There is something special about a festival on the verge. It is something that hasn’t yet been spoiled by big crowds, long lines, or corporate greed. A festival that is affordable, with great acts, and lots of space. With staff and crew that take the time to enjoy their favorite artists, while still making the whole thing go. Where everybody, including the police officers, are just happy to be there. It feels like everyone is in on a big secret.

The third annual Same Same But Different Festival went off without a hitch. The headliners included CloZee, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Big Gigantic, and Boombox. The essence was very bass heavy, with complements of live instruments including clarinets, mandolins, and saxophones. This really adds spice and life to the performances. There were harmonicas, trumpets, and violins all set to the sound of throbbing low frequencies.

Paradise

The festival setting was an ideal location on a desert lake in Southern California. Lake Perris has beaches interspersed with trees, and campsites allowable all the way up to the waterfront. Large mountains of crumbling stone rise up across the blue shores. It is easily one of the most beautiful locations imaginable for a venue to camp and dance. And because the festival is on the smaller side (less than four thousand people), there was always room to breathe.

This festival has been praised by its attendees as “niche” and “vibey”. And because it has been run so well the last three years, it has caught the attention of some of the larger festival purveyors, and vendors who want to make it bigger (and hopefully better.) There is this treasured “gem” feeling that the festival hopes to keep as it expands.

Logistics

Getting in to the venue was easy enough. There is a main access road via Lake Perris State Park that allows festival goers to park in ‘upfront’ or ‘slightly remote’ Parking. The slightly remote meant you had to walk about a quarter mile along a lake path to get to the main area. Although the temperatures were hot, you were allowed to bring a wagon, and the festival also provided shuttles if you didn’t feel like carrying your belongings. 

Same Same But Different had four stages. The large main ‘Same’ stage ran parallel to the beach complete with a state of the art lighting and sound system, as well as a school bus that was converted into a giant rave tree that you could climb up and enjoy the show from. The second ‘Different’ stage was a little smaller and had alternating acts while the main stage would reset for its next headliner. There was also a ‘But Jungle’ stage which held surf rock, reggae, and jam styles for those seeking a break from the electro. And let’s not forget the ‘Coconut Club’ stage which ran right down to the water. This stage was great for late nights, as well as the middle of the day when the ‘Floatopia’ went down. 

Float on

If this festival had a signature, it would be the Floatopia. Some four thousand festival attendees splashed and danced away on structures and personal floats in the water. It was a mob zoo of giant peacock floaties, brightly colored inner tubes, and massive disco ball rafts. Up on the beach, people were dancing with crew members hosing them down like hot horses. All in an effort to keep cool as the temperatures climbed above 100 degrees during the day. Sunscreen, sheer clothing, and water were the name of the game. Clothing optional beyond this point. 

Hydration stations were strategically placed at high traffic points all over the park grounds to ensure safety. The med tent only had one reported hospitalization from what appeared to be heat exhaustion. She has been found to be stable and is back with her boyfriend. Some of the local park police and lifeguards had found that some people drifted too far from the beaches and some even fell asleep on their floats in the middle of the day. As a precaution, the festival made the decision to suspend swimming after dark. Makes sense. 

When the sun went down, the temperatures settled to an ideal 70 degrees. This allowed for a wide range of flashing festival styles, and made for a cooler atmosphere to boogie down. Artists crawled out of the woodwork, with painters holding space in the pits, fire dancers working the edges of the crowds, and photographers snapping candids of the dancers.

You Got Options

There were ample food and shopping options to sample between sets. From fruit smoothies, to poke bowls, to artisanal pizza. One could even buy things like ice, chapstick, and other essentials from the general store at the park. 

Same Same But Different also featured a variety of wellness talks and spiritual classes as well. There was yoga, acro-yoga, Ayurveda, sound baths, and discussions and open forums on women’s empowerment, sacred geometry, and many other topics. 

The festival also had a ‘shakedown’ with vendors purveying all sorts of styles from leathers to feathers to sweaters. This particular author got a sheer kimono robe in snow leopard print to wear with some blue nebula jammers.

As with any good festival, eventually Sunday does arrive. And packing up the final morning was bittersweet. Sharing breakfast with the tent neighbors, giving hugs to the support staff, and taking that last dip in the desert lake that kept us cool all weekend. 

EDMTunes and this author would like to take a moment to thank everyone involved in making a great weekend. It was a pleasure to be a part of it, and hope to see more of you there next year!

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The lineup that Live Nation put together for this event is definitely impressive. With tons of other diverse festivals occurring on Memorial Day weekend, EOTR managed to curate a solid set of performances. With GRiZ,  Santigold, STS9, Run DMT, and Lil Uzi Vert on the list, there’s something for almost everyone.

