On the last weekend took place in Itu, the brazilian edition of Tomorrowland, festival based in Belgium, which also happens in the United States under the name “Tomorrowworld”. The festival, we made a special 10 articles on our website, attracted the eyes of the world to the city that had, in its more than 180,000 visitors, more people than the local population of Itu, which is around 164 thousand inhabitants. Much has been speculated, from the moment of arrival of the announcement in June of last year, through the euphoria of the 180,000 tickets sold in 3 hours, the provision of extra capacity tickets, and even the news that the event could not be done (according to the newspaper “The Tribune”) due ace explosions during nine days of fuel tanks in Santos city, and consequently hinder the arrival of the infrastructure of the event. But speculation only happens around something relevant – for example the world cup, where the Brazilians were extremely pessimistic, and less the 7×1 game, was a source of pride for the nation.
Much also spoke about the line-up, especially around the main stage, with the most famous names, especially in EDM, around the globe. Names like Aviici, Tiesto, Alesso, Calvin Harris, Kaskade, R3hab, Zeed (among many other no less important) have not scaled. One of the reasons may be due to recent goings to the country, album releases or just incompatible schedules. But what follows, does not denigrate anything what the event is.
The trip to Tomorrowland is already high expectations – I was on the first day of the festival, by bus from Sao Paulo to Itu. The buses, which leave the Anhembi Sambadrome, were comfortable and did not have queues or for the exchange of bracelets, as for entry them. The highway was quiet, and, as promised by the organization, who bought the transfer had easy access to the festival, and much smaller distances than access to parking for example. The access bracelets, different from that of paper / plastic that is often used in most events, were colored leather, and counted with reading devices for totem poles. And the entry, held in 3 stages, counted including sniffer dogs, as the police conducted a tight security for the seizure of drugs. On the 30th, the warm-up was performed for the residents of “Dreamville” – sort of “mini-city” where you have camping, cabins, and complete infrastructure for those who choose the hosting within the event, which was set up a stage especially for this, but unfortunately I could not attend.
On the first day, as I arrived at about 6:30pm n also could not see the place during the day, but the excitement was no less due to this. Soon after the access, I could see the rainbow, which was the entrance to the Camping, and just a few meters ahead, the main stage. Trying to explain the feeling of seeing something of that magnitude in front is very difficult. Only the area with the public, at least the impression I gave, was that it was much bigger than a football stadium. Crowded! There was not a piece of the dancefloor to see. That stage, wonderful, full of lights, books, flamethrowers, nitrogen cannons, flowers, note that even from a distance, made all the difference. And especially, the gasp … The atmosphere created by the place is unique: at the same time you feel like crying with excitement, euphoria, joy, feel that there is in Brazil, and everything has been designed in such detail it is hard to believe. The vibration, people of many parts of the world that came out of their houses to be there, together – for example, I heard a guy, born in the Philippines, who had 30 hours of flight, to know Brazil, and go the party.
It’s all too intense: too big, too strong, very specific, very detailed, very well thought out, very well run, very creative, very professional, very hearty, very high, very wide. Tomorrowland is no land for amateurs. It is the place for you, who likes electronic music, always wanted to be, and never thought could exist.
And the emotion, should be similar to a soccer player who wins a World Cup, or the president of a samba school that wins the title at Carnival. Strongest – and “with only” 180,000 people. The details, entertainment, are not childish, and everything is made as to thrill – the theme that came to Brazil was “The Book of Wisdom”, the same used in the Belgian edition of 2012. And “the book of wisdom” is something truly chilling. Located above the dj’s on the main stage, it is so realistic, and gigantic, but with a movement so light it does not seem to have dimensions so impressive. The character’s movement, which tells the story, designed in LED display screen, it is surreal, and comes to give the impression of being in 3D – I had the feeling that the face really came out of the book.
The Wolfpack show on the main stage was great – besides bringing different music, the euphoria was immense. And the “Comfort VIP” area had an incredible view, and delicious “finger foods”. Comfort and space was law there. On stage “Super You & Me”, was basically made up of mirrors, in which LED screens reproduce beautiful images, I had the opportunity to hear Don Diablo, and sincerely loved everything the guy played! Was a perfect execution, and the songs had the right tone, gave the idea that “this is truly music!” The “Paradise” stage, had decor which referred an enchanted forest with giant mushrooms, half light, a large screen led on stage, and there I saw the performances of the duo Bob Moses, and whose impressed me was Patrick Topping, in the face, despite appearing tension, was taken almost all the time by a wide smile, a big tent full of people. On stage “Full On”, another in great detail to fairy tales, bold colors, flowers, lots of lights, I heard the presentation of Andrew Rayel, which gave way to trance, and touched tracks of classic trance from Armin Van Buuren for example, that they made everyone jump and dance with a wonderful energy. The beautiful day scenario, the night does not lose majesty.
