In typical post-festival fashion, we slept in until about 12 or 1 pm. Groggy and not knowing what day it was, we started off the morning with a nice brunch. We went to our local spot and devoured a huge brunch along with plenty of cups of black coffee. Towards the end of our brunch, we called ahead to our massage place and booked a couples massage. Adult-ing hack for all you young festival-goers out there: always book a massage post-festie!
We finished our lunch and went to the massage parlor. After a much-needed hour-long massage, we were back in the game. After returning home, we took a short nap. Well, my wife did at least; I would’ve missed the damn concert if she hadn’t woken me up around 5 o’clock. Coming to in a hurry, we threw on our sparkly outfits and headed to the door. Tonight was all about the disco, so we had to be dressed to impress.
The Second Rodeo
We arrived at the venue around 7 this time due to the slow-moving nature of our tired bodies. After finishing a cup of coffee in the parking lot, we were ready to go. As we lumbered into the building, Alleycvt was about to come on and Uniique was just finishing up. After hearing her Lost Lands set from earlier this year on SoundCloud, we both wanted to make sure we got to see her performance.
ALLEYCVT took us on a heavy bass journey and did not disappoint. I personally love the women of bass music because they tend to have a more delicate touch than most male DJs. Alleycvt was perfect in this sense; she knew when to blast your head off and make you flail like a madman and when to ease you back down to earth. Her set was so layered and multidimensional as she played many of her big-time hits. As it came to a close, my wife turned to me and said without batting an eye, “That was my favorite set of the weekend right there…” and she meant it.
Show em’ how its done!
Wanting to go outside for a breath of fresh air, I firmly denied my wife’s request. Tape B is next, and I do NOT want to miss his performance. I felt the need for a second look after seeing him in Dallas earlier this year at his block party show. I love his nostalgic, hip-hop-infused style of bass music. Known for his Mac Miller samples, Tape B has a very distinct style of his own. His tracks include huge heavy bass drops, wobbly interludes, and that classic OG style of dubstep flare.
Accompanied by giant infographics of the inner workings of cassette tapes in the background, his set was just as enjoyable to watch as it was to listen to. Smashing through most of his infamous flips, this Florida native showed out and then some. I think the coolest part of his whole set was when he played his collaboration with Ganja White Night, and the entire crowd did the “owwwwuuuoooo” part together. There’s nothing more special than sharing that exact moment in time with thousands of other like-minded individuals. If PLUR could be described as a specific action, that would most definitely be it.
Coming off the Tape B high, we stepped outside to get some fresh air and catch Reaper’s set underneath the pavilion. Adorned with his ominous skeletal face mask, Reaper’s set was badass! As one of the most prominent figures in American drum and bass, Reaper’s style is unmatched. Playing numerous hits off his most recent CHALLENGER LP, he whipped the crowd into a danceable frenzy. Bobbing my head to the beat, the vicarious sounds of Reaper began to consume my body in the chilly night air. A bit colder than the night before, and wearing less clothing than yesterday, letting the rhythm take you over definitely helped keep my tired body warm. We stayed for about 45 minutes of Reaper’s set due to the fact that Max Styler was set to go on at 10:15 on the Disco Rodeo stage.
Its time to go, to the Disco
Making our way back inside and attempting to push through the packed crowd of the Metroplex stage, we finally made it to the Disco. Feeling a bit ashamed for neglecting the Disco Rodeo so much the night before, it was now time to boogie. Presenting a completely different vibe from either two of the other stages. The Disco Rodeo room was super rad, with low ceilings and floaty things hanging from the rafters; it kind of gave you that whole old-school warehouse vibe. The room just felt lighter and more easygoing; it’s almost impossible to put into words the comforting feeling it gave you. Also, my wife and I noticed that this is where the real dancers were at, no matter which direction you looked, somebody was getting down on the dance floor.
The rhythm began to take hold of my wife as Max Styler commanded the stage. As the song says, “It’s time to go to the disco,” and that’s exactly what we did. I felt like we were in the epicenter of house music that night; the thumping beats even made my uncoordinated body sway with a peaceful rhythm. Styler’s set was magnificent, smashing through a catalog of hits like “Lights Out,” “Time to Go,” and “Rhythm Machine,” as well as a slew of others, his hour-plus mix was immaculate. While dancing the night away with my wife, I quickly realized that this was exactly where I needed to be. Sadly, Max’s time was wearing thin, and he soon passed the reigns to the New York magician Layton Giordani.
