This year’s LoveFest was the best to date and I’m not quite sure why.  I don’t know if it was the amazing lineup of DJs slated to appear at the Civic Center or if it was because the impeding election has rallied people and made them aware of the need for Obama-like change.   Maybe it was because people needed an escape from the depressing daily news of the looming Financial Crisis, but it seemed like LoveFest provided the power for the sun to shine (even though we had a weekend full of rain) and help to win over the hearts and love of those that were lucky enough to witness the best LoveFest to date.

This year’s event was really well run, from the top, down.  The organizers laid a well-thought out plan and the participants followed suit.  Anyone who has been around since the first LoveParade could see that three prior years of experience had helped pay off to make the fourth year the best yet.

In my humble opinion here is a look at some of the best floats:

Zoe Street Media/Moulton Studios/Yerba Buena Discos/SF House Music
This float featured 2 live cameras projecting crowd shots, float shots and live performances from behind the DJ booth onto a 60 inch HDTV.  The crowd really loved the camera time as well as the stellar line-up of All-Stars which included:  Halo, Fred Everything, Olivier Desmet, David Harness, Trevor Simpson and Chris Lum playing along side the hot new up-and-comers Andrew Phelan, who played a live PA set with vocalist Audio Angel & bassist Origami; and Homero Espinosa and his crew at Yerba Buena Discos—Allen Craig & Cubase Dan.

Temple Nightclub/Prana Restaurant/Zen Compound
Green was the theme at this float.  Green LED lights, green plants, along with a thoughtful green approach to building out this eye-popping extravaganza.  Temple residents and regulars Paul Hemming, Sen-sei & Andrew Phelan, David Harness, Ben Tom (Durben), and JasWho? with Isabel Lozano lit up the stage with a broad range of House Music, while showing LoveFesters that things at Temple are near Nirvana thanks to the brilliant vision of Paul Hemming and the rest of the team at the Zen Company.  Those that staying until it got dark got a special treat from the Temple float where green LED lights helped channel the amazing energy that was the hallmark of the day.

Skills DJ Workshop/Spundae
What more can you say about a giant float with an Apple Laptop as a center piece and more sound than some of the biggest clubs in SF blasting out beats driven my the top names in International DJ music—Kaskade, Armin Van Buuren, Dave Dresden, Donald Glaude, ATB, Dyloot and more.  This float basically serves as a teaser for the massive afterparty at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium but also provides older fans an opportunity to enjoy these DJs without being crowded by younger rabid fans in a dense club space.  Speaking of which, the incredible number of brave soldiers that made their way to the front of the DJ booth outnumbered even last year's totals which helped make this one of the top draws of the entire Lovefest yet again.

Opel Productions & Qool
When you combine the number of years that this crew has in the game you go all the way back to when DJs spun vinyl—and some did on this float!  Syd Gris, Spesh and Scott Carelli led the way for Melyss, Hoj, and Elite Force and Vandal.  Their float was reminiscent of the tank in the movie, Terrordome, and the beats coming from the blasters were equally gritty, but the love emitted managed to showcase the finesse that painstakingly went into the assemblage of this magnificent construction.  Dancers hung sideways and upside down from the protruding metal bars like the monkeys hanging from the pillars on the Temples of Bali.  Extra applause to Syd Gris for his double duty as float organizer and member of the LoveFest board of directors.   

Jetset Music Group
What this stage lacked in décor and panache, JMG’s stage made up for in music diversity, playing right into the Jetset concept.  The stage was near ground level which helped institute of feeling of oneness with the crowd and played into “by the people, for the people” theme of the day.  JMG’s Ron Reese and Dan Saenz played sets worthy of the Playboy Mansion as well as assembled a super-broad range music from the deep house of Andy Caldwell (Om Records), to the electo stylings of Nick Terranova (Starkillers), to the International vibes of Frenchy le Freak and Sandy Vee (Italy) and then bringing it back stateside to Vegas via SF with a rockin’ set by Scotty Boy.


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Just Added DJ Scotty Boy !!!

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Visit www.sflovefest.org for more info on Lovefest 2008