(Photo from Foreverland Facebook page)
Days in Foreverland were filled with champagne and cold beers, wading in the lake, daytime naps in 90 degree weather, and an array of playful pirates and fancy fairies. Prehistoric-looking dragonflies zipped through the air all day, and fireflies danced with the lights and lasers at night. Foreverland may have been a first-year festival, but boy did they do so many things right. With community participation from the Enchanted Forest family, Pulse SF, Fractal Planet, David Block, Android Jones, Sacred Spaces Village, Hookahdome, and Project Nuevo Mundo, the stars were aligned for a perfect weekend.
Wandering around Foreverland was easy; everything was within a good proximity from each other, but there were also some great open spaces for people to talk and rest their dancing feet. A small row of fun and unique vendors were present as well as another small row of tasty food options like the always satisfying Get Fried Rice. Multiple colorful domes were also prevalent, and each one was magical in its own way. The Hookahdome had some great live music, Project Nuevo Mundo hosted some cutting-edge permaculture workshops in a bright yellow dome, and other domes held amazing artwork, photos from the festival archivists, and a colorful and vibrational crystal grid.
Friday
My friends and I arrived a little after gates opened with an incredibly short line for wristbands, and what we heard from a pirate wench who was directing traffic was music to our ears: since we had car camping we could drive around the venue and pick our perfect camping spot. We weren’t contained to a car camping section; it seemed like almost the whole festival was fair game. We nestled our tents and canopies under a couple of trees close to Pulse SF’s psytrance stage and awed at the production of the stage. I was looking forward to exposing myself to psytrance over the weekend because I am definitely no expert on it, and who doesn’t love hearing new music?
I was most excited for Phutureprimitive on Friday night, and I was antsy to party in front of the pirate ship stage. Yes, that is right; a damn pirate ship stage!
Earlier in the evening, I walked by the Hookahdome and heard some haunting vocals from a female who had taken the stage. Amae Love, who recently sung her heart out at Enchanted Forest Gathering as well, has a beautiful voice which warms the heart and soul and makes you want to love on your partner. Not only was her voice sultry, but the Hookahdome provided the perfect atmosphere for an artist such as her with warm-colored fabrics and low lighting.
As I made my way to the pirate ship, I was filled with excitement. The silver ship had full and flowing sails which held various projections, and while many of the acts took their spot front and center on the ship, super sexy dancers who were busting some serious moves also accompanied them on stage. I hadn’t seen Phutureprimitive in a while, and I was totally stoked that I was about to catch him on an amazing stage with a loving and intimate crowd. Phutureprimitive takes his listeners through a darker landscape but also provides them with a sense of tranquility, and listening to him is like floating through a dark, dripping, moss-covered cave. Everyone on the dance floor was fluidly moving to the lush melodies, and Phuture was definitely doing what was primitive and natural.
After a smooth and melodic performance from Phutureprimitive, An-Ten-Nae hit the stage with his latest project, Dimond Saints. He hyped the crowd up, getting them ready to shake their booties to some heavy bass and started jumping up on down on the decks of the ship. A long night of dancing was ahead, and my fellow pirates and fairies danced on the platforms around the perimeter of the dance floor while incredible and trippy lasers bounced against the lake water in the background.
Saturday
Saturday was another scorching day, and I made my way down to the floating stage in the afternoon. The floating stage was a swaying and bumping island in the distance, emitting hot sounds for the hot day. Along the lake shore, psychedelic carnival games like Skeeze Ball were ready to play and offered contestants a chance to win floaties for their festival pleasure. While the water level was incredibly low in the lake, it was perfect to float and wade in. The grey-blue mud that coated the lake floor was squishy like a sponge, and it coated my toes like I imagine quicksand would. While I embraced the mud between my toes, others took it to the next level by coating their whole bodies in the mud which made them look like awesome creatures from the black lagoon.
