Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Essential Music Festival Packing List: Camp Bisco 12

Summer has officially started, and with that the music festival tours are heating up!! Here at EGP we have toured around to different festivals over the years, learning what to expect and how to 'survive' for the weekend in the rough. So we are here today to help share our knowledge on what to pack up to ensure you are comfortable, happy, and enjoying the festival to the fullest extent.

Firstly, do yourself a favor and check the website of whatever festival you are planning on going to. The next thing to keep in mind is that the following camping list is aimed at those who are looking for the essentials, aka the short list. Being that the next festival we are covering will be Camp Bisco 12, this list will include essential tips specifically for this year's Camp Bisco at Indian Lookout Country Club.

DON'T FORGET! Click around the festival's main website for very specific information for this or any event. No one will tell you the rules and what's happening there better than the event coordinators. The folks at MCP are pros, so heed their words of advice and their rules.


1. Bring your TICKET.

Sounds almost silly right? You bought your ticket and it came in the mail, don't forget it at home! It can cause an unnecessary headache for you. There are way too many times we've heard of someone forgetting their tickets at home. That's just...forgetful. It does happen though, so to help you prove you bought that ticket and sort out the damage...

2. Bring your WALLET.

Really, there are only three things you will potentially need in there. Your ID, cash, and a debit/credit card for more money if you have one. There will be bars there with booze, and they will ID you. How much money you want to bring is up to you.  We can't make you any promises of the people you connect with, but don't be surprised to trade your own beers or food for that dope collectible pin or wrap. Money is needed though, so make sure to have some.

3. Bring something to SLEEP IN.

No, not sleep in past day break, sleep inside of. We're talking a tent, or maybe a hammock. Think about how many people are staying in your tent. It's always fun to have a slumber party with your buddies, or maybe you prefer to have a small establishment of tents. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes sense. Not every festy will have a spot to sleep dangling in the hammock. Don't forget a blanket (or more than one, some places get cold at night), a pillow, and tarps in case of rain. Some festivals allow for car camping as well, but it usually costs extra!! For Camp Bisco 12 there are still tickets left for that, but they are limited. Get car camping tickets HERE.

Potential Dirt... Be Prepared

4. Bring CLOTHING.

Or just some. For Bisco we'll be in New York... so no public lewdness AKA nudity (read the law speak HERE). Being that it's summer and very hot, you'll want t-shirts and shorts. At least one shirt and underwear per day, and a pair of shorts for daytime and a pair of pants and a sweatshirt for night. For shoes, an old pair of sneakers or sandals with backs work wonders, and absolutely a pair of galoshes. Basically, anything you don't mind getting dirty. If you bring your nice shoes, they will get ruined. There is lots of dirt, which turns into mud if it rains. Also, bring a hat to protect yourself from the sun and keep you a little cooler. Bring a bandanna or two as well. Any of the above can be bought at the festival, but you will pay for it, sometimes a lot more than the store.

5. Bring FOOD.

Don't go crazy. A small cooler of fruit, granola bars, maybe some canned food too. Make sure anything that can melt or go bad stays in the cooler! You can bring a grill if you wanted to. You can bring a small single burner propane grill, or a larger Coleman griddle, but keep in mind keeping the grill clean, gas, wooden spatula/spoon, space for packing, keeping food fresh...it's a hassle. They sell food on premise, but it will sometimes run on the expensive side. Correlate money and food brought with your fellow camping friends to figure out how to keep your bellies full.

6. WATER.

Either factory sealed bottles or an empty container to carry. They have water stations throughout the festival where you can refill your bottle. Feeling sketched out by public water flows? Get a bottle with a filter. Do that, save money, and stay thirsty my friends!

7. ALL THAT EXTRA SH*T.
Here's some other stuff you should bring.

- Toiletries: tooth brush, tooth paste, towel, toilet paper, soap, small shampoo.
There are porta-potties and even public showers available (both inside and out). Expect lines when the music is pumping and everybody is awake.

- FLASHLIGHT
It's really dark at night.

- Trash bags
KEEP YOUR AREA CLEAN DURING AND AFTER THE FESTIVAL. You are an adult, clean up after yourself.

