WoOoW is all we can say! When we arrived on site, we did not know what to expect of Auris and their post pandemic production. They are a fairly new company that owns several Chicago bars, night clubs and gaming facilities. We were a little skeptical. We have been in the industry for thirty years, have seen a lot of shows featuring both up and coming talent as well as global artists. We attended events at little hole in the wall clubs, warehouses and major events like Movement Detroit, Ultra Miami, Freaky Deaky and EZoo NY just to name a few. ARC is a needed breath of fresh air.
Upon entry, we went in a staff door. There was hardly a line at GA, Icon VIP or Global VIP+ gate. That was impressive! Staff was polite, had answers needed and very friendly, even when processes changed the second night due to additional Auris Guest credentials needed on top of Media Passes. Chicago Police donning Kandi dancing to melodies, Waste Management staff boogied collecting discarded bottles and Armored Guards shimmied while saving staff from monetary overload. Bartenders bro hammered while shaking, not stirring. Everywhere we gazed, people were in euphoria. For the entry price to IconVIP and Global VIP+ areas, it was worth it! Top shelf drinks like Patron, Red Bull, cold bottled water and other choices like White Claw never ran out. Both areas provided a Skydeck canopy to capture sound, making a sweet spot to sit for us Old School Ravers. It acted as shelter from drizzle on day three. The food and charging stations made this assignment a dream. Auris Guest area had an amazing view of the entire festival. Air conditioned bathrooms in Auris Guest, Global VIP and Icon VIP+ needed a little attention the first night but, Auris quickly adapted to make sure that was not the case the following two nights. We even witnessed security checking porta-potties after closing to make sure no attendee was left behind. We have never seen that at any other event.
Everything had purpose, even if it was to be repurposed. The art installations are spread throughout the festival with some having been to Burning Man in previous years. One of our favorite ‘Rise‘ (pictured below), by Michael Benitsy. We could tell it was a crowd favorite also. This was demonstrated by lines of people waiting to snap photos with it glistening in the light, hit at every angle by various lasers. Chris Carnabuci’s ‘Mariposita‘ was more impressive in real life than any picture prepped us for. Being able to see how massive, how constructed, layers of light versus shadow, in addition to the 360 degrees angles, all gave it a depth pics just could not. Toy Studio‘s ‘Circle of Light‘ made us pause, to watch as the light chased around the top of the installation and back again. There are just some things you have to see for yourself to fully understand how awe inspiring they truly are. ‘Lions of Steel‘ by Reared in Steel was strategically placed at one of the entrances, acting as a majestic greeting to all whom entered the gate. ‘Lions‘ also provided a bit of respite for dance weary festie souls headed out into the night and on to their next adventure in the Windy City
Moving on to the talent and production, there is so much that blew our minds! There were massive screens, spotlights, lasers, smoke, pyrotechnics, fireworks, strobes and day one, Boris Brejcha brought the heat to close out the night strong. Day two, Carl Craig B2B Seth Troxler at Expansions brought all the feels, Ricardo Villalobos brought flair, and while we wanted to catch Honey Dijon . . . we could not pull ourselves away from the Grid stage after Joseph Capriati‘s siren song took hold. Paco Osuna at Elrow‘s stage did get a bit of our time, until we wandered back to the Grid for Carl Cox and we are so glad we did! That was the hardest we have seen Carl Cox play and the visual accompaniment had us on the edge for when CharlotteDe Witte took over. The amount of dancing and lack of abundant phone usage was something circa early 2000’s and remarkable. While there was the occasional photo opp or video grab, people were just too enthralled in the camaraderie, sights, and sounds to be bothered with having technology glued to their hands.
