Electric Daisy Fest back on after wind Issues

LAS VEGAS, June 10 (UPI) -- Organizers of the Electric Daisy Carnival outdoor music festival in Las Vegas said the show would wrap up Sunday night after being delayed by bad weather.
The music was shut down overnight Saturday when the wind picked up at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and raised fears that the stage and rigging could become unstable.
The festival said in a written statement the show's final day would resume Sunday evening. "Our top priority has always been fan safety and we expect that Mother Nature will be more cooperative tomorrow as we prepare for an amazing day three," said Pasquale Rotella, CEO of Insomniac, the organizers of the electronic music festival that runs during the overnight hours
The Las Vegas Sun said winds began gaining strength around 8 p.m. MDT Saturday night and reached about 30 miles per hour, prompting the evacuation of some 115,000 music fans from the seats.

Tiesto interview: 'Simon Cowell not capable of finding next Huge DJ'

Now 18 years into his career, the DJ is still riding the wave of success, performing in some of the world's most prestigious venues. With his new single 'We Own the Night' currently scaling the charts, Digital Spy caught up with the star to find out the secret of his enduring popularity.

Hello Tiesto! What are you up to this evening?
"I'm just eating some soup, but I'm gigging tonight at the LG Arena in Birmingham."

That's a massive venue. Do you prefer playing to larger crowds?
"I love big venues. I like smaller ones too, but it's been a while since I've played in England so it's nice to do a big one."

How do you find your British fans?
"I love them. They are always very educated when it comes to dance music and they love my music, so it's a win-win situation."

You recently polled at number three on DJ Magazine's Top 100 popularity poll this year after 18 years in the business. What's the secret to remaining so popular?
"I don't know what the secret is, but I just do my thing. I didn't even promote myself during the voting for that poll, so it's an honor that people appreciate my music. I think the secret is that fans know I'm real and see that I'm in the music business for the right reasons."

You finished behind David Guetta and Armin van Buuren. Are you a fan of them?
"Not necessarily a fan - I mean everyone has their own style of music and I would never play the same music that David Guetta or Armin does. I think my taste is more in the direction of Afrojack and Swedish House Mafia."

What do you make of Avicii and Calvin Harris?
"I love those guys - Calvin Harris is amazing. He's an amazing producer, an amazing DJ and an amazing person. I went on tour with Calvin and Afrojack in Australia and we get along really well."

You've teamed up with Skoda to play a string of intimate shows across Europe this summer - can we expect you to perform on top of one of the cars as well?
"I actually did that a couple of weeks ago! They supplied a custom-made Skoda which opened up and speakers came out. It was like being a part of Transformers. It was really cool! The car is nice and I only like endorsements that are organically fitting."

Simon Cowell is currently putting together a new reality show to find the world's next great DJ. Would you consider being a judge?
"Yeah, I would actually. Only if we could do it in the way I like it. I would make sure a DJ would look good and I'm not sure if Simon's capable to do that. He's done an amazing job on Idol and all those shows, but for a DJ to look good on television in three to five minutes isn't easy. DJs need hours, so I can't get my head around how it would look on television.

So you don't think it's a good idea?
"If we could find a way to make it work, it will be a really cool show. Most of the time - at the Grammys for example - a DJ will perform with just their hands in the air because they can't do anything and that makes it a little awkward, I think."

What kind of judge would you be?
"I would be very honest. I would never slaughter somebody because that's unnecessary, but I'd be critical in a positive way."

© ITV

What qualities make for a world-class DJ?
"They have to make great music and be a great producer. They have to know how to rock a crowd and have charisma and passion."

You recently released Club Life vol 2, but when can we expect your next full record?
"I'm not sure. Because the Club Life collections are so successful, I think I'm actually going to stick with them for now. I have so many tracks lying around and so I'm going to see later in the year whether I want to do another studio album or a mix compilation."

Just like older generations remain fond of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, do you think in a few decades' time today's youth will still love dance music into their retirement?
"No, I think it will be different. The old people 30 years from now will still love the older songs they recognize, but dance music is so young and consumerist that after a few months you get tired of it. Even if you hear it a couple of years later you're like, 'Hmmm, I'm not sure'. I always like to listen to new music and I don't really like to listen to old tracks."

At what age do you think your passion for dance music will mellow, if ever?
"Yeah, that's a good question! So far, not so much. I love dance music and I love to perform still. I actually love it more than ever before because I don't have any pressure anymore. I have everything that I want and so I now do it for the love of music. I enjoy gigs and knowing that people still love my music after all these years."bylewiscorner

EDC Taking Las Vegas by storm

This weekend, Las Vegas will host its second Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC). But the world's biggest electronic music dance party is already taking the town by storm.

"I decided to come early, to enjoy Las Vegas," says Tracy Beyer. "I brought a couple thousand dollars. I want to do some gambling, catch some shows, and of course hit up some of the EDC pre-parties."

Ticket sales show this year's EDC will be about 50 percent larger than last year's which infused about $136 million into our local economy. An estimated 345,000 people will be attending the three-day event.