(Photo from Foreverland Facebook page)
Some twerkalicious tunes were coming from the floating stage and Smasheltooth had taken over. Smasheltooth is a bad chick who hails from Santa Cruz, and her fresh beats had her listeners playing and splashing in the water. People on the lake’s floating dancing platforms were definitely in Smasheltooth’s building and feelin’ themselves, and even though sweat was already dripping down the faces of many people, they didn’t seem to mind turning up the heat with their dancing.
Naps were crucial during Foreverland, and after I had hung out at the lake for a bit, I went and took refuge under my camp’s shade and took a nap while some psytrance was creating the rhythm in my heart. Not long after the snooze, MiHKAL took on the pirate stage, and I took front and center. Everyone was bouncing so hard to the bass that they looked like Tigger, and soon a White Tiger appeared with headstands and an ass that wouldn’t stop jiggling. MiHKAL was hopping up and down on the ship like a pirate with a peg leg, and as I looked at everyone around me, the pure fun and energy put a huge smile on my face.
(Photo from Foreverland Facebook page, credit to Karl Baba)
Digital Rust was next and his super weird glitch was just what the doctor ordered. While Digital Rust keeps the mood light and mellow, that doesn’t mean that his listeners aren’t inspired to dance throughout his entire set. The midtempo artist is surely one that you don’t want to miss, and his hour long set went by in a flash, having me wish that it was an hour longer. As Digital Rust ended his set, the performance platform to the left of the stage was being prepared for something magical. Jedi Rising started performing soon after, and I was in awe throughout their whole performance. I had never before seen a performance by them, and the choreography, technique, and skills that the group showcased during their time on stage completely inspired me. The powerful and angelic performers had everyone snapping photos, recording videos, and staring with their mouths open in amazement. Their acts were nothing less than beautiful.
After Jedi Rising closed their act, another bad chick, this time from France, got on the pirate ship stage and started doing her thing. CloZee is a young and accomplished lady who may be from Toulouse, but has recently been hitting the Bay Area with awesome shows like mad. Chloe takes on glitch, but spins it in her own unique way, blasting the dance floor with intense feminine energy that you can’t help but move to. I never wanted to leave the pirate ship stage on Saturday night.
Sunday
Sunday YUMday quickly came and I was ready to lounge at the lake and let Pumpkin massage my ears with his cool and funky oldie but goodie remixes. It seemed like everyone at the festival was at the lake for Pumpkin’s set with bare bodies playing in the water, lounging under canopies, playing and shaking the floating dancing platforms, and embracing one another with smiles and hugs. Pumpkin’s sets bring a certain chill and blissful vibe to every festival he plays and listeners just can’t get enough. If you choose to miss a party that includes water, splashing, floating, fun, sun, and a Pumpkin set, you’re doing it wrong.
(Photo from Foreverland Facebook page)
I was antsy to catch one last set before taking off, and that was Plantrae. The love, energy, and intensity with which Plantrae performs are unmatchable. The man has an incredible presence that captivates his listeners; how could one not be dazzled by his raw, folk-like, midtempo sound and his skills on the strings? His performance popped the cork off of first-year Foreverland and the feelings of never wanting to fly away from Forever ever Land intensified.
Conclusion
Foreverland was a magical place that cannot be compared to anything else in the festival circuit, because there is nothing else like Foreverland. The locals were sweet and inviting, and even though there was a thick police presence at the festival, all of the officers that I encountered were happy, smiling, interested, and even took some selfies on the pirate ship stage. There was an intimate, warm, and welcoming feeling to the festival, very similar to Enchanted Forest Gathering. I felt completely honored and blessed to be a part of Foreverland’s first year because I know that it will soon be the next big thing. Keep an eye on their Facebook and sign up for the newsletter people, because you do not want to miss the pirate party next year!
Connect with Foreverland
Original article: *Event Review* Foreverland | Sept. 19 – 21 | 2014
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