What a weekend.

Our sophomore year at the Winter Music Conference was even more jam-packed than our first. Click through to see how I fared as I navigated my way through the Winter Music Conference party scene, and be sure to check out our WMC Recap Page, where we will continue to add photos and recaps from our various exploits around town.

Jump To: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Our first stop was the Hard Pool Party at the Fontainbleau Hotel, which was in full swing thanks to beats by Busy P. The sold-out crowd was in good spirits as Erol Alkan and Boys Noize delivered their respective sets, inspiring one partygoer to do a backflip on stage. The sunset set (always my favorite) belonged to Aeroplane, whose mellow breed of electro was a solid match for the atmosphere. Annie Mac (wearing a pair of killer heels) and Boy 8 Bit rounded out the line-up with upbeat tunes that included the Junkie XL remix of “Cooler Couleur” and the Jack Beats remix of “I’m Not Your Toy”.

After a quick disco nap (essential to our survival) we made our way to downtown Miami to catch the world premiere of Duck Sauce (Armand Van Helden x DJ A-Trak) at the Fool’s Gold WMC Showcase. People were dancing up a storm, generating heat and steam that immediately fogged up my camera lens. The duo debuted several new songs, including my favorite of the night, “Barbara Streisand”. Fool’s Gold goodies were everywhere – the sound of their new whistles echoed through the audience, and a few lucky partygoers took home the new Duck Sauce rubber ducky, which A-Trak and Armand randomly threw into the crowd.

Friday, March 26, 2010

After spending the day at Ultra, we went straight to Karu & Y for Made Event and AM Only’s One Night Only extravaganza, where AC Slater and Star Eyes were manning the decks in Y Ultralounge. We ran into fellow New Yorkers Dances with White Girls, as well as The Captain and Drop the Lime from Trouble & Bass, who were in the house to support their crew:

The large club was like a maze, and had us moving from room to room to catch the various DJs on the massive line-up. Some highlights: in the Buddha Club, Donald Glaude and Kill the Noise teamed up to deliver a funky house set with DJ Craze adding his turntable skills; Jack Beats’ hip hop-laced electro hyped up the crowd in the Y Ultralounge.

It is rare to hear hard electro in an upscale club, but the Mixmag party at Park West made it work with DJ sets by Boys Noize, Jack Beats and the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am and apl.de.ap. LMFAO delighted party guests by performing their set from a platform in the middle of the dance floor. Surprise guest Lil’ John joined them for their hit single, “Shots”.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

By the time Saturday night rolled around, we were exhausted. But with Trouble & Bass and Fixed on the menu, the prospect of seeing our favorite New Yorkers and their special guests in Miami sounded like too much fun to pass up.

We started the night with the Trouble & Bass crew, whose Temple of Boom drew an enormous crowd with a line-up that shook the walls of The White Room in Downtown Miami. Wandering between the three rooms, we caught snippets of Classixx, Nero, Dances with White Girls, AC Slater and L-Vis 1990.

When the crowd got a bit overwhelming, we headed to the Fixed WMC Freakout at Grand Central where Boys Noize and Brodinski were taking turns behind the decks when we arrived. The late-night crowd was small, but the easygoing atmosphere and mutual energy between the DJs and audience made the room feel like a special private performance.

We saw three Boys Noize performances during the Winter Music Conference along with countless NYC tour stops, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that he’s consistent. Whether in beachwear at the Hard Pool Party, in front of a huge crowd at Ultra or in the intimate setting of the Fixed WMC Freakout, Alex Ridha kills it every time.

Back at the Temple of Doom, an electric island beat was wafting through the front room courtesy of J-Wow of Buraka Som Sistema, while in the back room, Plastician was wrapping up his set with “Intensive Snare”. We got our last dose of energy from Nadastrom before calling it a night.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

By Sunday we were zapped, but our spirits were immediately lifted when we got within earshot of the Shelbourne Hotel. Inside, the energy level was at its peak. People took up every inch of available dance space, spilling into the pool and barbecue area in the back. On stage, Danny Tenaglia ruled the decks, while a pair of colorful dancers kept the crowd entertained. Sunday funday indeed.

CLICK HERE for more photos and coverage of the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Squires