- Folding chair/blanket
It's nice to take a seat in front of a stage or by your campsite.

- Sun screen
Protect against cancer and burns!!

- Bug spray
Protect against pests!!

- Travel cart
If you packed all this, and everything else we didn't tell you to bring, it might be a good idea to make sure you have a cart to carry all that. You will be making long trips from parking to camping.

- Small extras: small knife, extra rope, rain jacket, sunglasses, skill toys (gloves, poi, hula hoop, etc), pen/paper, art supplies, music gear, first aid kit, lighter, ear plugs, camera, zip lock bags, small lock.
These things will help you out and are small enough to not take up too much space. As far as keeping your possessions safe (ie: cell phone, credit card, camera, etc) it's your responsibility. Lock your possessions, keep electronics in plastic bags, and keep your stuff safe.




***Most importantly above all things, BRING YOURSELF.

YOU are special in your own ways.
YOU will connect with like minded people and people that find you interesting.
YOU love having fun and getting along with people.

Open your mind a little bit. Listen to music you wouldn't normally. Check out all the vendors and the different workshops, get involved with clean up and other fun stuff like Color War. Say hi to everyone. Ask if you don't know. Being at a festival is like being part of a community that is super energetic and constantly moving. Participate with everyone and you will be rewarded a hundred times over.


OFFICIAL CAMP BISCO 12 PACKING LISTS AND INFO<---- Click the link!!

Monday, June 17, 2013

2013 Music Festival Watch: The Peach Festival


As we continue to look into the festivals coming up this year, we wanted to make sure to cover not only the over heavily electronic crowds, but the ones that get mixed together, sort of how Camp Bisco initially started. Last year, Catskill Chill was our choice festival in the North East that did just that. This year, we're taking a look at the anticipated second year of The Peach Music Festival.

Held at Montage Mountain in Scanton, PA, The Peach Music festival will be a full three days of family friendly fun featuring an amazing lineup that anyone of any age can love. Some acts we're most excited for include The Allman Brothers Band (for 2 nights!), Lotus, Tauk (Long Island represent!), and Bob Weir's acoustic set, 'Brunch with Bobby', not to mention pretty much everyone else on this lineup.

Allman Brothers Band by Chris Hoffman

Lotus Live at NLP -- Photo by Brad Johnson
Montage Mountain is not only the location of the Toyota Pavilion, but also home to Sno Mountain Ski and Water Park! From what we've seen, that makes it the only music festival with it's own water park. For any ticket holders that buy the 4 day pass, access to the water park is included with your ticket! It's great to have another place to relax, get wet, and have some fun. This festival garnered over 30,000 fans last year, so be sure for plenty of color on festival grounds. There will be plenty of vendors, entertainers, and good vibes all over. 

Sno Mountain Water Park by: Jake Krolick

This is a four day festival, so that means you will have the availability to camp on festival grounds. If sleeping in a tent isn't your thing, make sure to buy a car or RV camping pass before they sell out. Also keep in mind you will have to pay an additional $35 for camping over the weekend. All purchasing information can be found on the camping section of the Peach Music Festival's website. There are lots of different travel packages that include VIP as well... so please check all the info on the website.

Helpful links:
TICKETS
CAMPING
LINEUP
FAQ

For more current updates and information, follow their FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

This should be an amazing time, and we hope that we see you there! Until next time travelers!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

EGP Festival Watch 2013: Camp Bisco 12

Wassup everyone? It's Wish here, about to drop the first look into festivals this year. Year round music festivals are happening all over the world. Every year they are becoming more popular and different festivals have become known as the ones to go to. With this wave of increased festival participation, new music festivals with their own flares have also been emerging all over, some of which are definitely ones to go to. As we get closer to the summer time, and already some festy tickets have gone on presale and sold out in record times, we are going to start letting you know about some of our selection of favorites. From new festivals to old favorites, we're going to start, now.


Last year I had the opportunity to attend my very first festy, Camp Bisco 11. Going in as press, as well as getting a vendors and campers perspective, the whole experience was mind blowing, in a nut shell. It also set me up to what set off a small festival tour, essentially preparing me for what to expect, what to bring, and how to mold into the community that is built in less than a day.

