24 hours just doesn't seem like enough at the brilliant Get Lost in Miami

Get Lost is the aptly-named 24-hour escapade and Damian Lazarus's well-appreciated contribution to the Miami hustle of party listings. It's 6:30AM and the unforgiving South Florida sun is beginning to crown. The party has already been kicking off for an hour and a half, and a line is growing by the minute around an unassuming warehouse space somewhere in Little Haiti.

In line are a mishmash of partygoers, some dressed in glittery kimonos catching the sparkle of sunlight, and others dressed in all black, down to the darkest, widest of sunglasses frames. But each have that same sly grin on their face as they receive their wristband for Get Lost and slide into a hallway that leads to what looks like a backyard, lined with palm trees and people shelling out freshly squeezed juices and cracking into coconuts.

Once in, the energy is electric. The thought of an entire city shutting their blackout curtains and getting to bed seems so far away when the magical trio known as the Wizardry (Damian Lazarus, DJ Tennis and DJ Three) have just begun to get flowing in a dark and hazy room. Usually, this mystical set is saved for a closing slot, but due to high demand, the three-piece decided to start off with Wizardry instead this year, and it's receiving a very warm welcome.

A couple Get Lost branded coconuts cracked and a few hours later, the event's second breezy, fabric Lemuria tent has opened up with the promising first strokes of the flamboyant Desert Hearts crew (Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds and Marbs). By the first mix-in, hundreds of people had flowed into the tent, eager to soak up the fresh morning air after a few hours already spent in a dark, pulsating warehouse with the Wizardry. Hands are churning invisible circles in the air and Mikey Lion's brilliant emerald feather, which sticks straight up from his top hat, is swaying in the air to a scintillating new ID from Rinzen, Evan Casey and Marbs.

As morning begins to creep into afternoon, the crowd only grows. Certain sets, like Danny Tenaglia's record bag dive and Doc Martin's opening set for the outdoor Garden of Eden stage, easily live up to their reputations as each hour welcomes a new wave of fresher-faced partiers.

Get Lost had more than a few "surprise guests" listed on its initial line-up announcement, and each seemed to be bigger than the last. Artists like Black Coffee, Maceo Plex and Dubfire - each names that'd easily have lines out the door for their individual parties across Miami's party scene this week - stopped by, delivering devastatingly soulful sets, charming their way through the sunset hour and back into the evening. Jamie Jones, who stepped up to the decks as the final surprise guest of the evening, marked yet another standout moment across Get Lost with a play of his remix of Teddy Pendergrass' 'Life Is A Song Worth Singing'.

Towards the tail end of Get Lost, the man of the hour - Damian Lazarus himself - took his place at the front of an outstretched crowd to a palpable excitement and anticipation. As the visionary behind the mysticism and expertly curated line-up of Get Lost, it's no surprise that Damian's brilliant and blissful fusion of house and techno anthems served as one of the final, perfect ingredients for the evening. Unabashed dancefloor dedicators rocked to the beats as geometric bamboo decor swayed in the breeze above them.

In the dark, sweaty warehouse room lit by nothing but a ruby red light, where the debauchery of Get Lost began, is also fittingly where it came to an end. The last set was handed to Dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke, who took the coveted slot opportunity to demonstrate the deeper, more underground side of his sound.

For the faint hearted, a 24-hour party might sound like eternity. But for the growing family of the Get Lost initiated, somehow 5AM to 5AM still doesn't seem like enough.

14 iterations in, and Damian Lazarus has certainly demonstrated his mastery in retaining the magic of Get Lost in all its details. In all the right ways, Get Lost absorbs its beauty from its family of freaks and the drama of its settings.

We'll catch you next year at sunrise, Get Lost. Until next time.

[Photos: Get Tiny and Here & Now Photography courtesy of Get Lost]

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