Event Reviews

It is about 7 pm in Miami, Florida and the world’s #1 voted DJ David Guetta is just about to jump off the decks for the night’s closing headliner of the final day of the world famous Ultra Music Festival; perhaps the most revered EDM festival in the world.  After a crowd of thousands have been rocked by about an hour of the pop-hip hop-electro heavy sounds of Guetta and hours of other house juggernauts before him, the night’s closer was…a trance act?  A couple of things could already seem a miss by the casual EDM concert goer who just happened to stroll in to Miami on this particular weekend.  Seeing as how  Ultra is a showcase of the who’s who in EDM, why would the #1 DJ in the world NOT be the headlining closing act?  Why would the final artist of the night be a stylistically different sound of music than the previous acts throughout the day on the main stage?  And if you’re this casual EDM concert goer, you may ask yourself “why should I stay to watch this?”. Well the answer is simple.  This headlining artist is no ordinary DJ. It’s none other than the mighty Armin van Buuren.

I personally would like to know what is your musical background?

I studied the piano at a music school for 7 years.  It was really cool!  I played at many shows and festivals.  I had a lot of piano practicing lessons so I really stressed out back in the day.  Right now I really appreciate what my teachers did for me so ya it was really great for me.  It really helped my music making skills!

Is the piano the only instrument you play?

I play a little bit of the guitar but only a little.

So you’re 21?

Ya, my birthday is next week!  I don’t have any plans.  I’m going back to my town to spend time with my family and my girlfriend.  So heading back to my home after this tour.

Well it’s been almost two weeks now since the Love invaded the grounds of O.co coliseum and the dust has settled.  Now we have rolls full of pictures, heads full of memories, and hearts full of satisfaction to endlessly remind us of the great time that was had that chilly day/night Saturday, September 24^th.  Speaking of which, the chilly (and almost rainy at times) weather wasn’t enough to slow down the day portion of LovEvolution.  Wetness and clouds aside, the masses came in flocks from all over the Bay Area to enjoy some of the best world class electronic music there was to offer.  The layout was really reminiscent of the LovEvs of old in the Civic Center of SF with floats surrounding the outer rim and each float being from a specific “crew” or promoter.  One thing I’ve always loved was the unique designs and themes of each specific float.  Always makes it hard to choose which one you want to spend more time with.  Luckily, there was enough time in the day to wander all around.  With each float having their respective grounds, the shaded (although not really needed) chill area, the main stage with top popular EDM acts, and easy access to facilities/food, I think the overall set up was a big win for Skills.  The music was great from all the stages and it’s always good to see lots of support for each one.

Once the sun (or lack thereof) started to set and the party people were warmed up, it was time for Love After.  The lineup was huge for trance lovers, however Laidback Luke and Moby were there to provide housey and eclectic support.  As expected, the stage was massive and the lighting & screen set up was out of this world.  The Oracle Arena was a much better venue for an event such as this vs. the old Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the Cow Palace used for ETD POP.  I thought the extensive floor space and ample stadium wide seating was perfect to provide the massive concert feel.  It really gave you the ability to walk around and enjoy the entire venue without necessarily have to “rub elbows”.  Really got me excited to hear that ETD POP will be held there next year.

What can I say?  I really give Skills a lot of praise for pulling this thing off without a hitch (that we know of).  Considering the new venue(s) and location change, they did a great job of promoting and planning this LovEvolution to be just as meaningful and memorable as the predecessors.  Speaking of promoting, I thought Skills also did a great job with getting the word out through social media, word of mouth, and even billboard advertising.  Besides that, the crowd is another key element for a successful event.  They were certainly hyped and energetic throughout most of the day.  While it may have seemed a little more packed in the previous San Francisco events, this first time in Oakland had a decent turn out that I’m sure will surge in the coming years.  For Love After, the crowd was especially hot for the DJs, which kept the energy reciprocating through the entire night.  The hard media work definitely paid off and based on the DJ responses from twitter, it sounded like they were impressed as well.

