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Saturday kicked off the return of one of Chicago’s most beloved EDM Festivals: Spring Awakening.
Addams/Medill park welcomed the return of homesick fans and newcomers alike. Black boots, kaleidoscope goggles, and neon outfits were dusted off as fans made their way through the gates to be welcomed to a giant playground dreamed up by React Presents, living up to the production level that the promotion company has come to be renowned for. Complete with 5 stages this year, a silent disco, and a bigger than ever Corona Electric Beach stage, the festival grounds truly had enough for fans to explore for a whole weekend.
In true EDM fashion, the park was decorated with multi-colored sculptures, rainbow-lit walkable installations, and plenty of Instagram-able photo ops. Lined all along the grounds were dozens of tents hosted local food vendors, merchandise tables, and plenty to drink.
Saturday started off with a blast with sets from hometown favorites: AVI SIC, Gettoblaster, and White Owl, each with local DJ residencies or regular performances in the Windy City. However, quickly the party came to a stop after scattered storms and inclement weather forced the festival to evacuate all festival-goers for roughly 2 hours. Gates finally reopened at 5:45 p.m. and a new schedule cut set times short in order to adapt for the shortened time. But for fans, most were just grateful to leave the rain and continue on with the festival.
On Saturday, I mostly observed the Equinox stage, bringing in large crowds with notable performances by Two Friends, Matoma, Madeon, and to finish the night off with a bang… Galantis & Excision. Two friends brought the heat with exciting and lovable throwback mashups included remixes of college fave: Mr. Brightside, Disney classic: You’ve Got a Friend In Me, and their new single: Love Love. The crowd danced and celebrated hearing new drops to their favorite songs and off the charts energy from the duo. The stage was electric featuring a dome-like setup, complete with three massive inter-connected LED screens and two giant strips in between the trussing rising up to the northernmost point.
Matoma followed right after with an explosive set of his own, getting the crowd to their feet, and even debuted some new music for his die-hard fans. We’re excited to see a new drop from Matoma coming soon.
Perhaps in a league of his own, the next performer perhaps stole the show of the night bringing his Good Faith Tour to the Spring Awakening grounds: Madeon. Madeon gave a truly electric performance that stimulated the senses and blew out our eardrums with his heavy bass hits. He showed off a spectacularly choreographed show, complete with the lights accentuating his every move and his visuals drawing us in, telling a story of the silhouette on stage in the outlaw hat.
© Mark Reddington Photography
Finally, to close out the night, Galantis played his greatest hits and teased us throughout the show with an intro featuring a mashup including crowd favorite: Runaway. The banging of the drums behind them had the crowd jumping off the ground and had rail riders headbanging along. With every drop, the stage exploded with fire spewing from the stage and CO2 blasting above the crowd at the climax of a song. Galantis finally gave in to the demands of the crowd and ended the night with his closing number Runaway that had the cheering even after he was gone: “One more song!”
At the same time, the king of dubstep himself, Excision, was closing out the Solstice stage. With the mind-melting and neck-breaking music we have come to love from Excision, the crowd was giving 110% of their energy to make sure the rain-delayed set was taken full advantage of.
Day 2 (Sunday)
After a good night’s rest (or a long night of after-parties for others) the festival was back on for Day 2. Showtek’s set the tone on the Solstice stage, with his chest-thumping beats getting the crowd jumping, the shufflers shuffling after the drops, and hands in the sky as he built up to his drops.
The stage setup was industrial with hanging trusses all over the stage, blinders packed in pockets around the stage, and the quintessential moving lights that cut straight through the air. This dardy (day party) showed us all how it’s done.
Sofi Tukker followed, drawing a crowd and fans excited to hear the breakout star who rose to stardom and quickly captured their fans attention by introducing us to their new music, robust catalog, and their distinct jazzy sound, rhythmic bass lines, crisp hi-hats, and low vocals from hit songs like Best Friend and Purple Hat.
© Mark Reddington Photography
The festival was catching fire! But when there’s a fire, mother nature brings the rain. Mirroring the day before, rain poured down on Chicago, but it wasn’t enough to keep fans down as the event staff allowed the festival to continue and artists were allowed to perform their sets.
