It’s an unbearably hot afternoon Saturday, Aug. 31, as Dallas gets ready to host the 2013 Mad Decent Block Party. Hundreds of people gather outside of Zouk nightclub in anticipation of this year’s lineup.
Despite the heat, a group of girls wear furry boots that match their neon outfits while several guys are in head-to-toe panda costumes.
Some wear swimsuits, while others wear glitter outfits that sparkle in the sun, sneakers, funky hats and socks — the typical, eclectic music festival attire.
Tents are spread throughout the place, offering people a chance to purchase merchandise of their favorite DJs.
“I had seen videos and I had heard it was a fun event,” SMU senior Evelia Chapa said about why she chose to attend. “I really wanted to see Major Lazer, Dillon Francis and Diplo perform.”
The Mad Decent Block Party is named after the Los Angeles based record label Mad Decent, which is run by Diplo, also known as
Wesley Pentz.
Pentz has been nominated for three Grammys and works as both a producer and a DJ.
Mad Decent has successfully hosted its annual block parties in multiple North American cities.
The idea is to expose people to new and unique music genres.
In a statement released prior to the party, photographer Dustin Hollywood said: “Mad Decent has consistently taken over cities… spreading various unique lineups, attractions, and special guests among each show… and this weekend will be no different with Salacious Sound sending me to capture the craziness that is
MDBP 2013!”
The party began at 2 p.m. and ended at 10 p.m.
The later it got, the bigger the crowd grew. An inflatable whale, the kind generally used to ride in a pool, circled the crowd getting autographs from random people. As the sun went down, people busted out their glow sticks and light-up hula hoops, and by the end of the night, girls took turns surfing through the crowd riding the whale as a group of guys carried them through.
Sandra Jurado, an SMU senior, spent nearly the entire time jammed up against countless sweaty bodies in order to stay closest to the stage.
“The event was extraordinary…Diplo has been taking over the production of many parties and Mad Decent does not disappoint,” Jurado said.
Jurado explains that Major Lazer, one of the highly anticipated performances that night, offers a dance party so entertaining it makes you just want to be there.
