HARD Haunted Mansion Review: Saturday

Having gone to the previous night and seen A-Trak, The Bloody Beetroots, 2ManyDJs, and Deadmau5, I had very high expectations for Saturday night.  Fortunately, I was no where near disappointed.  The second night of intense sets was just as good if not better than the first.  And for those of you who picked Friday night over Saturday, all I can say is that you missed out!

buraka-artistBuraka Som Sistema:
I really hadn’t heard of this Portuguese kuduro group before, but they definitely had the outdoor stage moving with their tribal beats and onstage antics. These guys knew how to get the crowd involved and even got the entire crowd to sit down on the floor, only to have everyone jumping in unison 4 counts later.

majorlazer-artistMajor Lazer:
Diplo and Switch definitely showed up on Saturday to rock everyone until most thought they were moving in some kind of Jamaican dancehall paradise. The two DJs, along with the accompanying vocalists and dancers, kept the crowd dancing, whether it was with the heavy beats and sounds they are known for or the mellow dubstep beats that helped create one of the best concert atmospheres I have ever seen.

jaxx-artistBasement Jaxx:
To be perfectly honest, walking into Saturday night I felt that Basement Jaxx was somewhat out of place in comparison to the other acts on the lineup. I had expected Basement Jaxx to be more poppy than everyone else.  However, Basement Jaxx had one of the best DJ sets I have ever seen. One could say that they “did it HARD.” They played all heavy dance hits you can think of, from a remix of their own “Where’s Your Head At” to their mix of “Warp 1.9” by the Bloody Beetroots. Their set on saturday made me a fan of Basement Jaxx for life.

justice-artistJustice:
When I think of Justice’s set on Saturday, very few words, other than “amazing,” “fantastic,” or “perfect,” come to mind. Justice played all the favorites: “Waters of Nazareth,” “Phantom,” and “D.A.N.C.E.” They even surprised me by playing a mix of “Everybody Up In the Place” by Prodigy. But what really turned out to be the highlight of their performance was their transition from “We Are Your Friends” to “Why Can’t We Be Friends.” It would be very safe for me to say that any verbal description of their set would not be able to truly do it Justice.