The Ultra Music Festival Guide 2012

Clearly, we here at County Grind are psyched about the upcoming Ultra Music Festival. We've been thinking about it, writing about it, and talking to performers who'll bring the beats and, let's call it, personality to the stage at Bayfront Park for three days this weekend. We're not gonna lie. We're...

By Liz Tracy

March 21, 2012

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Clearly, we here at County Grind are psyched about the upcoming Ultra Music Festival. We've been thinking about it, writing about it, and talking to performers who'll bring the beats and, let's call it, personality to the stage at Bayfront Park for three days this weekend.

We're not gonna lie. We're superpsyched to see Kraftwerk and New Order. Their songs haunt our dreams. And while we nerdily wait for bleeps and bops and dramatic new-wave songs, the kids'll be drooling over Skrillex and David Guetta. Let's just say there's something for everybody at Ultra. Click on a few of our links to see the mini-County Grind guide to Ultra Music Festival.

Can U Feel It

To get everyone in the mood for the festival, this film introduces the ultra Ultra experience tonight in Fort Lauderdale and other areas around South Florida.

Prepare Yourself

Next, you all need to check out our guide on what to wear and bring to Ultra to make your experience as amazing as whatever you're going to see in Can U Feel It. Be ready for the fun and madness.

Kraftwerk

A Kraftwerk interview is rarer than seeing a Florida panther in its natural habitat, but Jose Duran over here at the New Times got to chat with Ralf Hütter about 3-D stuff and old school shit. Check it out and them out on Friday.

Bassnectar

This electronic artist -- who will be playing on Sunday -- is into Ultra for the community of it, "Even if it's a mainstream festival, there's still an opportunity for me to engage with those humans who have been corralled together to play with their nervous systems like it's a full-body massage." A full body massage? Yes, please.

Tiesto

This Dutch DJ's been playing around South Florida for what feels like forever, and we can never get enough. He says of performing for huge crowds versus small venues, "You just can't compare the two experiences. If I play in a club, it's an amazing vibe, but it's a totally different story from playing a festival. I just really like to play for a lot of people. It's fun to play for tens of thousands of people!" Catch him having fun on Friday, March 23 at Bayfront.

Tommy Trash

This Australian newish-newbie will be playing all of his own music on the main stage on Friday night. "I just love tracks that are big in all senses -- almost rude and arrogant," he says. "That's just my vibe, I guess! I just love the energy and dropping that in a set and watching how kids go absolutely nuts to it."

Steve Aoki

We spoke to Steve Aoki for quite some time and listened to his stance on bringing genres together that otherwise seemed incompatible, and the experience of performing. Watch him perform on March 25. The kids also go absolutely nuts over Aoki, guaranteed.

And, of course, don't miss our sister paper Miami New Times' comprehensive Ultra guide.

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Liz has her master’s degree in religion from Florida State University. She has since written for publications and outlets such as Miami New Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Ocean Drive, the Huffington Post, NBC Miami, Time Out Miami, Insomniac, the Daily Dot, and the Atlantic. Liz spent three years as New Times Broward-Palm Beach’s music editor, was the weekend news editor at Inverse, and is currently the managing editor at Tom Tom Magazine.

Contact: Liz Tracy

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Twitter: @theliz4eva