Page 29 - Poze Magazine Volume 86

NORTH COAST

MUSIC FESTIVAL

R E V I E W : B E N Z A N D E R
Saturday might have been my favorite day of music. I love me some dubstep and drum
and bass which Saturday’s performances were absolutely dripping with. And I would
become absolutely sweaty from all the moving and grooving thanks to standout
performances from the likes of Distinct Motive, Detox Unit, Peekaboo b2b Caspa, and a
special drum and bass presentation from Deadmau5 on the Mega Vega platform.
I’ve caught Deadmau5 plenty of times over the course of my life, but this was a spectacle
unlike any other I’d previously witnessed from him. Frankly, it was cracked and fried. He
carried a tremendous pace throughout, infused with an amazing track selection
alongside moments injected with his one-of-a-kind personality and sarcastic sense of
humor. At one point, he thanked the crowd for getting down with an old fart like
himself, claimed to be the oldest DJ at the fest (he wasn’t), then proceeded to shout out
Tiesto who wasn’t even on site. At least not that I’m aware of. I’m thinking some light-
hearted trolling is set to follow, but instead he says some really nice things about Tiesto.
In his words, “I like that dude.”
Deadmau5 being unapologetically himself and doing what he do is absolutely on brand.
He performed without his trademark helmet until very nearly the end when he donned
a fan-made headdress to the delight of his audience. It was a wholesome moment and a
definitive highlight among many from the weekend’s festivities. After his set, I’d make
my way to Stadium: Evolved where Nightmare b2b Dimension continued to scratch my
DnB itch before ATLiens and Excision balled, banged, and mauled to end Saturday’s
entertainment.
Whenever I enjoy myself at a festival, I always pick a performance to plank and achieve a
festival personal record. It’s a tradition I started practicing several years back thereby
encouraging my own physical wellness. I elected for Sunday during Bonnie x Clyde, set
up shop towards the back of Mega Vega where I wouldn’t be in anybody’s way, and once
they hit the right energizing notes, I dropped and started my exercise. Anything over
two minutes is pretty good in my book, and North Coast’s merriments encouraged me
to stay strong for two minutes and forty-four seconds. Possibly I could have gone longer,
but my mission was accomplished, and I was ready to get back to dancing.

I give heartfelt thanks to onlookers for cheering me on. Good on you all for bringing
the best of yourselves to celebrate with myself and each other. Once I finished my
plank, I caught up with Malfunktion for an on-site interview and finished walking the
grounds and chatting with vendors and attendees. Shoutout to the homies Trista and
Jason of EVOL Collective. Misha’s people are always warm and inviting and I always
love seeing their booth and personnel during my festival experiences.
Now, before I made my way into Stadium: Evolved for Zeds Dead’s finale, I caught up
with my homies Joe, Cody, Megan, and Celes. I wanted to show them the Club Coast
suite, complete with a view of the stadium stage, I had discovered earlier in the day.
After we used the plentiful number of lavatories, and grabbed free mozzarella sticks
from a nearby vendor, I noticed a unique occurrence above the stadium. Drones formed
into words celebrating North Coast’s fifteen years and thanking its’ attendees before
aligning into formations that looked like hands holding hearts and a flying saucer. It was
a wild and cool sight that further affirms how much planning, and preparation went into
ensuring every aspect of North Coast Music Festival’s 2025 edition were fresh, fun, and
memorable.