Since arriving in Las Vegas in 2011, Electric Daisy Carnival has quelled naysayers, battled Mother Nature and ballooned in size. As a veteran festival performer, I’ve followed Electric Daisy Carnival’s Las Vegas odyssey from atop a pair of stilts. Here’s a look back, plus—with a little help from Insomniac CEO Pasquale Rotella—a peek forward at this year’s festival.
2011
The tragic 2010 death of an underaged EDC LA reveler led to a brief moratorium on future events at the LA Coliseum, EDC's then venue. EDC needed a new home and Vegas was hungry for the economic impact. It was time to pack the ferris wheel into a moving truck. “I'd been looking at Vegas for years,” says Rotella. “It was scary to take the chance. It felt like China for the dance community. It wasn't a destination for dance culture. What put fire under my ass was that there were more challenges than ever [in LA]. I was gonna risk taking the leap.” Septuagenarian Mayor Oscar Goodman welcomed Insomniac with open arms, declaring EDC Week and flirting with attending himself. Not everyone shared Goodman's sentiments. “People were on the fence,” remembers Rotella. “There were mixed emotions.” Measures were enacted to increase patron safety. The age minimum was raised to eighteen. Electronic ID scanners were utilized. And free water stations dotted the Speedway.
2012
The EDMbiz Conference and Expo debuted in 2012 at the Cosmopolitan. “We don't wanna book the big guys,” said Rotella during a panel at the event. To find the not-yet-big guys, a DJ talent search called Discovery Project was launched. Meanwhile, Dutch company Q-Dance introduced its hard-style stage, and the second round of EDC Vegas seemed primed to be bigger than the first. But Mother Nature had other plans. High winds Saturday night made Rotella nervous. “Turning the button off was a challenge. I know how important EDC is for people. I know they spend time and money to make the journey. I don't wanna take that away. I prayed the wind would die down. I waited as long as I could. But nothing is worth someone getting hurt.” No doubt he was thinking of the seven people killed when wind collapsed a stage in Indiana in 2011. EDC attendees were frustrated at having to evacuate Saturday night. But Insomniac demonstrated its commitment to safety.
2013
With wind in mind, the 2013 installment was scheduled on a traditionally less gusty weekend later in June. Rotella, meanwhile, had grown the brand with a strategic partnership with Live Nation, and grown his family with a baby daughter, Rainbow, who inspired the costume department. “It was the biggest production we'd done,” Rotella says. The main stage was dominated by a 40-foot-tall owl—the EDC mascot—with a 70-foot wingspan. Sunday's Night Owl Experience, with its special effects and hundreds of performers, was the most ambitious performance ever staged by Insomniac. “We were behind on certain things. Getting doors open and being ready for everyone was the biggest challenge. Considering the record numbers, traffic was good, and the vibe was good.” On closing night, Rotella proposed to girlfriend Holly Madison atop the Ferris wheel. Love was in the air elsewhere too, as party goers got hitched at EDC's first onsite chapel.
2014 and beyond
Insomniac is full of surprises. This year will be no exception. “Art on every level is different,” Rotella teases. “We're gonna have DJs that have never performed, art installations built just for EDC, stages that are gonna premiere and more people. Every year, we have the opportunity to make it better. Keep things innovative and exciting.” With the theatrical release of 3-D concert movie Under the Electric Sky, anticipation is at a fever pitch. What does the horizon hold? Will EDC ever outgrow the speedway? Considering that the speedway seats more than 150,000 patrons, and that Insomniac is rumored to have a 10-year contract with the venue (through 2022), EDC fans can get comfortable with the idea of returning to the racetrack. Will Rotella ever quit booking big-name, high-priced DJs? It remains to be seen, but dwarfing them with a giant blue owl and fostering the next generation of talent via Insomniac's Discovery Project are moves in the right direction. “My passion is not selling tickets and making money. I want to create an experience,” Rotella has said. “The next move is to build a venue, sort of like a grown up Disneyland.” Knowing Rotella, he'll wanna erect it on the moon.
This story originally appeared in Vegas Seven Magazine.
