The Night I Fell in Love With Pete Tong

It was a beautiful night in Indio and gates had opened for the first weekend of Coachella 2015. The line-up was strong that day with big name artists, such as Porter Robinson, DJ Snake and Alesso. I always considered myself a fan of Big Room tracks, stuff I can hear on the radio and sing along to (very basic, I know…) and left the deep house and balearic beats for the electronic music veterans. (Mad respect for you all!) Thus, I initially ignored the Yuma tent with the mainstream mindset that the trance-y vibe it gave off wasn’t worth my time. I was SO wrong.

The thing is, this was my first Coachella and I haven’t actually patronized a music festival as a concert- goer in a year, as I work at all of the ones that I attend. That being said, it was a very overwhelming experience. Particularly at the Sahara tent, which was home to most of the major EDM acts. After hours of being pushed and shoved around, I had finally had enough. I was walking back to my campsite (with one shoe because the other one broke trying to push through a crowd) when I saw the Yuma tent. It seemed much more mellow and indoors, so I decided to give it a shot coincidentally during Pete Tong’s set. Honestly, it was music festival heaven when you mixed the Essential Mix DJ’s British accent and his melodic, stylish sound. I am pretty sure even the Disco Shark was bowing down to the EDM icon after his set ended…

So my advice to all you Big Room and mainstream lovers out there, give the old school music a chance. You’ll be surprised how much you will enjoy the different vibe that the EDM pioneers offer. Luckily for all of you, Pete Tong will be at Monarch Theatre on May 16, 2015. I highly recommend checking it out!