It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Monday, June 24

The carnival is over, the ravers have gone home, and Vegas has suddenly turned back into its normal money making casino-self. However, if you’re reading this, then that’s not the case for you. You’re special. You decided last minute to call in sick because you couldn’t bear the thought of going back to your real world job. You want that high (…) for just a little bit longer and are looking for something to do before you have to hop in your car (no drinking and driving people. Seriously!) or get on your flight (flying and drinking is recommended, however) to head back your home.

My pick to end your incredible weekend? Go with Mark Knight and Umek at Marquee. This may seem like a curveball, but doesn’t something new sound appealing? Don’t expect the hard, four-to-the-floor tracks that flow through today’s newly minted ravers veins. This is more along the lines of an Ibiza, island feel that will make you two-step your cares away and forget the dreadful fact that you actually have a life and responsibilities (damn you work!). It’s the perfect way to wind down an incredible weekend. Now, you just have to wait until next year to do it all over again!

• Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas – Afrojack (Tickets)
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Mark Knight and Umek
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – deadmau5  (Tickets)

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Saturday, June 22 

Saturday is a competition of who can book the single biggest DJ. None of the line-ups are stacked, but every club touts a massive DJ to attract your attention and dollars. For better or worse, there’s no clear winner here either. If you like bass, you’re going to Skrillex. If you like Top 40 house, you’re going to either Avicii or Calvin Harris. If you’re looking for a balance between Progressive House and harder Electro, Alesso or Steve Angello are your choices. And then there’s the Trance faithful that are sure to show up in droves for Gareth Emery’s set at The Venetian. This is a hard one to call, but I’m going to pick Alesso at Daylight Beach Club because it’s one of the newest clubs in Vegas and Alesso is young and spry enough to really make that place pop (Nick’s note: I kind of just picked one but this could honestly go any way and you’d still win).

• Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Alesso (Tickets)
• Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas – Steve Angello
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Avicii (Tickets)
• TAO Beach at The Venetian – Maxim Saturdays with Gareth Emery (Tickets)
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – Calvin Harris | Sold Out
• Eclipse at Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Skrillex (Tickets)

There are so many parties, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily, we did the work for you. Be sure to check out:

• Sunday’s Day Party Guide
• *BONUS* Monday’s Day Party Guide

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Sunday, June 23

No! The last day of your three-day Dance Music carnival vacation is coming to an end. You’re probably more hung over then you were after your 21^st birthday but you’re a seasoned trooper now! No excuses soldier. You’ve done this before and you know that the key to going hard in the paint tonight is re-cooperating properly with sun, mimosas, vodka shots, and, of course, music. My guess is that there will be a substantial amount of people out during the day because many of them are considering skipping the night’s festivities (damn you work!). Basically, I’m telling you to expect extra hard day partying and even larger crowds. Our pick for the place to be is Marquee’s dayclub with Kaskade and Dutch duo Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano. Runner up goes to Tiesto at Wet Republic for simply being Tiesto. You can’t even argue with that.

• Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Krewella with Eric Dlux (Tickets)
• Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas – Above & Beyond (Tickets)
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Kaskade with Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano (Tickets)
• TAO Beach at The Venetian – Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz (Tickets)
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – Tiësto (Tickets)

There are so many parties, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily, we did the work for you. Be sure to check out:

• *BONUS* Monday’s Day Party Guide

EDC Week is shaping up like a Mullet haircut. You know–business in front, party in back–with the EDMbiz confab kicking off the week, Tuesday June 18th through 20th, and the big party that is Electric Daisy Carnival immediately following on over the weekend.

For extra value EDMbiz badge holders also gets you free access into a bunch of select nightclub parties during the week including Lavo, Marquee, Surrender, TAO, Tryst, and others, featuring performances from ATB, Avicii, Dash Berlin, Dirty South, Morgan Page, Nero, Rusko and many more. Thursday night’s closing night party at the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool will feature a performance by Infected Mushroom.  Attendees will also receive complimentary admission to Thursday night’s Bassrush Massive show at Orleans Arena.

Adding to an already extensive daytime agenda, EDMbiz has just announced the next round of speakers.. Consummate tastemaker, music supervisor, KCRW music director and DJ, Jason Bentley, returns as host for the 2nd annual confab. c. Among the new delegates are renown DJs Pete Tong, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Dash Berlin and Dirty South, agents Sam Kirby (WME), Maria May (CAA) and Matt Rodriquez (AM Only), managers Stephanie LaFera (Little Empire Music) and Matt Colon (Deckstar) and Beatport CEO Matt Adell. These speakers join an already impressive list we’ve already covered here.