Getting Through the Crowd by Nick Soley

A Small Portion of the Camping by Times Union
Held upstate New York at a place known as the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, Camp Bisco will become home to tens of thousands of people from around the world this July. This year will make for Camp Bisco 12, and probably the largest one to date. This is a festival that has grown and morphed over the years, but without ever loosing that essential artistic and community vibe. Even when the initial boost of people came in for Camp 10, and left the townsfolk not to happy, MCP Presents showed their professionalism by making Camp 11 one of the smoothest to date. With another new festival under their belt (CounterPoint), this will be a fantastic and hopefully very smooth year for them. So far they have our full attention.

Skrillex by Wish
Silent Bisco by Wish
It Get's a Little Crazy by Wish

There is so much to do at camp. Of course there is a very large emphasis on the music with three main stages, side stages, RV DJs, campsite parties, and musical ice cream trucks. Silent Disco is an awesome experience when the stages shut the sound off. There are live art exhibits, projection screens, and plenty of people making their own art. There is basically a vendor village, with a line of vendors selling everything you can imagine. Walk far down enough to get to food you can buy.

Dancing the Night Away by Wish


It was a wild time last year, and everyone is very excited to go back again this year. The lineup was dropped today, and it's looking quite appealing. Some favorites I'm looking forward to catching live again include Bassnectar, Zoogma, Gramatik, Break Science, Designer Drugs, Heroes x Villians, Lotus, and of course The Disco Biscuits themselves. The released list is not the full list. There are many more acts to be released in the coming days, and oyu will find the updates here.

Water Flower by Wish
Hooping in the Fields by QRO Mag
 Unfortunately, early bird tickets are sold out. Ticket's are still under $200, and there's vip/platinum available, so now's the time to grab them. This about getting all your friends into a large campsite. There will probably be a bunch of contests that will include carpoolers, themed camp sites, and who knows what else. This is a big one, and there will be plenty of surprises around every corner.

You can see more details for Camp Bisco 12 at these links:

MAIN WEBSITE
TICKETS
LINEUP
INFO


Official Release:


CAMP BISCO ANNOUNCES PERFORMER LINEUP FOR 3-DAY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL IN MARIAVILLE, NEW YORK THIS JULY 11-13, 2013
 
Performers Include The Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Passion Pit, STS9, Animal Collective, Umphrey's McGee, Flux Pavillion,
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Lotus, Wolfgang Gartner, Boys Noize, Squarepusher, Tommy Trash, Dillon Francis, Toro y Moi and Many More! 
 
$185 General Admission Tickets Now On Sale
 
Mariaville, NY (February 21, 2013) - Camp Bisco has announced the performer lineup for its twelfth annual three-day music and arts festival, in Mariaville, New York this July 11-13, 2013.  Boasting its strongest lineup to date, this year's performers include: The Disco Biscuits; Bassnectar; Passion Pit; STS9; Animal Collective; Umphrey's McGee; Flux Pavillion; Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; Lotus; Wolfgang Gartner; Boys Noize; Squarepusher; Tommy Trash; Dillion Francis; ℧Z; Aeroplane; Alvin Risk; Audrey Napoleon; Baauer; Bear Mountain; Boombox; Break Science; Cherub; Chris Malinchak; Clockwork; Com Truise; Congorock; Cosby Sweater; Crizzly; Dan Deacon; Designer Drugs; Dirtyphonics (Live); El-P; Eskmo; Flosstradamus; Free Energy; Gigamesh; Govinda; Gramatik; Grandtheft; Green Lantern; HeRobust; Heroes x Villians; Indobox; Killer Mike; Koan Sound; Manic Focus; M | O | D; Nadis Warriors; Nick Thayer; Paper Diamond; Party Supplies; Popeska; Project 46; RL Grime; Rubblebucket; Ryan Hemsworth; The Werks; Toro y Moi; Twiddle; Vacationer; VHS or Beta; Wick-It the Instigator; and Zoogma. Additional details about this year’s festival will be announced in the coming weeks. 
 
