Blogs

Photo by Ian Witlen

MSTRKRFT at 2009's Ultra Music Festival.

If there is one guarantee in life is that Ultra Music Festival's lineup is always one of the best in the country. Need proof? Early-bird, two-day tickets to the festival, which sold for $99.95, are gone. What's impressive is that it happened without a single act being announced for the 2010 edition.

But don't fret, tickets to the festival haven't really sold out. Two-day general admission tickets are now being sold for $139.95 (plus all those taxes and ticketing charges). Still no word on who exactly will be performing, but if you're smart you'll probably want to snag some tickets right away. The festival will take place March 26 and 27 at Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami. Tickets are available now via ultramusicfestival.com.

I have a personal pledge not to think about Winter Music Conference until, shit, at least Art Basel Miami Beach, and, ideally New Year's are both over. Still, if you are absolutely, totally positive you will be attending both days of the Ultra Music Festival in 2010, this early-bird ticket special, on sale today, is the best deal you'll find. Starting at noon today, you can buy a two-day festival pass for $99.95.

Ian Witlen

MSTRKRFT performing at the Bayfront Stage at Ultra Music Festival Day 2.

With two-days worth of performers, Ultra Music Festival is still to this day the show to attend during Winter Music Conference. Our cameras were out there in full-force to give an unprecedented visual compendium of everything that went down during the festival. Check out photos from both Day 1 (part 1 and part 2) and Day 2 (part 1 and part 2), as well as our look at the fashion you will probably only come across by at the festival.

Santiago Felipe

Cut Copy lead singer Dan Whitford at Ultra Music Festival Day 2.

Ultra Music Festival '09: Cut Copy
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Bicentennial Park, Miami

Better than: Listening to them on your iPod.

Most of my encounters with Cut Copy have been while drunk at The Vagabond or White Room, where indie dance-rock is pretty much the norm. However it wasn't until Boys Noize gave "Lights & Music" his own personal electro-house touch that I started to really give them any attention.

Considering these guys have been at it since 2001, even having performed in Miami back in for WMC 2006, they aren't exactly new to electro-pop scene. However, 2008's In Ghost Colours has definitely been the band's defining moment giving them not only critical acclaim, but plenty of presence on the dancefloor.

At Saturday's performance at Ultra, the Aussie quartet gave the audience plenty of synthetic beats and melodies to dance to. Yes, this wasn't you hard hitting electro banger, but who the hell cared? Not me. Plus, my ears appreciated the break.

So after wrapping up a couple of feel-good stories about a female inmate being sexually assaulted by prison guards and the ridiculous shenanigans by some cops in a tiny place called Biscayne Park, I stepped out this past Friday to The Vagabond for a little Winter Music Conference R&R. 

Santiago Felipe

Crystal Castles vocalist Alice Glass at Ultra Music Festival Day 2.

Ultra Music Festival '09: Crystal Castles
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Bicentennial Park, Miami

Better than: Everything else at Ultra -- seriously.

The lights dimmed at the Bayfront Stage at Ultra Music Festival and from the darkness emerged the silhouette of the lead singer Alice Glass, a petite girl who looks like that goth girl in high school who kept to herself and nobody bothered to mess with because everyone thought she might beat the hell out of you. The man in shadows, Ethan Kath, poured synthetic beats over the speakers that sounded similar to their remix for the Klaxon's "Atlantis to Interzone" however it could have been a variation of their song "Knights" from their 2008 debut Crystal Castles.

My first encounter with Crystal Castles was back in 2006. The duo came down Miami several times to the now-defunct Revolver party. But it wasn't until WMC 2007 at Mansion's Mansion Loves Electro party that I got to see what they were made of. Glass shrieked her way through the set while crawling on the floor. Most people in attendance either looked toward the stage with confusion or simply made a quick exit to the adjacent room.

Sources say that The Prodigy missed their flight to Miami and might not make it in time to perform tonight at Ultra Music Festival. With Calvin Harris and Bloc Party already AWOL this week, we are starting to see a trend.

Stay tuned here as the news develops.

UPDATE: A commenter noted that their Twitter says "We're in Miami for the Ultra Music Festival today." Putting in some calls to confirm that they've arrived in Miami.

UPDATED X2: The Prodigy's people confirmed that their flight was delayed, but they should be flying into Miami in time for their scheduled performance.

My sources are buzzing tonight with some special surprise guest appearances at several parties. First, it's been confirmed  that Ed Banger Records head-honcho Busy P will be spinning at the Fool's Gold Showcase tonight at White Room. The party is free, no RSVP required.

Over in Allapattah, Our House West of Wynwood is hosting U Don't Like Me, I Don't Like U. Diplo is on the roster and who will be MCing for him than none other than Lil Jon who is working with the rising DJ/producer on tracks for his new album. This party is also free and there will be free booze as well.

Holler if you've heard of anything else happening around town that we should know about.

John Hood

The Ting Tings at Day 1 of Ultra Music Festival.

Ultra Music Festival: Santigold, The Ting Tings
Friday, March 27, 2009
Bicentennial Park, Miami

Better Than: The best pop you've never heard.

Hard to say the best way to tell when I'm most thrilled by a band. Is it when I'm so giddy with excitement that can't stop shooting the show? Or is it when I gotta pocket the camera and pull-out the notebook because I've lost my ability to focus? Then again, maybe it's when I'm so taken aback I can neither click nor write, so I just stand there and take in the sheer pleasure of the experience.

But I've got a job to do, and allowing myself to wallow in joy while a band's on stage won't help me get out the story. So I shoot. And I write. And, more often then not, I'm fumbling around trying to do both. And when I'm done it's generally the act who gets both the most shots and the most ink that has gotten to me more.

From the double-digits on my camera's shot clock and the pages upon pages of scribbled scrawl, I'd say Santigold and The Ting Tings came up tied last night. Both had me clicking and scribbling as if my world was on fire. And when I was finished, I knew I had just witnessed two of the best pop acts in music.

Justin Namon

Boys Noize being a little shy at Louis.

Yes, I'm not going to be very popular by saying this, but Day 1 of Ultra Music Festival sucked. Perhaps it was the nerve of organizers scheduling Santigold for a 5 p.m. performance slot (WTF?), or Bloc Party canceling, or perhaps LMFAO taking the stage during the Black Eyed Peas performance to cement what is certain to be their one-hit wonder status by singing "I'm in Miami, Bitch!" Everything was bad -- really bad!

The only real highlight for me was seeing The Ting Tings perform. I couldn't get over how intense they were despite being only two people, and the crowd loved it as well.

Trust me, I tried to give the festival a chance, but to many things went wrong in my book. The fact that Para One, Surkin and LA Riots were relegated to the small, hidden Biscayne Stage is unforgivable in my book.