"You think of the music, the raves, the lights and the action," Beyer describes. "There's no better place than Vegas for all that energy."

Most of the hotels on the Strip are booked solid this weekend. Room rates are priced at almost five times the average weekend rate.

But the EDC isn't the only big event drawing a huge crowd. This Saturday marks a big fight night.
Manny Pacquiao is set to take on Tim Bradley at the MGM Grand Arena. It's expected to bring a whole different group of visitors and additional source of revenue.

"Based on the number of people who purchase tickets for the fight, they spend about $10 million while they're here, and that's not including gambling," says Hetty Chang with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.bykatiecrowther

Electric Daisy Fest Traffic Info

We want your drive to and from the Motor Speedway for EDC to go smoothly so here are some tips and routes for getting there, parking, and departing the venue. You can also purchase a shuttle pass for hassle-free transportation here.

Inbound Traffic Tips

Local residents:
LVMS suggests using I-15 North to exit 58 (Apex) – Stay in the passing lane on I-15 north and travel past exit 54. Take a right on Las Vegas Blvd (exit 58 – Apex) and use Entry #9 for access to Yellow lot or Entry #3 for access to Brown lot. Hint – the Yellow lot and the Brown lot clear the quickest after the event.

Guests Staying On The Las Vegas Strip:
There are 2 northbound lanes approaching LVMS on I-15, pick the lane with the least amount of cars all the way to Exit 54. Once on the exit 54 ramp, use the far-left lane or the center lane for direct access into Blue Lot. Hint – Vehicles in the shoulder lane will be checked for parking passes at the end of the ramp. If you do not have a parking pass, use the center lane or left-hand lane.

Guests Staying In Downtown Las Vegas:
LVMS suggests using Las Vegas Blvd north all the way to the speedway. Take Las Vegas Blvd north to Entry #3 for access into Brown Lot or Entry #7 for access into Red lot. Hint – Las Vegas Blvd will have very few cars early in the evening.

Motorcycle Parking:
Use I-15 northbound to exit 54, all motorcycles will be parked on asphalt in the A section of Blue lot. Enter from the rear of the lot using Wally Parks Lane and follow the signs to Motorcycle Parking. Do not attempt to enter via Speedway Blvd.

Handicap Parking:
Use I-15 north to exit 54, all vehicles with authorized handicap plates or placards will be parked in the A section of Blue lot. Simply follow the signs to the marked handicapped parking stalls. As an alternative you can travel north on Las Vegas Blvd to Entry #8 and turn left at the handicap parking sign.

Valet Paprking:
This year a $20 valet lot will be available. There are 2 northbound lanes approaching LVMS on I-15, pick the lane with the least amount of cars all the way to Exit 54. Once on the exit 54 ramp, use the far-left lane or the center lane for direct access into Blue Lot. Follow the signage to the Valet Lot.

Guest Drop-off & Pick-up:
Take Las Vegas Blvd north to Entry #5 for access into the Guest Drop-off and Pick-up Lot. Please DO NOT drop your guests off on Las Vegas Blvd. The lot is open for the entire event and is a short distance away from the event ticket gates. Hint – Las Vegas Blvd will have very few cars early in the evening.


Departure Routes
Departure From Blue Lot:
Exit out of parking gates 12-13-14-15. Traffic will be directed west on Speedway Blvd for access to I-15.

Departure From Brown Lot Or Red Lot:
Exit out of parking gate 3 or 6 and turn right. You will be directed south on Las Vegas Blvd.

Departure From Yellow Lot:
Vehicles parked in the Yellow lot will be directed north out of parking gate 9 to Apex. Take I-15 south for access back to Las Vegas. Hint – if you are a local resident, take the C.C. 215 Beltway exit. Follow the Beltway to U.S. 95 for access anywhere in the Valley.
Departure From Valet Lot:
Vehicles departing the valet lot will be directed east on Speedway Blvd. From there take a right onto Las Vegas Blvd at parking gate #8. If you need to get back on I-15 simply make a right turn on Craig Rd or Cheyenne Ave and you are less than 3 miles from the Interstate.

Venue Map EDC Las Vegas

Eletctric Zoo Single Day Passes On Sale Now

Story Behind The Name Deadmau5

The Grammy-nominated producer has become a fixture in the international dance music scene, known for speaker-rattling tracks such as "Ghosts N Stuff" and "Strobe." Earlier this year, the DJ explained the origin of his singular name to MTV News as a headliner at this year's Winter Music Conference in Miami.

"Long story short, a mouse went into my computer and died, and I found him in there when I was changing my video card," he said. After news of the incident lit up chat rooms and blogs, "everyone just started calling me 'that dead mouse guy' because of he story, and it just stuck. And the 5 was because I couldn't spell out D-E-A-D-M-O-U-S-E because it was too long to have as a name in the chat room, so I had to trim a character, so I was just like, whatever, and I put a 5 in there and it stuck."