We are sort of stretching this since Winter Music Conference wrapped up Sunday, but it just took a while to finally sit down and process everything we did over the course of last week. But here it is, our final call on all the great and not-so-great things that we experienced last week.
Best Performance at Ultra Music Festival: Major Lazer
Photo by Santiago Felipe Somebody probably got pregnant during Major Lazer's performance.
You can read our review for our complete thoughts as to why Switch and Diplo deserve this honor. It was unlike any Ultra performance we had seen before, and better than anything that was going on at the main stage, we are sure. Plus, there were foam laser hand gun thingies. Can't argue with that.
Best Performance Outside of Ultra: Duck Sauce
Given that the Fool's Gold Showcase at Grand Central was the first time A-Trak and Armand Van Helden have performed together under the Duck Sauce moniker, the night itself was a pretty big deal. But throw in soul and disco, with some electro for good measure, and you've got a winning combination.
Best Party You Probably Couldn't Have Got Into Anyway: Belvedere Music Lounge at the W South Beach
The party was for VIP and press only, and, since we are press we got to attend. Never mind the awesomely bad AstroTurf -- if you rubbed your feet on it and touched somebody you gave them a jolt of electricity. There were endless cocktails, plenty of celebrity and semi-famous (not really) DJ sightseeing, and gorgeous swimsuit-clad Belvedere spokesmodels. Yes, we saw a camel toe or two.
Don't Believe the Hype: Hard Pool Party at the Fontainebleau 
Photo by Lex Hernandez Busy P might has well have been spinning lullabies at the Hard Pool Party.
Resort
It wasn't a bad party -- on the contrary, it was quite
fun -- but considering Hard's legendary status in Los Angeles and New
York, we expected better. Where was the insanity and mayhem? Hard's
organizers also claimed the event was sold out, but it never felt packed. Next year, we hope the event organizers return, but
this time skip the pool party and give us the legendary Hard event we would expect.
Trend We Wish Would Die: Jamtronica
Jam
band music is awful enough as it is; why is it invading our beloved
dance music genre? Ultra at times felt more like a hippie freak show than
a rave. Keep your hemp necklaces and bags kids, we're into the designer
drugs.
Trend Reaching Dangerous Levels of
Annoyance: Dubstep
We get it, dubstep is here. Funny thing is that a year or two ago, most of these "dubstep" DJs were spinning
electro-house, and this year they miraculously because enamored with the
genre. We aren't going to mention names, but way to jump on the
bandwagon.
Most Hilarious Witnessed Scene: Frat Bros
Sucking on Pacifiers
Seriously, chewing gum works just as
well as a pacifier if you are rolling your balls off. At Ultra, we saw
so many shirtless frat bros sucking on the rubber nipples while
erotically rubbing up on their broskis, that we were almost sure we walked
on to a gay porn set. A better scene to witness would be these dudes waking up next to each other the following morning. Awkward.
Best
Closing Party: The Do Over at Bar
Sunday School for
Degenerates is too obvious of a choice, and Hard to Leave at Goldrush had
strippers, but the Do Over at Bar didn't need 24-hour party people or
naked ladies to win this. The low-key affair was the perfect way to come
down from the WMC high. Cheap beer and free barbecue also helped, while
the guest DJs spun a mix of hip-hop, reggae, house, and Lord knows what
else, all while broadcasting it on pirate radio.
Best 
Photo by Nicole Cussell Even Brooklyn performance artist Bad Brilliance made a cameo at Get Physical's warehouse party.
Party We Missed: Get Physical Varsity Workout Warehouse Party at
Charcoal Studios
Word of advice, a "disco nap" on day five of
Conference can easily turn into a full night of sleep. We are still
kicking ourselves for this one and refuse to hear the stories about how
amazing it was.
DJ Who We Amused the Most: Annie Mac
The
British DJ knows more about us than we care to share here, but she
found our story hilarious. We'd rather not go into any further details,
but know that we were a little embarrassed. So much for first
impressions.
DJ Who You Expect to Be a Dick But is in Fact
Really Nice: John Digweed
We bumped into him at the
Vagabond Friday night, the day before his party at the venue, and he was so down-to-earth and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to
say. We also had fun attempting to do a British accent when telling our
friends about the encounter the next day. It still needs work.
Worst
Visitors: Angelenos (AKA people from Los Angeles)
We
had to remind several of them that they were visiting our city, not the
other way around. Show some respect to your hosts and you'll get some
respect back. Yes, some of us live here full-time; don't act so
surprised. New Yorkers are definitely a close second.
People 
Photo by Ian Witlen Afrobeta perfoming at Ultra Music Festival.
Who Probably Had the Best WMC Yet: Local Acts
Afrobeta,
Panic Bomber, and Otto Von Schirach all got great bookings during the
week, giving us a nice sense of pride. And we couldn't have asked for a
better bunch to represent the 305.
People We Wish Would Skip
WMC: Spring Breakers
At times, this year's Conference
felt more like MTV Spring Break than an actual celebration of dance
music. The horror! We wouldn't have been surprised to have seen a wet
T-shirt contest or keg stands. It's only a matter of time. Miami is
becoming the new Fort Lauderdale -- does that mean Fort Lauderdale is
the new Miami?
Overall WMC Winner: 14th Street Clubs
Bar, the Vagabond, and White Room all had killer lineups and we constantly heard world-class DJs refer to events at the three as among the best clubs and parties they've ever been to. This just proves that a strict door policy and posh decor does not necessarily make a good nightclub. Instead these spots relied on amazing bookings, plenty of afterhours fun, and, most importantly, good times to make their parties work.