Check out the full lineup on the event poster below! Tickets for End of the Rainbow go on sale Friday February 15th. If you’re one of those people who knows this is the festival for you, grab your tickets early! The Gorge is an amazing venue and with this lineup the tickets won’t last long! We’ll see you on the dance floor!

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Pretty Lights Announces Two-Day Festival at the Gorge

Pretty Lights announced the first installment of his own festival tour of the year at the epic Gorge Amphitheater. The two-day Season 2 Premiere is set to blow minds on August 4 and 5. It is truly an astonishing feat for any artist to play at this venue and people have been going crazy over the announcement video.

Derek Vincent Smith, the creative mind behind one of the most beloved names in electronic music, put together an incredible lineup for this major milestone. He’ll be joined by Lettuce, STS9, Tipper and other artists that are currently killing the game. See the full lineup below.

Fan pre-sale tickets go one sale April 3 at 12 p.m. PST, and general sale will be available on April 6 at 10 a.m. PST. Camping passes will also be available the same day and time as the general sale. Sign up for exclusive pre-sale tickets here.

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There’s no doubt that Sonic Bloom has put a smile on our face with past lineups including Tipper, The OPIUO Band, STS9 and Michal Menert Big Band. Artists see eye-to-eye at this festival, and it’s a magical place to collaborate with other artists or share a side project with the good people of Colorado. The new super group of Big Gigantic, The String Cheese Incident and The Disco Biscuits, or Gigantic Cheese Biscuits, will debut as the headliner of the festival this year.

The first time Big Gigantic and String Cheese, or Big Gigantic Incident, played a full set together was during Cheese’s New Year’s Eve run this past month. This is another push to get electronic music listeners to listen to more jam bands. The idea is interesting and it’s always good to take on difficult projects like this one. Fans on Reddit are taking this opportunity to look at other festivals that can take the same jump like Electric Forest. There’s some concern that the project looks amazing on paper and it’s not going to live up to the hype. The only way to know for sure is to check it out for yourself.

View the whole lineup below and tell us what you think about this new project!

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Camp Bisco’s Founding group The Disco Biscuits will play six sets across the three days, while day one will also feature previously mentioned Big Grizmatik & Lotus, along with live electronic acts Gryffin and Hermitude, as well as NGHTMRE, Slander, Snails, Prince Fox and two sets from Space Jesus. With their recently announced upcoming tour, look for NGHTMRE & Slander to have some surprises for the Bisco faithful. Day two packs an equally strong punch with Odesza joining the party, along with an individual set from GRiZ, and appearances by Anna Lunoe, Jai Wolf, Mija, Troyboi and Big Wild. Last but certainly not least, the third day is highlighted by the veteran group of RL Grime, STS9, Zeds Dead, and Destructo, along with Keys N Krates, Marshmello, Rezz, Jerry Folk, Sunsquabi and Unlike Pluto.

Set within an active waterpark at Montage Mountain, Camp Bisco will have three jam packed days of music and activities across three stages. If you want to really make the most of your “summer camp” experience, you can even participate in Camp Bisco Color War during the day on Friday. You can view the daily lineup below, and make sure to download the mobile app to see the set times, create your schedule and get all the information you’ll need for a great experience at Camp Bisco.

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Just like the city it was born in, Euphoria Fest has been rapidly growing in the last five years. To celebrate the landmark anniversary, they have added special guests Eric Prydz and Cherub alongside many others, to an already incredibly rich pool of talent.

Each year Euphoria shows signs of immense growth, and their special fifth year celebration is no exception. Expanding from 2 days to now 4 days of music and camping, Euphoria will  accommodate a roster of talent that includes Bassnectar, Above & Beyond, STS9, Dillon Francis, Tycho, Luca Lush, Lettuce, Com Truise, and many, many more. I would rattle off the entire lineup if I were to list all the highlights. New this year, Euphoria will open the gates of Carson Creek Ranch one day early, Thursday night, for a New Moon Pre-Party celebration with The Polish Ambassador. This intimate show will be exclusive to all four-day campers and will be the sweet tease to a sure to be incredible weekend.

Tickets are still available online here for $139 plus fees, while camping options start at $199. A small festival letting its lineup speak for itself, Euphoria has made its final lineup reveal and tickets are bound to go quick. Join the Euphoria family in Austin, Texas April 7th through 10th!

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Celebrating its grand 5th anniversary in 2016, Euphoria Music Festival will be throwing one hell of a party next spring in Austin, Texas with an incredibly diverse and talented trio of headliners: Bassnectar, Dillon Francis, and STS9. The four-day camping and music festival takes place on April 7 – 10 at Carson Creek Ranch, and beautifully embraces Austin’s eclectic and passionate culture for music.

