Rave Hajj 2019, Part 2: Electric Daisy Carnival and Vegas Shenanigans

If you’ve made it this far, your tenacity is greatly appreciated.  You’re now familiar with the adventure of getting to EDC, but in this installment we delve into the adventure of the festival itself!

As you may recall, we left off with a Tuesday arrival in Las Vegas.  We drove straight to Nellis AFB, where we checked in to our delightful(ly inexpensive) lodging and home for the next week.  Sure, there’s drawbacks to not staying on the strip, but the benefits far outweigh them; the biggest of which being that we don’t have to deal with MASSIVE traffic or crowded/smelly shuttles on the way to and from the festival.  Add in the nice gesture many of the casinos offer of free parking for military members in their garages, and the short drive back and forth is well worth the cost savings.

After a few minor inconveniences regarding confusion around the reservation, room type, etc. we got everything ironed out and my beloved Gunter Sanchez was effectively emptied out completely (a feat which involved a good several trips back and forth).  Roof box and rack removed, we got freshened up and headed out to start the acclimation. What acclimation is that, you ask? What can I say, I’m not getting any younger, and it takes a bit of time to transition from days to nights.

First stop was a staple of any visit to Vegas—Lotus of Siam.  While we experienced some issues last time there, being hurried off our table despite a reservation, the second time around was much better. Two pieces of advice for Lotus of Siam:  One, do not give them your phone number for text message updates—they are RELENTLESS and replying with the usual “STOP” or similar messages does no good. Just opt out from the start and you’ll be much happier.  Two, there’s only one dish to have…Crispy Duck Khao Soi. Diners are requested to state a preferred level of heat (spice) from one to ten; I typically prefer it around a six or seven. It is absolutely magnificent on every level.

After Lotus, we opted to wander aimlessly around the strip for a bit, and eventually made our way back to Nellis to sleep in.

Wednesday’s itinerary—and every day of our time in Las Vegas—began with a workout at the EXTREMELY wonderful Nellis gym. After that, we made our way to some In-N-Out goodness, which made my inner fat kid SO HAPPY.  Upon completing our libations, we headed downtown and jumped in line at Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum. Without giving too much away, I have to say that while it’s expensive to get in, one has to remember that it’s also located in Las Vegas, so everything is expensive, and even with that in consideration it’s VERY much worth it.  There is a *LOT* to see there, many things you simply won’t see ANYWHERE else. Jack Kevorkian’s ACTUAL van, for example (yes, *THAT* van).

After that, some exploring and strip-walking was in order.  We parked at the Luxor, and stopped by the IHeartRaves pop-up store inside.  On the way we saw this absolutely exquisite pair of boots that….well, you probably won’t find these anywhere outside Las Vegas.  It’s a spectacular place.

After this….”experience”, we headed north along the strip, mostly people-watching and generally passing the time.  We found ourselves walking into the Paris, and what did I see but another member of my unit back in Maryland! He lamented an attempt to go up the Eiffel elevator to a bar for a drink, but was turned away as there was a private party occurring up there. We helped his party find another bar on the main floor, and then as we walked outside we heard the private party happening on the balcony above the doors; the DJ started talking to the crowd and we instantly recognized his very famous voice—it was Lil John.  Randomly DJ’ing a private party on the balcony of the Paris. Ah, Vegas.

The next day found us sleeping in VERY late (or at least as late as the F-15s and F-22s would let us).  After our date with the free weights and treadmills, we got cleaned up, found a cheap lunch, and—paraphrasing the immortal Vanessa Carlton—we made our way back downtown; specifically to the Park MGM for a meet-up with many other fellow Aging Ravers to wander the strip en masse.  I opted for a carry-along adult beverage (seriously, Vegas is fantastic) to keep cool in the desert heat (please don’t look up the weather report and realize it was upper 70s/lower 80s during the day, let me have this excuse).

After hanging out with our fellow ravers (some of whom came from the DC area, NONE of whom drove) we popped over to the Hershey store near New York New York:

Additional wandering found us taking part in a few more photo-ops along the way:

Eventually we remembered we’re old and headed back to the hotel; we made it well past midnight so the coming storm of EDC Day One would be mitigated enough.

And speaking of Day One….there weren’t really any opening acts—we rolled right into some big names.  Salvatore Ganacci, Above & Beyond, Aly & Fila, Eric Prydz, Tweekacore, Fisher, Glitch Mob, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Green Velvet, Wasted Penguinz, and Deadmau5 (though it has to be said…we only watched his set for about 10-15 minutes as he was disappointingly humdrum—no energy at all).  As for a description of the event itself? It’s absolutely epic. The stages are HUGE. There’s a massive fireworks display. There’s a midway with carnival rides, including both a log flume and a ferris wheel. There’s well over 150,000 people. THERE’S FUNNEL CAKES!!! Our flag for the day was “NO STEP ON SNEK”.

Temperatures were cooler than expected, though, and for Day Two, a bit of sensibility was needed.  So I threw on some jeans with my cat-riding-a-shark-vomiting-a-rainbow-in-space tank top.

Day Two also brought with it more absolutely massive sets from unbelievably accomplished artists, along with a new spin on the Gadsden Flag, starring General James Mattis (ret).  Acts included Chris Lake, Da Tweekaz, Darren Styles, Green Velvet & Claude Vonstroke (tag set), Infected Mushroom, System F (yes, the real original System F), Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Yolanda Be Cool, Sub Zero Project, Martin Garrix, John O’Callaghan and Tiesto.  Unfortunately, Day Two was cut short as extremely severe winds threatened to bring parts of stages and speakers crashing down on ravers, so they initially closed one stage, and then eventually closed the entire festival for the night (they opened it shortly after, once the wind had died down a bit, but dust in contact lenses and a general “not having fun right now” attitude brought on by the weather resulted in just heading back earlier than planned).

Day Three brought calmer weather, and with it much better vibes. Best of all was the absolutely MASSIVE Jolly Roger flag (and if that got in your face, my sincere apologies, but HOW COOL WAS IT?!?!?).

Performances we experienced included Armin Van Buuren, Brennan Heart, Chris Lake, Cosmic Gate, Dieselboy, Diplo, Illenium, LNY TNZ, Tritonal, and a lot of others as we walked around for 10-15 minutes here and there.  It was also the final night to experience the absolutely astonishing fireworks display.

Monday (surprise surprise) we slept in.  Then we spent a good portion of the day post-workout packing up the car.  Monday evening, however, was a chance to splurge and have a little stylish fun by getting dressed up fancy and hitting Le Cirque at the Bellagio for dinner.  They have a Michelin Star and it’s very well-deserved. Service was impeccable and the food was absolutely incredible. A great way to cap off another successful year of “Rave to the Grave”.

It was an early night though, as we awoke very early Tuesday to make our way out of the desert North and East into the Rockies.  And that, my friends, is where our adventure will continue in Part Three.