SAHARA SATURDAYS: ROUND 1
This past April I attended the Coachella music festival for the first time and was absolutely blown away by not only the music, but also the incredible lights/visuals that accompanied many of the performances. In particular, it was the Sahara tent that really impressed me. Not only did it feature a lot of great EDM artists like Afrojack, Laidback Luke, A-Trak and many more, but it also had visual displays unlike anything I had ever seen. Rather then try to explain, check out this video from The Creators Project who were responsible for many of the visual aspects of Coachella.
Upon returning home to Vancouver, I couldn’t help but simultaneously feel over-whelmed, a little sad that it was over, but more importantly, incredibly inspired by what I had experienced. Knowing it would be a long 365 days until the next Coachella, I felt like I needed to do something to try to re-live that experience, if only in the most modest of efforts. And so the idea for Sahara Saturdays was born.
After marinating on the idea for a bit, then brainstorming with friends about venues, visuals and so forth, it was decided that we were more then capable of throwing a party of our own. Fortunately, some very good friends of mine rent a large art studio in Chinatown that, with a little rearranging, could be turned into the perfect venue for this first venture. A date was set and the wheels were put in motion.
Like I mentioned before, modesty was the name of the game when it came to trying to recreate any sort of visuals like that of Coachella. However, considering we were working with a very small budget, it turned out pretty damn cool. A few loaned light sculptures (including a sweet electric jellyfish), a small investment in a laser rig and some rented speakers and we had ourselves an art studio turned laser-light dance club. It’s fair to say that everyone who walked through that door was pretty surprised by what was inside.
What made the night extra special was the level of energy and positivity that existed inside that room. Everyone who was there wanted to be there and it was really incredible to see so many people dancing, having a good time and sharing in such a unique moment. I’d like to thank everyone who came out and had a good time and also extra thanks to all my friends who provided the venue and helped get things organized. I couldn’t have done it with out you! Here’s to round 2, which promises to be bigger, better and of course, more lasers!!!
The following are some photos from the night shot by Jason Hargrove except for the last, which we took post party. Thanks Jason!