Perhaps the threat of having the fun end added to the fans’ insatiable desire to continue the party, because when Said the Sky took the stage, the crowd looked like the stuff of magic. Fans grabbed anything they could to stay dry, everything from makeshift ponchos made from trash bags, to hiding under the trash can lid itself. Others said let it rain, as Said the Sky’s heavenly songs rained down on them. His music inspired the crowd to press in as the music swelled and the crowd celebrated the great outdoors when drops hit, and water droplets hit their faces. If there was one picture to describe Spring Awakening, this would be it.
We moved onto the silent disco under the colorful big top. From the outside looking in, you may not be able to hear the music, but people dancing like no one was watching having a great time was enough to draw anyone in. You go inside and the energy and friendliness of your fellow awakeners was exciting. Slip the headphones on, and you’re transported into a musical landscape as big as the grounds itself. I’ll admit this one was a favorite.
Streaming the dance music into our heads was Kar Pow, we walked past her a few times before being friendly to everyone, but it wasn’t until we saw her in her element that she just became a superhero engaging with the crowd, getting off her feet when she spun, and even coming out to the crowd for a moment to dance with her biggest fans. It’s not a surprise to know her mission is to inspire and empower through music and raw, unfiltered emotion. I don’t know anyone else better for the job.
© Mark Reddington Photography
The time had come for headliners. I had chosen Dillon Francis and Martin Garrix. At the Solstice stage, I made my way into the crowd and from my angle, it seemed like there was double the amount of production: more lights, more screens, more everything. As I waited in the darkness I saw my fellow Awakeners pile in, all excited to see what was in store. The lights went out and a throbbing bass played to the rhythm of a heartbeat along with a siren after the crowd was in enough suspense the first snare hit and the name Dillon Francis lit up the screens. The graphics went crazy and the song sped up, the horns were loud and brash, and the vocal got higher and higher until it was time to drop on the first song of his set: Pull Up. As he looked down on the crowd he shouted out into the crowd: ‘Chicago!!’ garnering the affection of the crowd losing their minds.
Other songs in his set included Say Less with G-Eazy, Miss the Rage where his stage turned purple and trippier (no pun intended), No Bystanders by Travis Scott ft. Juice WRLD & Sheck Wes, A remix of I Like It by Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny and J Balvin with the crowd singing along in Spanish, and perhaps my personal favorite: Runaway by Kanye West leading the crowd in the suspenseful sequence of piano notes that scale down until climaxing to the drop, but instead, the rhythm changed and there came another note down the scale throwing listeners off, til we here those iconic words: When I was a young boy.
True fans showed up and showed out at Spring Awakening 2021 enduring rain and mud, but after asking several fans as they exited the grounds, “it was all worth it.” Here’s looking forward to Spring Awakening 2022 and the spirit of the festival finding us again next year.
Photo Gallery
View the full photo gallery of Spring Awakening Music Festival 2021 below.
Thank you to Mark Reddington Photography for capturing these awesome shots!
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A few weeks have passed and while many may still be recovering from the madness, or having post-depression, crew members have cleaned up the remains of Spring Awakening.
As we may know, Hoffman Estates was home to this year’s festival. This came after React Presents had issues with 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas in 2018 when announcing that Spring Awakening was going to take place in Douglas Park. This led to various months of suspense questioning whether or not there would be a festival this year. In the end, React Presents partnered with Hoffman Estates officials to have the festival take place outside the Sears Centre Arena.
Prior to the official announcement, rumors were floating around on Reddit mentioning the Hoffman Estates location. Once announced, many were skeptical and wondered if the new location was going to top off Soldier Field and Addams-Medill park.
Now that the fest has passed, the location has received positive responses from the community. With this new location being bigger than the other two locations, React Presents had the ability to get creative with the festival layout. The Solstice stage and the free water were this year’s hot topics.
Despite the hiccup on day one, when the Solstice stage was closed for a couple of hours, the production was top-notch from the stage design, in part because of the amount of space Solstice had this year, to the sound.
The other three stages were more a bit compact which introduced some sound bleed. This being noticeable during quieter sections of a set. The Equinox stage was not as eye-catching as 2018’s curved layout though it was still pleasant for visuals.
Getting to the festival from the Chicago area was a bit of a drive and while many complained that the walk to the fest was a hassle, nobody could deny the fact that this years festival was a lot of fun.
