Back in 2008, it happened on a whim. It was just a block party. The guys at Mad Decent wanted to do something for the kids in Philadelphia who were hanging out in the East Coast heat all summer long. So they got a permit from the city and put some speakers and caution tape in front of “The Mausoleum,” as the then-headquarters of the label was called (the building had actually been a manufacturing site for mausoleums in some bygone, pre- Diplo era). No more than 1,000 people showed up throughout the whole day.
Seven years later, that block party has grown significantly. Now a one-day festival, these ragers welcome thousands of fans in twenty-three individual cities. The lineups have expanded from the Mad Decent roster to include larger national acts and you definitely can’t just show up anymore.
Due to the increased popularity, the organization has made it a ticketed event, instead of the free, first come-first-served party it had been for the five first years. Regarding the change, label manager Jasper Goggins said, “It’s not like the goal is to make money off of this thing; the reason it had to go to a ticketed system this year is because we couldn’t accommodate all the people who wanted to come.”
He continued, “So to ensure that everybody could go that wanted to go, and to maintain a safe atmosphere and be able to pay the artists that are playing and the staff that are working and have good sound, we didn’t have a choice. It had to go to a ticketed model.”
New Orleans’ Winter Circle Productions will welcome the Mad Decent Block Party to Mardi Gras World on August 29 with a stellar lineup heavy with EDM and hip-hop, but still interesting and deceptively diverse.
From headliner A$AP Ferg (pictured above), Big Gigantic bringing their soulful and jazz-influenced livetronic saxophone, Dillon Francis with his straight house beats, the chillwave Wrestlers, and the trap heavy hip-hop of RL Grime, the lineup has something for everyone who enjoys a fun day in the sun with a riverfront breeze. The live music will keep fans dancing despite the swampy August heat.
Tickets are available here. Attendees can choose from General Admission at $45 or a VIP experience at $75.
