Live Review: Markus Schulz @ Marquee Dayclub 5/6

Back in February during our monthly podcast, we asked Markus Schulz what type of outdoor party he preferred performing at.  The question was simple- pool party or beach party?  He took a moment, and then answered with a definitive “pool party”.  This past weekend at Marquee Dayclub in Las Vegas, Markus showed those in attendance why the Las Vegas pool party scene is something that everyone has to experience at least once.  Just don’t be surprised if you keep coming back for more, again and again.  In a weekend with world renown electronic dance music artists performing at various clubs across Las Vegas, Markus’ Dayclub set was the most crowd moving and memorable of all.

The Las Vegas pool party and dayclub scene is a unique experience that no other city in the world can replicate.  You have to feel the desert sun on your skin as you dip into one of the many pools at Marquee Dayclub.  You have to see the beautiful people walking around in the latest swim wear fashion.  You have to feel the harmony of trance and dance music beating through your body from the best DJs in the world.  You have to be there to truly understand what its like.  That’s why no matter what I write here in this space, or what photos you see from the event, you owe it to yourself to experience this live.  Here is what I can tell you- as Markus Schulz took the decks at Marquee Dayclub on Sunday, he instantly transformed the outdoor space around him into one of the world’s best clubs- indoors or out.  At 2:00 in the afternoon on May 6th, Marquee Dayclub was the best electronic dance music spot in the world for the next 4 hours.

The day began with DJ Cazzette taking the reigns in the early afternoon.  His set created a mood of anticipation and excitement for Schulz’s arrival on the decks.  Cazzette began spinning an original mix of the theme song from Showtime’s hit TV show Dexter.  The creepy, yet amazingly fresh and unique take on the tune, led way to Schulz preparing his headset and tables for his performance around 2:30 in the afternoon.  The staff at Marquee were hard at work placing huge flags with the Marquee logo around the venue.  Marquee girls walked around with a variety of inflatable pool toys, and a sign that read “Markus Schulz” signaling that his performance was imminent.  As the flags swayed in the light wind, Schulz stepped up to the decks as the crowd gathered in anticipation and the Dexter theme slowly faded away.  With his headset on, and the Schulz army of fans surrounding the stage, it was finally time for the main event.  Schulz took the reigns, and the rest of the day became a dance party of epic proportions.

Recognized as one of the world’s best DJs in any arena, it became immediately evident that Schulz has a unique understanding of how to merge trance, the latest dance tracks, and other favorites from the world of music into a seamless blend that is ideal for the pool party experience.  Schulz is known for his deep trance sets and ability to control the dance floor.  He approaches the dayclub sets a little differently though than his normal nightclub routine.  Not afraid to mix in tracks that normally wouldn’t make the cut for an early morning nightclub set, Schulz has been known to drop tracks like Benny Benassi’s “Beautiful People” and other remixes that are not the norm in his repertoire.  On this day, he mixed in a few surprises such as a mix of Goyete’s “Somebody I Used To Know” and the Arty Remix of Ferry Corsten’s “Punk”.  “Punk” especially was a crowd mover.  As the tempo reached a fever pitch before the classic breakdown, the crowd was fully in Schulz’s hands.  It’s this very unique talent of being able to deliver a set that works in the middle of the day during a pool party but also stays grounded in the roots of trance, that sets Markus apart in this world.  Pool party sets are shorter, as the daylight only lasts so long in Las Vegas.  With a shorter set, there is less room to explore the rabbit hole, but a greater opportunity to absolutely take over the dance floor and crowd by continually hitting musical peaks.  Schulz was successful in this on Sunday in a way that few of his colleagues can achieve.

We were at DJ sets all weekend.  The nightclubs bring out a variety of party goers- some that love EDM and others just looking for a club to experience the Vegas nightlife in.  The difference is that at the dayclubs, no one stumbles in with varying assumptions as to what is about to occur.  These are the serious party people of Las Vegas, the ones who don’t wait for nightfall to pull out all the stops.  These are the fans that will see Markus Schulz anywhere, the clubbers that can party at any time, and the ones who truly get what Vegas is all about.  I pulled one of my colleagues aside during the Dayclub set, and asked him what he thought.  He had been to two nightclubs and another pool party that weekend, experiencing four different DJs and clubs that are all recognized as some of the world’s elite.  I asked him what he thought of this dayclub experience and Markus Schulz.  His answer was “simply the best!”.