epic line-ups running from dusk till dawn, EDC will be sure to light up the Nevada desert with beats, dancers, fire twirlers, aerialists, and the greatest acts of our electronic music generation.
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