Well, we did it. North Coast Music Festival is a relatively rain-free wrap. The glitter, rage sticks and neon-colored tutus are going back in the closet for another year as festival season comes to a close in Chicago. What did we learn this summer, the first that offered real competition with other EDM-focused fests like Spring Awakening and Wavefront? Perhaps it's that excess is not always a good thing. By the end of the day yesterday, after having attending both the previously mentioned festivals and other dance music events throughout the summer, I was exhausted and, quite frankly, a little womped and wobbled out. We certainly went out with a bang though.
Photo by Steve Stearns
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— Katie Karpowicz /
(Photo by Steve Stearns)
If you learn one thing at North Coast festival, it's that people love to put things on giant sticks at dance festivals. Everything from handmade signs to stuffed animals to blowup dolls, if it's weird and covered in glitter, it probably has a stick shoved up it. The difference between North Coast and Lollapalooza (and really Pitchfork at this point) is that North Coast is still very much a niche festival. That's why you'll see the crazy club outfits, the odd things on sticks, and for better or for worse, the large amount of people selling club drugs right outside the gate. To the outsider it's a surreal culture shock if one happens to stumble into the body glitter and fur boot crowd around Union Park this weekend. - Lisa White
There's something weird in the air at North Coast this year. I can't quite tell what it is. When describing this festival I expected to be using words like "raging" and "wild." Instead, so far the words that are coming to mind are "mellow" and "uneventful."
Excision's set at 4:45pm was the first of the day that I anticipated. The Canadian DJ's beat-making is almost mechanic, both in its metallic, glitchy sound and its formulaic composition of swoops, drops and flows. Technically, this had all the makings of a wildly insane dance party. Except the energy never seemed to live up to what I expected. Excision was great however, save for a steady wave of arms bumping to the beat, there was little crowd reaction to match that performance. Maybe it was the overcast backdrop. Maybe it had something to do with a certain herbal scent that constantly hung in the air. Or maybe, quite simply, it was just too darn packed to cut loose.
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— Katie Karpowicz /
Maybe I'm getting older or maybe it's a case of having to be on the same drugs, but each year I tend to get more baffled by the crowd at North Coast, mesmerized by the fashion, behavior, and dedication these fans bring to Union Park each summer. Blinded by neon and/or a stray glow stick flying at your face, the three day festival is a true testament to the popularity of dance music, all while throwing in a good dose of jam, hip hop, and rock. So grab some funnel cake, expect to be covered in body glitter, and rave the night away. -Lisa White
One of my favorite things about this festival is its absolute dedication to diversity. At first glance, you could claim that North Coast is nothing more than a bunch of DJs, some jams bands and a couple choice rappers. For the most part though, each artist offers a sound unique and independent from the last. My first day at NCMF '12 went from funky to crunk to crazy to mellow to dance-arific in the span of a mere five hours. -Katie Karpowicz
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— Lisa White /
It's back again: North Coast Music Festival, one of our favorite festivals of the summer. In fact, it's one of the last until we're engulfed in cold weather once again. If you've got tickets to "summer's last stand" this weekend you'll want to make sure you do it right and find exactly what you're looking for amidst the heavy hitting lineup. We've got some recommendations on how to do just that:
Best chance of getting onstage: Girl Talk
It's a known fact that Girl Talk puts on the kind of show that feels more like one big,
communal dance party. Greg Gillis--the man behind the mashup moniker--doesn't like to
feel left out. In addition to toilet paper guns and confetti, a mob of dancers--handpicked
from the crowd--is also a part of nearly every Girl Talk show. Keep yours eyes and ears
out before his headlining slot as his onstage dance mob is often selected throughout the day leading up to the set. It's been a couple years since Gillis dropped All Day so--if you don't wind up lucky enough to join him onstage--you can still be hopeful for some new cuts. Gotye vs. Chief Kief, anyone?
