Electric Daisy Carnival brings in the world’s best DJs for 3 nights (and very early mornings) of the best in electronic dance music. The huge festival clocked in over 90,000 people through the turnstiles by 1 AM on Sunday morning, and that’s with people still making their way to Las Vegas Motor Speedway at that point. While the festival brings the talent in town, its the clubs and parties across Las Vegas that reap the rewards of having the best in the world in Las Vegas at the same time. The veterans and die-hard fans know that some of the best sets happen outside of EDC. At Tao Beach this past Sunday, two of the world’s most renowned artists in the scene got together for one of the weekend’s must-see performances- Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz together in the booth for an epic party under the Vegas sun.
The talk around Tao Beach at Noon before Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten entered the DJ booth was all about Markus’ set the night before at EDC. Just getting started with a set that had one of the biggest crowds at the festival, Markus was told by EDC management and security that he was going to have to stop the party and instruct the thousands there to see him that the show was hitting the pause button for a few hours. That’s an announcement that no electronic music artist wants to have to give. As we all know now, EDC did not continue that night as the festival was shut down for the night early Sunday morning because of high winds. That made Markus’ pool party set at Tao Beach on Sunday that much more special and important for fans who traveled from around the world to see their favorite DJ. With his friend and collaborator Ferry Corsten joining him in the booth, the day was set up to be one of those truly memorable party experiences.
Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten take the decks at Tao Beach in Las Vegas.
Coming on with the Vegas sun high in the air after 1 PM, Corsten and Schulz entered the booth to a raucous roar as the fans started crowding the area in front of the artists in anticipation. The two smiled to the crowd, shook some hands, and fixed their levels in their headphones and on the deck. A few words were exchanged as the two got everything set up, and with the crowd about to spill over in anticipation, the opening sounds of the excellent reworking of the classic “Loops And Tings” that the two collaborated on hit the speakers. It was the perfect way to start, as “Loops And Tings” was ironically stopped half way through the night before when Markus was told that the set had to end at EDC. Starting with the same song was the perfect way to welcome all of the EDCers who left the night before wanting so much more.
The splashdown- a staple at Tao Beach during peaks in the DJ set.
Tao billed this set as a 4-hour back to back experience, but what the crowd got was much more than that. With two of the best in control of the party, Markus and Ferry pulled out all of the stops. One of the best moments of the day came when Ferry played his classic hit “Punk”. A song that Markus regularly plays during his sets, there was a moment when the two looked at each other as if to see who was going to take the reigns this time around. There was no opening DJ for this party, as the two were given the whole day with ample chances for them both to get new and old tracks in. Markus’ very own “Rotunda” was another crowd mover that erupted into a few different splashdowns– a breakdown after a peak in the set in which the people in the pool splash water repeatedly into the air to create an incredible sky of water above the pool. Ferry even got a chance to play his classic 2005 single “Fire”. A welcome track that Ferry doesn’t always get a chance to play in his nightclub sets that was perfect for the mood at Tao Beach.
The scene at Tao Beach is always raucous pool party fun.
It goes against reason in Las Vegas to say that what distinguishes Tao Beach from the other Vegas pool parties is that is excels at being smaller. Vegas is all about going big- and then even bigger. The other dominating pool party experiences are all much larger in space and pool area than Tao Beach, but that’s what makes the Tao Beach party different than the rest. It excels at being smaller and more intimate. While at other dayclubs you can easily escape to your daybed, cabanna, or a shady spot away from the dance floor for a break, there is no room to hide at Tao Beach. The party is everywhere, and its right on top of you. This atmosphere lends itself to some of the best dayclub sets where the DJs feel like part of the crowd, and the crowd is right there with them. There is no escaping the party at Tao Beach and that vibe is what Ferry and Markus were feeding off of.
Performing together was the perfect way to hear their latest collaboration “Loops And Tings”.
There was an incredible moment when the two launched into Axwell’s mix of Ivan Gough’s “In My Mind”. Seemingly building the crowd up to a peak over and over again with the beautiful chorus from the track, Ferry and Markus never let the full breakdown come. Instead they mixed one of the hottest tracks of this year into a seemingly perfect pool party set. What was supposed to be a 4 hour back-to-back set became an over 5 hour collaboration. Playing to a crowd that would have stayed in their swimwear until late in the night, they finally got on the mic and announced there was only a few more moments left in the set. Less than 12 hours after thousands of fans left EDC wanting and expecting more, the lucky ones who left Tao Beach around 7 PM on Sunday were ecstatic as they walked away with the Vegas sun closing down over the strip, knowing that they just experienced one of the best sets of the weekend.
Pictures from SPYONvegas.com. Full photo gallery available here.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.
You must be logged in to post a comment.