This isn’t my second rodeo… I woke from my slumber around 11:30 or so in the morning and climbed out of bed. Groggy and still getting my sea legs, it was time for some black coffee and breakfast. A proper brunch is always in order after a long night of music and dancing. I found a nice restaurant near my Airbnb and headed out for some food. After a big meal to refuel and two cups of black coffee, I retreated to my Airbnb to retrieve my things and get ready to head back out.
Meet me in the crowd
I immediately fell asleep and took an hour-long nap. Oh no, it was Wakaan all over again… Luckily, it was only a little past two when I awoke, and I still had plenty of time to catch most of the sets. Day two ventures started on the MainStage; moving at half speed, I needed the energy of the music to warm up. Sliding in the left side of the Balcony area of the Expo, Buckten was blasting through the speakers! Ahhh, just the surge of Bass I needed to get me going. Recently supporting Liquid Stranger on Day 2 of his mission ballroom run, this guy is making major waves in the bass scene at the moment.
Next on the lineup was Colorado Native Acyan, who recently released his Ghost Town EP through Wubaholics. This mountain man’s performance was incredible! Dressed in what appeared to be a Carhartt jumpsuit and sporting a luxurious beard flowing in the breeze, Acyan brought a heavy dose of Wubs and powerful bass to Your Mom’s House (Main stage). His set was dark and gritty, featuring raspy basslines that captivated the audience. Acyan’s performance was undoubtedly a delightful surprise on Saturday.
Rage at the 360 stage!
After Acyan wrapped up on the Main stage, I dashed off to the 360 Illusions stage to catch Green Matter! Recently concluding her Nature of Sound tour and supporting artists like Ravenscoon during his Glass Orchid tour, I just had to catch a glimpse of this Green Beauty and her whimsical wubs. Delivering a fantastic blend of Dubstep, with a touch of space bass and experimental bass, her performance was super cool. Her green hair flowed wildly in the wind as she bounced around during her set, her green Tripp pants jangling this way and that. Chasing her down in the golf cart, I managed to secure her last piece of Green Matter goodie bags after her set! Mission complete!
Majed’s festival debut was one that turned heads
Next on the 360 stage was Majed, the most anticipated performance of the afternoon. I think everyone wanted to see what this viral social media star had up his sleeve. With one of the biggest crowd turnouts for the 360 stage all weekend, Majed did not disappoint! He started off with a minor technical difficulty and a brief pause at the beginning of his set. It was every DJ’s worst nightmare, but let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait! Majed went TF off!!! His set was ten times harder than I could have ever imagined. I recall one time he got on the mic and said he was winging it; damn, I’d love to see what the fully prepared set was like if this is winging it! His drops were intense, and his song selection was unique, always keeping the listener on their toes! Despite what he said on the mic, he looked totally in his comfort zone and extremely locked in!
At one point in the set, he threw in Katy Perry’s – Last Friday Night, and the crowd roared with excitement. Then, out of nowhere, he spliced in Hail to the Thief by Avenged Sevenfold, and my inner hardcore kid surged with glee! For making his ILLFest debut, his set most definitely set the bar for up-and-coming artists making their festival debuts. I am very excited to see what the future holds for this rising star!
EDM’s It Girl
After Majed, I stayed at the 360 to glimpse EDM’s It Girl, Gardella! Man, did she go TF off as well! Keeping with Majed’s energy, Gardella’s set got down and dirty in the hot evening sun! Saturday was a bit more humid, so it was definitely a sweaty one. Her set was full of nothing but bangers; aware of her surroundings, there was plenty of southern flavor packed into her set, being in the heart of Texas and all. I think the biggest highlight for me was her bare feet; it gave her set a primal feel. Jumping this way and that, bare feet springing off the wooden stage, Gardella was a hot mess, as they say, but in the best way possible.
Side quest at Your Mom’s House
Scurrying off to complete a few side quests, I managed to make it back to Your Mom’s House (Main Stage) to catch the tail end of SoDown’s set. I was slightly bummed that I missed most of it, but I readjusted and got ready for Volpetron!!! Headbangers, get ready to break yo’ neck!!! Ray Volpe’s set was totally unhinged, one of the hardest Riddim sets of the entire weekend, in my opinion. I’ll run out of room if I list all the bangers he dropped during his set; one can only imagine the cataclysmic shift going down at the front of the rails right now.
One of the highlights of his set was “Song Request,” which celebrated its one-year anniversary in style. The crowd’s echoing chant of “Baa Da Daa, Baa Da Daa” before the massive drop and lasers kicked in was truly unforgettable. It was a mesmerizing experience. I felt incredibly lucky to enjoy his latest release, “Rewind,” featuring Sullivan King, which had just came out the day before. Words can’t adequately describe how extraordinary that moment was.
Everything’s Bigger in Texas
After Ray’s set ended I hauled ass to the Ill Pickles stage, to watch the end of fellow Dallas compadre BigXthaPlug. Maneuvering my way as close as I could to the front, his set was jam-packed. Adding a Hip-hop star to the line-up was an amazing decision, since Hip-Hop and bass music go hand in hand. I really hope to see more of this in future festivals. Meandering across the stage with his larger-than-life persona, he reminded me of a heavily tattooed Southern version of Biggie Smalls.
Closing out with the iconic single Texas was the icing on the cake! “B*tch I’m from Texas “ echoed the crowd back at the singer in true Texas fashion. After the song wrapped, I was off to the races to make it back to WOOLI, after all Chaos Theory just dropped yesterday, and I was not about to miss that! One could always expect bass of mammoth proportions during a WOOLI set. His closing performance was even more amazing than I had anticipated… etched in my brain for decades to come.
A headliner of Mammoth proportions
I recall being lost in the fact that I was witnessing the new Griz collab, a day after its release, that I didn’t even notice the bombardment of balloon-like snowflakes behind me. I just happened to be standing right at the aisle where they were coming down… Flooding the standing room, one after another, these blue and white snowflake-like structures were pouring into the coliseum. “What is happening?!?” I thought with the wonderment of a 7-year-old. In a sea of people, the balloons swayed to and fro; it was so freaking cool.
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Then out of nowhere, he played this Next Episode flip by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and the massive crowd screamed along before an encompassing drop hit us like a ton of bricks. WTF! These headlining sets are almost too much to bear. Dazed and confused by the amazingness I had just witnessed, I lumbered to my car in the warm night air, still trying to take it all in…