UMF Recap: Expect The Ultra-Unexpected

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As it turned out, the fanny pack was a great choice.

I survived Ultra weekend 1 without losing any valuables (sympathies go out to my best friend who lost her iPhone), managed not to sustain any major injuries (unlike my painful spring break at Nippers Bar), and overall had a hell of a first-time experience.

If I break down the weekend in terms of the things I was most excited for last week, I can’t say everything matched up to my expectations, but then again, when does it ever?

In terms of the attire, I was spot on, there was definitely tons of self expression…although I can understand why I saw so many adults cringe in the metro station when the throngs of Ultra goers would pour through. Most girls I saw could have used a bit more clothing. Or maybe just some form of pants in general.

When it came to meeting new people, it was surprisingly kind of a struggle. Yes, there were people there from all over the world (judging by all the different languages I heard, I may have to challenge UMF’s estimate of there only being people from 80 countries in attendance), but the sense of unity I expected to feel was absent. During each set, the air was filled with vibes of one-ness and the magical feeling of sharing an experience with the thousands of people grooving next to you, but virtually as soon as the music would fade out, it was like back to being in a packed subway on a really hot afternoon in New York City.

Overcrowded. Smelly. Hostile.

People came from all over the world to be with the people they came with and hear the music they wanted to hear; my Woodstock-turned-dance-music visions could not have been farther from the reality of the event. The most interaction I had with people other than my friends was getting hit on by intoxicated middle-aged men, people shouting profanities while they tried to push past me to get to the front of the stage, and a person of an unknown gender in a rhinestone spandex jumpsuit whispering “Today’s the day,” in my ear outside of a port-a-potty. Heart warming, right?

My original thought that “Everyone is there for same reasons: to jam to the most incredible EDM and have a ridiculously amazing time,” turned out to be untrue. Maybe 70% of people are there for the same reasons. The rest of the people didn’t seem to know why they were there at all. I witnessed Ultra-goers standing in crowds just looking around bewildered with expressions that said “What the hell am I doing here?” and people staring at their phones for 1-2 hours during full sets, clearly not enjoying the music and clearly not having an amazing time and people so incredibly out of their minds on cocktails of drugs and alcohol that it was as if they were just cardboard cutouts placed in the sea of people. At one point, during an absolutely incredible set by Hardwell, a brace-faced girl that looked no old than 12, practically passed out on top of me because she was so intoxicated. It made me ask myself, is this the kind of scene people that young are being drawn into?

To touch on what Gytis discussed in his article “Daft Punk and the State of Dance Music in America”, I felt as if there were a whole lot people there because EDM is the “cool” music to listen to right now and Ultra is the “cool” thing to do, not because they really had any passion for the music or emotional investment in the experience.

Technology-wise, I was blown away. The main stage was work of art, a masterpiece of LED brushstrokes and a brilliant color palette of laser-produced pigments. Every DJ had an amazing production of lights that coordinated effortlessly with their music and immersed you fully into each unique listening experience. Donning refraction glasses to make the lights more intense was unnecessary; each show provided enough visual stimulation to mesmerize even the most easily distracted. During Bassnectar, you could feel the vibrations of every drop and the video mash-ups including one of fellow Ultra artist Azeilia Banks had the crowd going wild. The Space Ibiza stage was like dancing in a radical spaceship of dazzling light, color and sound (Yeah, that cool). There was a moment during David Guetta’s finale on Sunday night that I had to check with the people around me to make sure the ceiling of the arena was actually moving and I wasn’t just losing my mind from three days of straight jamming.

You know how more often than not, you try to show someone a funny YouTube video and the moment gets totally ruined when it won’t buffer and keeps freezing? (This happens almost every time I try and share the true joy of Ultimate Dog Tease). Technology snafus have become a regular annoyance that we simply grunt about and then move on. Unfortunately for AfroJack, when his music suddenly cut out mid-set, people had very little patience with the technology gaffs they deal with on a regular basis. Instead of realizing that a technological production of this caliber is bound to have a minor slip up, people around me started boo-ing and although the music was only stopped for a few moments, when it started back up the vibrant energy of the crowd was lost. He dropped brand new music to a sea of people who were all grumbling to each other or glued back to their cell phones. I must admit, I expected a little more empathy from a crowd filled with a generation of people who know how unpredictable technology can be.

So, after three days immersed in the world of Ultra Music Festival, it’s back to reality in Gainesville. Although I’ve retired the fanny pack, the experience is still lingering with me. Some physical: my ears are still ringing, I’m still exhausted, and I’m still automatically bobbing my head to the Madeon set replaying in my head. But mostly mental: the weekend didn’t match my expectations, but I’m floored with my incredible first time Ultra experience and can’t help but wondering if maybe, just maybe, I could score a ticket for next weekend too. Expect the unexpected, right?

(Photo: Joey Timmer)

Hardwell live at Ultra Music Festival 2013