Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Driving up North to South Lake Tahoe on Sunday the 29th was breathtaking. A light blanket of snow covered the nearby scenery, the sun was shining, and the roads were clear. I’m not a stranger to Lake Tahoe, but never had I been during the winter. For months I had been anxiously awaiting SnowGlobe, and the day had finally come. I knew my winter vacation and New Year’s Eve was going to be a killer one, and SnowGlobe did exactly that- killed it; it was definitely a crazy, kickin’, three-day party. SnowGlobe wasn’t like a typical summer festival. Because of the location and weather, there was no camping, and while there were still a number of people in their light and revealing rave or festival attire, people were bundled up like marshmallows in multiple layers, faux furs, boots, and other warm clothes. There were also only a few vendors at the winter festival, which I actually enjoyed; there was not too much shopping to distract people from the musical entertainment that was going on each day. There were also a number of delicious food vendors there serving food items like pizza, Greek gyros, pulled pork sandwiches, and large orders of french fries. The only slight disappointment with the food was that there weren’t many vegetarian food options besides the normal french fries and pizza. However, I did ask a food truck that was serving a grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwich if they could make me a regular grilled cheese and they pleasantly fulfilled my request.
Sunday
I got to South Lake Tahoe around 1pm on the 29th, met some of my friends, and we all went to the hotel we were staying at. We unpacked, relaxed, did a little pre-gaming, and walked to the MontBleu to to catch the shuttle that would take us to the community college for SnowGlobe. The music that I caught for the day was Exmag, Kastle, Gramatik, The Polish Ambassador, and Justin Martin. Exmag was the first to go on in the Sierra tent, the second largest stage at SnowGlobe. Exmag played to a smaller crowd that truly appreciated the keyboard and guitar accompanying some super funky beats. While Exmag is Gramatik’s awesome and most recent project, the sound was not exactly on point. It was a disappointment to hear some unbalanced sound during their performance, but seeing as it was the first day and one of the first performances to take place, I ignored it and shuffled my feet to the funk.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
After Exmag was Kastle, and his music was definitely something I did not expect to like as much as I did. Kastle was bass-heavy, and this mixed with his unique style kept me bouncing to the beat along with an excited group of other music-lovers. The crowd grew at the Sierra tent, there were no errors in sound, and I enjoyed it so much that I stayed for his whole set. I underestimated the fortress that is Kastle, whose walls were built of bass, and unique and original creations. I started to slow my dancing roll since I knew that the performance was about to end, and because I was about to be grooving with The Polish Ambassador at the same stage; not only was The Polish Ambassador about to grace the Sierra tent, but Gramatik was going to be jamming on the main stage at the same time, so I knew I was about to be going back and forth to catch them both.
As The Polish Ambassador was about to come on, more and more people in funky and brightly-colored jumpsuits started to appear in groups. While I didn’t have one of my own, a few of my friends wore theirs, and their astronaut-like suits with the cold Tahoe air made me feel like I was on another planet. TPA is a incomparable voice in the music world, which makes him a festival favorite. Sunday was definitely the day to get funky, and TPA didn’t disappoint with multiple fan-favorites and massive energy. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the huge smiles that adorned people’s faces. The Sierra tent was overflowing with fans as TPA was sharing an epic, unreleased track, and I couldn’t help myself from bouncing up and down with the rest of the audience as we were shakin’ our booties.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
As sad as I was to leave the performance early, I knew I wouldn’t regret wiggling my way over to the main stage to see Gramatik. Gramatik was the highlight of my night, and the main stage had numerous festival attendees surrounding it. His smooth, jazzy, funky beats and sounds were sending my ears to musical heaven, and the visuals on main stage made the performance that much more mesmerizing. I had been a fan of Gramatik before SnowGlobe, but his performance on Sunday made me an even bigger fan. While he played soulful and jazzy sounds, he also got the audience movin’ and groovin’ with sounds that made you want to whip your hair back and forth.
