Ultra Music Festival, Miami's largest electronic music event, is taking its show on the road in February, making two stops in New Orleans. The first show, on Friday, February 1st, features a lineup of EDM heavy hitters, including Steve Aoki and the Nervo girls. What's more interesting is their Saturday show, featuring Afrojack and Doc Martin. Anyone who has heard both of these artists would be rightfully surprised. Afrojack's high energy, breakdown infused strain of commercial house music seems at odds with Doc's groovy, deep house.
Is this going to be another case of mistaken booking, with the headline DJ kicked off the decks? Or will Ultra manage this right, perhaps with each artist in a separate room? In recent years, Ultra has expanded its reach beyond commercial EDM, with artists like Seth Troxler and Damian Lazarus gracing its stages, so it will likely be well curated.
New Orleans has played host to Voodoo Festival amongst other EDM events, and seems to be increasing its presence in US clubbing culture. Clubs like The Metropolitan and Ampersand are part of the force behind this expansion. As EDM builds its following in the US, look for more events in this musical city.