Personally, I think LovEvolution has found a new home.  While some of us previous attendees may be nostalgic about long days/nights in San Francisco, I think this venue replacement was a really great choice.  I like that the grounds are still easily accessible via public transportation and there was plenty of space.  Was there room for improvement?  Sure.  There always is.  However I have full confidence in Skills for using this as a learning experience to continue bringing us the love for LovEvolution and future events at this new venue for years to come.  One thing is for sure: EDM is ALIVE and well in the Bay Area.

~Mark

@MarkyMark925

On the day of September 24th, 2011, things will look a little different around the Oakland (O.co & Oracle) Coliseum grounds.  As the sun rises over the city, instead of sports buses there will be floats.  Instead of tailgating there will be dancing.  Instead of jerseys there will be lights.  And instead of the raider nation there will be the EDM nation.  This day marks the historic return of the Bay Area’s premier event for electronic music: LovEvolution.  It’s been a pretty bleak year for dance music since Love has graced us last.  A lot has changed since October 2009.  We have experienced a detrimental series of unfortunate events at key events in California, resulting in the reputation of EDM events being put in the crosshairs of politicians and local media.  Support has stepped back, other scenes have stepped up, and the Bay Area has been limping on ever since as far as putting on world class events like we are so used to.  However, 2011 is a year of hope.  This year we’ve seen unity like never before manifested in the Save The Rave movement.  We are also seeing the resurgence with our crown jewels in LovEvolution and the announcement of ETD POP’s return  in 2012.  The vibe has once again become optimistic and it’s a great feeling going into Saturday’s event.  This IS the showcase of the Bay Area for EDM and all eyes are on the pretty lights and pretty people that will be dancing into the twilight this weekend.  That being said, it is important for us to show all the naysayers and politicians that we value our community, we value our music, but most importantly, we value ourselves.  Let’s do our best to keep this event as safe, friendly, and loving as possible.  Let’s not forget why we became part of not just a group of music enthusiasts; but a family.  Let’s have fun everyone .

-The TranceFamily SF Team

Now, a word from our team members about LovEvolution:

Kendra and Sony, TranceFamily SF Co-Founders

Love is in the Air! We are ready to immerse ourselves in love, music, colors, and dance, surrounded by beautiful people. As the co-founders of TranceFamily SF,  we  have the responsibility of representing all the SF Trance music fans at the event & spreading our message of  love, “In Every Beat, We Are Closer”.  We are looking forward to the priceless smiles we get when we giveaway the bracelets,  followed by those special warm hugs.  There is nothing more satisfying to us than the feeling of being loved.  We are going to LovEvolution to find love, feel love, & give out all the love we got <3

Mark

Our statement above pretty much states it all.  It is a big key for this event to go off without a hitch as this is probably the most important Love yet.  I’m excited about the potential that the new venue has.  While it will be quite a shift for me (having attended Lovefest since 2007), The grounds around the Oracle arena and the stadium itself have some definite potential for a massive event.  In all honestly, I’m surprised there hasn’t been an EDM event here yet (if I’m not mistaken).  I have all the faith in Skills that they will put on a successful and safe event in the spirit of the previous ones before.  Having experienced 3 years of Love in the Civic Center of SF and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, this event is very special to myself as I’m sure it is for hundreds of others in the Bay.  2007 converted me into a full blown electronic music lover and Lovefest was the reason for that.  I haven’t looked back ever since.  I personally know several others that have experienced that same discovery.  It’s a great event for people to get introduced to what our scene is so it should be a goal to protect the integrity of that.  All mush aside, the lineup couldn’t be any better for the new event.  The after party lineup is stellar and the day party’s floats look awesome as well.  In short, I’m very excited!  Slay ‘em Markus!

Come chat with Sony, Kendra, and Mark in the TFSF chatroom! They will be picking a winner to win a pair of tix to LovEvolution After Party this weekend! So if YOU are excited about LovEvolution, let the rest of the TranceFamily SF  know!  http://trancefamilysf.com/chat/