Conference programming details are emerging. Pete Tong will be the subject of a keynote “conversation with” hosted by Live Nation’s James Barton. Previously announced keynotes include a rare and exclusive conversation with CAA’s Rob Light hosted by Billboard’s Kerri Mason, and a much anticipated one-on-one between WME’s Marc Geiger and Perry Farrell as they reflect on the genesis and evolution of Lollapalooza and the EDM effect from year one to now.

Highlight topics and discussions will include:

- On the Beat | EDM Press: From mainstream to independent media, our panel of journalists will discuss some the greatest challenges and most compelling storylines emerging from EDM culture today.

- Festivals of the Future: Leading festival promoters and talent reps discuss the latest trends in the field, along with innovations and challenges in the festival arena.

- EDM’s Place at the Grammys: What does the Recording Academy do? How do you submit music for awards consideration? How do you become a member? Panelists will also discuss the DJ AM Memorial Fund, and forthcoming documentary on his life.

- Let’s Hug It Out | Agents in EDM: Top talent agents discuss their role in developing artists and helping shape the live music space. How do they identify talent, prioritize their roster and assess the best bookings for their clients?

- Adventures in Clubland: Key players from the nightlife industry discuss best practices and strategy for growth. How does a nightclub stay relevant? How do different markets compare?

And more…

The EDMbiz conference will be held June 18 – 20, as part of EDC Week, at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

More info can be found at www.edmbiz.com

(Not pictured: Your future self, crying in the corner)

You’ve been starving yourself for 3 months now, making Spotify playlists of EDC artists, and really, really focusing on making sure your pasties stay in place all night. Nobody is as ready as you are!

Electronic prom is here, the most amazing night of your life, the one you’ll think back to when your future kids wear their jackets inside out and say, “You partied like that?” However, more often than not, you get to EDC and not everything goes as you planned. Like a neon Bear Grylls, you’ll have to make it through the night fighting crowds, dehydration, and the shin-kicking shufflers – and you’ll have to do it alone. This is the definitive Survival Guide to EDC Las Vegas 2013.

The Psychology Of It All Falling Apart

You had to go pee and now you’re back to where you thought everyone was, but they’re gone! Your world turns upside down as your night goes from carnival to nightmare. Now, before you turn into the girl crying in the corner with a leopard tutu on, breathe and remember you’re evolutionarily prepared for this, regardless of the night’s activities. It’s easy for your emotions to get the best of you, but it’s important to focus on what you know rather than the myriad of things that could happen. Keep your eyes and ears alert and follow the plan below.

Cell Phones

“I know!” said the first-time raver, “I’ll just call my friends and see where they are!”

*Cue canned laughter*

If I had a nickel for every text messages I got after I left the EDC speedway I could actually pay my phone bill. Reception is spotty at best, what with everyone holding up his or her phones to record Calvin Harris for the 8^th time and texting it to every single one of their friends. Maybe you’ve even lost your phone (pro-tip: put a password on your phone and maybe even leave a phone number where you can be reached on your home screen), but fear not, Insomniac has a fantastic Lost & Found. Plus who needs cell phones when you have walkie-talkies? BPM meet-up on channel 8 anyone?

A Fallback Point

Remember when you were at Disneyland 10 years ago and your Mom and Dad made you recite where the meet up point was if you got lost (it was always those damn flowers in front)? There’s a reason they did that, because that’s the only way they’d ever find you in a sea of mouse-crazed, corn-dog eating people (also because they’d look like shit if they lost you). Pick a place with your group when you get to EDC and make it the fallback point. An agreed upon rendezvous point has saved my friends’ and my collective asses many times, as well as others I know. Keep yourself visible, alert, and try to enjoy yourself if you wait. Unlike your parents – maybe – your friends might love you enough to bother to find you.

Want more? Check out “Electric Daisy Carnival: How To Survive Pt. 2″ on Wednesday, June 19th.

Follow Max Engoian on Twitter for more hilariously helpful EDC hints and other random shenanigans.

