Scottsdale’s Got It Going On In The Southwest

When you think of Arizona you may think of horses, cowboys and the Wild West. But there are cities in this sunny state that would make you feel like you’re in a mini Los Angeles, particularly the city of Scottsdale. Whether you’re visiting this little gem in the desert or you’re a native who already knows what this trendy, upscale and plastic surgery latent-city has to offer, you may not know about these five hot spots that know how to cater to the EDM crowd. Go ahead and take a break from hiking our vast mountainous trails, stop staring at our cotton candy sunsets, put down your credit card after shopping at our luxurious Fashion Square mall, and try to stop obsessing over our 80 degree year-round weather—summer weather omitted. Instead, get in the mix of Scottsdale’s wild, wild west—EDM-style.

(Photo by Frank Kehren, featured image by Cobalt123 via Flickr)

Possibly one of the most poppin’ and newer clubs in Old Town Scottsdale at the moment, DJs such as David Guetta, Above & Beyond, Audien, Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim and Kaskade have laid out their beats at Maya Day & Nightclub, as have Tiësto, Nervo, 3LAU and Ferry Corsten. This venue has had its fair share of popular DJs and it’s only getting better. It doesn’t have to be after dark for this place to get started. Weekends are full of daytime partiers who take advantage of the vast blue pool surrounded by crisp, white and sleek décor. Have yourself a Maya “Sunday Phunday” and start the mimosas at 11 a.m.—just in time to catch the guest DJ that day. Not a daytime rager? No problem. Get involved with the night scene filled with DJs, dark lighting and very loud music.

Yet another pool bar, El Santo is a little north of all the mix in Old Town, but it still brings the crowds. This spot, too, has an impressive DJ attendance. From Paul Oakenfold to Fedde Le Grand, the DJs are getting more frequent and more impressive. With a different type of décor than Maya, it has more of a cantina bar in Mexico feel than sleek and modern. Not only do they cater to the EDM crowd with popular DJs, but they also have different bands of different genres that play there, as well. The great thing is that there’s a night for everyone to enjoy at El Santo.

Are you sensing a theme here? Because it’s hotter than not in Arizona, much of the EDM scene is catered around pool parties because who doesn’t like to have a cold cocktail in hand while jamming out to an awesome electro DJ? The Talking Stick Resort just hosted Wet Electric, which included DJs like The Chain Smokers, Morgan Page, Thomas Gold, Manufactured Superstars and Dean Mason. Every weekend they host pool parties where they have a DJ play EDM or remixes with an EDM touch. It’s still catching on to the scene ,but doing a great job as of far.