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Breaking down three dance music fests
Your guide to Spring Awakening, Wavefront and North Coast.
By Joshua P. Ferguson
Published: May 31, 2012
Two beat-driven outdoor raves are debuting this summer: the Spring Awakening and Wavefront festivals. Then there’s North Coast, a three-year-old fest that’s rocking a heavy dance lineup. These handy charts help you decide which fest is best for you.
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Music of choice: Dubstep North Coast always represents with choice dubstep acts such as this year’s bass-bangers Excision and Modestep, but if it’s low-end love you’re after, Spring Awakening has it in spades. Headliner Skrillex should be more than enough, with Flux Pavilion, Datsik and NERVO sweetening the deal. Soldier Field (1410 S Museum Campus Dr, springawakeningfestival.com). Jun 16, 17, noon–11pm; two-day pass $119.99–$239.99.
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Music of choice: House/techno/electro All three fests have their fair share of 4/4 beats. Dutch house hotshot Afrojack tops the bill at Spring Awakening. North Coast is boasting two-thirds of electro behemoth Swedish House Mafia. Still, as far as a singular vision of house and techno goes, Wavefront wins with veteran DJ Sasha, hip house duo Duck Sauce, electro kingpins MSTRKRFT and underground highlights such as Matthew Dear. Montrose Beach (630 W Montrose Ave, wavefrontmusicfestival.com). Jun 30, Jul 1, noon–10pm; $49–$125 per day, two-day pass $89–$199.
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Music of choice: Variety The deep concentration of Wavefront and the rave-ready appeal of Spring Awakening aren’t for everybody. If a wide variety of sounds is the deciding factor, nothing beats North Coast. Mixing jam bands such as Umphrey’s McGee, hip-hop highlights including Big Boi and even indie bands such as the Rapture, this one can’t be beat. Union Park (1501 W Randolph St, northcoastfestival.com). Aug 31–Sept 2, noon–10pm; three-day pass $110–$350.
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Drug of choice It may ruffle feathers to say it, but dance music and drugs are inextricably linked. These are the drugs you might encounter at each fest.
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Location of choice With Chicago’s picturesque skyline glowing in the background, Lollapalooza is the envy of every festival. How do these others stack up? Well, you’ve got a park, a stadium or a sandy venue right on Lake Michigan. Need we say more?
Music of choice: Dubstep North Coast always represents with choice dubstep acts such as this year’s bass-bangers Excision and Modestep, but if it’s low-end love you’re after, Spring Awakening has it in spades. Headliner Skrillex should be more than enough, with Flux Pavilion, Datsik and NERVO sweetening the deal. Soldier Field (1410 S Museum Campus Dr, springawakeningfestival.com). Jun 16, 17, noon–11pm; two-day pass $119.99–$239.99.
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