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SEISMIC DANCE EVENT CONQUERS ALL OBSTACLES FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE – [READ]

June 1, 2021

Seismic Dance Event makes a legendary return to Austin as the second US festival back following the pandemic

Being one of the very first US festivals to return, Seismic Dance Event already had an incredible amount of pressure to face. Time and time again they proved their versatility and ability to adapt, something we’ve learned is absolutely crucial in the dance music industry. With artist visa issues, haunting weather predictions, and uncertain COVID-19 restrictions, the festival was destined for a wild ride from the start, but they repeatedly handled obstacles with professionalism and confidence.

In the week leading up to the festival, the weather forecast in Austin was looking quite grim. Continuing to give updates throughout the week, Seismic organizers did their best to give festival-goers peace of mind ahead of the event. Last-minute visa issues arose with headliners Charlotte De Witte and Enrico Sangiuliano which Seismic came in with a hail-mary to announce none other than ZHU as his techno alias Blacklizt. For a last-minute headliner addition, this was probably the best possible scenario.

Photo by: Alexis Sturm

Once the gates finally opened on Friday afternoon it was evident the magic that was about to take place during the weekend. For most attendees, this was their very first festival or even music event since the pandemic so the energy was truly palpable. With a stacked lineup and eager attendees flowing in, Seismic was kicking off the weekend on a high note. The event was capped at under 3000 people, making for an intimate experience with next-level production and hospitality.

Photo by: Clark Terrell

Luckily the two stages, Volcano and Tsunami, were close enough together to easily bop around as the lineup was absolutely stacked on Friday. John Summit captivated the crowd with his fun and high-energy tech house set which included a guest appearance from Lee Foss during their collab “Summertime Chi”. Spencer Brown absolutely dominated the Volcano stage with his versatile house/techno set during sunset. The magic of the festival was marked with a breathtaking rainbow during sunset.

Photo By: Clark Terrell

However, the real VIPs of Friday evening had to be Lee Foss and Claude Vonstroke. The tech-house titans proved why they are some of the hottest names in their genre and had the entire crowd dancing from start to finish. Deep Dish closed out the festival on Friday evening with a bang on the Volcano Stage.

Photo By: Clark Terrell

Eager for another day of the festival, attendees were anxiously awaiting an announcement from Seismic regarding the weather on Saturday. Unfortunately, RealMusicEvents, the organizers of Seismic had to make the executive decision to cancel the event on Saturday. However, that certainly did not stop the party. In a matter of hours, Seismic announced three massive parties that included most of the talent slated for Saturday, and all events were free for Seismic ticket holders. ARTBAT and The Martinez Brothers held down the fort at Summit Austin. Black V Neck and Walker & Royce opened for Bob Moses at Cedar Street Courtyard and Sidepiece threw down at the Vulcan Gas Company. Once again, Seismic had saved the day and proved that the show must go on.

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A post shared by Seismic Dance Event (@seismicdanceevent)

The highlight of Saturday was without a doubt the official afterparty featuring techno queen Nicole Moudaber. No stranger to late-night shows, Moudaber proved why she is one of the leading techno acts around the world with a killer set. She had the crowd dancing right up until the bitter end and the energy in the room was contagious, despite the festival’s cancellation earlier that day.

Despite another day of rain in Austin, the festival planned to move forward with the festival on Sunday. Patrons packed their umbrellas, ponchos, and rain gear and prepared for another day of incredible talent. Highlights of the day included VNSSA, Phantoms, Deborah De Luca, Tchami, and of course ZHU as his infamous techno alias, Blacklizt. Taking over the Tsunami stage, Phantoms delivered an unparalleled set and set the bar high for the next act, Tchami. It’s no surprise that the French producer came to play with his set closing out the stage for the entire weekend. Tchami effortlessly flipped through various sub-genres of house music with ease, sending the crowd into a frenzy with every subsequent track.

Photo by: Alexis Sturm

Following the highly anticipated release of his ‘DREAMLAND 2021’ album, festival-goers were ecstatic with the last-minute addition of ZHU’s Blacklizt alias to the Seismic lineup. Although he was a last-minute headliner, ZHU came prepared to give the festival the greatest set of the weekend. Mixing some of the album singles with some hard-hitting techno, the crowd was mesmerized by ZHU’s prowess behind the decks. “Risky Business” proved to be a transcendental moment in the set – as seen below.

The other night got lil risky pic.twitter.com/lBgKY7W32O

— ZHU® (@ZHUmusic) May 26, 2021

Overall, Seismic Dance Event conquered the obstacles and delivered the next-level festival experience that all of us had yearned for throughout the pandemic. With an unparalleled lineup centered around house and techno, it’s safe to say Seismic Dance Event will continue to make waves in the years to come. Thank you to the organizers who safely brought us on the dancefloor again for some unforgettable memories.

Don’t sleep on the chance to attend Seismic 4.0 in November 2021. Pre-sale tickets are available here.

Featured photo by Clark Terrell