Three Shows, Three Cities, One Debauchery-Filled New Year’s Night. Complex joins DJ Kaskade on his jet-set marathon

Story and Photography by Tracy Anderson “So I’m thinking for New Year’s I want to rent a private jet and play, you know, three or four different cities,” Kaskade tells me in an interview a few months back. At the time, all I could remember thinking was how ambitious it seemed. Then a few weeks ago I get a call from the Kaskade’s manager informing me of his plan to play Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve. And, more importantly, that he wants me to cover the entire thing. Travel with Kaskade and his entourage on a private jet to three major party cities, all in one night? I was like “Yeah, that sounds pretty cool but Kanye has a space ship and wants to fly to the moon for New Year’s, so I’ll have to think about it.” It took all of an hour to get on the road to L.A. from my pad in San Diego. Here’s how it went down.

Los Angeles, Giant Maximus
What better way to kick it off than a huge circus-themed event in downtown L.A.? Billed as the “The planet’s largest 21+ New Year’s party,” this was New Year’s done bigger than life and in true L.A. fashion—a scene so in love with itself that they missed the passing of midnight altogether.

7:30 pm: I hit downtown LA and quickly touch base with Kaskade’s manager. I have a couple hours to kill before we leave for the Giant Maximus venue, so I hop a cab to another event happening downtown, HARD, sponsored by Dim Mak, Vestal, 103.1, and a long list of other hipster companies.

7:52 pm: Fifteen dollars and fifteen blocks later, I arrive at HARD, where French DJ duo Justice and potty-mouthed Peaches will headline. It’s early, but I get a hold of Trouble Andrew, who was slotted to perform after Justice at 2:30 am. He gets me an artist pass and I’m in.


The main stage at Hard.

8:47 pm: Doors at HARD were supposed to open at eight, but one of the bands left their van in front of the main stage, and the Fire Marshal holds the door.

9:05 pm: I listen to Trouble Andrew and Pink Enemy do sound checks, and then decide it’s time to bounce. As I’m leaving, I see that the doors still haven’t opened, and the line stretches for as far as the eye can see.


Pink Enemy finds your lack of faith in the Force disturbing.

9:33 pm: A stretch limousine picks up our crew at the hotel. Miami-based DJ Robbie Rivera, who was also playing that night, catches a ride. His girlfriend is ridiculously hot.

9:46 pm: We arrive at Giant Maximus. The venue takes up an entire city block, and revelers are arriving by the masses. 


The view looking up at Kaskade’s stage was a seizure waiting to happen.

10:00 pm: After getting escorted through several gates and security checks, Kaskade arrives just in time to drop his set. Already, the 4,000-capacity tent he is playing is packed.
10: 25 pm: Kaskade is building up his set and everyone is freaking out. I decide to venture out and see what else Giant Maximus has to offer. Hot girls, hot go-go dancers and a giant Ferris wheel top the list.


10: 49 pm: I check out the MSTRKRFT tent. Not a big turn out here. Probably because everyone that would normally see MSTRKRFT went to see Justice instead, who was just around the corner at HARD.

11:32 pm: Closing in on 2008. I hang out with a few people doing a glow stick show. I didn’t realize people still did this. Sweet.

No glow stick show for these girls.

12:00 am: New Year’s passes without a countdown. Nobody seems to notice.

12:06 am: Finally somebody hops on the mic: “10, 9, 8, …3, 2,1…Happy New Year!”


This guy was more concerned about people noticing his Ed Hardy t-shirt than he was the New Year’s countdown.


And she just wants you to “shut up and dance.”

12:10 am: New York DJ Roger Sanchez takes over the decks and we are rushed to our private tarmac, via limo, to board our private jet. Our two pilots greet us and we’re on our way to San Francisco for round two.

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