HARD Summer time and Insomniac Occasions made their triumphant return to the town of Los Angeles this previous weekend. It was the primary full scale digital music pageant to be held within the metropolis in a decade; the primary since HARD Summer time final befell at LA State Historic Park in 2013.
Town has been warming up for this; Kaskade and deadumau5 performed a full present on the Coliseum final December, and Insomniac has been internet hosting occasions at “The Torch”, the Coliseum’s northeast entrance. Nonetheless, this was the primary multi-day pageant to be held on the Exposition Park grounds since EDC again in 2010. Total, the weekend was an enormous success and is hopefully the runway for extra Los Angeles-based occasions. Since this was a very new setup, there’s quite a bit to get into.
The Competition Format
HARD Summer time has been on the acquainted NOS Occasions Middle the previous two years, and it occupied the Fontana Speedway, three of the 4 years previous to that. Insomniac went completely enormous with the pageant structure for the return to Los Angeles. The HARD stage occupied all the space behind each the Coliseum and the BMO Stadium, with MLK Blvd operating alongside the south finish of the pageant.
Headliners might stroll into each of the aforementioned venues and never solely simply entry the ground, however simply chill and sit within the bountiful grandstands that each stadiums offered. The HARD stage was the very first place headliners walked in and having access to the Inexperienced (Coliseum), Purple (BMO Stadium) and Pink phases was tremendous straightforward. Getting from HARD to HARDer was just a little little bit of a stroll, nevertheless, nobody acquired misplaced right here. VIP headliners additionally acquired entry to an unimaginable air-conditioned space inside BMO. No bottlenecks, straightforward to maneuver round, 9/10.
The Levels
It’s powerful to check the HARD stage to phases at festivals like EDC or Tomorrowland which all have very distinctive themes. Through the years, what’s made HARD distinctive is that it actually doesn’t have any kind of aesthetic, aside from yard summer time BBQ, nevertheless, that doesn’t imply that HARD doesn’t have spectacular manufacturing. In truth, the HARDer, Inexperienced and Purple phases all had mind-blowing manufacturing. The HARDer stage sort of resembled the Extremely Europe stage. The stage was divided into two horizontal rows of video panels extending outwards and curving inwards behind the DJ sales space. Rows of lights illuminated the columns in between the LED panels. Getting up shut, you bought completely misplaced within the stage design.
The Inexperienced stage contained in the Coliseum had a completely huge scope. The stage featured a sq. video panel border extending out and getting greater in three completely different rounds of panels. Lasers and pyro made the stage come alive at night time, and being inside the large Coliseum gave the Inexperienced stage a scope that the HARDer stage didn’t have.
Similar for the Purple Stage contained in the BMO, which is a model new, world class stadium. The stage featured huge diamond formed video boards protruding out into the gang. The primary video board behind the stage showcased all of the insanity that was happening. For Diplo b2b Blond:ish, they even had a basketball hoop arrange for every DJ to shoot free throws on while the opposite one spun. Possibly one of many best setups I’ve ever seen.
Whereas the HARD stage was huge, it lacked the grandness and creativity of the opposite phases. It was the identical trapezoidal design that’s featured every of the previous couple years at NOS. I really like the pink and the added lasers had been a lot appreciated, however, at a stage the place the typical headliner was in all probability actually distant from the stage, it felt small. The sound was not impeccable both.
Metro got here in clutch
Should you’re a veteran SoCal raver like me, you’re in all probability very aware of that dreadful drive from LA to San Bernardino. It could possibly strategy two hours, if you happen to’re like me, you’re staying at a Motel 6 or Consolation Inn someplace within the Inland Empire, it’s quite a bit to get on the market for a two or three day pageant. This 12 months it seems that native headliners overwhelmingly took benefit of public transportation and took the Metro to Downtown Los Angeles. For $3.50 a day you rode possibly 30-45 minutes fear free to and from the venue. No looking for parking, no costly rideshares; if you happen to didn’t take the Metro right down to the pageant…nicely, kudos to you for spending pointless cash. And, though it was sizzling in DTLA, low 90’s, it was nothing like San Bernardino, which skilled triple digit warmth each days of the weekend.
The Lineup
There’s by no means actually been a foul HARD lineup, HARD has at all times been recognized for having a few of the most eclectic and distinctive lineups throughout all festivals. There are at all times HARD stalwarts like Diplo, Skrillex, Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus, nevertheless, this 12 months, the pageant went in on distinctive b2bs and appealed to the older millennial in all of us. Kaskade b2b John Summit and Skrillex b2b 4 Tet had been the headliners this 12 months. One distinction between HARD and different Insomniac festivals, greatest consider there’s a designated headliner.
Hip-hop was additionally nicely represented with 21 Savage and Child Cudi every taking up the Purple Stage. Early 2000s favorites Fats Joe and Ludacris additionally carried out. Ludacris’s efficiency was notable as he completely packed out the HARDer stage. Seemingly each millennial in Los Angeles was there. Disco was additionally strongly represented on the pageant with Yung Bae on the HARD stage and Jungle on the Purple stage. You by no means know who will probably be headlining HARD, however you understand it’ll at all times be good.
Areas the Might Use Some Enchancment
Alright it’s come to that point the place I’ve to name some issues out. On this case, there have been solely two issues that stood out to me, however they stood out massive time. Clearly, there’s going to be rising pains with a brand new pageant location, however these should be addressed.
First, the bottleneck on the entrance. Whereas there was nothing improper with strolling down Invoice Robertson Ln from the Metro cease, or wherever you could have parked, there have been principally 2 VIP entrances and eight GA entrances to all the pageant. That’s a fraction of what’s normally obtainable at NOS Occasions Middle or beforehand on the Fontana Speedway had been there have been a number of entrances. It was utterly unorganized moving into the venue and I’m certain loads of individuals simply walked previous the hearty workers who had been wristbanding. Possibly open up extra entrances on MLK Blvd? However, there must be extra room for ingress and a extra orderly strategy to get wristbanded.
Second, the VIP part on the HARDer stage. It’s powerful to complain about any VIP space, in spite of everything, you’re there. However, if you happen to paid for HARD VIP and spent any first rate period of time on the HARDer stage, you had been vastly disillusioned. The pool was small and crowded, and equally to the entrances there have been principally six bars serving all the VIP space; evidently the traces weren’t precisely transferring easily. I perceive that house was restricted on the occasion, however the HARDer VIP part didn’t dwell as much as expectations.
That’s just about that on HARD Summer time Los Angeles 2023. Regardless of a few missteps, the pageant was an amazing success. Fingers crossed that HARD maintains its residence right here in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. Nothing has been introduced but, however keep tuned to Insomniac’s socials for future updates.
