WMC Wrap-Up: Day 5 & 6

March 31, 2008 5:54 PM
by Marcos Colón [email]

The final two days of Conference served as a perfect conclusion to the weeklong event. Both Saturday and Sunday had some memorable events, most notably the second day of Ultra and the Fixed party at Studio A. By this time, the second wind of energy flows in to have everyone finish up Conference strong. For the Junkies, things started off on Saturday with the finale of the ten-year anniversary of Ultra.

10th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival

As the bright lights coming off of the high rises in Downtown Miami, the perfect backdrop by the way, the second day of Ultra Music Festival was in full swing. Day two featured more performances than day one as well as better weather. Although many say that day one featured more prominent headliners than day two, to whoever attended the event, it was obvious at the end of the day who had more pull.

After performances by Sander K., Hybrid, Benny Benassi and David Guetta, the headliners on the main stage at the end of the day were UK experimental ambient duo Underworld. The lighting effects were in full effect as Karl Hyde pranced around stage revving up the crowd, and at times seeming like a fan himself. Although most would agree that at the end of a festival most visitors find themselves at the main stage, this wasn’t the case. Although Underworld played to the biggest crowd, both the Carl Cox tent and Bayfront Stage had just as big of crowds. Carl Cox provided sounds that filled up his tent to the brim, while Sasha and Digweed also held the attention of thousands. While many guessed and waited for Daft Punk to headline this year’s festival, with them or not it was still a success and a memorable 10-year anniversary. It’ll be interesting to see who they bring in next year. Variety will be key in order to outdo themselves next year.

Studio A: Fixed WMC Freakout

After Ultra was over the best thing anyone could of done was walk down 11th St. a couple of blocks to Studio A, waited in line, and paid the more than reasonable $30 for the Fixed WMC Freakout party. With one of the best line-ups in all of Conference, this party featured Erol Alkan, Simian Mobile Disco and Boys Noize on all the same bill. Starting off the night was Brazilian Gui Borratto. If you haven’t heard about this guy, take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, then slap your face, then go google his shit. The man has got it.

Boys Noize then took over and literally got the fire started as one of the amps shortly cut the sound off. The Studio A’s normal sound system came on to keep the party going, however, the Dynacord soon came back on, having the bass give a physical and emotional punch to everyone in attendance.

Soon enough, Simian Mobile Disco took the stage and the LED lights came on. With nothing visible but their silhouettes, they played tracks off of their Attack Decay Sustain Release album. The crowd was berserk over the act as their cheers were heard over the system at times. Although they were definitely a tough act to follow, Erol Alkan kept up the level of intensity as he served up some of his signature electro and mash-ups. This was a night to remember and possibly one of the best shows that Conference had to offer. Even Moby showed up for a listen and drink.

Sunday: Day 6

The Shelborne Hotel: Nothin’ But an Old-School Hip Hop Party

This was a breathe of fresh air for the Junkies after so much electronic music consumed during the week. All the old-school fans were in attendance at the Shelborne as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Common and Biz Markie served up some of what they do best. Although the skies weren’t too pleasant at one point, the party continued and mood and vibe of the entire place was kept at a level where even a knot would unwind.

The highlight of the party had to have been DJ Spinna’s set. There was some trouble with the sound, but with a guy like Spinna behind the decks, there’s nothing but good old 80’s and 90’s rhymes and rhythms leaking out of the speakers. The only thing missing from the party was Will Smith. A rendition of ‘Summer Time’ with he and Jazzy Jeff would have definitely been the highlight of the day.

It’s a sad, sad time for many as Winter Music Conference has come to an end. The week was full of nothing but highlights for the Junkies with quality performances by some of the best in the world. Although some say that this year’s Conference seemed a bit week compared to previous ones, it’s pretty tough to believe. There’s no telling what Conference will bring in next year or even what clubs will be around. Regardless of what happens, CoolJunkie will be there to witness it all.