As most festivals go, Sonic Bloom is on its own level. Though it included the basics like camping and great local music, it offered so much more visually, spiritually, and mentally. Staying smaller, it sold out at only 2,500 tickets which kept it extremely homey and special. We were lucky enough to snag an amazing camping spot by the creek which ran through the festival grounds. This brought people to our campsite all weekend long.
The opening ceremonies called for a family gathering where everyone present held hands, welcomed the summer solstice, and celebrated another successful gathering. Throughout the weekend it became clear that this really was a family reunion. Most of the attendees had been there at least once before, if not every year for the past nine years. Another thing that became clear throughout was that even though the weekend was about music, it was just as much about the body’s experience as a whole.
From the bands, to the dancers, to the live painters, to the props all around – everything was set up perfectly to give each person there a taste of their favorite visuals and sensations. Each individual set included heart stopping visuals that each artist customized to their music and repertoire. There was a meditation area with soundproof headphones that people could go to whenever they pleased, a huge vibrating tetrahedron that played into every single one of your senses. Simply put, everything at Sonic Bloom was meant to stimulate your mind and body in every way possible.
The schedule was set up perfectly, an build-up feel on Thursday night, crazy up-tempo vibe Friday, mellowed out groove Saturday night, and wind-down music on Sunday night.
DYNOHUNTER
These guys had everyone dancing within 30 seconds of their start. The soulful sax was an amazing addition to the shattering bass.
This was the show stealer that evening. I’m sure it helped that everyone was so excited to be there, but the vibe in that crowd was incredible. His dj set was flawless from start to finish and he received an huge ovation at the end.
ESKMO
This set was so versatile. It was a great start to an amazing evening and he definitely got the crowd going.
PAPADOSIO
It’s hard to classify these guys, but I’d call them an electronic rock band. This quintet caught everyones attention and got the night really started.
ANA SIA
Now this girl can get down. Her set was as rowdy as it gets. She had the crowd going crazy and tried teaching us a dance she calls “The Wobble”. It didn’t look like much of a success from where I was standing, but everyone had fun doing it anyway and it was utterly hilarious to watch.
PANTyRAiD
These guys came on stage even before their set started and you could already tell that something memorable was about to happen. If I could describe the set in one word it would be shit-show (but a really fun one at that). As they started playing, the energy in the crowd grew immensely. Everyone was dancing, off-stage and on. There were balls flying around the crowd, bottles being passed around on stage from Ana Sia, to Ooah, to MartyParty, and everyone else up there. The set had a few glitches as the sound went in and out a few times, but the dynamic duo made for a really memorable experience that was hard to wind down from.
MINNESOTA
This dude played one of the best sets I’ve ever seen from him. There were lasers, projected graphics on the ceiling, and teeth shattering bass. It became clear that everyone that was playing there was not only there to perform, but to party as well. This made for a really cool atmosphere that reached from dj to everyone listening.
Zilla
The supergroup combined of Vibesquad, Michael Travis (the drummer from the String Cheese Incident), and Jamie Janover (who ran this whole festival) blew my mind. I love the feel of a great improvised show, and these guys could not have pulled it off any better. It’s beautiful to hear a group play off of the crowds energy.
EMANCIPATOR
His visuals were immensely stunning and the sounds of violin were beautiful. He exceeded my expectations in every way and kept the crowd dancing into the early hours.
TIPPER
Tipper premiered a new set design composed of an amazingly detailed pyramid structure that had some crazy projection mapping on it. It was mind blowing.
MICHAL MENERT
Compared to the mellowed out sounds on the main stage, this guy was a complete 180. He threw down so hard that as he was finishing up, his fans started yelling out their favorite songs (which he ended up playing for them).
GRIZ
This dude came out with such an incredible and memorable opening that had bass faces coming out all over the crowd within seconds. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
HUMAN AGENCY
With their glitchy twist on jam music, I was completely blown away. They even have all of their music available for download for free.
SUNSQUABI
This Boulder, CO based jam band is going to blow up any minute now. While most people were packing to leave for the weekend, these guys drew a crowd that rivaled the headliners.
PROJECT ASPECT
I didn’t realize until the last minute that this guy was the resident dj all weekend. He played in between all the main stage sets and always had a crowd in front of him. This guy killed it all weekend long.
I loved absolutely everything about this festival. It was truly stimulating in every aspect possible and beautiful to see how the music there played almost a background role to everything else. You could hear music from either stage throughout the camping grounds, so you were never missing out on a single sound – Even if you were doing something else at that particular time.
If you’re looking for a festival with a more accessible “Burning Man-esque” vibe, this one is definitely the right one for you. I can’t wait to see what Sonic Bloom has in store next year!
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