Las Vegas Weekly

Vegas Vacation: What to see at WMC

RICHARD BRIAN/STAFF PHOTO.Stephen Eachon of Rabbit in the Moon performs during the Ultra Music Festival at Bicentennial Park on March 27, 2009 in Miami.

Photo: Richard Brian

Vegas vacation! It’s the time of year when Vegas takes a vacation and gets the heck outta town... together.

If nightclubs seem a bit empty next week, it’s because a large chunk of our nightlife industry and electronic music fans are off to Miami for the Winter Music Conference. But with a gazillion parties going on in and around South Beach over the course of a week or so (seriously, we counted!) what should you check out if you’re heading south? Here’s a few of the events we’ll be hitting up.

Wednesday, March 24: DiP iN Pool Party, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the National Hotel.

Hope you remembered to pack your trance pants, because the DiP iN party is touted to be the best (and possibly only) WMC trance pool party. Headliners include Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery and Menno de Jong.

Thursday, March 25: It’s going to be a looooong day as we gear up for Robbie Rivera’s legendary Juicy Beach party at Nikki Beach, co sponsored by Vegas’ own Wet Republic. Going from noon to 5 a.m., attendees will catch sets from not only Rivera, but also headliners including Joachim Garraud, Funkagenda, George Acosta, Bart B More and Vegas’ Scotty Boy and Tony Arzadon.

We’ll also stumble over to Tantra for the 5th Annual Surreal Miami Unity Party from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. where DJ faces familiar to Las Vegas are spinning. Performers include Chris Garcia, Nathan Scott, Jordan Stevens and Tara Brooks, plus Serge Devant headlining.

Got Red Bull? Somewhere in there we might hit up the Sleaze Records Presents Cedric Gervais & Friends at Mynt from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. as well, featuring sets by not only Gervais, but also Sultan & Ned Shepard, Craig Pettigrew and Vegas’ Tony Arzadon and Nathan Scott, plus a live performance by Mya.

Friday and Saturday, March 26-27: There’s no time to rest because the two-day Ultra Music Festival is a must-see while in Miami, especially if this is your first year at WMC. You can see Tiësto and David Guetta plus a ton of other artists for less than the price of seeing them alone! Other headliners include Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, The Crystal Method... and the list goes on. Don’t miss sets by Fake Blood, Rabbit in the Moon, Orbital and Steve Porter, and Vegas’ Svast & Stellar will be playing, as well!

After Ultra, also on Friday and Saturday, swing by Club Space as Paul van Dyk presents 10 Years of Vandit Records and the man himself headlines both nights.

Sunday, March 28: Check out the Beatport Pool Party at The Gansevoort for D. Ramirez, Trent Cantrelle, Steve Angello and Wolfgang Gartner.

Feeling homesick by this point? House Society and Worship Recording presents The Ambassadors WMC closing event at RokBar with familiar face Keith Evan spinning, plus house-music headliners Rocco, Nickodemus, Lisa Shaw and more from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m, ending just in time to catch our flight back to Vegas. Whew!

Got a suggestion of something going on in Miami? Leave us a note in the comments section of where you’ll be during WMC! And for live coverage of what’s going on, follow @deannarilling on Twitter.