ON THE FLOOR
Day and night DJ Mag shares some EDM memories on a mad weekend in Las Vegas, taking in Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub and EDC along the way…
E
lectric Daisy Carnival’s presence in Las Vegas the last couple of years is just one byproduct of the recent “EDM”
boom in the desert city of sin. In the last few years, Vegas has risen up as an international clubbing destination with an almost alarmingly steep trajectory of success. One of the clubs that has paved the way for this, and that continues to push the boundaries, is Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub within The Cosmopolitan hotel. DJ Mag USA heads over during Electric Daisy Carnival week to investigate the power of Marquee, as it offers before, after, and during alternatives on the Strip from the behemoth spectacle of the EDC festival itself.
FAVOURITE FIVE FROM EDC WEEK...
NICOLE MOUDABER: Nicole Moudaber & Victor Calderone ‘The Journey Begins’ (Drumcode)
VICTOR CALDERONE: Pele, Shawnecy ‘Down Low’ (Get Physical)
BENNY BENASSI: Benny Benassi vs. The Doors ‘Hello, I Love You’ (still unfinished and unsigned)
SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO: Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano ‘Lethal Industry’ (Spinnin Records)
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The five-million-dollar club boasts the ultimate pool party area, brimming with cabanas and mini infinity pools, as well as a state-of-the-art nightclub for evening activity. We arrive on Thursday evening in time to see Benny Benassi play to a full room. Whether everyone there is starting their EDC experience early, or just in town for the city’s clubs and casinos is uncertain, but they lap up every track booming out of the impressive Funktion One rig regardless. “I really enjoyed playing the Marquee,” Benassi says later. “This club is amazing, the soundsystem is the bomb and the LED screens are incredible. The sound and lights always blend well.” The next few days are a blur between the Dayclub, Nightclub, and of course, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC). Staying on the same floor as Marquee, we are rarely given respite from the distant thump of bass from almost nonstop programming. One highlight includes seeing the Dayclub so crowded for Avicii on Saturday afternoon that the nightclub opens its doors and pumps their set through the speakers to make room for everyone. DJ Mag USA has rarely seen this kind of unbridled, relentless energy elsewhere, both in front of and behind the decks. We ask Marquee residents Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, who play sister club TAO that week, to provide some insight. “Usually you have a residency somewhere and play to the same core people, but it’s not like that here. Every week you have a different crowd,” Sunnery explains. “The way they go out clubbing here, as compared to Europe,
has so much energy and everyone is so outgoing. It’s good for the scene!”
But what about playing devil’s advocate for a moment? This is, after all, a city with barely any dance music history and a transient population, that holds its high spenders above everything else. Is, what on first glance looks like the ultimate party, nothing more than a fairly ersatz, greed-powered version of Ibiza or Miami? It’s easy to feel skeptical about it all. That is, of course, until we attend the Monday pool party at Marquee. This daytime party differs massively from the previous ones, in that it is both free and its line-up is considerably more underground than most during EDC week. DJ Mag USA arrives during Nicole Moudaber’s set of afternoon-friendly low-slung house and we’re delighted to see the Dayclub full and dancing. “I think I had a good crowd in there that got what I was trying to do,” Moudaber says with positivity. “Two years from now I think we’ll be looking at a crowd that is pretty clued-up and understands more underground music as well. It’s already starting to build up and people are getting more in tune with the music.”
Victor Calderone, who follows with a well-received set that is rooted in New York City’s legacy of deep techno and house, is also hopeful. “My experiences here have been disappointing in the past, but I think it’s changing,” he confirms. “Five or six years ago, hip-hop was the dominant sound here, so it’s great to see that the casinos are supporting the electronic dance music scene. I’m positive that
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Victor Calderone
techno will soon have a real place here.” We discuss this as DJ Mag USA favourite, and Monday Dayclub headliner, Danny Tenaglia hits the open-minded crowd with everything from Blake Baxter to New Order. He also takes a moment on the mic to clarify his alleged claim of retiring and informs us that he is still playing North American dates and merely taking a small break from overseas touring whilst working on new projects. “I want to make clear that I NEVER said the words ‘I am retiring’ and in my heart I honestly feel that as long as I am able to hear and function, my purpose will be to entertain people with music.” Everyone cheers as if they’ve been Tenaglia fans for a while, and suddenly it makes perfect sense. If more promoters here do as Marquee has done today, this scene will grow further and still more than hold its own against the world’s clubbing Meccas. ZARA WLADAWSKY
Pics: BRENTON HO/AL POWERS/ERIK KABIK/RETNA/
RUKES.COM
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