Trees shinning with large colorful reflectors in blue, pink, yellow … and the leaves of trees has green laser dots that shined so much, which, in few words, really makes us feel that we are in another city, in another country, in another planet. Artists, actors, dancers, go into something similar to a brazilian carnival block, interacting with people in bright costumes, fluorescent makeup, eyes with white contact lenses, something that refers to fairies, elves, goddesses, nature creatures, always with looks to permeate between the sexy and fun. The location information contained a giant metal globe, which in addition to rotate, changed color and took the middle of the festival immensity. The official shop was like a shopping store – forget those tents that are used in raves. There had produced showcases with caps, T-shirts with a variety of colors and styles. Incidentally, caps (though they cost between R$ 85.00 and R$ 95.00) were beautiful, both for men and for women. The balcony, also very large (perhaps 10 meters long) had a large shelf behind, with all the options to purchase – and detail, the cap in pink tones, with the “Tomorrowland” word embroidered in white was so disputed that on Sunday there was no more to buy.
The “MasterCard” brand raised an exclusive space within the festival, who made the purchase of the ticket with the flag of credit cards. In addition to distributing free flash tatoos (know the evolution of gum tattoos, which became almost golden and silver jewels?) there was a pool, Dj’s and gourmet places. To eat, had options for everyone, since popcorn, through acai, to Italian pasta, and everything always with desks covered with decorative arabesques which referred the circus, and large colored wooden tables. One of the slogans “Love Forever, Live Tomorrow, United We Are” were the portals of most smaller venues – all seems like a dream.
The “Skol Beats” (a brazilian brand of beer) turn up a place beside the stage, on 2 levels, large, which was named as a kind of “house on the tree” (a mansion in the case, lol). Whom we received were fairies, gnomes, and elves, and there, plus you can take beer, could still take beautiful and colorful cups, and take pictures and put together a kind of printed cartoons (remember those small blocks of paper in we drew in childhood, and the character moved to pass the leaves? The idea was that). The success was so great that the line gave a huge back on the place. There was also an up part inside the place for some Brazilian celebrities, as Giovanna Lancelotti, Taina Muller, Kleber Toledo and Giovanna Ewbank passed there on Friday. And the Fusion Energy Drink, which this year launched the “Feel Like a DJ” capaingn, also did a space with two floors, where people could be characterized, record a video and send to friends, plus there is the distribution of fluorescent acrylic cups, and a space for public dancing, seeing his image on a large screen LED. Prior to this, the both brands of AMBEV raffled not only pairs of tickets, as well as the complete experience, including airplane tickets and lodging.
Back in the “Main Stage” under a night without any cloud, but also with a 16 degrees, I witnessed the W&W show, and later, one of the attractions I most expected, the dutch Afrojack. Born under the name Nick van de Wall, Afrojack is european, but it has the warmth that all brazilians like. He plays, produces – do your work by the best way. The emotions are in the way that he plays your music, in the sweat dripping on his face, in concentration to be in the pick-ups and the responsibility to stay in the positioning where you are. I believe it was a performance to remember in his career.
After him, came “Hardwell,” one of the most – not to generalize and THE MOST expected – of the night. Hardwell shows much empathy with the Brazilians, perhaps this reason that has leveraged as number one in popularity in the segment around the world. All waiting anxiously for his set, but what awaits us is much greater. The excitement of when it takes the microphone and screams classic “Are you ready?” is such that people scream wildly. And after that, fireworks (combined with everything I have said before) light up the sky. But is not that football classic fireworks, that only makes noise and lets dizzy! They are REAL FIREWORKS, comparable to the new years eve at Copacabana, in Rio de Janeiro. But only in Tomorrowland, still have the stage, all the effects, dancers, we listen the kind of music that we like, the lights flash at the right time, at the right moment, has beautiful people came from many parts around the world. The vibration of the track, the warmth of the people, is hard to explain – the atmosphere of that people, who are there to share moments of happiness and celebrate the love is unique, something that even more that I try, that you see on TV (MTV and the website of Skol Beats transmitted a live part of the festival) you can not transcribe, after all, how are the chills, heart pounding and the throat closed with emotion? When I left there, breathless, and still trying to understand all that had happened, the only thing I wanted was to get some rest, and soon came the saturday, to live all over again.
Saturday was another day with unforgetable moments. Alok was the biggest point of the brazilian scene, in the afternoon, on the Main Stage. All over the time, the guy, born in Brasilia city, thanked the fans, “for provide to you one of the most unforgettable moments of your life.” With tears in her eyes due to emotion, one of the most intense moments was the music that had the Kanye West vocals – “Stronger” – and the beats of world classic “We Will Rock You” – everyone did the classical choreography with arms overhead. It was the first time I saw him in a live performance, and I’m sure that time will be in the minds of many people, especially those that accompany him.
https://soundcloud.com/livealok/alok-tomorrowland-especial-set-new-design
Another presentation was impressive, again, was Hardwell, who, at 08:00pm took control of the “Revealed” stage (label of your responsibility). I could not walk, such was the number of people inside and outside the area! The euphoria was so great, I witnessed the people climbing the metal structures that supported the top of the tent to see the artist and chanting their flags. And in my opinion, the presentation was much better than the one presented on the main stage the day before. Tomorrowland is definitely no place for those with a weak heart.