Camp Bisco will return to the picturesque Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York for a seventh straight year. The venue is located approximately 30 minutes travel time from Albany, New York and sits on 200 acres of rolling, grass fields. This year, the festival will enhance its expansive dance tents with surround sound and add greater concert production to all stages. From large-scale art installations and artist workshops to performance art demonstrations, carnival rides and more, Camp Bisco is also increasing the interactive elements in 2013 to create an even better festival experience for patrons. Long distance shuttles will also return, offering service from Albany, Baltimore, Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.
 
A limited allotment of General Admission tickets are on sale now for $185, before raising to the last minute price $199. All-inclusive VIP packages are available again this year, starting at $480 for VIP and $1400 for a pair of Platinum VIP tickets. Four person Platinum VIP packages are available for $2800. Camp Bisco has also introduced a layaway plan, where fans can divide payments on General Admission tickets equally between the on sale date and June 10th. Tickets are available online at  www.campbisco.net. Camp Bisco is an 18 and over event.
 
Camp Bisco is produced by MCP Presents.  Visit www.campbisco.net for the most up to date information.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

New Years Eve Coverage: Lights All Night



Hey guys, it’s Meghan, here to tell you about the three epic days I experienced at Lights All Night. Starting just two years ago in 2010, this EDM fest has tremendously expanded from one single New Years Eve night to three whole days of raging, brought to us by MCP Presents and Highland Entertainment. This year, the Dallas festival switched to a new venue at Fair Park in order to accommodate the massive list of artists. I think I need to begin by recognizing just how killer this lineup was. With a solid mix of mainstream and up and coming DJ’s, some of my favorites include Alvin Risk, Archnemesis, Bassnectar, Diplo, Zeds Dead, Nervo, Cookie Monsta, Griz, Feed Me, and oh so many more. The biggest struggle each day definitely was deciding which stage to attend.


Alvin Risk Photo by Calder Wilson Photography
After seeing a countless number of artists, I have to say the ones who stuck with me the most were Zeds Dead and Bassnectar. Playing back to back at the main stage on Day 2, these two DJ’s absolutely killed it and the light shows were out of this world. As for Bassnectar, his drops were spot on and his energy truly electrified through the crowd.


Photo by Calder Wilson Photography

Having been to my fair share of festivals, the layout of this one really impressed me. There were four stages, each in a large climate controlled tent, with plenty of space for professional dancers, vendors selling cool rave gear, and most importantly, for people to womp around. There were also porter potties in each of the tents (one tent even had a real bathroom) and bars with a lot of drink options and minimal lines. In between the four tents was a DJ car that continually bumped music so there was never a dull moment while walking between sets.

Break Science Photo by: Calder Wilson Photography


Photo by Live Edits Lab
Additionally, the crowd was stellar. Everyone was incredibly friendly and wore awesome rave attire despite the cold temperature. I’m talking colored wigs, spirit hoods, face paint, tutus, prism glasses, fur boots, some incredible hand-made kandi, and anything and everything else you can imagine. One girl in particular wore hand crafted go-go boots covered with flowers and had curly hair filled with flowers glued to bobby pins. She danced around placing the flowers from her hair to the heads of others as if a little fairy was flying around spreading her magic fairy dust.


There were also a lot of talented glovers at the scene with light shows going on everywhere which actually inspired me to get a pair of my own. I bought them on Day 1 allowing me the rest of the three days to learn some moves, make new friends, and give some trippy light shows of my own.


With each year topping the last, this festival is definitely one you don’t want to miss. Peace, love, unity, and respect everyone!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Z-Dar: Mr Bill - Cheyah Remix Contest Presented by Gravitas Recordings)



Whatsup everybody? It's Z here and I've been around the web a little bit lately and I caught wind of none other than Mr. Bill's very own remix contest he has got in collaboration with Gravitas Recordings for the awesome track Chyeah off the Neurovation Compilation. This remix contest in particular is especially interesting as the judges panel is an all star cast. The likes of which include Bil Bless, Gruff, Psymbionic, Great Scott, and Mr. Bill himself. It seems to me to be a more tight knit endeavor than the usual Beatport contest styles and I feel like a lot of awesome tracks will be popping up on account of this. So as per usual, I took some time to go through a bunch of tracks to show you the ones I personally like the most. I'll post links up to where you can find all these songs as well as the rest of the entries.


