IDentity Festival 2012 @ Nikon Jones Beach Review

Two nights ago I was lucky enough be in attendance at the Identity Festival in NY.  First and foremost I apologize for not bringing my camcorder, next time I am not letting rain stop me from recording.  I wasn’t able to catch all of the DJs, but I saw most of if not part of the most prominent DJ’s sets.  Just like last year, the organization wasn’t the best.  But I definitely saw improvements from last years set up.  My VIP passes allowed me to wander the amphitheater, so I can’t complain much.  If you came early to the show you were in luck since you were able to snag a spot in the front, but if you happened to leave your spot you were not let back in.  The front sections seemed to be full to capacity towards the end of the night, but I did not understand why the middle sections were closed off and GA ticket holders were left to only the nose bleed seats. Back to the show though.

I can’t comment much on the opening DJs that played since I saw very few parts of there sets, but what I can say is that they seemed to be nothing other than top 10 playlists.  Maybe I missed a good DJ or two, but from the ones I saw (specifically “The Eye”), I felt like I was going to Beatport and scrolling down the top mixes.

Eva Simmons and me at the after party

The first big act that I was excited to see was Eva Simons (known most recently for her radio hit “Take Over Control” and “This Is Love”).  Eva hit the main stage on time, but played a short set.  I didn’t expect her to lip sync, but maybe I was the only one to notice.  She still kept the energy high though and was a good opener for Arty.

Arty opened his set with a clean bootleg of RHCP’s classic “Otherside” and his original production “Trio”.  Later in the set he kept the energy high, by dropping one of the most anticipated tracks of the summer “Years“.  Alesso’s massive new tune exhilarated the crowd.  ”Years” will be released on Beatport August 3rd, so make sure to check it out then.  Arty  delivered a solid set overral, but I felt that while the set went on it got weaker.  His mixing and transitions weren’t perfect, but they were acceptable giving the huge crowd he was playing in front of and the nerves that must have kicked in.  It wasn’t Arty’s best set, but I still enjoyed it.

Showtek and me at the after party

Next up was the Dutch duo, Showtek.  I didn’t catch all of Showtek’s set, but for what I did see, they delivered. Their diverse range of music allowed everyone in the crowd to at least enjoy some of the Dance acts performance.  From trance to hardstyle Showtek delivered an interesting set.  Showtek’s drops were definitely the heaviest of the night and the duo was by far the most energetic performers.  From the second I received Showtek’s new collaboration with Hardwell in my email, I knew “How We Do” would be a crowd favorite.  When Showtek dropped their latest offering at the festival the crowd erupted.  It’s good to hear the originally techno based DJs from 2001 experimenting with new sounds.  Watch a video from Showteks set here (not the best sound quality, but the video is clear).  After Showteks set was over, I had to make a decision between watching the upcoming DJ sensation, Madeon or seeing the legendary Pryda.

I came to terms with myself that although I love Madeon’s music and believe he is highly talented, I may never get the chance to see Prydz live again considering his fear of flying.  Fellow blogger, Jason caught Madeon’s set and he thought Madeon was brilliant.  I will say that during Prydz set, I made a quick stop to check out the crowd showing over at Madeon’s stage and hear a couple of tracks and I was very impressed.  The 18 year old French producer, fused rock, dubstep, electro house, and even electro pop into his set while still keeping the crowds attention.  The speaker system may not have been the best at the Rockstar stage, but Madeon made the most out of it and had the crowd singing along and dancing at the same time.  I’m sure I’ll be able to see Madeon in the near future as he becomes more prominent in the music world.  Now back to Prydz set at the main stage.

Although I went off on a rant raving about Madeon, I still believe I made the right choice to watch Eric Prydz. Prydz’s set may not have been as energetic or hard hitting as the past performers, but Prydz’s set took me on a journey.  His well constructed mixes/transitions throughout and impressive light show led to a memorable concert.  If you ever have the chance of catching Pryda, I highly recommend checking him out.  I probably knew 50% of the tracks that he played if that, but I still was captivated by his performance, stage presence and mixing.  The night overral turned out to be better than I expected and with $25 GA tickets or $100 VIP tickets, one can not go wrong.  The after party was a great plus too.

-@iTweetRK