Lasers and lingerie: 40000 dance the weekend away with Skrillex at Dallas …
December 29, 2014 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
Like an army, the millenials came by the thousands, dressed in neon and dipped in glitter. And they came with one intention — to dance the weekend away at Dallas’ Lights All Night music festival.
Lights All Night celebrated its fifth year December 26-27 to the tune of the world’s most prestigious DJs and a sold out crowd of 40,000 inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown.
Whether they were there for a specific artist or to simply indulge in the experience, attendees were not disappointed — Lights All Night is something of a mindless party where the fun is so infectious, you may not realize its effects until your dancing muscles are sore and shaking.
A huge contributing factor is the production, which cost upwards of $2.5 million this year, according to co-founder Scott Osburn.
Organizers gave the two main stages facelifts to make the festival flashier than ever before. Eleven LED boards sent colors pulsating end-to-end in one area. Another stage set the DJs atop an LED-wrapped pyramid flanked by tiny, mesh-like lights. Lasers pierced the swells of fog as the bass thumped, rattling the entire venue like a wave of rolling thunder.
This year’s headliners hit several subgenres of electronic dance music. Skrillex entertained Friday night with rowdy dubstep set that included a Star Wars tribute and energetic showmanship, as the DJ bounced between playing behind the decks and commanding the crowd from on top of his equipment.
Electro-house producer Zedd, contrarily, captivated crowds with a more melodic, though no less powerful, performance, featuring remixes of popular songs like Magic’s “Rude” and Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be.”
Saturday, UK-based Disclosure played a techno-heavy hour-and-a-half before Armin Van Buuren closed the night with his hugely popular style of trance.
One standout was duo Odezsa, which provided a reprieve from the billowing bass with a chill downtempo set. But the festival’s biggest surprise was Oliver Heldens, who won me over with his groovy take on house music.
It was also a good weekend for hip-hop fans, as many DJs reimagined tracks that spurred crowd-wide sing alongs, including Crizzly’s rendition of “Chain Hang Low,” Oliver Heldens’ take on “Return of the Mack” and Disclosure’s feature of “Ms. Jackson.”
Perhaps the only letdown was Chromeo’s uninspired DJ set Friday that did little to lure crowds from Skrillex’s orbit. (I didn’t even stick around long enough to hear an original Chromeo tune.)
If the lights and lasers weren’t enough, people watching provided ample entertainment. Ravers paraded around the convention center in fluffy boots, fishnets, lingerie, full-body animal suits, tutus, tights, Indian headdresses, and other homemade costumes.
First time attendee Raina Culwell, 20, said fashion is one of her favorite things about EDM culture. She wore a skimpy Little Red Riding Hood outfit, and lauded Lights All Night as a “judgment-free zone” where “everyone embraces you.”
And that’s true – between the inquiries for hugs, high-fives and to share a dance, Lights All Night is an easy place to make friends. If spotted alone, someone would immediately approach to ask if you were OK, where your friends were and if you’d like to tag along with their group. Attendees also extended gratitude to cops and security at the venue with handshakes and “kandi,” beaded bracelets exchanged to symbolize peace, love, unity and respect (PLUR).
The positive energy didn’t quell the scene’s notorious drug use, however. Taking a breather in the lobby meant likely seeing someone rushed to the medical room in a wheelchair or gurney. (Officials onsite were not able to comment the number of medical incidents.)
Despite those issues, Lights All Night created an immersive two-day dance party unparalleled in the region. If the confetti-strewn floors and beaming faces were any indication, it may be one of the best places to celebrate the end of the year for many more to come.