This one here Is by an artist that calls himself Xuno. It's a romantic bass infused remix that he calls Luxury. It's deep heavy and wet and I love it. Definitely one of the stand out remixes to me.




This next one up is by the California native Illustrated. This one is more on the high end oh things with simplicity without being too similar being its stronger points. the beat change in the end is nice.



This one here is by Hack the System out of Italy. I love this remix it has a very Moomba styled bounce that keeps the song flowing nice. It's very different for a Mr. Bill remix.






This gem is by Rynosaur, and it's a bassed Neurohop remix that doesn't spare on the bass manipulation. It twirls and grinds and it progresses and it's a good track to get things started.



This one here is by Thrilla coming out of the US. It's a simple Glitch Hop remix with enough added to give it a wholly different feel. I enjoy it a lot.





Another Glitch Hop remix coming your way by SugarBeats. It's got a lot more meat to it as far as these remixes go and I like it. I think I'm gonna keep this guy on the radar cause it seems like he's going to get a lot better.




I feel like this remix is totally gonna win. By none other than Haywyre we get the liquid smooth styles of his very well known smooth Dubstep and Jazz stylings with Mr. Bill brand Glitch to make a Glitch Hop outing that shines above the rest. I'm gonna be surprised if this one doesn't win.

As you can see this contest is getting crazy, Both a grand prize winner and a runner up will be chosen to appear on the release, and in addition will receive prizes from SoundCloud, Keith McMillen Instruments, iZotope, and Ableton Liveschool, and all winners will have their track appear on the official remix EP. If you want the original track check HERE and if you wanna check the other entries check HERE. Thanks for tuning in. Lets see who wins shall we?

Love and Light
Z

Friday, January 11, 2013

Clarity Music Video



As one of Zedd's most popular hits of 2012, Clarity finally has a music video to go along with. Filled with impressive settings, an awesome classic car and all the feels of the Foxes, this video is a win. Check it out!!



Also, as an added bonus, here's one of my favorite remixes of the song by Aylen, complete with a download link ;)

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

[re]Blow Your Mind

Hey, wassup it's Wish! About this time last year, I attended my first massive event, Holiday Madness. Showtek was in, there were thousands of people lining the dance floor at Amazura Concert Hall, and everything was just unbelievable. Now, it's time for part two, as Caffeine Entertainment and Epic Entertainment brings us back to the insanity with Holiday Madness 2 [re]gifted, sponsored by Kikwear.


This year the party is back and in the legendary Amazura. Amazura can easily hold thousands of people, and only twice in the past year have I personally seen an event that actually looked full there. One was Bobble Invaders (PLUR Rave Promotions 1st party) and last year's Holiday Madness. This event is stacking up to be in the same boat with 2,000 people rsvp'ed on the main facebook invite. Of course we know not to judge a party by that number, but the higher the attending rate, the more people actually come out. Amazura sports two stages on two floors. The main stage is significantly larger than the upstairs area, being able to fit over 3,000 people without a doubt. Upstairs has a jungle theme going on, along with windows over looking the main floor. The ambiance of the place is surreal when it's filled up.

By: Ronnie C.
What's a party without entertainment?! A long awaited booking has taken place for this party. The legendary DJ Isaac will be returning to New York to spin this party. It's been a while since he was here last, and only got to perform about three minutes of his set (thank you FDNY) at Naughty Neon 2 back in February. So now, at a much larger spot, his appearance will be [re]gifted for everyone to enjoy. If you are not familiar with his music, get on it, the bitches will appreciate it.


The lineup is epic, with city favorites X-Dream and Jen Mas, and Tight Crew's very own DJ Soappy. Making the visuals extra special is Morgan Freeman. Anybody who has been to the club knows what the laser system is like there, so putting one and two together is always epic. If all this wasn't good enough, there going to be a lot more. We're talking body painting, people on stilts walking around, aerialists, a cotton candy and popcorn machine, a kandi station, and even a sexy Santa contest with a $100 prize. This will be a night to remember [or not ;)].


Get your tickets before 2pm on Friday and save five dollars. Use that five dollars to buy your of age friends a drink. This is the most definitely the right way to kick off your partying for New Years weekend!! I'll catch you there, with gloves on and camera in hand. If you see me, say hi!