Tomorrowland 2013 Experience

Tomorrowland 2013... how do I even begin to explain my experience..? It was absolutely incredible. There is no other place in the world like Tomorrowland. For EDM lovers everywhere, this is paradise. It hurts to write this blog, because it's only a reminder that it's all over and I'm not there anymore.

I've been so lucky to be able to experience an event that some people can only dream about. I held my Canadian flag up high (although I wished I had brought a bigger one) and watched hundreds of other flags up in the air as we all sang and danced to the songs we all know and love.

If you don't know what Tomorrowland is, GTFO. Just kidding, let me introduce you to the world of amazingness that is Tomorrowland.

Tomorrowland is a GIANT electronic music festival that occurs every year (July) in Boom, Belgium, a small town located between Brussels and Antwerp. Like I said, it is an electronic dance music festival and they have all sorts of electronic music: trance, dubstep, dnb, house, progressive, hardstyle,... The festival takes place for three days, starting at around noon and ending around midnight/1 AM. Hundreds of DJs perform on the multiple stages of Tomorrowland. And let me tell you, there are multiple stages. Some are so small, some are in a tunnel, and some are so gigantic that you will be overwhelmed. Whatever type of electronic music you are into, there will be something for any EDM lover out there.

This festival is quite possibly the most anticipated festival in the world at the moment. Tickets are nearly impossible for some to get and they sell out within minutes of release. People from over 200-something countries attend. It's absolutely incredible the number of people proudly holding their flags. There's nothing like Tomorrowland to unite everyone together.

It would take me ages to explain all the details of Tomorrowland. Let me just point out some of the highlights:

• It was an absolute breeze to get in. You just scan your Tomorrowland bracelet, and you're in. No line, no fuss.

• The energy of the crowd is incredible. Especially near the front of the main stage where people are going crazy. You can get high off of the energy alone. You don't even need alcohol or drugs. Just being there will get you buzzed like never before.

• Everyone is chill and friendly. Never saw one fight happening, and everyone just wants to mingle with everyone. People love us Canadians, so it definitely wasn't hard. We met people from all over the world: UK, US, Australia, Israel, Germany, Ireland, etc... So if you go, make sure you bring a flag to represent where you're from. 

• Hardwell. 'Nuff said. 

• The light show and the fireworks at night in the mainstage was the most incredible I've ever seen in a music festival. I've been to my share of EDM events and the light show at Tomorrowland (not surprisingly) is on a whole new level. (These pictures do NOT do justice. The video above is a little better.)

• The selection of food was pretty decent. But keep in mind that before this, I had never really been to a day-time music festival before, so I don't really have anything to compare to. There was a pretty good number of different food vendors (below is a picture of the "veggie burger" I had twice). I do have a little complaint about the water bottles they give out though. Those tiny little water bottles do not last to save my life. I had to constantly refill them! Next year, PLEASE have bigger water bottles (at least 500 ml).

• All the DJs perform their best at Tomorrowland. Since it's such a highly anticipated, watched and marketed event, this is the best time for them to show the world all they've got. You can bet that the sets I heard were incredible. Here's a pretty decent shot of Alesso, after I somehow ended up in the middle of the crowd! Woot! 

Anyway, that was a VERY brief overview of my experience at Tomorrowland 2013. I may do a recap of each of the three days. But that might be too depressing for my poor little heart to handle... I will just have to wait for next year to come... 

p.s. Please let me know if you have any questions or requests for more info :) I'd be more than happy to help. 

Thanks for reading, 

The Rosatron

Electric Zoo 2013 Cancelled: My Thoughts

I've been reading up on the whole Electric Zoo fiasco about how they had to cancel the last day of the event due to supposed "Ecstasy-related" deaths that occurred at the event. As much as I understand the concern that parents may have, it really urks me that these events constantly get blamed for dangerous activities and heightened drug use. Is it true that drug use is common in these festivals? Absolutely. There is no denying it. I've been to enough of these festivals and raves to know that drugs are very common. But do you know what other drug is even more commonly used? ALCOHOL.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 80,000 deaths annually in the United States attributed to excessive alcohol use. Not only that, it is supposedly the THIRD leading lifestyle related cause of death in the country. People die DAILY due to alcohol poisoning, yet do we ever see any events, bars, concerts or clubs being shut down due to alcohol? No, of course not. Because alcohol is socially and politically acceptable, whereas "Molly" is just another party drug.

I'm not suggesting that there is no danger associated with Ecstasy or Molly. Just like ANY DRUG, legal or illegal, prescription or street, there is always going to be potential harm. So why is it that when MOLLY is involved, they shut down a very highly anticipated music festival when there are THOUSANDS of party-goers who party responsibly?

Shutting down huge events like this due to TWO Ecstasy related deaths is just a slap in the face to EDM lovers everywhere. How many people were attending this event? THOUSANDS. If there were two people who died due to alcohol poisoning, would it even make headlines? Would we even associate the event with the excessive alcohol use? It is as if the only thing that is associated with the electronic dance music scene is Molly and the public believes that every single person who goes to these festivals is going to be overdosing.

I could go on and on forever and get into the politics of drug legalization, etc..., but my main points are these:

1. Do not demonize an entire group of people just because of the misjudgements of a few.
   
2. Please recognize the hypocrisy of our alcohol obsessed culture when it comes to "illegal" drugs. It's all a political game, and the legalization of a drug does NOT make it any safer.

3. Do your own research and PLEASE USE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY when attending these events. Whether or not you want to use drugs is your own choice and your own responsibility. Also remember that you don't NEED to do drugs to have fun at these festivals. You can get high off of the energy of the crowd and the music alone.

What do you think of music festivals or raves being cancelled due to a few isolated incidents? Do you think it's justified? Let us know!

An Introduction

Hi there, welcome to our brand new blog! We are Rose and Cani, two girls from Canada who love EDM and everything to do with it. In this blog, we will be writing about our own experiences at big music festivals and raves (We both attended EDC Vegas this year and last year, and Rose is still recovering from Tomorrowland 2013 withdrawals), reviews of different shows and DJs, our advice and tips for surviving music festivals, and basically anything else that comes to mind.

If you are an EDM lover, festival goer, house junkie, trance addict, or all of the above, please follow us and join us in Alk3mi.