Baseball met EDM on Friday at Citizens Bank Park where W&W hosted a free mini-rave for the post Phillies-Braves game (which the Phillies won by the way, 5-4). The Phillies took a que from The Tampa Bay Rays after earlier this year they held Afrojack and Calvin Harris at Tropicana Field.
W&W's set was not for the EDM purist. They played it pretty safe, but I think it was appropriate for the situation. After opening up with the song with what they are known for most, "Lift Off," they filled out their set with many of the top 100 Beatport hits such as Hardwell's remix of Krewella's "Alive," Martin Garrix's "Animals" and a bunch of other big room Epic-esque tunes to get the crowd jumping--but I think the set worked. However, the song that really impressed me was a mash-up of Above & Beyond vs Rick Mitchells - Sun and Moon vs Sub Zero.
I know that the die hard fans grumble about playing such a "mainstream" set, but think about who W&W was playing for at that moment. These are primarily people who came to see a Phillies game first, and may not be completely in tune with the Electronic music scene. W&W played the hits, and it worked, and people were having a blast. At the end of the day that is what truly matters. Sometimes we get so caught up in the music that we forget what the DJ is really there for: the people.
I didn't think it would be quite the turnout that it was; there were at least a couple hundred people crammed into Ashburn Alley. I learned that these diehard sports fans also have a half brain for EDM music as well. Michael Harris, the Phillies director of Marketing and Special Projects shared his vision: "...two of the most passionate fan bases out there are dance music and sports. So [we thought], ‘let’s try to blend them together for a unique event." In this industry, cross promotion is a huge asset to brands. Produced by SoundGarden Hall, this was a fun event that could take on some momentum in the future. I can see it now: "Come see the Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park today! Don't forget to stay after for the post game show featuring Hardwell! You think we're finished? Afterparty at Rumor!"
Let's just hope the purist sports fanatics don't see this as a bastardization of their favorite pastime. I see it more as opportunity.
Philadelphia is continuing to prove itself as a progressive city, so maybe we will see trends in sports/EDM crossover events --Lift Off-- in the near future. Sorry, that pun had to be added.
Until next time,
Ryan F.