Spring Awakening Keeps The Dancing Through The Night With After Parties

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 12, 2014 9:30PM

Photo via Spring Awakening's Facebook page

The annual Spring Awakening Music Festival will be heating up Soldier Field all weekend long, but what happens when the noise ordinance goes into effect at 11 p.m. and the turntables stop spinning? Never fear. EDM’s “Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat” mantra is alive in Chicago, as a slew of official after-shows take the massive party into the wee hours of the morning.

Spring Awakening organizers React Presents are offering 15 shows across three nights that cover the gamut of modern dance music.

Friday finds German trance veteran Markus Schulz playing the main room at three-story club Castle, while Swedish house and techno legend Eric Prydz commands a sold-out crowd at React’s own intimate dance venue, the Mid.

Over at The Concord Music Hall, Maarten Hoogstraten of the Bingo Players will serve up the duo’s ravey progressive house blend alongside trap duo gLAdiator. The set will be Hoogstraten’s first in Chicago since the death of his musical partner and founding Bingos member Paul Bäumer.

After a headlining slot from Pretty Lights at the festival on Saturday, the Mid will yet again play host to one of Spring Awakening’s biggest acts when Mad Decent label head Diplo takes to the decks in another sold-out show for the club. House music remains king at Concord with sets from Euro stars Sander van Doorn and Arty. Saturday night also takes Spring Awakening to open waters for the first time as Australian big-room producer Tommy Trash plays a sold-out Yacht Party that saw tickets going for $175 each.

Sunday marks the final day of Spring Awakening and will be closed out by Chicago’s own Kaskade. The 43-year-old American house icon then makes his way to the Mid as the only festival headliner with an after show this year. Moombahton producer and recent Columbia records signee Dillon Francis plays at Transit in the West Loop. The club rarely books major acts and is an odd choice for a household name like Francis who sold out the Aragon Ballroom last December. Those dancing on a budget this year can still be part of the after party scene with trap duo Candyland’s free show on the roof of the Wit hotel Sunday afternoon.

A majority of the higher profile shows have already sold out, but tickets remain for most of the events at Concord and smaller clubs like SoundBar and Primary. Spring Awakening is only the first of React’s two major EDM festivals in Chicago this summer. Next on tap is The North Coast Music Festival in August that brings SAMF veterans Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, and more to Union Park.

By: Robert Martin