Now that festival season is in full swing, it might be a little early to begin thinking about Spring Awakening 2020. However, the possibility of having the festival at the Hoffman Estates location next year is very likely. Mayor Bill McLeod of Hoffman Estates is happy with the way Spring Awakening turned out this year.
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]]>..HA! Like that will ever happen. Remember y’all, you can never make everyone happy.
Spring Awakening announced their single day lineup this morning, and I gotta say they did their best. Designating huge names like Griz, Rezz, Zedd, Zomboy, Illineum, Galantis, DJ Snake (the list goes on and on) to one day isn’t an easy task.
Let’s take a peak at the single day lineup so far:
Friday: House Party
Friday’s forecast is looking like a house party! Infamous artists like Zedd, Oliver Heldens, Galantis, Shiba San, Golf Clap, and more will be playing on this day.
While still dominantly house, there is still something for those who prefer a different cup of tea. You can also catch Zomboy, Illineum, Virtual Riot, Space Jesus, and more.
Also, keep in mind your favorite set might be at the Silent Disco!
Saturday: Bass Heads Unite!
Saturday is definitely looking like the heaviest of the 3 days. Boasting big names like Rezz, Dion Timmer, Blunts & Blondes, Subtronics, Liquid Stranger, and Spag Heddy; this day will definitely leave you in a neck brace.
Again they included a variety of names. Two Friends, Malaa, What So Not, and Dreole are just some of the artists playing on Saturday that are sure to go just as nuts as bass heads.
Sunday: Perfect Balance
Tying up the festival with a perfect balance is something that SAMF really nailed this year. Interweaving sets of house, glitchop, funk, riddim, dubstep, and trap on the last day, there’s bound to be something for everyone.
My suggestion is that if you’re going to go for one day; go to this day. You get a little bit of everything, and festival finales are always the best!
On top of a new lineup, the festival will also be debuting their 3rd location change this year. SAMF’s previous homes have been Soldier Field and Addams-Medill Park, but decisions were made to move the festival out of downtown, to suburban venue Poplar Creek.
This new location is spread over 27 acres of land, which is almost double of Addams-Medill Park. Expect bigger and better stages, production, and experiences. There will be complimentary shuttles going from nearby hotels, and for the first time, PARKING ON FESTIVAL GROUNDS!
Tickets are still on tier one, but are flying fast for around $215. Don’t miss out, click on the link here to secure your tix!
See you there beauties!
All the love,
Katy <3
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]]>For Joel Zimmerman, better known by his stage name, Deadmau5, however, this comes naturally, especially when he brings his mega visual experience, the Cube.
Deadmau5 was one of the closing headliners for Spring Awakening Music Festival, which took place at Addams/Medill Park, on June 8 – 10, in Chicago, IL.
Along with bringing his Cube 2.1 and new music, Zimmerman also brought a witty comment for fellow headliner, Kaskade.
Before dropping an unreleased track, rumored to be titled “Monophobia”, which featured vocals from Rob Swire, he gave Kaskade a jab.
“He’s [in reference to Kaskade] on the mic, he’s like, ‘uh it’s so good to be here, I love you guys – I’m not wearing any shoes. Hey guys, it’s so good to be here, I love you guys, I’m not wearing any shoes’,” Zimmerman said.
The crowd loved both the comment and the unreleased track.
Zimmerman is known for weeding out his “fake fans” during his sets. By the end of “I Remember”, the crowd had thinned out considerably. According to a reply from Zimmerman on Twitter, this was part of his plan.
The crowd loved the Cube 2.1 and all the visuals included. During “Ghosts ’n’ Stuff”, the crowd was alive with a palpable energy and many people had their phones out to record the visuals.
In true Deadmau5 fashion, he closed with one of his most popular and longest songs, “Strobe”. For many fans, this song is such a memorable and moving track. The energy throughout reflected this, and it was a perfect was to end the three-day festival.
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]]>React Presents revealed the first phase of the sixth-annual Spring Awakening music festival on Feb. 15. Among the artists announced were Diplo, Marshmello, Excision, Louis the Child, Armin Van Buuren, Die Antwoord, Datsik and more.
This phase one announcement promises a diverse attendance from fans from Chicago and across the nation. While attending Spring Awakening, there will be a variety of people you may encounter during each set.
