Look Inside North Coast Music Pageant 2022, a Cosmic Pageant Expertise In Chicago
In Chicago, Labor Day Weekend is synonymous with North Coast. One of many staples of the town’s digital music pageant scene, it has constructed a popularity not just for its excellent lineups, however for crafting a holistic expertise meant to take festival-goers—affectionately nicknamed “Coasties”—on a technicolor journey.
As you go by means of the gates and take the whole lot in—the sights, sounds, smells and palpable environment—for the primary time, it’s instantly obvious that the world you’re now in is totally completely different from the one surrounding the pageant’s grounds. Occupying what is generally a 28,000-seat soccer stadium and surrounding grounds in the course of suburban Chicagoland, you wouldn’t be mistaken by believing you’d been transported to a wholly completely different world.
On this world, the whole lot is a polychromatic mixture of purple, blue, inexperienced and yellow hues. And everybody could be whoever they need to be.
You possibly can indulge your self in all kinds of culinary delights, discover handmade jewellery and garments, and absorb eye-popping artwork installations splayed all through the grounds. Fittingly, with every stage taking up a unique id, it was solely proper that the music served as the proper soundtrack for this multicolor hub of self-expression.
The Cover was the smallest of the three, but it surely in no way lacked the punch that got here with the aptitude and brilliant lights of its counterparts, the Stadium and Vega levels. Located below a white awning adorned with verdant greenery, the Cover doubled as an oasis the place North Coast’s ravers couldn’t solely get away from the mayhem, but additionally dance their cares away to the sounds of home music’s best.
Headliners FISHER and Diplo took over the primary two days on the Cover, filling out the stage with their Catch & Launch and Greater Floor label-mates, respectively. The previous—with Solardo, Eli and Fur, CID and extra helming the sales space—had attendees in a trance below the sunshine. The latter—full with Yotto, Luttrell, Mayson Maynard, Sohmi and Sherm—took issues extra old fashioned in a homage to Chicago, the birthplace of home music.
LP Giobbi performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
LP Giobbi performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
LP Giobbi performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
The star of the takeovers, nevertheless, was none apart from LP Giobbi, who was named Greatest Music Govt on EDM.com‘s “Better of 2021: Trade Leaders” record final yr. As her face beamed with a smile for everything of her mirthful DJ set, the Oregon-born multi-hyphenate left followers in awe, taking them by means of a cosmic daytime disco journey.
The third day highlighted a slew of main names from home, hip-hop and R&B, with the likes of Channel Tres, Sango, TSHA, Lou Phelps and extra curating a cool environment to cap off a weekend of grooves. With followers camped out on the stage your complete day, the thrill was palpable because the lights went down for closing headliner KAYTRANADA’s set. Lacing the decks with an eclectic mixture of hits all through his huge, synth-laden discography, he introduced the home down and had a sea of followers undulating as one.
KAYTRANADA performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
KAYTRANADA performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
KAYTRANADA performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
Followers in search of hard-hitting entice and dubstep beats didn’t must stray too far all through the weekend. The Vega stage delivered three nonstop days price of head-banging and rail-riding motion from the best in bass music.
Cyclops Recordings imprint was the primary day’s central focus, as Boogie T, Rusko, LEVEL UP, House Wizard and extra fired up the gang and unlocked each fan’s interior beast to open up the fest. Grime Monkey and SubDocta crafted a wonky B2B set that meshed highly effective drums with wobbly bass, sending the gang right into a frenzy earlier than headliner and label proprietor Subtronics. His raucous closing efficiency set the bar excessive for the remainder of the weekend, leaving Ophelia Information and Seven Lions with no alternative however to toss it even larger on the second day.
Trivecta, Gem & Tauri and Flynninho fired up the daytime slots, priming the gang for a stacked finish of the night time kicked off by Minnesota native Jason Ross, whose signature mixture of celestial dubstep and melodic bass made for the proper soundtrack to the setting solar. Golden hour quickly gave solution to an eerie overcast sky—no downside for MitiS’ hard-hitting, haunting set, which blended the kinds of the weekend to this point into an hourlong barrage of epic sound.
Dubstep star Wooli set issues ablaze throughout his penultimate slot, giving approach for headliner Seven Lions to rise from the ashes and ship an unforgettable efficiency that followers have come to count on from the inimitable California beatsmith.
