It's getting down to the wire... Which festival will you choose?!

Only Two Weeks Away Until EDC NY and Mysteryland USA!!!!

Mysteryland USA: Our Time Machine Back To 1969 Woodstock Festival

Supported by the majority of ragers within the Electronic Dance Music Scene, ID&T’s Mysteryland and Insomniac Events’ Electric Daisy Carnival have inscribed their dominance within the festival-season manuscript of, ‘Dat Lineup Doe.’ Whether we are celebrating the end of another school year, searching for that spark of inspirational guidance, or simply when bro-tanks and bikinis transform entire dressers into sexy-fluffy-rave drawers: millions of men and women from around the world make the pilgrimage to Las Vegas, New York, Netherlands, and Chile—united—transcending boundaries of age, race, color, and creed, in search of The Answers. Electric Daisy Carnival and Mysteryland have, and will continue to, augment our Dance Music Vertebrae; perhaps, quicker than it took Deadmau5 to find himself on Now That’s What I Call EDM. As we shuffle and twerk along the Vegas Strip and historic fairgrounds of ’69 Woodstock Festival in Bethel Woods, there will be an inherent appreciation for those who brought us together on an important Holiday, however momentary it may seem. It would be counterproductive to subjectively write of one festivals’ superiority to the other; moreover, there are plenty of distinct differences between the Memorial Day Weekend festival-contenders. The intent is to produce confidence in your decision, considering: Camping on historic Woodstock Festival-Grounds vs. New Jersey Hotel—or, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs. Tiësto/Calvin Harris/Cedric Gervais; 18+  vs. 21+—or, Hardwell vs. Steve Aoki.

Acquiring the monumental of Bethel Woods as its festival-grounds, in addition to being the World’s Longest-Running Electronic Music Festival, ID&T’s Mysteryland, has earned Rave-Nation’s honorable first mention. When news erupted of an inaugural venture away from home in the Netherlands, and second-home—Chile, The Electronic Music Culture and Arts Festival—Mysteryland—surpassed all expectations (of which were already heavily-inflated, due to their immense contributions to the Electronic Dance Music Scene), with their announced festival-grounds location in the Historic Bethel Woods, New York. Producing this immersive opportunity of a Woodstock Revival (45-years in the making), Duncan Stutterheim’s Mysteryland is the first, and only festival, granted use of Bethel Woods since the Historic Woodstock Festival in 1969. Stutterheim was awarded the honor by the Bethel Woods Centre for the Arts Executive Board, as they are known to share parallel principles of innovative performing arts, with a dedicated focus on creating the ultimate experience. The BWCA Executive Board publicly commended Stutterheim’s attention to unity and social responsibility, embodying the slogan of ’69 Woodstock, “3 Days of Peace and Music.”If anyone can guarantee the Bohemian atmosphere reminiscent to that of Bethel Woods in 1969, it is Mysteryland Proprietor—Duncan Stutterheim. Although financially secured by Robert Sillerman’s SFX Entertainment (similar to nearly everything EDM-related), Stutterheim is credited with managing (on the production level), internationally successful festivals such as: Tomorrowland, TomorrowWorld, and Sensation. Throw in Beatport, a couple of Record Labels, LIV Hotel Lounges, Life in Color, and Electric Zoo—and Sillerman’s presence is directly correlated with the industry’s $20+ Billion net worth of a formerly-underground music genre. 

 Perhaps, the most hindering characteristic when choosing between the competing Memorial Day Weekend
Festivals is: Mysteryland’s strict 21+ Aged Admission Policy. Of course, for those who are ‘Of Age,’ this exclusivity is irrelevant. Contrastingly, EDM’s core demographic consists of mostly college-aged ragers between the ages of 18-24, many of whom were ‘Born to Rage’ slightly later than 2014 festival-season demands. Age restrictions for festivals, and venue-sanctioned underage club nights, are fiercely debated topics in every niché throughout The Scene. Articles and Social Media Posts that are published immediately following consequences from recreational drug use or heat exhaustion, unsubstantially assign guilt to the venue for allowing 18+ year-olds whenever a festival-headlining producer is scheduled for a set. So, with the newest addition of Mysteryland USA this year, in conjunction with their age restriction, there will likely be an influx of underagers attending EDCNY. As an ‘Of Age’ rager attending EDCNY, let’s hope no news is good news. A definitive resolution is easier-said-than-done, but even a dozen of the World’s best DJs are under the age of 21, many of whom rank within the top 50! Should they have not been permitted to spin in clubs as they grew up? I think the world would be missing out on some really good bangers if that were the case.

For the one hindrance Mysteryland USA imposes, there are 3x more incredible features showcased for the festival’s American Inauguration. Continued from their Netherlands and Chile festivals, Mysteryland USA offers a ‘Holy Ground’ Camping Package, which reserves a 10x10 site to set-up camp on the same festival-grounds made famous nearly five-decades ago by Woodstock Festival. As an alternative, Mysteryland USA has assembled off-site camping options. This directly amplifies Stutterheim’s dedication to creating the ultimate experience for every rager in the Woods (because, who would opt out of camping with thousands of people atop the Holy Grounds?), which earned him the honor of hosting the first festival in Bethel Woods in 45 years.

Mysteryland USA’s Inaugural Festival will raise the bar for every proceeding festival. Stacked with many of the World’s best DJs and Producers spread across 10 stages, Nicky Romero, in addition to his Saturday Mainstage set, will be showing off his Protocol-signed artists as a pre-festival warm-up on Friday. He’ll be including: Tritonal, Vicetone, Michael Calfan, John Dahlbäck, and Don Diablo, for the Holy Ground Opening Party. The Mainstage will present: Oliver Heldens, Sick Individuals, Dyro, Fedde Le Grand, Showtek, and Steve Aoki to close down Day 1. Sunday’s Mainstage Lineup includes: The Chainsmokers, Flosstradamus, Dillon Francis, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and Kaskade to bring the feels as the weekend winds down. One of the most anticipated stages this year is The Boat, with some huge Hardstyle/Dubstep/Hip-Hop producers: M4sonic, Sound Remedy, Big Gigantic, Dirtyphonics, Zomboy, Milo & Otis, Dillstradamus, Loudpvck, Bro Safari, and Paper Diamond. There will be the traditional Mysteryland Sunday School Stages with: Dubfire, Booka Shade, Chris Liebing, Jeremy Olander & Fehrplay, Eric Volta, Heidi, Pete Tong, Soul Clap, and Victor Calderone (The Big Top, Spiegeltent, and Vinyl Only); Q-Dance Stage featuring: Brennan Heart, Coone, Kutski, Noisecontrollers, and Wildstylez.

Check back next week for a lineup review for EDCNY*NJ, and the talk surrounding its concrete-floored expectations!