Worth the Drive: Hard Summer
L.A. Forum Braces for All-Night Dance Music Fest
The electro-dance world is vibrating with excitement in anticipation for this weekend’s Hard Summer concert. DJ Destructo is the man responsible for organizing the Hard concert series, which includes Hard New Year’s Eve and the costume rich Hard Haunted Mansion, which sold out L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium on Halloween of last year.
Destructo knows exactly how to piece together a pulse-raising lineup, and this year’s Hard Summer is no exception. Top dance acts such as Underworld, Crystal Castles, Chromeo, Steve Aoki, Crookers, and The Bloody Beetroots will be gracing the stage of the Los Angeles Forum (3900 W Manchester Blvd., Inglewood) this Saturday. The venue will feature two stages and throbbing beats from 8 p.m., when the doors open to 4 a.m., when the sleepless electro-lovers will have to venture back into the real world.
The Hard event series has grown in both the quantity and quality of concerts, with numerous Hard events on the horizon and more of the biggest names in the industry filling the rosters. Destructo was able to book the likes of N.E.R.D. and MSTRKRFT for last year’s Hard Summer, but has somehow managed to one-up himself with 2009’s installment. Predicted highlights from the latest Hard event include the Canadian phenomenon Crystal Castles, whose gritty electric sound manages to mix all the energy of an ear-piercing rock act with a melodic twist that has captivated listeners throughout the world. Other Hard concert veterans will be making their return, including the masked DJ duo The Bloody Beetroots, who collaborated with UCSB graduate and musical entrepreneur Steve Aoki on the explosive track “Warp 1.9” earlier this year. The rest of the lineup guarantees that concertgoers will be receiving a big bang for their ticket dollar, and Destructo will be keeping the main stage moving with his brand of tunes in between sets. Los Angeles music lovers get to enjoy Hard events in their own backyard, but the spectrum of great electro acts makes the decision to split the cost of gas with a few friends and jump on the freeway a very easy one.
For tickets and info about Hard Summer, call (310) 330-7340 or visit hardfest.com.
Todd Prodanovich is an Independent intern.
