Techno carnival electrifies Speedway

July 11, 2011 by Alexia Gyorody 

Electric Daisy Carnival success after relocating from L.A.

Being shuttled to the parking lot late Sunday night in a neon-colored, furry golf cart was not exactly the way I imagined my experience at the Electric Daisy Carnival to end, but for some reason it felt perfect. That and having seen the best of the best artists in one place, on one ticket. Welcome home, EDC.

The carnival’s move here from it’s original post in Los Angeles sounded idyllic when announced just short of a year ago. It could run three nights instead of two, not be restricted by the elementary curfew of 2 a.m. and Metro would provide superior service so that casualties could all but be eliminated.

The move proved to be safe, profitable and successful. Nobody died and arrests (60 total) and medical emergencies (300-plus) were comparable to LA’s. EDC’s existence in Los Angeles came to a halt after last year’s show when there were more than 200 medical emergencies, 60 drug-related arrests and the death of a 15-year-old girl who had taken ecstasy.

Insomniac reported that 230,000 people showed up over three days and the translation into tourism profit is high. I looked at getting a room at The Cosmopolitan for the weekend and it would have cost me over $2,000. Although I wasn’t willing to pay three months worth of rent for one weekend — there were people that did, and we thank you.

The tens of thousands of attendees didn’t quite feel like that many people because of the Speedway’s amazing size and scope. The first night of the carnival was kind of like a game, trying to figure out the lay of the land and where each deejay was playing, but once the first night came to a close the layout of the carnival was pretty well understood.

The overall experience that Insomniac provided was unlike anything Las Vegas has to offer. Everything from the art installations to the light shows to the sound systems seemed to be especially crafted to provide the most enjoyable experience for every attendee.

Spin masters such as Tiesto, Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki did a superb job in warming up the crowds Friday night with not only over the top performances but personable stage presences.

Art installations, carnival rides and street performers were not in short supply and it seemed everywhere you turned there was something new hypnotizing your senses. From a 20-foot fire breathing metal dragon to a group of synchronized dancers dressed as clowns making their way through the dense crowd.

In looking back on the weekend, what’s interesting is that each DJ brought a unique and personalized set to the carnival but that each set converged in order to construct a cohesive and unified experience. But as you were walking away from kineticFIELD, and the sounds of that stage were drifting away, the sounds from circuitGROUNDS effortlessly stepped in and took over. Your ears were never without entertainment.

Empire of the Sun, arguably the largest performance of the weekend in terms of lighting, costumes and props, created a new level of excellence as far as a concert experience goes. Their show had ears buzzing, your eyes delighted and your endorphins sky-rocketing. The last show I saw where I was truly in awe was The Rolling Stones in 2005. Now Empire joins that club.

The Speedway’s size allowed for the tired and weary to find lightly populated, secluded areas to rest. The medical team and police offers were also wandering around in large numbers, which extinguished any angst over safety. Despite the concerns about possible health hazards, Electric Daisy Carnival proved to be an all-around success, and Las Vegas the perfect home for it.