Ultra Music Festival Continues to Reign Supreme [Event Review]

DJs and Bands and Performers, oh my.

This years line-up was incredibly stacked. From the biggest names in techno and progressive house like deadmau5 (who actually made three stage appearances throughout two days), Carl Cox, and Eric Prydz, to live performances from Nero, Destroid and Pendulum who made their triumphant return this year, attendees were overwhelmed in the best possible way. To performers standing on pedestals zapping each other with lightning, to go-go dancers on stage, and people falling from the Arcadia Spider stage snatching people up into their “web”, Ultra had it all.

deadmau5 ended up playing day two filling in for The Prodigy who couldn’t make it to due to illness. And in all honesty, he was the perfect substitute. He kept it very dark and grimy, playing for the first half with intense techno and playing with hints of tech house here and there. Nobody should go into a deadmau5 set with expectations, as Joel always finds a way to throw us off, in the best possible way. About halfway through his set, he elevated the Live Stage in the turn of a dime, switching to his original tracks and some of his own remixes, exploding into an ode to The Prodigy with “Smack My Bitch Up (Nosia Remix)”. It was one for the books.

Another honorable moment for deadmau5 was when he was announced as a guest to join Knife Party/Pendulum, along with the incredible Tom Morello. Together they played “Ghosts N’ Stuff” with Rob Swire singing live vocals, deadmau5 on the decks, and Tom and the rest jamming out. Absolutely incredible. Rob’s vocals were like listening to the original. The addition of the band made it that much better.

Nero was.. well, Nero. Amazing. Alana Watson showed off her illustrious vocals, signing her heart out to all of our favorite tracks that included “Promises”, “Must Be The Feeling”, “Two Minds”, “Satisfy”, and so many more. It was a rollercoaster ride of lights, vocals, and Alana’s mesmerizing voice, motions, and dedication to every track that was being played.

The RESISTANCE stage was a great addition to Ultra year. The oversized spider-themed stage with it’s nightly ceremony titled “Arcadia Landing Show” was unlike anything we’d ever seen before. Lights, lasers, spiders and acrobats were hanging, spinning, and flipping.

Additionally as the heavy tech house, techno, and bass are emanating, there are also two fighters standing on two large pedestals close by shooting bolts of energy at each other. You could hear the screech and crack of energy surging as they dodged each others every moves. It was quite the spectacle.

Atmosphere

When people think of Miami, the majority think of lavish parties, beautiful people, and some of the best nightclubs in the States with only the best artists. Overall, it is one big giant party. Throw Ultra Music Festival smack dab in the middle of all of it, and you’ve got the party of the year. This was the overall feel and vibe of Ultra for the entire weekend. People constantly dancing, drinking, snacking, taking a break here and there, but just straight up getting down and experiencing it all.

With that being said, this was some of our writer’s first Ultra Music Festival, and some expectations were low due to hearing rumors such as Ultra can be very immature, or that people who attend aren’t about the music, and just about getting overly turnt (aka, a bro-fest). Therefore some attendees remained cautious. However, by day two, what everyone found was that this concern was completely unnecessary. Sure, no crowd is perfect, but the vast majority of people that we encountered were friendly, accepting, and kind. People were there to dance, drink, and be merry, and you could join into almost any group of your new friends as if you had known them for years. We danced, shuffled, jumped, and sang with everyone. So don’t accept what someone tells you, and make the right choice by experiencing it for yourself. Live and Love.

Production, Production, Production

Festivals these days usually go in a few different directions. You have your festivals that focus on art+music, music, or music+production. I would never argue that one is better over the other. However, people have their preferences. Some prefer a minimalistic take to the setup, some like a perfect mix of art and along with interesting stage arrangements and setups, and then some people just want the production value of lights and visuals along with massively erected stages to just leave you in awe. This, is Ultra.

If you want a few amazing examples, check out the incredible effects and lighting from Kygo, Kaskade, and Pendulum/Knife Party’s sets on the Main Stage. Every year we have been thrown a new and more impressive stage, and this year was no different, with waves of color, endless CO2, and enough fire to burn every artist’s eye brows off; this was the Main Stage.

Kygo

Kaskade

Pendulum / Knife Party

Another stage that stood out this year was the RESISTANCE stage. A giant mechanical spider made of steel, lights, and fire, it was the best place to get your house or techno groove on, hidden within the trees. RESISTANCE was something that everyone was looking forward to, and we were not disappointed. With explosions of fire, and legs that shot plumes and plumes of mist and smoke at revelers underneath, it was a sight to see. Just check out our images and the video from Hot Since 82’s set to fully understand.

Hot Since 82

And last but definitely not least, the stage that never disappoints, the Carl Cox & Friends / ASOT dome. With a moveable ceiling, enough visual panels to compete against a starship, and an amazing mix of techno, house, trance, and tech house artists, many people never left. Markus Schulz moved us with classic trance beats, deadmau5 was being deadmau5, Eric Prydz made us cry with “Opus” and Carl Cox closed out with so much energy both nights that it took a hot tub each nice to rest our weary legs. But hot damn was it totally worth it.

Markus Schulz

deadmau5

Eric Prydz

Carl Cox

The Small Stuff

Ultra Music Festival boasted eight stages in total this year. Not something to bat an eye at. Every stage had it’s own perks, and they were meticulously mapped out. Even the official merchandise building had the Oasis Stage spinning tracks for you to jam and groove to while you bought your UMF gear. The UMF Worldwide stage held a lot of big name artists all weekend, and the only downfall was that because of that, getting a front facing view of the stage and DJ was a little tough once everyone crowded in, even though the stage this year grew to be elevated higher with larger visuals than the past two years. Even so, it took a little time to position yourself, but with a little effort, you could find a great viewing space. Not the end of the world, and we thought of it this way: the closer you were with everyone, the closer you became with everyone.

Overall it was an incredible weekend, and we would easily give it a 9/10 (there is always room for improvement somewhere, right?). We absolutely can’t wait to return for next year and see what kind of innovations Ultra will continue to bring to the table.

We know you’re ready to set aside your weekend for next year now. March 24, 25, & 26, 2017. We will keep you posted as to when tickets will be available. Keep in mind that last year early bird went on sale as early at May, so start saving now!

Co-author: Joshua Schellhammer

Connect with Ultra Music Festival:
https://www.facebook.com/Ultra
https://www.twitter.com/ultra
https://www.ultramusicfestival.com

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