The final performance that I caught on the first day of SnowGlobe was Justin Martin of the Dirtybird label. I thoroughly enjoy myself listening to Justin Martin in the Igloo tent. The Igloo tent was the smallest, most intimate stage at SnowGlobe, and what was set it apart from the other stages was that it was a heated and enclosed stage space. It was a great change of atmosphere to be in the Igloo tent where myself and others had to remove layers to be at a comfortable temperature rather than wear multiple layers so that our fingers and toes wouldn’t fall off. Even though Justin Martin was the last artist of the night, that did not mean that he was going to tone-down his sound. My dance floor neighbors were rattling their rumps to his house and techno sound, and his music made the Igloo tent feel like a private club event. As Justin Martin helped me end my night, I had a heart full of funky vibes and could not stop my feet from wanting to dance.
I left SnowGlobe after the music had ended to hop on a shuttle back to the MontBleu, but getting on the shuttle to relax after a long day was not a relaxing process. Shuttle lines had not been organized, so waiting to board the shuttle had me feeling like I was a squished sardine. Once again, it was the first night of the festival, so I couldn’t be too critical, and the other times that I took the shuttle after that went smoothly and were not an issue.
Monday
Monday was another early day for my friends and I. Now that I think about it, SnowGlobe did a good job of putting some awesome acts on early each day to bring in the crowd for full days of the festival. The first to see were The Floozies on the main stage, and I found myself at the main stage for most of the second day. The live playing of instruments alongside funky, electronic beats from The Floozies was awesome and the perfect way to begin the day.The second day of SnowGlobe was sold out, and it was obvious that there were going to be more people than the first day because when I arrived at the main stage for The Floozies, there was already a large group of people groovin’ to the tunes. No one was disappointed during the dance-inducing set, and it was one of my favorite sounds during the day; The Floozies produce sounds that warm your heart and soul, and have you walking away with a smile.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Next was Zion I, and although I never considered myself to be a Zion I fan, their performance at the main stage was definitely a pleased the crowd. I still do not think that I will listen to them on a regular basis, but I did have a great time bouncing to their freestyles and beats along with everyone else around me. I was impressed with the amount and lengths of freestyles that they spit, and I felt gangster-fied listening to their hip-hop sound and lively performance. I enjoy watching performers go back and forth on the stage, utilizing all of their space, and that is exactly what Zion I did. After Zion I, I went to the Sierra tent to see some Kill Paris, and the Sierra tent was already overflowing.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The energy was electric, and the music was funky, hard, electronic, and bumpin’. As the lights and lasers lit up the space and the audience, it was clear that this was another dance party that I needed to attend. Another favorite of the night, Kill Paris was a performance that no one wanted to miss. Not only was his sound crazy and electric, but it is also a plus when familiar songs fade in and out of the mix so that the audience can sing along and build more of a companionship with each other. Kill Paris produces a futuristic sound that no one can stop dancing to, and absolutely did not disappoint.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Even though I did not want to leave Kill Paris, I had to go back to the main stage to check out some Zeds Dead. As their “ZD” logo flashed in bright colors on the screens behind them, their incredibly hyped-up dubstep had the audience feelin’ themselves and bouncing all around the main stage. Zeds Dead was one of the performances that SnowGlobe attendees were looking forward to the most, and it was certainly a spectacle, since I had never seen Zeds Dead in person before. I had heard a few people around me express their lack of satisfaction with the set and style of Zeds Dead’s set, but as long as I’ve got something to dance to, ecstatic people around me, and awesome visuals, I am pretty set; I can’t say I was disappointed.
Last of the night was Claude VonStroke. Claude VonStroke resembles a mellow but jolly modern-day Santa Clause, is the owner of the Dirtybird label, and plays music that will make his audience happy. While listening to him in a packed Sierra tent, I looked around me and saw my friends dancing their asses off with permanent smiles plastered on their face. It is no wonder Claude VonStroke is head boss for Dirtybird, because before SnowGlobe I was not familiar with his work, but after his set I became an enthusiastic fan. Seemed to me that the different house artists at SnowGlobe were the ones killing it, and I was loving the fact that my musical tastes were expanding with each day of the festival.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Tuesday
It was the last day of SnowGlobe, and I knew that everyone in South Lake Tahoe was going to be way more than turnt-up. New Year’s Eve is always a huge celebration and to no surprise, the third and final day of the festival was sold out. Beats Antique, Snoop Dogg, Love and Light, and Treasure Fingers were all on my agenda for New Year’s Eve. I was disappointed in myself that I missed Vokab Company earlier in the day, but I was trying to lay low as long as I possibly could since I knew my friends and I were going to be out all night and all morning.
