Photo Compliments of CRSSD

CRSSD Festival

CRSSD Festival in San Diego was the perfect embodiment of what the electronic dance music connoisseur expects out of the scene. There was just so much right going on here. The venue was incredible, the vibe was amazing, and the music was amazing. When you think San Diego, this is what you would imagine (even if you've never been there). The food options were great, the drinks were great, and the atmosphere was top notch. Let me run you by the scene I experienced. Also, if you want to see what the venue looks like check the video below!

The Music

Oh man, the music at CRSSD festival was all over the place in the best of ways. I love festivals where I can just roam around the grounds and have no idea the name of the artist I am watching. A place to just enjoy purely what was coming out of the speakers. The Palms was without a doubt my favorite stage for that reason. I just wandered in and had a great time. A lot of groovy vibes going on there. On day one I spent a lot of time there just experiencing some very good and strategically placed house music.

Day one I was just wandering around and ran into Lee Foss's set. I was not disappointed. I came in at the right time and heard some absolute banger (NOT THAT KIND OF BANGER) that shook me to my core. This took the crowd from observers to being energized by the build. it was an amazing sight to see. I spent a lot of time people watching and eventually became situated into Gesaffelsetin after ending my nomadic tendencies. It seems like 75% of the festival came out for this (when did he become so mainstream?) and he did not disappoint. Hard, dark techno was observed and the entire crowd was so excited. Day one then closed out in the most beautiful fashion. Odesza and the rain set the mood and ambiance as a perfect San Diego day was coming to a close. Imagine looking out into the palm trees with a light rain gracing your skin as “Say My Name” plays. Beautiful. The video below shows how beautiful this scene was!

Day two was cut short for me as I had to begin my first day at a new Job the next day. However, Hi-Lo (otherwise known as Oliver Heldens) got the crowd going into the most typical festival like energy the entire weekend had. It was very fun and still had a little more dancing to the crowd as opposed to jumping. Tycho holds a special place in my heart (I met my girlfriend at a Tycho concert) and it was everything I ever expected. Great vibes and great instrumental flow as the sun sets. It was amazing and set a tone for what I think this summer is going to look like and if you want to see that tone check that video below! (I KNOW THIS IS J.PHLIP AND ARDALAN B2B but I just wanted to show you how cool this was!)

The People

When you think San Diego, you think of laid-back, go with the flow people. CRSSD was not the music festival for people who were there to get out of their minds. Instead, CRSSD was exactly the place for people to escape reality for a few days and engage in some social activities. CRSSD is what I consider to be one of the truest forms of a “stay-cation” I have ever experienced. It provided a relaxing fun environment for people to unwind and just enjoy some music by artists that are pretty serious about their craft.

While roaming around the grounds of Waterfront park, I realized that there was just so much to be shared with everyone around me enjoying the music. Casual conversation about anything and everything could be done without any sort of external worry about what was going on around. It was a place where it was easy to be social, and to enjoy the music when it was called to attention by the DJ. Exactly what I look for. From conversations about where Ryan Hemsworth is from (he's from Canada), to strangers hugging me because I gave them a pack of gum, it was just a pleasant experience that I could easily be in good spirits about.

The Conclusion

CRSSD Festival is the chillest festival in the United States. Let me tell you why. San Diego has a special trait. People don't rage in San Diego. They enjoy things as they should be enjoyed. People danced, people engaged in conversation, and people were there for the music. The rest of the country should take note. If dance music festivals continued in this fashion, the entire industry would gain a lot more credibility. Cheers CRSSD Festival you did an incredible time and I will certainly be returning and perpetuating the vibe you are putting out.