On Nov. 8, I crossed a long-awaited canon event off my bucket list. I got to see Fisher perform live at the Electric Daisy Carnival.
If you’ve kept up with my past articles, you know my first music festival was in March at Ultra Miami. Long story short, we rained out on day one of the festival, the same day Fisher closed out Ultra. This DJ was one of the primary motivators of my roommate and me to purchase tickets to go, and it was upsetting not getting to see him. Since then, we’ve made a pact that no matter what, we will see him play once we get the chance. So, we immediately bought our tickets when we saw EDC would have Fisher close out on Friday, which was the first day.
Thankfully, I live 15 minutes from the Camping World Stadium, where EDC was held, so it only took us 30 minutes to drive there, park, and another 20 minutes to walk to the main entrance. Compared to Ultra, this was a longer drive from my house, but the walk was about the same.
Upon arrival, I first noticed how much space there was. It did not feel congested, and I felt like I had enough room to roam free compared to Ultra, where I bumped into everyone because of the lack of space. I also realized how colorful and illuminated it was. The thought put into all the decoration was incredible!
First set: DIPLO (SUNSET SET)
In full transparency, I had my doubts about Diplo. At first, I thought his music would be very pop-centered since I know him for his hits like “Where Are U Now” and “Que Calor.”
Going into the crowd didn’t feel scary at all. There was a ton of space to dance, and everyone was super respectful. I jumped around and danced a lot, so I needed a lot of space, which I truly felt I had.
What surprised me was that Diplo is a very versatile DJ who does a little of everything. I did not expect his music to be so good, and it was a total vibe with the beautiful sunset in the background. I would love to see him again and would recommend seeing his set to anyone!
SECOND SET: RIORDAN
This artist had already played earlier in the day on a larger stage, so I was wondering how this would play out. The “stage” felt like a makeshift club to me. It was a Bacardi pop-up bar that looked like a two-story house. It was interesting since it was more condensed, but a nice, intimate setting.
His music also catered to the feel of the environment. He performed a lot of house music, which I love, but our time at this set felt like a pit stop since we didn’t linger for long. Although it was short-lived, I had a lot of fun here.
THIRD SET: NOIZU
This was the second time I had seen Noizu since I coincidentally saw him last March. I had so much fun seeing his set the first time around that my friends and I were curious about what his second one would look like.
I was a little spooked looking at the crowd since it was very congested, but I just trusted my gut and kept walking to the front through all the gaps. Eventually, we made it pretty close to the front with no issues whatsoever, and I kept getting impressed with the amount of space I had at the stages.
Noizu’s set was also slightly different from the last time. He went for a stronger techno feel, which was cool to experience. But we decided to leave his set early to get a good spot at Fisher’s set.
FINAL SET: FISHER
This was part of the night that we were all anticipating, and it didn’t hit me until right before Fisher came on that I was completing this bucket list item.
We first got into the crowd right as he began, and somehow, we still went pretty deep into the main stage with A TON of space to dance. I remember telling my roommate that it was a full circle moment for us to finally be here, not just with completing this goal but also with how much we’ve grown since Ultra.
His set was my favorite of the night because Fisher’s energy is contagious and animated. It makes all the difference how a performer interacts with the crowd and when they are having fun with you. My roommate and I found shoulders to get on for “TAKE IT OFF” to end the night. It was very euphoric and so much fun; I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
My take on EDC is that for the price, everything that they give you is worth it. I went for a day, and I’m not sure if I would have the energy for three full ones, but I was satisfied with my experience on day one. It was so fun that this time around, I have no major complaints. I would recommend EDC to anyone, but just make sure you go with a good group of people who will match your vibes.
The event was well done and a step up from Ultra regarding logistics and amenities. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year will look like for the Orlando community!