Five Moments that shook the dance floor at Lights All Night 2018 [Event Review]

Lights All Night (LAN) has been steadily growing since its inception in 2010. As one of the largest end-of-the-year massives in Texas, the two day event returned to Dallas Market Hall for its ninth iteration on December 28 and 29. This year, the event site expanded  to feature five stages, including two main stages (Supernova and Intergalactic) along with the return of the fan-favorite Silent Disco (Disco Galaxy).

LAN’s ninth edition played host to over 30,000 total attendees across two sold-out days. With every passing year, the event pushes to create new, unique indoor and outdoor spaces. The most palpable addition to its 2018 installment saw an expansive outdoor playground with campfire pits, food trucks, and two brand new small stage concepts located outdoors (Planet Prime and Space Station). Indoors, the Sweet Tooth Hotel lounge was a popular attraction, although the installations and decorations fell a bit short considering the size of the space.

But it was the line-up that ultimately pulled many from all over the Southwest region to LAN’s dance floor. With a billing that boasted Gucci Mane, Diplo, Tiësto, and many other commercial greats, there were so amazing crowd moments that it can be difficult to pick a favorite. Still, we’ve somehow managed to narrow down our top five favorite moments from Lights All Night 2018.

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5. Kaskade opened the weekend with his legendary Redux set.

Kaskade‘s illustrious Redux set has been the talk of house music fanatics for years and years. Complete with more gradual tech house builds and tamed visual production, the set is meant to be purely about the music. Kaskade hadn’t delivered a Redux set in Dallas for over a year, so naturally his most loyal of fans made sure to arrive for the Friday night pre-party set. It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend, with Kaskade delivering his more rare, older tracks before lighting up the main stage later that night.

4. Space Mom REZZ took her cult aliens into another dimension.

There’s no arguing that REZZ has cultivated a legion of followers with her deep, dark sound and her expertly branded personae. Nowhere did that fact shine more than on the Supernova stage at Lights All Night…and, boy, were there plenty of lights and lasers to go around. The crowd was filled with countless followers among her cult family, who had traveled near, far, and wide. But it was also filled with plenty of wide-eyed newcomers that were experiencing her mass hypnosis for the very first time. Across the packed out main stage, jaws were dropped, faces were in disarray, as fans, first timers and veterans alike, were trying to piece together their minds, which she had decidedly left in a puddle on the dance floor. Not to mention, she played her Porter Robinson “Divinity” remix, a closing set spectacle that is far better experienced in person.

3. 1788-L gave a hometown throw down unlike any other.

As a highly enigmatic figure, thanks in part to some genius management, a ton of questions remain about the identity of 1788-L. Yet, as the high-profile up-and-comer plays more of the country’s largest stages, even more details are beginning to emerge about the producer’s identity. Hailing from Dallas, the heavy bass beat maker treated Lights All Night as a very special friends and family coming-out showing — and it certainly showed during his set. Arguably the best set of the weekend, 1788-L delivered a world-class performance filled with all his biggest tracks, including his collaborations with REZZ, Tynan, Illenium and Said The Sky, along with loads of brand new IDs.

2. Ekali lit up the Supernova mainstage for an unforgettable performance.

Ekali is one producer whose sheer talent matches the incredible year he’s had as an artist. Still, with a stunning Crystal Eyes EP, a sold out tour, and high-powered collaborations, the OWSLA artist has yet to reach his peak, which is why he made our Artists to Watch list for 2019. Ekali’s humble ingenuity sent sparks flying through the Supernova mainstage on the closing night of Lights All Night as he played out his most popular gems to a crowded dance floor. Ekali’s ability to conjure up feel good moments in the crowd in on par with Illenium and Kaskade, which is why he takes our number two spot for most unforgettable dance floor moments.

1. Anti Up made a huge statement that they’re only getting started.

Leave it to a couple of house veterans to snag the night’s most amazing dance floor moment. As the duetted side project of Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo, Anti Up was a main attraction for house aficionados on the Intergalatic stage. The duo just released a new EP, making their rounds on the festival circuit at Lights All Night and Decadence. The set was packed with IDs and plenty of bouncy, feel good gems from both Lake and Lorenzo. Fans walked away from the set feigning for their next Anti Up live experience.

Featured photo: aLive Coverage