Festival Review
Lost Lands 2022 Inspired a Sense of Adventure—And the Future Is Brighter Than Ever
While walking around Lost Lands and hearing from the festival’s ravers, one thing was loud and clear: it has become unrecognizable in the best way. New and improved Lost Lands festival grounds It was astounding to see what Lost Lands’ organizers have done with the festival grounds year after year. As someone who attended the first three years of Lost Lands and has not been back since the onset of COVID-19, the event was nearly unrecognizable. It was immediately made apparent from the moment you step off the street and walk to the entrance gate. Before officially entering the grounds, attendees walk through a corridor speckled with life-sized dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs you can climb into, flowing waterfalls, volcanos that light up at night and more. It all served as an interactive...
CRSSD Closed Out Summer With a Bang In 2022
As festival season draws to a close, techno and house music fans across Southern California united in sunny San Diego last weekend for the fall edition of CRSSD Festival. Since its inception in 2015, CRSSD has treated music fans to three stages packed with top-flight house, techno and electronica artists over a two-day period. This September’s iteration was no different under the technicolor sunsets of Waterfront Park, which offered thumping bass and incredible musical performances. Each of CRSSD’s three stages has a distinct style, providing something for everyone in the electronic music community. Palms, the first stage you encounter upon entering the festival, highlights primarily house artists who keep you dancing all day long. On Saturday, Wax Motif had fans grooving to a gritty...
Look Inside Meow Wolf’s 2022 Vortex Festival, a Surrealist Escape In Denver
Different city, same Meow Wolf. Teeming rain in Denver couldn’t stop the brand’s flagship music festival, Vortex, from making a statement in 2022. Moving the fest from New Mexico to the Mile High City for the first time, Meow Wolf proved their prestige is immutable. Vortex made a splash over the weekend at The Junkyard, a new open-air venue promising immersive live music experiences in Denver. Attendees of the event found themselves in an adult playground where—at any turn—Alice in Wonderland syndrome could’ve set in. Revered for conceptualizing experiential activations that distort reality, Meow Wolf enthralled and titillated at The Junkyard. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more vibrant community. Attendees of Meow Wolf’s Vortex festival pose f...
Look Inside Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge, Insomniac’s Dazzling Festival in the Pacific Northwest
Following delays, weather speculation, and uncertainty from Gorge veterans, Insomniac Events hosted an unforgettable two-day experience at their inaugural Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge. Pacific Northwest music festival-goers took a huge blow following the downfall of USC Events. Many wondered if Paradiso was replaceable. Those worries have undoubtedly been wiped away after Insomniac has proven they’re capable of putting together something far more than comparable. Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge was immaculate in all facets. From a one-of-a-kind pre-party to REZZ’s mind-melting, festival-ending set at the Fractal Valley, the execution was excellent. PRE-PARTY DONE RIGHT Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge kicked off the weekend with a bang, inviting attendees into ...
Inside Electric Zoo’s “Supernatural” Return to Randall’s Island
It’s rare for a festival to call a venue home for over 12 years. But barring the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Electric Zoo has returned to Randall’s Island Park in New York every year since its first edition in 2009. It’s grown from a modest 66-person event to a sprawling, 100,000-person festival, earning the title of New York’s premier electronic music festival. As always, taking place on Labor Day Weekend, the festival underscores a transition from summer to fall. One last hurrah before the autumn leaves blossom and the summer sun makes way for cool winds and overcast skies. “This may be the end of summer but it is the beginning of our comeback to the greatest city in the world,” said Michael Julian, Chief of Marketing for Electric Zoo. Electric Zoo’s hurdles to the...
“Summer Camp Fields Forever”: Inside The 20th Edition of Summer Camp Music Festival
Summer Camp Music Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary last weekend at Chillicothe, Illinois’ Three Sisters Park. The Midwest electronic and jam gathering was initially postponed from 2020 to 2021, then later rescheduled its annual Memorial Day celebration to mid-August. Despite the high temperatures and relentless humidity, the festival saw its highest attendance to date, bringing 25,000 Scampers to get down to sets by GRiZ, Tipper, STS9, REZZ, The Floozies, CloZee, Emancipator, Boogie T and more throughout its four-day event. While some music festivals cater to a specific genre and community of fans, Summer Camp Music Festival understands there’s a big overlap between live music fans and genres of music. While the festival is centered in jamband roots and is hosted b...
Inside Bass Canyon 2021, Excision’s Triumphant Return to the Gorge
After a year-long wait, Excision was finally able to reunite bassheads at the Gorge Amphitheatre for the first time in over a year. Bass Canyon was the first electronic music festival back at the Gorge Amphitheatre, rekindling the flame that had been dwindling in the Pacific Northwest since the nationwide quarantine first began in March 2020. Fans, Excision, and his team were elated to return to the Gorge, where they curated their best iteration of the festival yet. Return to Form Although the festival opened with a messy camping situation, the entirety of Bass Canyon felt like a return to form for Excision, his team, and the Pacific Northwest electronic music scene as a whole. Excision’s brand new Evolution stage graced the Gorge for the first time, turning what was ...
“We Back, Baby”: Inside Day Trip, the First Post-Pandemic Music Festival in Southern California
Peppered with confusion, bewilderment, and apologies, the road to Day Trip was a windy one. But Insomniac delivered. Marking the return of music festivals in Southern California, the event was pure bliss—a stark contrast to the troubling week leading up to it. After an unprecedented two venue changes in the weeks prior to Day Trip, the fabled promoter pulled a rabbit out of its hat and hosted a radiant masterstroke of a music fest. Keiki-Lani Knudsen/Insomniac Events Venue switcheroo In the aftermath of the explosive EDC Las Vegas postponement debacle, all eyes were on Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella ahead of Day Trip. In late June Rotella moved the house music-focused fest from the LA Waterfront to The Lot at Hollywood Park to allow for a more spacious la...
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Relive Sunset Music Festival’s Dazzling 2021 Return [Recap + Gallery]
This past weekend Sunset Music Festival came back to life as the first normalized fest to return in Florida after the pandemic, an emotional billet-doux straight to the heart of fans. Based in the bustling cultural hub of Tampa, Florida, the two-day festival took place on May 29th and 30th, hosting 64,000 fans and 74 different artists from around the country. With the city quickly filling up with patrons for the festival, SMF kicked the weekend off with a sold-out pre-party. Hundreds and hundreds of music fans made their way to the venue in hopes of arriving early for free entry. Held at the historic The Ritz Ybor in Ybor City, the pre-party boasted a talented lineup of some of Florida’s local best artists. Dazy opened up the night with a riveting set, followed by Cel...
