Events Next 30 Days – 18+
Electric Daisy Carnival: David Guetta, Kaskade, Run DMT, Ed Rush & Optical, UZ, Nadastrom, and others
Fri., May 24, 5 p.m.Fairs & Festivals
The Electric Daisy Carnival has its roots in the 90s underground rave scene in southern California, but since the 2008 edition—which by the estimate of its promoter, Insomnia, brought out 65,000 attendees, or twice the expected number—it’s become the preeminent name-brand festival in stateside EDM culture. Every year it expands into new cities, and this year is its inaugural Chicago edition. True to the Electric Daisy Carnival’s reputation as a mecca for spray-tanned cornballs, the bill features a busload of the world’s most mainstream-famous superstar DJs, including Tiesto, David Guetta, Avicii, and Kaskade. But lower on the bill the organizers have booked a number of acts that will appeal to the discerning dance-music fan, among them the psychedelically slanted Run DMT, legendary drum ’n’ bass DJs Ed Rush & Optical, modern house visionary L-Vis 1990, trap-music phenomenon UZ, Chicago juke godfather DJ Gant-Man, and D.C.-born, LA-based DJ-and-production duo Nadastrom, who laid much of the groundwork for the moombahton sound that’s begun creeping up from the underground toward the pop charts. —Miles Raymer
$175 three-day pass, $295 three-day pass plus camping
815-722-5500
Electric Daisy Carnival: Avicii, Armin van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Cassy, Culture Shock, and others
Sat., May 25, 5 p.m.Fairs & Festivals
The Electric Daisy Carnival has its roots in the 90s underground rave scene in southern California, but since the 2008 edition—which by the estimate of its promoter, Insomnia, brought out 65,000 attendees, or twice the expected number—it’s become the preeminent name-brand festival in stateside EDM culture. Every year it expands into new cities, and this year is its inaugural Chicago edition. True to the Electric Daisy Carnival’s reputation as a mecca for spray-tanned cornballs, the bill features a busload of the world’s most mainstream-famous superstar DJs, including Tiesto, David Guetta, Avicii, and Kaskade. But lower on the bill the organizers have booked a number of acts that will appeal to the discerning dance-music fan, among them the psychedelically slanted Run DMT, legendary drum ’n’ bass DJs Ed Rush & Optical, modern house visionary L-Vis 1990, trap-music phenomenon UZ, Chicago juke godfather DJ Gant-Man, and D.C.-born, LA-based DJ-and-production duo Nadastrom, who laid much of the groundwork for the moombahton sound that’s begun creeping up from the underground toward the pop charts. —Miles Raymer $175 three-day pass, $295 three-day pass plus camping
Anamanaguchi, Chrome Sparks, Infinity Shred, Sharpless
Sat., May 25, 9 p.m.Rock, Pop, Etc
The sophomore album from prolific chiptune band Anamanaguchi, Endless Fantasy, is an endurance test. Yes, you could probably parlay that statement into a load of analogies to eight-bit video games, but the more relevant fact is that listening to 22 songs of glitchy synths, galloping rhythms, and what occasionally amounts to Nintendo-based dubstep—the title track has its fair share of “drops”—is like parking in front of an orchestra of strobe lights for nearly 80 minutes. But that’s the idea, of course. A band that develops an instrumental pop sound based on digging into a Game Boy and deforming its insides probably isn’t concerned with mass appeal so much as with developing and mastering its own eccentricities. That’s not to say Endless Fantasy doesn’t have some catchy numbers—my favorites are the too-fun “Meow,” which takes its name from the sound it cartoonishly mimics, and the clubby guest-vocal jam “Prom Night.” Think of them like power-ups to help get you through the album’s seriously schizo levels. —Kevin Warwick Chrome Sparks, Infinity Shred, and Sharpless open.
$12
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Yoko & the Oh No's, Ye Ye's, Absolutely Not
Sat., May 25, 9 p.m.Rock, Pop, Etc
Barber Greene, On Again Off Again, Everything's Alright, Sunjacket
Sat., May 25, 8 p.m.Rock, Pop, Etc
Electric Daisy Carnival: Tiesto, L-Vis 1990, Sebastian Ingrosso, Dash Berlin, Popof, and others
Sun., May 26, 5 p.m.Fairs & Festivals
The Electric Daisy Carnival has its roots in the 90s underground rave scene in southern California, but since the 2008 edition—which by the estimate of its promoter, Insomnia, brought out 65,000 attendees, or twice the expected number—it’s become the preeminent name-brand festival in stateside EDM culture. Every year it expands into new cities, and this year is its inaugural Chicago edition. True to the Electric Daisy Carnival’s reputation as a mecca for spray-tanned cornballs, the bill features a busload of the world’s most mainstream-famous superstar DJs, including Tiesto, David Guetta, Avicii, and Kaskade. But lower on the bill the organizers have booked a number of acts that will appeal to the discerning dance-music fan, among them the psychedelically slanted Run DMT, legendary drum ’n’ bass DJs Ed Rush & Optical, modern house visionary L-Vis 1990, trap-music phenomenon UZ, Chicago juke godfather DJ Gant-Man, and D.C.-born, LA-based DJ-and-production duo Nadastrom, who laid much of the groundwork for the moombahton sound that’s begun creeping up from the underground toward the pop charts. —Miles Raymer $175 three-day pass, $295 three-day pass plus camping
Electric Daisy Carnival: Above & Beyond, Benny Benassi, David Guetta, Kaskade, Michael Mayer, and others
5/24-5/26, Fri-Sun 5 PM-4 AMMusic Festivals, Fairs & Festivals
Dust off your glow sticks and plastic baby pacifier 'cause we've got ourselves a rave to hit up at the Electric Daisy Carnival, a three-day EDM extravaganza in Joliet (note: campsites are available for day-sleeping). Big names like David Guetta, Nadastrom, Tiesto, and Empire of the Sun perform while you dance like a spaz and kiss a bunch of strangers.
$175 three-day regular admission, $295 three-day regular + camping
Murder Junkies, Fighting for Scraps, Sleeze, Morons, Last Chance Boyz
Sun., May 26, 7:30 p.m.Rock, Pop, Etc
