Live Review and Photos by: Gavin White
America’s first touring electronic music festival, Identity Fest, hit Las Vegas Monday for the 17th stop on its 20-city tour. Sponsors including Skullcandy, Rockstar Energy Drinks, and Heinekin Light, attracted thousands of electronic music fans across the country with state of the art visual mastery, stage design, and big named DJ’s including Kaskade, Steve Aoki, and Crystal Method. The Skullcandy main stage was located inside the Mandalay Bay event center and the RockStar Dim Mak stage was elevated above the wave pool at Mandalay Bay’s famous Beach, and Vendor Village offered attendees eclectic jewelry, art, and rave attire.
Rusko’s stage was a large riser with a DJ table made of steel trussing. Rusko came on stage to an exploding crowd. Spinning favorites like Feels So Reel, Hold On, and Woo Boost, and dancing
around the stage in his socks got the ravers below moving. All the glow sticks, party lights, and strobes turned the crowd into a colorful ocean of pulsating heat. He announced that he would be closing his set with a Rage against the Machine remix to the screams of hundreds of excited fans. The song began but before it could be distinguished the management cut the act short for worries about timing.. the crowd was disappointed but still showed love to Rusko as he took one final wave from the main stage.
Afrojack had a simple stage set up, just two risers elevating him above the crowd. His opening song established an immediate connection in the room. As he was transitioning songs he announced:
I just woke up an hour ago and I gotta say.. this is a hell of a breakfast (as he takes another drag of his cigarette)
The whole event center sang along when he started Take Over Control. In the middle of one of his songs towards the end of his set he was cut off by the tour managements the same was Rusko was. The crowd was upset and Afrojack flipped off the manager from the side of the stage.
Steve Aoki had large illuminated AOKI stage props covered in LED’s coordinating with the screen behind the stage. Standing singing on top of his booth and having two friends crowd surf in a rubber raft was just part of his exciting set.
Crystal Method was on the Dim Mak stage at the Beach. Fans filled the shallow part of the pool. The audience was spread out stretching out in the warm sand, buying drinks at the beachside bar or
splashing around enjoying the wave pool. Many people looked surprised at the age of these two legendary DJ’s as they took the stage but wielding a unique instrument combining a guitar, bass guitars, keyboard, and mixer. Explaining what exactly that had custom designed Ken Jordan joked:
I asked them to install a cup holder… but they told me it was physically impossible.
These old guys know how to jam.
Pretty Lights played his set among large pillars of LED screens. The crowd erupted at they turned into city skyline of New York and in two big flashes of light 
they started spinning, gaining speed with the beat.
Kaskade closed the show with a bang. Eight large white pillars of fabric lit with projectors, and a combination of LED screens, backdrops, stage covers and an impressive amount of lights, strobes, and lasers, made this show a full visual experience on the biggest scale of his career. After 11 hours of dancing the audience was re-energized by the power and presence of Kaskade. Confetti canons filled the air with a rain of spinning paper covering the packed dance floor. The crowd partied until the night came to a close and everyone flooded back into the casino to head to the after party at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay or back out to the strip.
The first Identity Festival was a big success! Check out www.idfestival.com to find out more about the artist, sponsors, vendors and stay updated about what’s to come with Identity Fest 2012.
Skullcandy Mainstage
Holy Ghost!
Doorly
Booka Shade
Rusko
Afrojack
Steve Aoki
Pretty Lights
Kaskade
Rockstar Energy Drink’s Dim Mak Stage
Jessie and the toy Boys
RiotGear
Afrobeta
The Eye
Le Castle Vania
The Crystal Method
Datsik
Pete Tong
Nero