Here's What Happened

Here’s What Happened #07

Labor Day Weekend has become one of the most anticipated traditions to rock the Avalon Hollywood dance floor. The Sweet Sunday Finale of the weekend lineup again drew LA Resident DJ, Kristina Sky, and Dutch Producer, Ferry Corsten, to the Avalon stage.

The ever-loyal Trance Family was stationed close to the stage, with Kristina Sky leading the show… warming up the vibe with her ever-radiant presence and trance-parent love for the music. An avid Avalon favorite, and notoriously endorsed by artists like Armin Van Buuren, Gareth Emery, and of course – Ferry Corsten; K Sky pulled out her hypnotizing trance favorites, such as: Miss Jane, “It’s a Fine Day”, while also showing a bit of her stronger side – unleashing some house bangers, like a mix of “Awooga”, that was energetically surprising, while maintaining a smooth
and sultry undertone. Her set was on-point, showcasing her ability to master a variety of styles while staying true to trance technique. The Jason Mill Sunset Mix of Kristina and Randy Boyer’s, “Welcome to the Future”, ft. Shyboy was a crowd-favorite everyone sang along, “I hope you enjoyed every minute”… because we most certainly did.

… And just like that, Ferry popped on stage, surprising K Sky with a giant hug, creating a picture-perfect moment for their adoring fans. The energy magnified as Mr. Corsten took over the decks, infectiously grinning with endearment for the Avalon Family, and throwing his hand into the air with excitement.

His set was immaculate; an epic musical journey of highs and lows, ebbs and flows. Porter Robinson’s, “Language”, serenaded the entranced crowd, and a spectacularly lit butterfly waved its massive wings over the dance floor, as if
conducting the equally enchanting dancers detailed in everything from lights to sexy sequined ensembles. Displaying his immense diversity, Ferry dropped anything a desiring fan could imagine, from Tiesto and Showtek’s, “Hell Yeah” to his own smashing new single, “Not Coming Down”… both stirring emotional responses from everyone inside the walls of Avalon. One of the most climatic moments was his drop of “Beautiful” – the intense combination of colorful lights reflecting off of the cloud-covered dance floor, and the impact of the lyrics on the LED display exploded with aesthetic perfection. He had many surprises up his sleeve, including his introduction of Aruna (his stellar vocal collab on his track “Live Forever”) to his declaration that he would leave the night up to the fans… challenging the Avalon Family to keep the night going as long as we could dance.

Dedicating the last hour of his set to Classic Trance – the house transformed into nostalgic gazes of underground trance fans in perfect harmony with the faces of humility and respect from newer followers… a sacred hour for all, but a perfect wrap to a perfect night.

Ferry sported a T-shirt with three gift-wrapped boxes printed across the front, and when asked if there was any meaning behind it, he light-heartedly proclaimed, “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get” (in his best Tom Hanks voice). A statement somewhat true for this magical night, woven with surprises and dreams-come-true. However, in regards to the legendary Ferry Corsten – we can always count on this… that every beautiful soul released into the daylight hours, walked out – their expectations fantastically exceeded, and their life forever changed.

Here's What Happened #06

Arriving at Avalon Hollywood on Saturday night, everyone could feel the excitement in the air… buzzing around the lines wrapped around both sides of the building and winding down Vine Street, appropriately named for the occasion.  Passersby gawked in awe of the crowd, wondering to each other “what on earth (or in this case, who) was causing such a commotion”.  Of course, it was none other than Markus Schulz, “The Unicorn Slayer”, and KhoMha, “The Dark Knight”.  Excited, Kandy-adorned, #SchulzArmy soldiers rushed through the double-doors and gasped in awe at their first sight of the larger-than-life, white Unicorn manning the foyer with it’s electric green hair glowing ravenously under the fluorescent lights.  It would seem he was bravely awaiting his fate, knowing that inevitable demise would surely be his… but all the while, proud to be the chosen one, knowing that he will live in infamy through the hundreds of photos flooding the Social Media Scene.

Dark beats and cheers from a rowdy crowd would soon lure you into the Avalon, where something was different.  The main stage sat dark, and covered by a red, velvet stage curtain.  “The Dark Knight” had risen… playing above the crowd from an opera box, much like a puppet master above his dancing marionettes.  Strong and steady, KhoMha warmed the dance floor up with enchanting beats and rhythmic baselines, creating a visually in-sync sea of bobbing heads and pulsing chests, moving as if their hearts were about to burst through their rib cage at any moment.  Anticipation was written all over everyone’s faces, as gazes drifted towards the stage, wondering when Mister Coldharbour would arrive.

Suddenly, the music shifted and the build up of his long awaited Intro began to climb it’s way through the main room, and people started to throw their hands up and whistle to welcome Markus Schulz to the stage.  The curtains flew open, releasing a spectacle of spotlights and magnifying the screams of excitement.  The words “MARKUS SCHULZ”  grew closer on the LED screen and the lights focused on the empty deck… much like a spaceship from a Science Fiction movie.  A figure could be seen running to the stage and jumping into the booth – and cheers and whistles roared through the building, and probably throughout the city, announcing that he had arrived.

The intro was everything anyone could have imagined, and more… flawlessly transitioning into “Loops and Tings”.  Unicorns, Soldiers, and devout fans screamed with approval as Markus threw his hands up in the air, just as excited over this fan favorite produced with Ferry Corsten.  Through a mass of fist pumping, dancing, jumping, and camera flashing, Markus pulled the crowd down, just to lift them back up with the progressive “siren-mimicking” beat, as the crowd cheered his name in unison.  A galloping beat emerged through the Loops and Tings to reveal a new tune, “Carry On”, featuring the mesmerizing voice of Jaren – to be released August 31st on his upcoming album, “Scream”.

The night charged forward into the afterhours, with time and hearts flying, alike.  He beckoned KhoMha to join him onstage, as they proceeded to double-team the deck… proving that, indeed, maybe two is better than one.  It was epic… it was magical… it was life-changing.  The Schulz Army flag flew high over the crowd at the front of the stage, and even got autographed in Unicorn Slayer Black.

The encore request enticed him to release ”Love Rain Down”, featuring the angelic vocals of Seri to close the night… with it’s bittersweet melody flowing through the crowd, drawing tears and wrapping its musical arms around everyone still dancing at 7 am.  Markus’s own love rained down, as he put his hands up in a heart… for Avalon… for LA… and for the most incredible fans that had brought such positive, electric, and uplifting energy to the night/morning that even Markus proclaimed it as, “another incredible night in the City of Angels”.  He seemed graciously overwhelmed as he asured adoring fans, “I will be back again soon… don’t worry”.  The crowd began to lift their hands up in hearts, mirroring their love for Markus, as the song played out, and the “credits” rolled on the screen.  The Unicorn Slayer and The Dark Knight, released their army into the sunlight to fight another day in the name of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect.

Here's What Happened #05

This last Saturday Avalon was lucky enough to be graced with an angel’s voice, Nadia Ali. Before she made her appearance, Dmitry Ko was on the decks and blowing the crowd away. Easing in from the opening set by Ryan Sage, he continued for a bit with some mellow house beats. This did not last long as he quickly progressed to “Kick Out the Mother F*cker” with some mainstream EDM as well as some European electronic music, which probably no one has heard before in the club. There was a well rounded good vibe about Dmitry Ko’s set as he eased into Nadia Ali’s performance.

After her set, Starkillers took over the decks. The melodies started flowing and the bass went boom. Instantly the crowd had become stunned with Avalon’s state of the art house laser performance. He definitely knew what he was doing for the rest of the night as he moved the crowd on a roller coaster with ups and downs!