Showtek, Yves V (resident of the festival) also made great spectacles, but one of the biggest surprises (and grateful) was certainly the sympathy of NERVO sisters. The australian duo formed by Olivia and Miriam Nervo, models, twins, 28-year-old, won the crowd, which, since her entry counted on a beautiful and wide smile. Besides having your music played around the world, the sisters has a charisma that is charming, the kind of person who you want to be friend forever. In addition to look beautiful, thin, with exotic costumes and clothes that definitely look good in them anyway, they has a spectacular shine – until the face of them in the frame of each of the pages of the “Book of Wisdom” was perfect; and even with the sudden stop of the sound (someone very excited threw a shirt, for a few seconds the music stopped) it was not enough to take the joy of the twins, which meant that everything was absolutely amazing from start to finish during the time that their show. The residents also Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike gave a concert in interaction, and made the audience roar with laughter with they spoke in portuguese – moments that “money cannot buy”, something priceless. The evening was closed by a leading authority on electronic music on the planet, five times considered the best in the world (and not had this position occupied by anyone), Armin Van Buuren.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Lmd2CzUe8
What to say about Armin? I’m already a huge fan for a sometime (the first time I saw live was during a brazilian festival called XXXperience which was divided into two days – he entered as the sun began to rise, and, to top it off, made the gesture of the heart with his hands; since then I was also at the presentation of “A State of Trance # 600” (his radio program that turned tour), in his presentation at P12 in Jurerê International, (a beach club in the south of Brazil) and more recently, the Armin Only Intense Tour, when he touched for 6 hours non-stop), so I’m suspect to talk. Armin was one of the artists who paid attention to the fact bring new things to the stage, other music, not the repetitive sounds (on Friday, for example, the song “Blame” from Calvin Harris, was played by 4 or 5 times in the time I was there …). Surely Armin was a great way to end the night!
Sunday was the day of the greatest thrills for me. Despite the tiredness (I was three days going and turned the Sao Paulo, the city that I live), to live the last day of Tomorrowland was something biggest. Most of my friends would be there, plus the people I met earlier and made me as well. Even endless hikes (forget everything you saw at parties, there is a city with gigantic proportions) were no obstacle. Who writes you this article was born on May 3, final day at the festival, and saw no better place to be than there. On Sunday, the presentation that left me flabbergasted, was the greek ex-Swedish House Mafia, Steve Angello.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlZV1z128v8
The impression I got was like he said “Childrens, pay attention: the uncle will show to you what is to play for real, and how to do it alive.” Not that his predecessor, Nicky Romero, had not done a good show: at one point, Nicky asked that the crow showed their flags, since he wanted to know where people who were seeing him were from, something really wonderful. And really, I saw a lot of flags there. However, Steve Angello was that professional guy who is not talking, but doing the best as he can. Played only good track, one behind the other, without stopping – and without earphone (Steve suffered hearing lost audiction in my left ear, and was involved in a controversial video in which, according to rumors online, not I was playing; in response during EDMBiz in Las Vegas, gave the following statement:
“Two years ago I lost the hearing in my left ear. I spent almost a month without hearing and thought I was going deaf. I’m always working on planes with my very high headphone. With today’s technology from Pioneer, you can see which is the BPM of the next song. If you know the song, you know exactly how long it takes for the first drop and as for the other. It’s not a difficult thing to do, but people always question if they do not know how. “
Everything he touched I liked. Liked it so much that I cried, like a child, by the emotions. Emotions to be with my friends, in a place so nice to meet new people, having new experiences. Everything went like a movie in my mind, and all very strong. Even simple things like to see the stage “The Gathering”, empty, and off, lying in a hammock during the saturday, it was wonderful. I heard wonderful things from friends than I ever imagined hear before. Who was there really lived as if tomorrow were now. And to end the night, the showman who announced the coming of the festival in Brazil, David Guetta, which entered already burning with the hit “Play Hard”. Among the discussion was good or bad, between the urban legend “Where’s Carol?” some genius guy stamped maximum “GOD OF PEN DRIVE” to Guetta, something no less than hilarious, brilliant, sensational! And the french, as usual, was rent in praise of Brazil, when he said that “The best festival of the earth came to the country that he loves more around the world.”
I still forgot to tell you too much: Adriano Pagani in the Anzu Club tent, which made everyone sing its EDM; Mambo Brothers, succeeded by Vintage Culture which also filled the stage “Smash the House” to not be able to stop walking in place, Ftampa that received all the “crew” of Hardwell Revealed to the stage on Saturday and on Sunday performed at Main Stage, the sunset on Saturday, culminating with the opening of the book, to and presentation of the duo Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano; Canadians DVBBS also on Saturday made Maeda shaking and dripping with sweat, even in the cold, with the hit “Tsunami”; the hard sound of Wildstylez …
Unfortunately I could not keep up with everything I wanted, after all, it was a lot of things happening at the same time. However, experienced the Tomorrowland is something that misses me adjectives to translate – and sure enough, on 21, 22 and 23 April, I hope to be there, once again, to be part of this event that made history, and will be forever present in my memory.
Credit of the pictures: Tomorrowland Brazil facebook page | UOL | Armin Van Buuren official facebook profile