It was pure anthemic, rattling, booming dubstep that actually shook you to your core, and it was the proper summation of the whole lot that his flagship Ophelia File simprint has come to signify over time. Gradual, pulsating beats supplied the inspiration that quick, energetic drops smashed to items whereas hearth spewed from the stage as followers clattered in opposition to the railing.
Seven Lions performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
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Seven Lions performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
Seven Lions performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
It was a relentless blitz of beating bass that constructed an indescribable fury inside the sold-out crowd, leaving followers with no alternative however to run it again and produce the identical vitality for the third day. That includes closing headliner SVDDEN DEATH’s VOYD set, which has been tearing down crowds throughout the nation, it was a full Backyard of the Deceiver takeover, with the likes of Marauda, Eptic and MUST DIE! rounding out a weekend of madness on the Vega stage.
Serving because the beacon of North Coast 2022, the Stadium stage was the end result of its organizers’ efforts to carry digital music to the forefront of the Chicago consciousness, that includes a rotating stream of a number of the greatest artists within the recreation. Packing out a stadium constructed to deal with tens of 1000’s of soccer followers was actually no straightforward feat—but time and time once more, festival-goers turned out in droves to witness a revolving door of unforgettable performances.
Native stars Tres Mortimer and Gettoblaster kicked off the primary day, making approach for Dutch home duo Moski to pump up the bass and ship the vitality surging earlier than Deorro took the stage. His trademark Latin-dance fusion made for the proper sound to open the weekend as followers danced away on the sun-drenched grounds.
The daytime was capped off by a smashing set from LA-based duo Two Buddies, who spanned the gamut of pop hits from seemingly each decade, à la their fan-favorite “Large Bootie Combine” collection.
Madeon introduced his beautiful Good Religion Eternally expertise again to the town the place it began three years in the past to open the night time, curating an epic show of visuals and hit songs all through his storied profession.
Subsequent up was Gryffin, who arguably gave the efficiency of the pageant throughout a vigorous set that noticed him showcase the number of instruments he’s used to propel himself to the forefront of the dance music panorama. Thrashing on his guitar as he stood atop the sales space whereas a cascade of lights and fireworks burst behind him, it was a prismatic spectacle to behold and served because the embodiment of the North Coast expertise.
Gryffin performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
Gryffin performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
Gryffin performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
Legendary trance artist Armin van Buuren lived as much as his billing as one of the vital revered DJs of all-time with an ethereal closing set, turning the open-air Chicago stadium into an underground Dutch rave for the ages.
Because the sunshine turned to nightfall on the second day, French home music star Dombresky blew the stadium extensive open with a pounding set, mixing in his membership staples with 80s-style disco and future funk to set off an instantaneous dance social gathering below the clouds. Stated the Sky ushered within the night time with a stellar efficiency chock filled with transcendent crossover hits from Owl Metropolis, Yellowcard and Panic! On the Disco, which had telephone lights up and voices chanting in unison.
Rounding out the night time, Tchami and Malaa delivered a hellish “No Redemption” home set, setting the stage for generational famous person ILLENIUM to shut the day with a real manufacturing in each sense of the phrase. Throwing in shimmering pop anthems with twisted dubstep, the Colorado mega-producer confirmed why he’s perched atop the EDM panorama, as his skill to show a whole stadium of numerous tastes and kinds the wrong way up is unmatched. Followers had been additionally in for a shock when he debuted a model new unreleased music, “Worst Day,” an emotive banger created alongside prolific singer-songwriter MAX.
ILLENIUM performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
ILLENIUM performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
ILLENIUM performs at North Coast Music Pageant 2022.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
The final day of the pageant noticed the Stadium turn out to be a centrifuge of otherworldly euphoria. Jai Wolf introduced within the night time with the final present of his three-plus yr “Treatment to Loneliness” run. It was a set match for the top of an period, because the clouds opened as much as create a drizzling impact good for the nostalgia of Wolf’s signature melodic sound.
Surging bass music duo SLANDER introduced their signature model of dubstep and future bass to the mainstage, with their pounding conflict of screeching bass reaching effectively past the stadium’s partitions. The ultimate act of three days of nonstop ecstasy was none apart from Porter Robinson and his scintillating Nurture stay present, providing an emotive closing efficiency to encapsulate the visceral North Coast expertise.
You possibly can try our unique North Coast 2022 photograph gallery under. All pictures by Christian Wade for EDM.com.
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