From future producers like Wave Racer and SNBRN to the always funky Griz, and from Houston rapper Juicy J to the incredibly stunning ambient band Tycho, Euphoria’s initial lineup touches on every facet of electronic music while supporting both world-renown and local artists. Whether you fancy yourself a jam band lover or a trap queen, don’t let the vast variety of Branchez, Goldfish, Jai Wolf, and The Motet overwhelm you, because the one thing all the artists have in common is they are incredibly talented musicians, not matter what genre. As this is the first of two lineup announcements, Euphoria is certainly letting our imaginations go wild at the possible artists to join this already stellar group. And what more convincing do you need when pre-sale tickets are still available?

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Being just three weeks after my absolutely magical Electric Forest experience, Camp Bisco had a lot to live up to. On a less personal level, Camp Bisco also had to match the expectations of fans who patiently endured the festival’s one year hiatus. Previously located at the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, Bisco consistently fell under scrutiny for a variety of safety concerns that included a 2012 lawsuit. After taking a one year break, the festival relocated and rebranded, moving to Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Montage Mountain. The locale turned out to be an excellent choice, playing the perfect host for a surreal weekend.

Originally set to begin on Thursday the 16th, Bisco treated its early arrivers to live music the day before. From 6 pm on, Wednesday featured DJ sets from artists like Adam Deitch and Diversa on the the deck of the Disco Lodge. Although I was unable to arrive at Bisco until Thursday night, this was a pleasant surprise for all in attendance that demonstrated the thoughtful planning of the festival. It kicked off the weekend in proper fashion, allowing for an immediate immersion into the madness that would soon commence.

This “madness” came a lot sooner than anticipated, with a dramatic disturbance occurring during just the third set on Thursday. The electronic-rock fusion band Zoogma was playing at 6 pm when a crazed fan was seemingly unhappy with their performance. Taking matters into his own hands, he leapt onto the stage and treated the band’s equipment the way the Kool Aid Man treats walls. Although he broke band member Ryan Nall’s toe and several pieces of equipment, Zoogma gracefully went on with the remainder of their set. This was one of several incidents during the course of the weekend that reminded us why Bisco was so controversial in the first place. I personally witnessed 2 (very brief) chases between attendees and security, as well as a handful of scary scenes involving medical intervention. Still, it seemed as if the Bisco staff commendably responded immediately and appropriately to whatever situations arose.

While some dedicated Bisco attendees may have bemoaned the break from tradition in the venue change, Montage Mountain had a staggering amount to offer. With the constant raging that took place at Camp Bisco, relaxing distractions were an absolute necessity. Luckily, Montage Mountain had them all, offering scenic ski lift rides, ziplining, volleyball and waterslides. The place even had a lazy river, which is essentially the epitome of relaxation. The ability to recover from Bisco’s insanity with multiple laps in a lazy river was unique yet felt absolutely necessary. It was also incredibly cool for me to ride the ski lift and get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful mountain while hearing the smooth sounds of Exmag.

The layout of the stages was very well designed, with each offering their own distinctive perks. Electric City was the mainstage, taking place in a sprawling tent with an impressive sound system. During the day, the stage was ideal as it was shaded and offered an endless selection of seats. While this was perfect for chilling at a midday set, it was rather chaotic at night when someone like Bassnectar played. There was only a small open area up front for VIP, with everyone else forced back into the seated section. Regardless, this was overshadowed by everything else the stages had to offer. Above the Waves had two prime chilling spots, as it featured both a wave pool and a large hill with an excellent view. Steamtown was an intimate stage with superb visuals that offered an escape from the rest of the festival. Disco Lodge was indoors, with some much needed air conditioning and food options.

Of course, there were also some downsides to the choice of venue. Montage Mountain was indeed a mountain, with daunting treks up the hill for late arrivers looking to set up camp. The inescapable slope in the campsite made for an uncomfortable sleeping arrangement, with some needing to fight the force of gravity just to get some rest. The limited size of the campsite also restricted the opportunity to camp next to one’s car, which made for some inconvenient lugging of tents and coolers. Those who didn’t purchase a parking pass had to park off-site, with shuttles running to and from the lot. While one lot was close-by and ran these fairly often, the other was about 20 minutes away and ran them very infrequently. Although these issues inconvenienced many campers, the venue’s pros vastly outweighed the cons, especially when considering that it was just the first year there.

While the venue was nice, the music is what truly made Camp Bisco so impressive. The festival featured an extremely diverse lineup with a special emphasis on heavy bass, funk and bands with electronic fused elements. The electronic-rock fusion bands kicked off the festival with STS9 performing right before The Disco Biscuits played their first set of their festival. Pretty Lights then delivered a magical cap to Thursday, dropping a fun and funky set that delighted the crowd by going 30 minutes past schedule. Just like every night, the party continued until 4 am in the Disco Lodge with Freddy Todd throwing down.