Warming up with “Let’s Go Dancing,” Layton handled the transition perfectly and kept the crowd grooving into the midnight hour. After receiving a text from my wife’s cousin, we were summoned outside to watch Delta Heavy’s set with Geoff and his group. I was frustrated that I had to leave the Disco after about 15 minutes of Layton’s set, but I begrudgingly followed my wife through the dense crowd to the Lonestar stage. Not that I have anything against Delta Heavy and drum and bass, but I was truly enjoying the tranquil vibes of the Disco Rodeo, and I had really wanted to catch Layton’s mix for the evening before he and Max dashed off to Tulum in a few days for the Experts Only concert.
Back in the streets
To my dismay, we were back in the night air scouring the crowd for Geoff and Cowboy Dan. We found them to the right of the stage and began to catch up and recap the craziness of night one. After standing in the cold for about 15 minutes, everyone decided to head inside to the Metroplex stage to watch ISOXO. So we were on the move again… slightly annoyed but always up for anything, we returned to the main stage. The wonderful thing about LAN and the Disco Presents festival is that regardless of where you end up or which stage you’re at, you’re always indulging in a top-ranked artist delivering a fantastic show. No matter the genre, style, or tempo, it’s always enjoyable.
ISOXO was no exception to the rule; although not entirely my style, it was a rather enjoyable set with a huge stage presence and auto-tuned vocals belting through the speakers. This young performer brought an endless supply of energy with him. Catching about half of his set, ISOXO effortlessly bounced us to the final act of the weekend. Covering every inch of the stage during his performance, ISOXO finally took his last bow and began to exit the stage as the lights grew dim. We all knew what was in store neXt…
The Final Bow
Tired and exhausted, my wife was trying to leave before Excision came on. I let you take me out of the disco, but I will not leave before the headlining act! Soon, the gigantic illuminating X flashed on the screen, and the crowd went wild! Known for being the king of headbangers, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough gas in the tank to survive an Excision set. Holding each other up in the crowd, we rattled along as Excision commanded the room in true Excision style. Being aware of their surroundings, their set was pristine, not too heavy and not too light. I love a good veteran DJ/producer who curates their mix according to the style of the venue or festival they’re playing at. It’s personal and delicate, not carbon-copied; it warms my soul and makes me feel like they’ve curated their set just for me.
Coming upon the home stretch, Excision most definitely did not disappoint. A personal favorite of mine was when they played their “Zombie” flip by the Cranberries, and the whole crowd was screaming, “It’s in your head, yeah, zombie, zombie, zombie…” It was such an unforgettable experience that I felt it was the perfect time to exit stage left. Ending on a high note, I finally threw in the towel and decided to leave about 30 minutes early. Then their Linkin Park flip came on as we were pushing our way through the crowd. “Don’t you stop!” my wife said, grabbing my arm. She was right; if I had stopped, we would have ended up staying there for more. Finally, coming upon the exit, we burst into the frigid night air.
“Brrrrr!” we exclaimed in unison as we dashed through the parking lot, parking almost exactly where we had the night before. We quickly found our car and began warming it up. With enough time to grab a Paloma, we hurried through the back streets of Dallas again to the Velvet Taco. To our dismay, it was a Sunday and they were closed. Distraught, we found another local taco spot that was open until 3am and hopped back into the car. After devouring two taco plates and a quesadilla, we grabbed some smoothies to go and prepared for the long journey home. Easing into the driveway and turning off the lights, we sealed the night with a kiss and started to head inside. “We finally made it.”
In Closing
First and foremost, I want to express a HUGE Texas-sized thank you to Sioux Z and her team for putting on such an unforgettable, safe, and inclusive event. Also, to Disco Presents for curating this mind-blowing New Year’s Eve weekend festival. I also want to thank the Dallas PD and their staff for their friendly support, whether it was crowd control or paramedic assistance, everyone was so nice and welcoming. A big warm hug goes out to all the talented artists who took time out of their busy schedules to fly to Texas and deliver an amazing performance. 2024 couldn’t have ended on a better note. Sending nothing but PLUR vibes to each and every attendee, and as the saying goes… see you next year, folks!
Lights All Night 2024 Photo Tour
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