Now in its third year at Union Park in Chicago, Auris Presents had ARC Music Festival 2023 running like a well-oiled machine.
While other festivals throughout the scene floundered over Labor Day Weekend, ARC Music Festival 2023 went off without a hitch. ARC showed that it is well on its way from being a startup in 2021 to being a force to be reckoned with on the festival calendar.
Much of the weekend was what we have come to expect, as the festival is on its third year and Auris Presents has worked out most of the kinks from the first two years. However, there were still some noticeable differences this time that kept things interesting.
Familiar stage set ups and partners were back but with some new twists.
The Grid, elrow, and Expansions made their returns, with the mainstage, tent, and wooded alcove stage being familiar sights. You could tell the production value has gone up though, especially considering what needed to be done in preparation at the Grid for Eric Prydz’ massive audio-visual experience in HOLO being the headliner the first night. With Afterlife leaders Tale of Us closing out the festival on Sunday and John Summit making his debut headlining Chicago festival appearance on Saturday, there was no shortage of massive names befitting of the final slot at the mainstage.
With many headlining international artists being booked, some huge names also ended up at the more intimate Expansions stage, most notably Hot Since 82, Boys Noize, Mochakk, and Black Coffee. The production level here has met the rise in star power as well, with more sound compared to last year’s setup.
One key change that was made compared to the first two years was to the small center stage between the Grid and elrow, formerly known as the ARC Car. Previous attendees will remember this stage mostly featuring local resident Chicago DJs throughout the weekend. This year however, it was turned into a full-fledged stage and hosted almost exclusively the typical high-level bookings found at the rest of the stages.
Renamed Area 909, the stage was made up of an industrial metal framework surrounded by stacks of clear plastic containers you’d normally find in a factory that processes liquids. The containers formed a lit-up wall behind the stage and gave it an almost warehouse rave-like atmosphere. Combining that presence with some of the hardest hitting techno artists in the scene made for an impressive combination all weekend.
Once again, the smaller, more intimate stages won out for us this weekend but that wasn’t without its challenges.
Last year, our favorite stage in terms of schedule and atmosphere was far and away Expansions, with the curated lineups matching up perfectly with the vibe and size of the area it occupies all three days. This year’s rendition didn’t quite live up to such lofty heights, with significantly more mainstream and famous artists finding their way onto the comparatively much smaller stage. Saturday was an absolute struggle all day as the whole dance floor seemed to be consistently overcrowded; not surprising given you had Hot Since 82 and the massive B2B2B between Fisher, Loco Dice, and Nic Fanciuli. The other two days fared slightly better, but it just didn’t have as intimate of a feel as it did before.
That being said, our favorite set of the weekend still came at Expansions. Boys Noize’s set Friday evening there was a masterclass in pure, raw high energy house and techno. A highlight of the set was seeing the crowd go totally ballistic when Boys Noize mixed in a hard dance remix of Voodoo People by The Prodigy. Following that set with the B2B between Mall Grab and KETTAMA couldn’t possibly have been a better call by Auris Presents.
Bringing new ideas and creativity to what is fast becoming a major festival is a tall order, but Auris Presents continues to pull it off.
The biggest surprise for me was the transformation of the ARC Car into Area 909, which is now my new favorite stage at the festival. The stage setup at Area 909 was creative and a breath of fresh air apart the usual LED screens and pyrotechnics that seem commonplace these days. The sound was also the most reliable all weekend, and I was impressed at how little sound bleed I experienced given it’s sandwiched between the two biggest stages at the festival.
Sunday’s lineup of industrial techno giants was incredible, and the energy was just as good there the other two days. While some people lamented missing out on Nina Kraviz and Tinlicker at the bigger stages they were supposed to originally play at, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as both sets turned out to be awesomely intimate affairs, buoyed by the great sound and production at Area 909.
After yet another successful festival, it’s clear ARC Music Festival is shaping up to becoming a major player in the game. Such explosive growth comes with its own set of challenges, but it seems that Auris Presents (who is now working with Insomniac on Beyond Wonderland) has it under control and is already showing the consistency you’d expect from more seasoned festivals like Movement. We can’t wait to see what Auris has in store for another weekend of house and techno on Labor Day next year.
Author: Niklas Sjöberg
Premier EDM 