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Friday, June 21

If you’re not in Vegas by this time, you’re kind of f***ed because the traffic after work is going to be bad (read: really bad), severely decreasing the likelihood that you’ll be able to make it to any of these (damn you work!). For the smart ones (or the ones without lives/jobs/responsibilities/etc.), Friday day is the beginning of a glorious three day weekend of rest and relaxation unadulterated music and hardcore, non-stop partying. It’s a hard decision, but I think Marquee with Armin van Buuren and W&W on the bill win out for the best place to be on Friday. That said, runner up definitely goes to TAO Beach with Arty, Cosmic Gate, Rebecca & Fiona, and Helena. Both lineups are stacked and will definitely get you ready for the first night of EDC!

• Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Baauer (Tickets)
• Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas – Diplo (Tickets)
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – David Lewis presents Armin van Buuren, W&W, Blake Jarrell and Jochen Miller | Sold Out
• TAO Beach at The Venetian – Arty, Cosmic Gate, Rebecca & Fiona and Helena (Tickets)
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – Steve Aoki and NERVO | Sold Out

There are so many parties, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily, we did the work for you. Be sure to check out:

• Saturday’s Day Party Guide
• Sunday’s Day Party Guide
• *BONUS* Monday’s Day Party Guide

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Thursday, June 20

Now, we’re starting to get into the thick of it. Anyone who is a fan of the bass will want to get in on this day for the epic Bassrush Pool Party at the Hard Rock hotel because the line-up is simply bananas. This is the clear winner with Wet Republic’s Ultra Pool at the MGM as the obvious runner up. Tons of huge name DJs will be playing, including BBC Radio 1 legend Pete Tong.

• Bassrush at Paradise Beach at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – 12th Planet, Kill the Noise, DJ Craze, Brillz, AC Slater, Antiserum and glAdiator
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Sander van Doorn with special guests  (Tickets)
• TAO Beach at The Venetian – Tritonal and Seven Lions (Tickets)
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – Pete Tong, R3hab, Tiga and Michael Woods

There are so many parties, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily, we did the work for you. Be sure to check out:

• Friday’s Day Party Guide
• Saturday’s Day Party Guide
• Sunday’s Day Party Guide
• *BONUS* Monday’s Day Party Guide

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Wednesday, June 19

I guess EDC weekend starts on Wednesday? Don’t expect full blown party time until tomorrow, but Marquee and Daylight will cover anyone looking to play hooky from work really early (we don’t necessarily suggest leaving work on Tuesday, but if you do these are great reasons). Daylight Beach Club easily wins in terms of the place that you simply have to be at on Thursday.

• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – EC Twins
• Eclipse at Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Nicky Romero with Hook N Sling (Tickets)

There are so many parties, it’s hard to keep track. Luckily, we did the work for you. Be sure to check out:

• Thursday’s Day Party Guide
• Friday’s Day Party Guide
• Saturday’s Day Party Guide
• Sunday’s Day Party Guide
• *BONUS* Monday’s Day Party Guide

It’s official, EDC Las Vegas is finally here. Ravers everywhere are making kandi, prepping pasties, ironing bandanas, cleaning YOLO tank tops, and rehearsing their best shuffle moves in anticipation for the big weekend. The only problem with EDC is that it isn’t 24-hours a day, leaving you with some downtime in the city of sin. You could opt to go back to your room and get some sleep, but where’s the fun in that! This is the one weekend of the year where all your favorite DJs are playing in the only place where irresponsible behavior is not only the norm but actively encourage (college doesn’t count). To help guide you through the jungle that is the Las Vegas day club, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate your hangover and get you to the relaxing pool best and craziest in this party oasis.

Saturday, June 22 

Saturday is a competition of who can book the single biggest DJ. None of the line-ups are stacked, but every club touts a massive DJ to attract your attention and dollars. For better or worse, there’s no clear winner here either. If you like bass, you’re going to Skrillex. If you like Top 40 house, you’re going to either Avicii or Calvin Harris. If you’re looking for a balance between Progressive House and harder Electro, Alesso or Steve Angello are your choices. And then there’s the Trance faithful that are sure to show up in droves for Gareth Emery’s set at The Venetian. This is a hard one to call, but I’m going to pick Alesso at Daylight Beach Club because it’s one of the newest clubs in Vegas and Alesso is young and spry enough to really make that place pop (Nick’s note: I kind of just picked one but this could honestly go any way and you’d still win).

• Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Alesso (Tickets)
• Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas – Steve Angello
• Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Avicii (Tickets)
• TAO Beach at The Venetian – Maxim Saturdays with Gareth Emery (Tickets)
• WET REPUBLIC Ultra Pool at MGM Grand – Calvin Harris | Sold Out
• Eclipse at Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – Skrillex (Tickets)