“Mellogang”, fans of EDM producer and DJ Marshmello, will be easy to recognize. Many Mellogang members re-create the DJ’s infamous marshmallow-shaped helmet. Another sure-fire way to recognize a member of the Mellogang is by the Marshmello logo plastered across a snapback or t-shirt. Running into Mellogang during Spring Awakening will likely result in laughter, smiles and dancing.
Hailing from South Africa, rap-rave group Die Antwoord, has an image based on a counterculture movement known as Zef. According to an interview with film director, Damien Lay, when asked what “zef” means, one half of Die Antwoord, Ninja, said, “That you literally don’t care what anyone else thinks of you; like, you represent yourself in your music, in how you dress, in how you think, how you speak”. Die Antwoord has a fan-base as diverse as their music. Recognizing fans of Die Antwoord can prove to be a little more difficult. It could be anyone from the typical snapback, tank-top, wayfarer sunglasses clad “bro”, to girls rocking half-shaved hairstyles; basically anyone who looks like they could care less what you think of them.
Grant Kwiecinski, better known by his stage name Griz, was also amongst the artists announced. Griz fans can usually been seen wearing your typical “hippie” fashion such as Third Eye Pinecone pendants, Grassroots California hats and Pashmina scarves. Meeting fans of Griz may result in getting down to funky beats and being asked to trade pins.
These are only a handful of people one might stumble upon. Whoever you run into at Spring Awakening will be sure to make the festival experience one to remember.
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1. Tiesto @ Hakkasan, MGM Grand 12/30/16
2. Kid Cudi @ Drais , The Cromwell 12/30/16
3. Alesso @ XS, Encore 12/30/16
4. DJ Irie @ Jewel, Aria 12/30/16
5. Kaskade @ Omnia, Ceasars Palace 12/30/16
6. Benny Benassi @ Marquee, Cosmopolitan 12/30/16
7. Metro Boomin @ Light Nightclub, Mandala Bay 12/30/16
8. Calvin Harris @ Omnia, Ceasars Palace 12/31/16
9. Drake @ Hakkasan, MGM Grand 12/31/16
10. The Weeknd @ Marquee, Cosmopolitan 12/31/16
11. Major Lazer @ XS, Encore 12/31/16
12. DJ Snake @ Surrender, Encore 12/31/16
13. Chuckie @ Intrigue, wynn 12/31/16
14. Kendrick Lamar @ Drais, The Cromwell 12/31/16
15. Steve Aoki @ Jewel, Aria 12/31/16
16. Lil’ Jon @ Oak, Mirage 12/31/16
17. Ludacris @ Light Nightclub, Mandalay Bay 12/31/16
18. Marshmello @ XS, Encore 1/1/17
19. Rae Sremmurd @ Drais, The Cromwell 1/1/17
20. Because what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!!
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]]>The post Spring Awakening 2016 Lineup and Location Announced! appeared first on Red Roll.
]]>The well-respected promotion company experienced quite a bit of backlash three weeks ago, when a representative of the previously promoted new location, Jackson Park, released a statement claiming that React was selling tickets without having obtained a proper Park District permit. With less than 50 days until the weekend of the fest and no location and lineup, SAMF’s devoted fans and ticket holders were starting to really worry.
However, today at 12:00PM CST, React Presents released the first official image of the full Spring Awakening lineup. The festival, which will remain on the weekend of June 10-12, will be separated into a stage for DJs and a stage for live electronic performers, as well as a series of branded stages. The headliners this year consist of Above & Beyond, Carnage, Crystal Castles, Dada Life, deadmau5, Flux Pavilion, Nicky Romero, and Steve Aoki. Some more to name are Borgore, the Chainsmokers, Dillon Francis, Flying Lotus, Gramatik, Jamie xx, RL Grime, and Zeds Dead. Even the under-cards, ranging from Cash Cash to Hippie Sabotage to Datsik, include strong, cult-followed and veteran electronic artists that Chicago is glad to welcome back for the start of the summer. The lineup was well worth this year’s wait and is absolutely jaw-dropping from top to bottom.The official released image of the lineup can be seen below.
As first introduced last year, Spring Awakening is keeping to its 18+ age restriction. General admission 3-day wristbands are currently available for the general price of $189 USD plus fees, and VIP wristbands are still available for the pre-sale price of $299. They are available for purchase here.
Make sure to check back to Red Roll for news and updates concerning the festival. See you all there!
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