Friday featured a more cutting edge lineup with up and coming artists who played up and coming genres. Louis Futon showcased his unique future bass style, followed by Justin Jay’s groovy tech set. From Justin Jay on I was unable to leave Steamtown, as I gleefully took in standout sets from artists like Sweater Beats and Lido. While Mr. Carmack played a phenomenal set, it was unfortunately interrupted when the sound system gave out. He recovered nicely yet the vibe was undeniably broken by the incident. When Trippy Turtle later closed out the stage, he expressed his frustration at what happened and called out Mr. Carmack for a rare b2b set. The two absolutely killed it, closing out Saturday in the best way imaginable.

Then came the day everyone had been waiting for, as Saturday would be headlined by the Bass God himself. With artists like Trollphace and Ape Drums throwing down some heavy bass earlier in the day, the tone was set from the get go. Then out of nowhere, Camp Bisco was blindsided by seemingly disastrous news. There was a tornado warning in the area, and everyone scrambled inside to seek shelter from the downpour. Last year’s Hudson Project attendees began having brutal flashbacks of when weather got the third day of that festival cancelled, leaving them with permanent trust issues and blue balls for Bassnectar (and Tipper). Of course, not even bad weather could get Camp Bisco down, as fans could be seen jamming out inside to timeless classics like Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and Knife Party’s ‘Centipede.’ Then the brief moment of panic came to a merciful end, as a majestic Double Rainbow appeared in the sky. Yes, a real double rainbow ALL THE WAY. The Bass Gods themselves had sent it, clearing the skies in dramatic fashion for the epic performances that would ensue.

Having just been to Electric Forest, I was fresh off a mind-blowing performance from Lorin Ashton. He had catered his set perfectly to the Forest, starting it off slow and melodic and gradually building the vibe by taking his fans on a journey. Bassnectar is a master at specially crafting his sets to fit the atmosphere of the venue. He did just that at Camp Bisco as well, delivering an absolutely wild set with non-stop bangers and a ridiculous amount of energy. Just as at Electric Forest, Bassnectar delivered my favorite set of the weekend.

Jauz followed up Bassnectar in admirable fashion, delivering a fun and lively set where he showcased a lot of his new material. After him came Tipper, a set I was eagerly anticipating as I never had the privilege to see the brilliant Dave Tipper. He did not disappoint, as his uptempo set blew me away for its unparalleled musicality and jaw dropping visuals from the talented Johnathan Singer. This was the perfect close to the festival, as Tipper’s unique style was a logical fit for this stellar lineup.

All in all, it is safe to say that Camp Bisco redeemed itself for its one year hiatus. It gave its fans an incredible weekend of good vibes and even better music. We can now only countdown until the reunion at Montage Mountain in 2016.

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Get ready for some serious fire y’all, because the Buku Music + Art Project has finalized its lineup and ready to set New Orleans ablaze next month. Last year was a pretty hot lineup but this year something else. Additions to lineup include RL Grime (who killed it in a B2B with Baauer last year), Claude von Stroke, XXYYXX, BadBadNotGood, Slander. On stop of all the electronic goodness above, you’ve got STS9, A$AP Rocky, Passion Pit, Big Freedia, and Portugal the Man.

Now imagine all these artists throwing down your favorite tunes. You know they’re going to put up some performances of a lifetime, but it gets better. Imagine these performances nestled in between an abandoned power plant and the Mississippi River, or in an in-use Mardis Gras warehouse, or in a cozy alley-style shotgun stage with the stunning Crescent City Connection Bridge in the back. Keep those eyes closed, because there’s more; you’ll be amongst some of America’s funkiest music folks, taken care of with the best in Southern Hospitality, fed delicious Cajun cuisine and good ol’ Nola gumbo. Buku has a total package that not many festivals can boast. Not to mention “Buku Late” events after the festival.

You can check up on the lineup below, and brush up on all things Buku at their site, where you can purchase tickets, travel packages and VIP passes.

In case you want to know more about the event, be sure to read up on our coverage from last year or check out their Facebook page for a constant feed of goodies.

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Having teased a headline performance from Pretty Lights early on this month, Euphoria Fest hailing in Austin, Texas announced a large chunk of their lineup to show on the weekend of April 10. Featuring local Austin, “electro-dance soul rock” group Ghostland Observatory alongside the infamous light show wizard Derek Vincent Smith, Euphoria Fest is a boutique music festival with no restrictive ties to any major music corporations, just spreading the vibes of good music, good fun, and good community.

Not called the “Live Music Capital of the World” for nothing, Austin’s free-spirited nature is imbued in the festival, showcasing a diverse array of artists including melodic dubstep group Adventure Club to jam bands and trap fusion duo Kill Them With Colour. Euphoria may not have been on your radar alongside the usual festival behemoths like Ultra, EDC, and TomorrowWorld, but if you’re looking for a more chill and intimate experience, this may be your perfect option. Three-day passes start at $119 with an optional add-on for camping, and you can score them here today.

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