RENDRD Radar: How Bass Coast 2017 Blew Our Mind [PHOTOS]
Photos: David Fluharty (@david.flu)
The 9th annual “Outer Space Themed” Bass Coast Festival was another success on multiple fronts, further establishing itself as a top destination for festival goers in the Pacific Northwest. The location and design of the festival grounds along with the crowd and well-curated set of artists is what made this festival a unique experience.
There were five stages to choose from during the festival: The Brain, Cantina, Radio, Slay Bay, and the Main Stage. Although all stages had a different feel, music genres were constantly rotating to give each location a fresh feeling all weekend long.
The Main Stage was the largest, featuring a ten-meter long spaceship as a backdrop behind the performers. Slay Bay was a personal favorite, due to the combination of tapestries floating above the dance floor and projecting mapping on the DJ booth. The Brain featured workshops, talks, and sets to allow attendees a break from the dance floor. Stages aside, the festival grounds featured a river flowing through the middle that was perfect for cooling off in between sets or for recharging in order to prepare for the night.
The crowd itself was the main highlight of Bass Coast 2017. The festival was more intimate, so I found myself constantly bumping into new friends all weekend long, which can be hard to do at other larger-scale events. I found the crowd to be very open and mature, most of who had visited festivals previously and knew how to plan appropriately for a safe but rowdy weekend of partying. The Outer Space theme brought out some eccentric costumes, leaving something for everyone to connect with.
The lineup for Bass Coast didn’t boast very many huge headliners, but rather an eclectic mixture of electronic artists that were local, or have had a significant impact on the bass music scene. I found my favorite way to choose acts was to just float between the stages and pick what sounded right at the time.
Although you could find something from most genres playing during the weekend, the 808 kick reigned supreme for most sets. Some standouts were Alix Perez, Sabota, B.Traits, Joe Nice, The Librarian, Shades, and Smalltown DJs. The Librarian, one of the co-founders of the festival, stood out as the perfect sonic manifestation of Bass Coast Festival. If you’re on the fence about attending the festival next year, I’m sure Bass Coast 10 will have a couple new tricks up their sleeve for another wild ride.
Full gallery courtesy of RENDRD's David Fluharty HERE