- Katie Karpowicz
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— Katie Karpowicz /
Adding to an already stellar lineup, North Coast Music Festival announced its second wave of artists today. In the hip hop department, Alabama-bred, Slim Shady protege Yelawolf and West Coast crew People Under the Stairs join the bill. The fest has also scored dance music veteran Paul Oakenfold, who's been spinning for decades. Other new additions include dubsteppers Knife Party and Dutch DJ Chuckie. Perhaps the biggest news, though, is that Chicago's own Umphrey's Mcgee is joining the list of headliners alongside the previously announced Pretty Lights.
What I'm looking forward to: Yelawolf's set. Saw him at the Bottom Lounge last fall and the self-proclaimed "white trash rapper" can put on show. Here's hoping his set doesn't conflict with any of the other big name rap artists playing the fest like Atmosphere or Big Boi.
What I'm not looking forward to: hearing the live version of Umphrey's "Chicago"--the band's much laughed about attempt to create an anthem for our city with the help of Buddy Guy and Chicago (the band). Here's hoping this debauchery is absent from the setlist come Labor Day weekend.
North Coast Music Festival hits Union Park August 31-September 2. Tickets are on sale now.
— Katie Karpowicz /
News Mon Apr 16 2012
North Coast Music Festival has been teasing fans all night on twitter about some big news, and just now the festival announced the first wave of acts to play Union Park this year. Gracing the stages August 31-September 2 are the following acts:
-Pretty Lights
-Axwell
-Atmosphere
-Big Boi
-Steve Aoki
-Excision
-The Rapture
-Alesso
-Modestep
-Mord Fustang
-Felix Da Housecat
-Yacht
-Dan Deacon
-King Khan and The Shrines
-Rebirth Brass Band
-Van Ghost
-Maya Jane Coles
-Com Truise
-Auto Body
and many more to be announced. The initial lineup is already looking solid for the third year of the festival, with the promise of even more headliners and other impressive acts to follow. Check out their site here with more information including how to purchase tickets.
— Lisa White /
While Sunday is a day of rest for most, North Coast goers knew that the third and final day of the fest was their last chance to get all the raging out of their system. It was one of, if not, the most rock-heavy days, with acts like Of Montreal, Gogel Bordello and locals Van Ghost hitting the big stages, but you didn't have to search too hard to find some bass thumping. -Katie Karpowicz
If Saturday was sloppy, Sunday was a bit strung out, as tired hippies hooped a little slower and in general the crowd (until Bassnectar) seemed a bit more subdued. Granted there was a raging circle pit at Gogol Bordello and the kids at the Red Bull stage were still dancing hard (that might be the Red Bull), but overall I saw more people relaxing in the shade, taking it easy on the suddenly chilly afternoon. I also thankfully saw more security around the areas surrounding the sound board, a problem that was apparent in my Saturday coverage, so it was nice to see the festival staying on their toes and trying their best to improve any newbie mistakes. -Lisa White
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— Lisa White /
Oh, North Coast. A stoner's oasis. An epileptic's worst nightmare. While Day One started off slow and steady, Saturday seemed to go from zero to sixty in a matter of minutes. Union Park remained almost eerily barren through the first couple rounds of acts Saturday afternoon--too much raging on Friday night, I suppose--but once the rain started around 2:30pm, festheads started pouring into the park like moths to a flame.
What followed was a bit of sensory overload. Bass thumping from three stages simultaneously at almost all times; strobes, lasers and glowsticks everywhere you looked; the overwhelming scent of a certain, ahem, herb in the air; and a day and night-long battle between waves of sweat and rain made for quite the experience on Saturday. I'm honestly amazed at the relentless energy Coasters were still able to produce though despite the natural and chemical elements that, in the end, helped turned Saturday into the ten-hour party that it was. -Katie Karpowicz
My Saturday at North Coast involved a lot of soggy kids tripping on a variety of things, yelling at a kid who almost tipped over a toilet while dancing on it, yelling at some other kids who almost toppled over a girl in a wheelchair, and watching a bunch of kids buy nitrous balloons from some sketchy guys on a corner. Needless to say Saturday got a little rude and sloppy, but it didn't stop the artists from giving it their all to the more than entertaining crowd. -Lisa White
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— Lisa White /
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