The club kids from the late '80s spawned, and their children now have oozed onto the surface of popular culture en masse. Subsequently, electronic dance music has become the newest form of mainstream pop music.
Or something like that.
As a result, on Sunday night at Gexa Energy Pavilion, the Identity Festival -- billed as the the first-ever touring festival exclusively featuring EDM artists -- will make a stop in Dallas.
The EDM extravaganza showcases some of the biggest names in the genre. But there's a lot of artists on the bill -- enough so that it's almost overwhelming. So we asked as many artists as we could why people should be sure to come see their sets at the fest this weekend. No, not Kaskade, unfortunately; he helped organize it, but he won't be performing in Dallas.
Still, tons of others -- from Steve Aoki to Figo and a bunch of others in between -- were up to play our little game of Q&A. Check out their answers after the jump.
Why should people come see your set at the Identity festival in Dallas?
Steve Aoki: If you know my music and you like my music, that's the number one reason, because everything else is all based around that. I'm playing all my records, I'm playing a lot of new songs. And now, specifically, on this tour, I'm doing my new live show. And this live show is such a big deal that I can't really bring it out on any other shows. So the only time you can actually see this live show is on this tour. My bus alone is full of technicians; I got visual, I got production, [I got] structural technicians. It's like a big ordeal. I spent a lot of time and money to make sure the end outcome is epic."
Andy Butler (Hercules and Love Affair): "We are a really unusual and extremely festive act. The voices involved are super powerful, and these kids know how to dance and party. So if you want some lessons, I would come and learn. We have a really powerful sound that doesn't let up, and it is magic when we play music. So come give us some love!"
Alex Frankel (Holy Ghost!): "We're a bit different than the other artists on this tour -- both in the music we make and in the fact that we're playing instruments, not turntables. If you're up for something a little different, come on down."
DJ Shadow: "No ironic mash-ups."
Tony Laurencio (Afrobeta): "Because we're gonna change the way people perform electronic music. We're risky and aren't afraid of making mistakes."
Nervo: "People should come to our set at Identity so they can A.) hear a bunch of new music we've been working on, and B.) get crazy to some house music!"
The Disco Biscuits: "We are providing something completely different. In a festival filled with DJs, we are getting on stage and creating electronic styles with -- gasp! -- real instruments in real time. The excitement of improv applied to the beats works the crowd in a different way than they've ever experienced."
Jessie And The Toy Boys: "There will be hands in the air. If you like to shake your ass and have a good time then come catch us."
Le Castle Vania: "Everyone should come check out my set at ID because I plan on bringing a high-energy performance and a unique blend of hard-hitting, bangin' indie and electro vibes."
Figo: "Our last Dallas show was in 2009, when we played The Granada Theater on tour supporting The Faint and Ladytron. That was an epic show! Not only that, but there is this badass seafood shack right across the street from that place. We've grown a lot musically since then, too, and are real excited to play out the new stuff. We'll be previewing tracks from the upcoming album release -- Put It All On Black is out August 30th on iTunes -- and dropping a few recent remix projects we just completed. The Identity Tour has been a blast so far. Even though we are playing on the early side, the kids are still coming out and raging. Our set in Holmdel was in the middle of a monsoon, but still a few hundred people at like 2 p.m. in the afternoon."
Marshall Barnes: "I play various types of music and it's all on the fly. I'll go hard electro to hip-hop to dubstep. But none of that top 40 shit will be played during my set!"
RioTGeaR: "I think that people should try to watch a bit of everyone at Identity. That's what a festival is all about. There are many artists with different styles. Every set has a different vibe. Why should people come see RioTGeaR? If you like tech house and techno then you should come jam out."
Identity Festival comes to Dallas on Sunday, August 28, at Gexa Energy Pavilion
