Image via Complex Original
The 2013 Ultra Music Festival has come and gone, and left in its trail a number of stellar moments. Whether you caught the festival live in Miami or watched it from the comfort of your own home, you definitely caught some surprises. Magical sets, hilarious pranks, and emotional moments were abound. Benny Benassi was quoted as saying this (meaning Ultra) was EDM, and he's right; EDM as we know it today is embodied by the Ultra Music Festival. Relive the best moments from the 15th anniversary edition.
Hardwell's Weekend 1 Set
Many feel that this was one of the best sets during the 2013 Ultra Music Festival. He commanded the stage like a pro, and truly crafted an inspiring performance. Hell, he was even joined by Lil Jon, who helped bring the sets to new, energetic heights. All of this while hogging 20% of twitter's bandwidth that day; yes, that happened.
Deadmau5's Closing Sets
Deadmau5 closed out both Saturday nights during the Ultra Music Festival, and put on awe-inspiring performances both nights. Say what you will about Deadmau5 the man, but you can't deny him in this setting. Truly one of the most captivating performers in the dance music scene. Was he caning his best bits? Surely, but that's part of the magic.
Swedish House Mafia's Set
Swedish House Mafia, the trio who have become the face of modern EDM, chose the last day of the Ultra Music Festival to be the final stop on their final tour as a group. This was a huge moment, and one that left many emotional, whether they were live and in person or at home watching the live stream. They threw down a number of their biggest tracks, and ended with the sounds of "Don't You Worry Child." We won't worry, but you'll be missed!
Flosstradamus' Set
For their first UMF performance, Flosstradamus threw Ultra straight into the trap. They ran through a number of their X tracks, dropped some exclusives, and really had the crowd looking alive, and possibly had UMF goers as hype as they'd been over the first weekend. We'd love to see what they could do on the main stage or the Mega Structure next year.
Anything Carl Cox
Is there a true "king" of Ultra? If there hasn't been one crowned, DAD votes for Carl Cox to take the thrown. Carl Cox & Friends pretty much owned the Mega Structure, with Carl pulling in three-hour sets like it's nothing. He's a true veteran, and shows it every time he steps up to the decks.
Zedd Running Around Deadmau5's Set
This was awesome just for the fact that, if you'd been following the back-and-forth between Zedd and Deadmau5 on twitter, you were itching to see if Zedd would have gone through with it. He's a man of his word, and it helped add a sense of humor many don't see within the EDM scene's DJs and producers.
Avicii's Album Premiere
Hate it or love it, Avicii bringing Aloe Blacc, a kazoo, and banjo players to the Ultra main stage took BALLS. He's opening up his sound, and is commended for taking it there during his live show.
50 PEOPLE WHO HATED (OR WERE CONFUSED BY) AVICII'S ALBUM PREMIERE AT THE ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Krewella's Weekend 2 Set
Krewella's live-stage show was awesome, and they brought it back with another impressive performance during Weekend 2. They had the crowd raging early, and justified their hype with an explosive set.
Disclosure's Live Show
Disclosure had been talking about putting on a live-show that incorporated more creation of music, and while their set-up is pretty bare bones (a few drum pads, mixers, and more), they are bringing their magical sound alive. They touched down on both weekends, and surprised those who made it out to their performances.
Boys Noize's Set
Boys Noize's live performances are done atop a skull, and the sight is just as awesome as the tunes he's dropping. He ran through a number of his tracks like a pro, and showed why he deserves to be both at Ultra and in your regular conversations. Oh, he also dropped and awesome set with Skrillex as Dog Blood.
