Music Event of the Summer: HARD 2010 in Los Angeles

In my experience in sunny Los Angeles this summer, I would have to say HARD Summer 2010 was the musical event to attend. With a lineup rivaling Electric Daisy Carnival’s (EDC), HARDFEST front man and creator Destructo orchestrated a compilation of artists ranging from the wobbly dubstep of Benga to the techno, electro-house of Tiga to the everywhere-at-once, hip-hop based, boom-bap of Diplo. Don’t be confused, not only were there DJs, but SOULWAX convinced Los Angeles that rock is still alive and kicking with their four piece set featuring a live drummer, guitarist, synth player and lead singer, and DJ and deck sampler.

HARD Summer 2010 Acts Attended

With HARD M.I.A cancelled (few rumors have been circulating that ticket sales were lacking) and EDC’s crowd management problems and death to a minor — not to mention EDC’s extensive media coverage, branding ‘RAVES’ as dangerous and uncontrollable — the warier I grew as the date for HARD Summer drew near. Might I add that the year previous at HARD Summer 2009 was shut down by the Los Angeles Fire Marshall and Los Angeles Police Department? I was very nervous for the show, but felt a sense of calm as me and my friends entered the front gates. I was thoroughly patted down and searched by security, and greeted by the friendly sounds of Breakbot; we arrived at approximately 3:30pm at the Los Angeles Historic Park, which turned out to be a perfect venue for such an event. Two stages lay back to back, one labeled HARD and the other HARDER. My friends and I spent most of our time listening to the HARD Stage, but ventured to the HARDER Stage twice during the show. Circled in the picture to the left are the acts we saw.

The highlights of my night were, without a doubt, The Twelves, Diplo, Tiga, and SOULWAX. Flying Lotus was my only low of the night, but I know he is an obscure artist so I really knew what to expect: that being ‘weird’. I heard from various sources that Crystal Castles did not impress, but we already knew this didn’t we? We completely avoided Crystal Castles at all costs, Tiga was a very good replacement for the heavy screamer. To close our schedule, Major Lazer and SOULWAX were a perfect ending to a beautifully warm day and moderately chilled night. SOULWAXs’ minimalist light show only enhanced their sonic potential, ranging from eerie sounds and hard rock to the pulsing blips and bleeps of booming electronica.

In closing, the Los Angeles Historic Park is a large enough venue to hold such an event comfortably. Since the HARD Summer concert series are a smaller venture in comparison to the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) and Together As One (TAO), my friends and I had a wonderful time and did not experience all the security problems associated with events of larger magnitudes. If there are electronic music lovers or people who are curious about events like this who are distressed by the recent negative media attention gravitating towards electronic music and ‘rave culture,’ I highly suggest checking out HARD Haunted Mansion coming up on Halloween and Hallow’s Eve in Los Angeles at the Shrine Expo Hall. HARD Summer 2010 was a night to remember; Destructo really knows how to put on a great show.

Diplo @ HARD Summer 2010: