By the time the 4 train had arrived at 42nd street, one stop after I had boarded at Union Square, all of the subway cars were overflowing with the neon-clad “animals” that had answered Electric Zoo’s nature call. Undoubtedly one of the northeast’s largest electronic dance music festivals, E-Zoo is a five-stage event on Randall’s Island which has consistently boasted an impressive lineup since its inception in 2009.
Some of the industry’s titan-DJs come from all over the globe to rock NYC down to its very foundations. To name just a few heavy hitters for this year’s lineup, Above & Beyond, Knife Party, Avicii, Flux Pavilion, Alesso, Sander van Doorn, Madeon, Dada Life, and Tiesto were all in attendance, completely dominating their main stage sets. Electric Zoo’s addition of a second main stage this year gave guests the opportunity to see quite a few more artists in action in a big stage setting.
Madeon, opening with his latest hit, Technicolor, gave yet another great performance with his somewhat unique French-rooted style. Above & Beyond, known for literally bringing concert-goers to tears of joy, lived up to their reputation with a beautiful and emotional set.
Dada Life, closing with their newest track, "Born to Rage," brought the crowd to an indescribable level of energy – champagne, bananas, and all. Having seen them a few times before, I was glad to hear some of their “older,” signature tracks coming back into rotation during their Electric Zoo set. Hardwell, as far as the crowd was concerned, could do no harm. He played a solid set, and certainly kicked the festival into high gear.
Big Gigantic delivered their usual solid show that brought a refreshing sense of variety to a festival overwhelmingly laden with solely CDJ-using artists. Now do not get me wrong, I loved the lineup, but throwing Big G in there was definitely the thing to do. Their live-music combination of electronic and more traditional instruments can get any type of music-lover jamming out. Moreover, did I mention the tenor sax? Oh, that tenor sax: so groovy, so jazzy, so perfect.
In that same light, Gramatik absolutely rocked the Hilltop Arena alongside his guitarist Ales. Ales’ riffs seemed to accompany Gramatik’s dubstep or heavy drops often on the downbeat, intensifying the overall sound and giving it a rock n’ roll spin that everyone in the tent quite clearly loved. His relatively unique approach within the electronic orbit convinced this reviewer that Gramatik’s set was one of the weekend’s strongest.
Another group’s set worth mentioning was most certainly that of Oliver. They describe their own sound as being “all over the map,” and that is exactly why they played one of the best sets of the weekend. Their performance incorporated a variety of styles, seamlessly blending groovy beats with harder and more energetic melodies that main-stage audiences have come to expect. On top of this, their nu disco and indie dance styles were prevalent throughout the set, generating the funky atmosphere that nu disco always provides so well.
In the realm of dubstep, notables, among many, included Zomboy and Dog Blood. Zomboy, playing earlier on Saturday at the 360 degree Hilltop Arena launched viewers into the day with aggressive, adrenaline fueling dubstep and high energy beats. Dog Blood’s set was alright, but the 3D stage was pretty cool. Electric Zoo provided free 3D glasses which definitely amplified the light show. All in all, it seemed like something right up Skrillex’s alley.
Electric Zoo drew a lot of talent to its stages over the weekend. As for the unfortunate occurrences that led to the festival's premature cancellation, there is certainly a lot to learn from them. My deepest sympathies go out to those affected by them. Nevertheless, like all things in life, these festivals demand a certain level of responsibility and self-control for all attendees. Event management can only do so much, and at the end of the day, we have to look out for one another.
All photos by Eddie Jacob
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