Love and Light has a large following, and their performances are always constantly good. When I think of their music I think of exactly that: love and light. Oh, and remember how I said I missed the Vokab Company? Well, Love and Light did me a solid, even though they didn’t know it, and played one of my favorite remixes of theirs which is “Vokab Company/Crush Effect – Back to the Past.” It probably doesn’t have to be said that I got super pumped-up when I started to hear their remix, and my mind went to a blissful space as my body guided me on a dance-tastic journey. Next was Beats Antique, seeing as Love and Light and Beats Antique slightly overlapped.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Beats Antique is weird. By weird, I mean good. Really good. Once again, awesome visuals, a pumped-up sea of wiggling bodies, and crazy-cool, yet heavy beats had everyone rolling around with excitement. I was missing the foreign and ethnic influences that summer festivals usually incorporate into their agendas, but Beats Antique satisfied my hunger. Their musical circus may not be for everyone, but everyone at the stage during their show was certainly loving it. Next stop on the amazing music train was Treasure Fingers back at the Sierra tent. I had never heard of Treasure Fingers before, but someone in my group was dying to see him, so we all went to check it out.
Treasure Fingers’ funk, disco, house sounds are super tasty, and when it is time to bounce your booty and sweat a little more, he doesn’t do anything less than crush it. This was yet another moment where the Sierra tent was overflowing with new-comers and super-fans that could not and did not leave the stage until Treasure Fingers was over.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
One more performer to go. I know, this review seems eternal; SnowGlobe seemed eternal, but in a great way. Not in a “when is this going to end” way. I went back to the main stage to see the Dogg. Snoop Dogg, that is. This was the moment I had been waiting for. I made the mistake a couple of times and thought that he was coming out on stage and beginning to start his performance, but an MC was just hyping the audience up with Snoop tracks playing in the back for what would be an always-dreamed-of show. As expected, Snoop Dogg came out looking like a pimp. With black sunglasses on, a large fur coat draped over him, and the swagger of an OG, Snoop Dogg rapped all of his favorite hits. He would start one song, and a minute or two later, he would switch to another hit. I thought it was great; not only did he get the audience singing and rapping along with him every minute that he was on stage, but older and newer fans could bond over their love of songs like “The Next Episode,” “Still D.R.E.,” and “California Girls.” It was definitely the perfect way to spend part of the evening on New Year’s Eve, and part of my musical bucket list had been accomplished.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Conclusion
SnowGlobe 2013 was an awesome party that I am so glad that I attended. Every day, every musical artist was completely on-point with their performances. The cold weather did not put a damper on anyone’s festivities or attitudes, and I don’t think I experienced one purposely rude person throughout all of SnowGlobe. There could have been another spot or two where people could flock to for warmth, but the Igloo tent was often playing good music, and it was so heated in there that most people had to take off some of their layers to be comfortable. South Lake Tahoe was very welcoming to the huge inflow of festival attendees, and many Tahoe-natives attended the festival themselves to have a grand time. Spending New Year’s Eve and the couple of days before at SnowGlobe was a final highlight of 2013, and to have experienced such great music in a totally different atmosphere made a very memorable experience.
Click to view more pictures from SnowGlobe
Connect with SnowGlobe
Official Website | Facebook | YouTube
Original article: *Event Review* SnowGlobe | December 29-31 | 2013
©2014 Music You Need | The Premier Electronic Dance Music Blog. All Rights Reserved.
The post *Event Review* SnowGlobe | December 29-31 | 2013 appeared first on Music You Need | The Premier Electronic Dance Music Blog.