CSS' lead singer, Love Foxxx, entertains the Ultra crowd in Miami (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Friday was the first day of Ultra, the sold-out, larger-than-life electronic music event in Miami and if I had to summarize the day in one word it would be ‘WOW’! There were die-hard fans from every age group and every walk of life known to man and a good number of them were dressed in some sort of attention-getting, neon-colored apparel or costume that looked like they had probably worn it on a past Halloween.

The festival started out with a palpable excitement and energy which only continued to grow as the day and evening went on. Fedde Le Grand was one of the first artists of the evening on the main stage. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. They were excited about his beats and he kept them coming! Benny Benassi took the main stage after Fedde’s set and the fans were so excited from anticipation that before Benny actually got on stage they were chanting his name as if begging him to come out. Benny had his fist pumping and a huge cheerful smile on his face the whole time he was performing for the crowd. You can tell that he really loves what he does and he loves the fans. And as any good fans would do, they reciprocated with their excitement for him and his high energy set. People were actually dancing and raving so hard and intensely I was actually scared that they might injure themselves!

More: Day 2: Carl Cox’s high-energy tent the place to be | Day 3: Miami’s big party goes longer than ever, doesn’t skip a beat | Ultra photos: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Visit this writer’s website

There are eight stages in all this year at Ultra so one could never complain of idle time or boredom. If you want action packed, look no further! In the Carl Cox tent the DJ station is set up to resemble the Gravitron. You know, that intense carnival ride that tries to pull your guts through your back? Well they couldn’t have picked a better stage set up because that’s pretty much what the scene felt like. So surreal and intense and exciting that couldn’t quite keep your wits about you.

Probably one of the most lively and entertaining acts of the evening was Brazilian electro rock band CSS. They played on the Live Stage and gathered a very respectable sized crowd. The lead singer, Love Foxxx (a.k.a. Luisa Matsushita) was like a little Jack –in – the – Box. Once she got wound up and ready to perform she was unpredictable and exciting. She even jumped the stage barrier twice to mingle and interact with the crowd. And that was before she tore off her pants! The metallic gold confetti stars that she threw out during the performance were also an additional source of crowd excitement.

Erasure took the main stage at about 7:30 and even though lead singer Andy Bell was full of energy and gave a good performance they did not have the crowd size I would have expected for such music icons. After all, the synth pop veterans that are known by their individual names of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke helped pave the way for a lot of musicians of the same genre. It was actually a little disheartening to see the lack of a huge crowd, especially since their music is still played in clubs and always gets a crowd going. Erasure played those crowd favorites, such as “A Little Respect”, “Chains of Love”, “Oh L’Amour” and “Who Needs Love Like That”. Hats off to you Erasure for the mark you have made on the electronic music scene that so many people love!

Duran Duran's Simon LeBon sings Friday. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Erasure’s set was followed up by the amazing, the flawless, Duran Duran. I have never heard them perform live before but I have to tell you they sounded just as good as they do on studio recordings. Simon Le Bon’s voice, with all its range and tones, was more than pleasing to the ear. Even if you were not a Duran fan you would have no doubt taken note of the fact that they have a stellar ‘live’ sound and stage performance and probably would from that moment on become a fan. They were just THAT good. Their set list included the classics “A View To a Kill”, “Notorious”, “Hungry Like the Wolf”, “Ordinary World”, “Girls on Film” and “Wild Boys”. They also had a new album release March 22 and played the title track “All You Need is Now” and “Girl Panic!” among others. You absolutely could not deny the adoration that exists for Duran Duran, legends in every sense of the words.

BT gave a very intimate, pulsating and jammed packed performance on the UMF Radio Stage while relative new comer Trentmoller gave the fans at the Live Stage a new and unique sound to dance and rave to.

The night finished up with Tiesto and his massive stage sparklers tantalizing the jam-packed crowd. To be honest, while Tiesto certainly has earned his way into the electronic music history books, one has to consider if he has gotten too big for his britches. I think maybe the hype has gotten to his and his handlers’ heads. There was not very much courtesy for the ‘general’ media and the Miami Beach Police Department, while although their presence was greatly appreciated, came across more as unnecessary media wranglers rather than a security force. The general consensus with the media that was under ‘Tiesto Control’ was that it was uncalled for and unappreciative of the outlets that do so much to spread the word about worthy artists. We just weren’t feeling the love.

All in all, it was a great first day of Ultra Music Festival and Saturday promises to be even better.