These past three and a half days…
Amazing.
Friday
The first few hours of a festival are always enjoyable. I get to see whomever I want without wading through crazy crowds of excited people, and I can check out awesome upcoming artists.
Buraka Som Sistema was just as amazing as I thought they would be and more. These people really know how to get the crowd moving. Everyone was dancing, clapping, and having an awesome time. I look forward to seeing and hearing more of them. Definitely check them out if you ever get the chance.
Little Dragon was sexy, soulful, and oh so amazing. I enjoyed every minute of that set. Yukimi Nagamo has a voice I wouldn’t mind singing me to sleep every night.
Magnetic Man was wicked good. They got me off my feet and kept me dancing throughout.
Gesaffelstein. I fell in love with him last year, and I fell in love all over again on Friday. I kept my eyes on him the entire time, he is just that fascinating to watch. A French man with some seriously swagger and talent to back it up.
Bloc Party- Bloc Party really did make “it” cool. Their set brought back memories, and to hear a crowd sing along to lyrics that were a big part of my musical youth nearly brought tears to my eyes. I am so in love with this band, and I am so glad I got to be a part of their first U.S. performance since ‘08. Kele Okereke has an absoulutely amazing voice. Flawless, really.
Boyz Noize- Sick as fuck, of course. Third time I heard “XTC” that day, but they threw it down.
My feet hurt like hell, but it was more than worth it.
Saturday
I could feel the energy of the crowd as we stood waiting for the gates to open. Friday was amazing, but we all knew Saturday was going to be insanity. HARD does not disappoint…
I was dancing, jumping, and headbanging all day/night. Because it was non-stop HARDhappiness, I’ll give you my top five for that day.
A-Trak- Of course, A-Trak was awesome like always. A little bit of Duck Sauce, some Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and a good amount of Unibrow Originality. This was to set the tone for the rest of the evening.
The Gaslamp Killer- I’ve been a fan for a year, but now I consider him a friend. I saw him in the crowd on Friday and I got to talk to him and snap a quick picture. A man who has as much charisma and personality as he has hair. He’s awesome. Sick set, too. ”If the person you’re with takes you home tonight and you see they have no books in their house, GET THE FUCK OUT.” Some fine words of wisdom. The Gaslamp Killer has a set with more variety than I’ve heard live before. Some old school hip hop, Flying Lotus, swing, Gesaffelstein, 8-bit renditions of well known songs, and live scratching, along with his unusual original tracks. I loveloveloved it. Definitely one of the best live sets I have seen. If you ever have the chance to see him, DO IT.
Bloody Beetroots- I had seen them do a full live performance at Electric Zoo, so I thought I would be disappointed with a DJ set, but this was just as enjoyable. High energy, heavy beats, and a crazy crowd. Everyone was pumped, and I doubt anyone walked away from that disappointed.
I saw the beginning of Nero’s set, and the tail end (technical difficulties and all). Nero is always fantastic.
This was the first time Zedd headlined at a stage, and he made his fans proud. This young guy knows how to please a crowd. His entire set was fantastic and kept me (along with everyone else) dancing. I’ve been lucky to see him quite a few times, and this was by far my favorite performance of his.
Despite all of the shit he gets, Skrillex, truly knows how to bring down the house. He is one of the most obviously talented producers of today, and I think most everyone knows it even though they’re reluctant to admit it. Like Gaslamp, he too had a good variety to his set. It was great to hear the “old classics”, some new stuff, and his remixes. I loved it all. What I love most about watching him live is that he never fails to show appreciation to his fans and he always lets the ladies know they are special. I love this guy, and I’ll continue seeing him as long as he continues putting out music.
HARD events knows how to put on a good show. Definitely one of my favorite events, and I’m looking forward to the next HARD event with much anticipation.
Sunday
We were tired as hell, but we managed to peel ourselves out of bed and head to the airport as the sun was rising. Music from the night before was still banging in my head, and I was excited to fly up to see my sister in Washington. We had some delays, but we made it here yesterday afternoon. Seattle is absolutely gorgeous, and I love the little town of Ballard. Everyone is so nice, and the food here is so good. We did a little sightseeing from the car. Later that night, we went to a nice little Mexican restaurant right as they were closing, and I got some really delicious soup.
Monday
We walked around town some more today. To treat ourselves, I bought cupcakes and chai tea. After, we stopped in this record store and I was seriously in heaven. I bought nine disks, and I am now happily listening to them while Wes is snoozing with Smoke the cat. Too cute ^_^
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