It's like a scene out of a fairy tale – a beautiful eighty degree day while the sun shines down on you as the sound of funky house music bellowing in the background welcomes you to the first ever CRSSD Festival.
Planted directly underneath the shadows of bustling downtown San Diego right next to the bay is an idea come to life by the team at Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD. The two-day festival embarked on creating a, “festival, not a rave'” sense of direction to concert-goers as what is best described as, “a mini -Coachella on the water.” We were lucky enough to experience what festival-goers were calling, “the best festival they've ever attended.”
C: Kevin Serrano Photography
We've graded CRSSD Fest on all the important aspects of a festival. Check out our ratings below!
Location: A+
Right smack in the middle of sunny San Diego on the banks of a beautiful bay AND walking distance from downtown…need we say more? And dat sunset…
C: Kevin Serrano Photography
Cleanliness: A
Though there was an obvious assortment of trash scattered around for the most part (it's a music festival) the grass held up and people were good Samaritans and cleaned up after themselves. The porta potties were, well, porta potties but there were sinks and sanitizing stations that were easily accessible. I was able to walk out of the festival with minimal dirt caked on my shoes so that was a success in itself…
C: Skyler Greene Photography
People: A+
Attendees got creative with their attire as the crowd showed off fashion forward festival styles for the new year. A 21+ event surely made a difference as a more mature crowd came out to play. Everyone was dressed to the nines and looked like they walked straight out of a magazine.
Music: A-
Where to begin with this year's artists? An eclectic bunch of house legends that rocked the stages as a setting sun painted a beautiful background where Pete Tong and James Murphy showcased oldies and goodies. Live acts like Empire of the Sun put on an absolutely stunning performance closing out Saturday that included a beautiful visual display and performance that had the audience in awe. Forward thinking names such Jamie Jones B2B Seth Troxler, Giraffage, Odesza blew me away, I could go on and on but each performance was uniquely refreshing in it's on way. It would be nice to add on a tent addition to the festival as this kind of structure tends to trap sounds a bit like better, but the sound quality was still pretty solid.
C: Kevin Serrano Photography
Vibes: A++
I can't say enough good things about the feelings going around at CRSSD. Everyone who was there was happy to be there. There was easy access to craft beer and specialty cocktails that kept people buzzed all night. There were bean bags scattered around the venue so you could crash and recharge for a bit. A giant charging station that was rarely crowded directly in the middle of the venue. The food was great, and there was even a pizza stand! Everything was well thought out and organized so you didn't have to walk far or freak it if you lost your friends because there was actually cell phone service. Overall the festival exceeded expectations to another degree and we hope to see it again next year.
Thank you, CRSSD Fest for putting San Diego on the map.
