Deadmau5
Ice Palace Studios, Miami
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Better Than: Sitting at home realizing you definitely can't afford to go to Ultra this year, thinking up futile ways to try and sneak in.
Yep, we did it guys. We've finally earned cranky old Joel Zimmerman's respect.
As you may know, just six weeks ago, the man who goes by the name Deadmau5 condemned our city and its pompous VIP culture after a gig at South Beach's Mansion, declaring, "I won't be playing any more Miami clubs."
Last night, though, the Mau5 gave us another chance. And yes, he even seemed to enjoy himself.
See also: Ten Things Deadmau5 Hates Most About EDM
Incensed by his stop at Mansion last month, Deadmau5 took to social media and rattled off a whole bunch of bitchy tweets. He complained that the real fans were stuck in the back while the "trust fund kids" crowded the DJ booth. And he concluded with his veto on any future club gigs in our city.
But the plot thickened a week later, when downtown Miami's Space asked the DJ to come "host a free show" and sweetened the invite by offering to "cover expenses up to $25,000."
Negotiations were swift (and conducted mostly via Twitter), though the festivities were eventually moved to Space's sister venue, Ice Palace Studios, to deal with the inevitable mob of dance music fanatics.
And that's the party we here at Crossfade attended last night, where 4,000 people gathered to shower the Mau5 with the love that he definitely thinks he deserves.
With doors opening at 10 p.m., fans lined up around the block at least 45 minutes early.
Glowing mohawks and neon shirts colored the streets. And the crowd was flush with big-booty babes and studs in snapbacks, though there was also the occasional hipster-y fan, clad in a classic button-up and skinny jeans.
All in all, the scene was very 305. One guy even had a shirt proclaiming "I <3 HATERS" a shout out to Deadmau5 himself, as doubters and naysayers seem to be the driving force behind 86 percent of what he does.
See also: Deadmau5's Four Most Vicious Feuds: From Madonna to Ultra Music Festival to EDM
As partiers flooded into Ice Palace, we overheard two friends discussing the Deadmau5 vs. Miami debacle, one noting, "You know, he kind of says one thing, but then does the other. Whatever, though."
Waiting for the Mau5 to grace us with his presence (which wouldn't happen for another three hours), fans flocked to an outdoor lounge, decorated with hammocks and bean bags scattered across the lawn, seizing the opportunity for comfort, cuddles, and selfies.
The tranquility of this pre-show scene was only disturbed when a v-neck tee-wearing bro from Boca Raton informed us that "one of my boys is rolling for the first time and he's lost! I haven't rolled in so long, man! Now I loooooove everyone, man!"
By the time Deadmau5 took to the admittedly modest stage setup, it was 1 a.m. and the place was filled to the brim. Girls in crop tops donned their home-made Mau5 heads, as per tradition.
After his first song and the subsequent madness that ensued, Zimmerman confirmed, "That's a lot fucking better," and so the evening (morning?) was set.
As if trying to test our limits as a city and a crowd, he then continued to play for five fucking hours.
Despite some evident issues with pacing (we personally believe he pulled out mega-hit, "Ghosts n Stuff", far too early), an impressive number of fans stuck around to rage till the break of dawn.
There were, of course, a few sleepy moments during which fans probably realized, "Oh, look! I can't feel my feet!" Yet somehow, we all managed to keep afloat through many, many false endings.
When the time finally did come, Deadmau5 earnestly thanked the real fans for coming out, seeming baffled when the crowd begged for one more song. As if to force us out of the doors, he let loose an ear shattering noise accompanied by a blitz of dangerously speedy strobe lights.
Meanwhile, the King Rat's Twitter confirmed: "Miami has redeemed itself. Yay! Good times!"
Happy to oblige, Joel.
-- Rebecca Bulnes
See also:
-Six Reasons to Never Have Sex With a DJ
-Five Signs You Might Be a Shitty DJ
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