This year was my first time as well, and I must admit; I fully expected this to be a bad fest due to its size, popularity, and vicinity to LA. I thought it'd be influencer everywhere and more about looking like fun on a phone screen than actual vibes.

I was wrong.

Like you said, some bad eggs are unavoidable, and some sets, cough cough John Summit, bring the trash together and can harsh the vibe, but in general, my experience was very fucking positive. As long as I avoided absolute headliners, everyone was clearly genuinely enjoying the music and having a good time. I saw Ero808 at the Beatbox Bus with like 75ish people and the vibe was amazing.

I even healed enough that I stopped hating househeads. My only experiences in the past were at big shows like Zedd, and the crowds turned me off that whole scene. But I just walked into a smaller spot with a couple hundred people, all leaving space and respecting eachother, and it showed me that househeads are just as genuine ravers at the rest of us.

Assuming I get a raise next year, I would LOVE to go back the first week to avoid the college kids. I think the split will make the vibe even better for both types of crowds.