DJs at Wavefront Music Festival, Saturday | Photos and Review

Wavefront Music Festival, Saturday: Visionquest, Art Department, Bad Boy Bill, Matthew Dear + MSTRKRFT

• 

  Visionquest at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs1.jpg154785211
• 

  Visionquest at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs2.jpg154785262
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs3.jpg154785313
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs4.jpg154785364
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs5.jpg154785415
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs6.jpg154785466
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs7.jpg154785517
• 

  Art Department at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs8.jpg154785568
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs9.jpg154785619
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs10.jpg1547856610
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs11.jpg1547857111
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs12.jpg1547857612
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs13.jpg1547858113
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs14.jpg1547858614
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs15.jpg1547859115
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs16.jpg1547859616
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs17.jpg1547860117
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs18.jpg1547860618
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs19.jpg1547861119
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs20.jpg1547861620
• 

  Bad Boy Bill at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs21.jpg1547862121
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs22.jpg1547862622
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs23.jpg1547863123
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs24.jpg1547863624
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs25.jpg1547864125
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs26.jpg1547864626
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs27.jpg1547865127
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs28.jpg1547865628
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs29.jpg1547866129
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs30.jpg1547866630
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs31.jpg1547867131
• 

  Matthew Dear at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs32.jpg1547867632
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs33.jpg1547868133
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs34.jpg1547868634
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs35.jpg1547869135
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs36.jpg1547869636
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs37.jpg1547870137
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs38.jpg1547870638
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs39.jpg1547871139
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs40.jpg1547871640
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs41.jpg1547872141
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs42.jpg1547872642
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs43.jpg1547873143
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs44.jpg1547873644
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs45.jpg1547874145
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs46.jpg1547874646
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs47.jpg1547875147
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs48.jpg1547875648
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs49.jpg1547876149
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs50.jpg1547876650
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs51.jpg1547877151
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs52.jpg1547877652
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs53.jpg1547878153
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs54.jpg1547878654
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs55.jpg1547879155
• 

  MSTRKRFT at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

  Photo: Max Herman383.384.mu.WavefrontSaturdayDJs56.jpg1547879656

PreviousNext

Visionquest at Wavefront Beachside Music Festival, June 30, 2012.

Photo: Max Herman

Beats on the beach may have been the main excuse attracting the throngs of people who flooded Montrose Beach's Wavefront Music Festival, but for the heads who were in search of quality, they found it in spades. Wavefront did a good job of splitting the difference between populist fist-pump-worthy club fare and the deeper, darker sounds that proliferate from the underground. The former was perfect for the setting, and the fest's South Stage provided it with progressive house and banging electro from, most notably, Chicago veteran Bad Boy Bill and rockers-turned-DJs MSTRKRFT, who were clad in flannel prints and headbanging like mad.

But it was the North Stage that made for a more satisfying, less frilly, unpretentious dance party. Occupying the stage for the heart of the afternoon, the Detroit natives of Visionquest tag-teamed with their brand of stripped-down house, deconstructed disco and future funk. The quartet's most popular member, Seth Troxler, was absent, but you didn't hear it in their hour-and-a-half set, which actually made for great understated beach grooves. Considering that Visionquest's music is hand-crafted for dark, steamy clubs, the music translated gloriously. 

Toronto's Art Department followed, building on the prevailing sound of the stage with techno flourishes, gothic house and the duo's reinterpretations of '90s style dance beats. Seeing just how far the crowd was willing to go, Ghostly International poster boy Matthew Dear pushed the envelope, dubbing out sound effects and weaving his quirky brand of Kraftwerkian techno-pop into the mix. He tossed out some challenging tunes for his prominent time slot, but it served as a great indication of the festival organizers' willingness to introduce revelers to a side of dance music that goes beyond the glitz of David Guetta and Afrojack.

Check out photos of the bikini-and-trunks-clad crowd from Saturday here. 

Read reviews and see photos of Saturday's headliners, Boys Noize and Erick Morillo here.