After Friday’s multi-genre affair, day two of Miami’s Ultra Music Festival got back to the basics of what the festival is all about: DJs, DJs and more beat-bouncing DJs. Bicentennial Park was a bit more packed and bursting with the enchanted energy of old-school rave.
Saturday wasn’t about just these mainstage acts — it was about the heart of DJ world. Even the tiniest tents were full of newbie DJs trying to cut a break, and all were shown love. Hardly more than a pop-up tent, most were surrounded by the supportive funk sway of festivalgoers. All glow sticks, neon hair and platforms aside, it’s obvious that the crowd was there for the electronic DJs.
Timbaland hit the stage in between fan favorites the Prodigy and Paul Van Dyk. The audience halfheartedly bobbed to the beats of “Sexyback.” Timbaland’s performance was announced on Thursday — an early taste of Shock Value 2, due laster this year. It is undeniably on the forefront of hip-hop, adapting dance music technology and dance sounds. Introducing such an innovative producer to the largest electronic-centric event did stabilize the inventive interaction between the urban and electronic genres that Timbaland so proudly supports. But Tim couldn’t pull the weight of Paul Van Dyk or even the Prodigy.
This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2009.
Wish I be there to see it all. Thanks for keeping us in the know…that sounds so much better than lame Ohio right now!
I agree with the poster above! Cleveland is the city that rocks, but we don’t have any major music festivals…thanks for the coverage!