Trance in USA – what’s different? Ferry Corsten in Atlanta and more

There are a lot of music events around the world: you may just know about some of them, or perhaps you’ve visited some or you could even be planning to go to one somewhere in your country or in another continent… so you probably thought at least once – “Hmm, how is the crowd in …[that country]?” That was exactly what I did during my stay in United States, comparing club events in Atlanta with the ones I had attended in Europe, especially the one with Ferry Corsten.

Expectations

While everyone was waiting and getting ready for Luminosity, I was working, but also getting excited for a good Trance event coming to a city located at a two-hour drive away from me. As a person who is used to know a lot about many gigs in Europe, it was more than awesome to find out that there was going to be one in Atlanta, and with such a legend! Knowing that event was going to happen in one of the best clubs of the city, I didn’t know what to expect. Is it ok that I’m coming alone? Is there a dress code? What kind of crowd will I encounter? Even if I’ve been to some events during Miami Music Week and small club event with Eco, organized by Unity Events, this was something different – but I didn’t care, because as a true Trance lover I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Another reason to go there – “Blueprint”, the album I fell in love from the first time. It was released on May 26, just a few weeks before the event (June 16). After listening to it for the first time, I had to re-play it again, and it is still on top of my playlist. Even if the announced event wasn’t a part of official “Blueprint” tour, I knew that tracks included in it would build a huge part of the three-hour set, so I was hoping that I would also be able to say “Thank You” personally to Ferry, for all the work he does. I am sure as well, that this album can compete for “Album of the Year” status, but let’s wait and see.

Furthermore, after seeing him twice performing with Gouryella sets, I was eager to hear something else. The day had come, so after my work day, a quick nap and buying batteries for my camera’s flashlight, I was on the way with “Blueprint” playing loud in my car, followed by “From The Heavens” mix.

Clubs and crowds, USA and Europe – differences and similarities

The start is usually the same everywhere: opening around 10 PM; first, security checks; then, checking the location and later, chilling during warm-up. All the attendants were arriving slowly, because Ferry’s set was only beginning at midnight. Warm-up was executed by VIVID – local DJ, who was playing for two hours. But then, if you check set times… Ferry was playing from midnight till 3 AM, and that was ALL. The club was closing right after that. This was, probably, one of the biggest differences with club events in Europe, as parties usually end at 5-6 AM, so in consequence I was missing these few hours. I’m used to events that last eight hours, not five hours…

Opera Nightclub
Chucky Foto

The club itself was… more than just fancy. No wonder its name is Opera, as it really looks like one from the inside. There were bars on both sides, a more glamorous VIP zone on 2nd floor, and a deployment of high-quality screens and lights. Compared to all the other clubs I’ve been to for Trance events… this was the absolute winner! In Europe it’s more difficult to get such a good club for this specific genre, but Opera Nightclub is used to host different artists, so genre is not a problem. At the same time you can expect different people – not just the ones who came for Ferry Corsten or Trance, but just regular attendees of this famous Atlanta club.

The crowd seemed to be like anywhere else: a bunch of people always dancing in the front, others going to the bar all the time, some others talking and making pictures. At the same time, crowd looked younger. In Europe Trance is already quite an old genre, so it’s normal to see even 40+ old people, but in Opera the people were younger, with some exceptions, of course. If we talk about dress code… I saw a higher number of girls in beautiful dresses and wearing heels, which you don’t see so often in European clubs, because… well, it’s a bit difficult to ‘survive’ for so many hours in the club with heels, so it is usually more about being comfortable. I had already noticed before that the American crowd has a tendency to dress-up for music events and festivals, but I’m sure that it also depends on many factors.

Typical USA-style Rave Gear
Photo taken from edmidentity.com

The only thing I was missing was the international Trance Family feeling, and I can’t even explain it. Maybe it’s just because it is a different country, which is almost same big as Europe, where I’m used to meet a lot of friends from all around the continent. I was more than happy to meet some friends from Unity Trance Family, whom I’ve met in February during Eco three-hour set, but that was all. The public is great, but they are all by themselves, not a part of something larger. I talked about it with Ferry, and he said that in the USA it is usual to have some communities in bigger cities, but they are not interconnected. I’m certain this is also different at big events like Ultra Miami or Dreamstate, but something was still not enough, and I’m talking about that not after one event, but after some more I attended in Miami and observed online. All in all, I’m glad I had the chance to meet some awesome people while I was partying!

The musical journey

Enjoying the music.
Personal archive

Starting at midnight, Ferry took us on a three-hour long journey of Trance, which was opened with “Reception” and “Blueprint”, the first two tracks from his new album. But, of course, provided that the album is not as long as his set was supposed to be, he played a lot of other tracks, including classics, some remixes, Gouryella sounds and even more, including some  other “Blueprint” tracks in between.

Even if I can’t remember many names of the tracks played, I remember that I could recognize most of them, which is something that doesn’t happen too often to me. It mean that I loved Ferry’s style even before I knew who he was. “Drum’s A Weapon” and “Another Sunrise” were my highlights of the event, but if you curious to know more, you can read this awesome review. On top of that, as far as I remember, Ferry Corsten played all tracks that were requested via Facebook: isn’t it amazing?

Ferry is a charming and always smiling man, giving his positive energy to others. It was nice to see him coming to the crowd, signing shirts and even making pictures with everyone who wanted it, even if big part had left already. Not so many DJs are doing that these days, but if they do, people and fans really appreciate it. I also used my time to ask about new Gouryella 2.0 show, which will be premiered during Transmission Festival in Australia, and Gouryella documentary, which was not released at that moment (but he told that it will be out in July). All what can be said – Gouryella project is not over yet, even if it looks finished, which means that we can expect some more tracks and also – new visuals of the show!

Ferry with fans. Chucky Foto

Smiling Ferry. Personal Archive

So, if you ever go to the States for some music events, it won’t be much different from the ones you’ve experienced already. Even if you don’t know anyone – you will always be able to make new friends. The way you dress yourself up – it’s your own choice, and there is a super small chance that someone will care about it during Trance events. Most importantly: bring your excitement and love for this music, and you will be able to enjoy it everywhere you go!