Adventures, Entertainment, Music, We Love Music

We Love Music: Virgin Mobile Free Fest 2011 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 9/10/11


all photos by Andrew Markowitz.

It was late on Wednesday afternoon when I found out that I was going be covering the 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion this past Saturday. My finger started ping-ponging down the list of the two different stage line-ups, as I began to count how many bands would be there on Saturday. Thirteen! And this didn’t count the third “Dance Forest” stage that would be hosting DJ’s all day. I knew my work was cut out for me.

The Virgin Mobile FreeFest has been held at Merriweather Post Pavilion since 2006 and this looked to be one of the strongest lineups yet.* I arrived right on time to start photographing the bands and checking out what else the FreeFest had to offer.

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Adventures, Entertainment, Music, We Love Music

We Love Music: Ultra Music Festival 2011 @ Bicentennial Park (Miami), 3/25 – 3/27

IMG_8734
all photos by author.

Last weekend I made a quick getaway to Miami to attend the Ultra Music Festival, otherwise known as the biggest electronic music festival in the world. This was the thirteenth installment of this Miami institution and the first time that it was expanded to a three day event. I along with 150,000 devoted dance music fans* sampled some of the world’s best DJs, producers, and electronic-leaning bands at what amounted to a three-day orgy of drugs, sweat, booze, bikinis, concrete, and ultra-heavy bass. I have been to some huge festivals in my day and some mighty big parties, but I don’t think I have ever been to something that combined the two quite like Ultra Music Festival did.

I thought that the readers who follow my musical adventures on We Love DC might like to hear about my field trip down south. The organizers are already planning UMF 2012 and if you dig what you see and read about here, you might want to consider making the trip yourself next year.

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Entertainment, Music, Night Life, We Love Music

We Love Music: Deadmau5 @ 9:30 Club 7/28 & 7/29

Photo courtesy of
‘Deadmau5’
courtesy of ‘Max Cook’

Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5 played 2.5 concerts at the 9:30 Club last week. After delivering stunning shows on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Deadmau5′ set on Friday night was cut short when he vomited and passed out on-stage. Immediately after his performance the night before, Deadmau5 posted “God damn… What’s wrong with me now? Ugh… Me no feely so good” on Twitter. Sources indicate that on Friday Zimmerman had been vomiting back-stage before the show and that he tried to tough it out before collapsing. After passing out, Zimmerman was immediately hospitalized, diagnosed with exhaustion, and the next day it was announced that the remainder of his world tour has been canceled.*

I was not at the Friday night show. I was, however, at the concerts on Wednesday and Thursday night to witness the Deadmau5 techno-spectacle road-show first hand. Since debuting his new stage show at the Coachella Music Festival back in April, Deadmau5 has been touring hard around the world with an incredible show that blends electronic music and digital visuals better than almost anything else I have seen.** His aggressive campaign to take the crown for best electro-concert experience has been relentless and I’m afraid has now taken its physical toll on him. With each show, Deadmau5 makes his case for best dance concert experience with an astonishing display of visual fireworks that envelopes and overwhelms you while his bass-heavy House/Electro beats toy with you like a sadistic cat would a dead mouse. For fans of performance spectacle, the tour is a visual feast. For dance music fans, Deadmau5′ current tour is about as close to nirvana as it gets.

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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: Deadmau5

Deadmau5 @ 930 Club

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader each week. Check back here every Wednesday morning at 9am to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

This week’s ticket giveaway is so hot it’s making the sun jealous! This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to the SOLD OUT Deadmau5 show at the 9:30 Club on Friday July 30th!

Deadmau5′ current tour is THE dance music event of the Summer. The man in the mau5-head has been throwing down spectacular live sessions all over the world and for the next three nights he will be taking up residence at the best club in the country! Deadmau5 has elevated his game from simply spinning beats to creating a mind-blowing audio/visual experience complete with jaw-dropping digital light-shows, a custom built DJ-booth that has to be seen to believe, and most importantly his excellent custom-blend electronic music. Missing Deadmau5 is perhaps my biggest Coachella Festival regret this year. Every report that I’ve read out of Coachella indicates that Deadmau5′ 2010 show is an unforgettable, electronic music experience. This week DC is lucky enough to get a triple-dose of Deadmau5 shows. Thanks to the techno-savvy however, all three shows are already sold out! But fear not dear readers, one of you still has a shot at catching Deadmau5′ stunning show this Friday night!

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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