![]() ![]() Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge achieved that aspect in full. What I’ve always loved about Insomniac’s world-building is the commitment to branding consistency and all the little details that make you feel like your own proverbial Alice in Wonderland, wandering down the rabbit holes less taken. ![]() Having a physical environment that allows you to suspend your disbelief and dive wholeheartedly into that mindset is paramount. Raves are a safe space for freedom of expression, allowing us to shed external identities projected onto us by our backgrounds and careers, and project what we define for ourselves instead. ![]() Photo Credit: Orhun Turk Uygur for Insomniac Events Friday marked the official first day, and it was all about the musical experience and immersing myself in the wonderland Insomniac created.Įven though I’ll never say no to a good campsite pregame, I couldn’t wait to get on the grounds – something about entering an entirely fictional world built by pure human creativity and hard work, is so captivating. ![]() The hype was real for everyone the whole night, and the exhilaration was palpable as artists kept hopping on the mic and asking if we were ready for our epic weekend of debauchery. Not only that, but his more classic DJ set was a great hinge between Wuki and Virtual Riot, serving as a palette cleanser after Wuki and creating a refreshed setting for Virtual Riot’s fast and intentionally jarring style which closed out the night. Displaying an intuitive knowledge of the decks by utilizing seamless blends and expectation-defying FX, he showed why it’s important for newer artists to dedicate themselves to DJing and not just their Ableton sessions. The real star of this night was Drezo with a bumpin’ house set. By the time Wuki came on around 11 pm, I was vibing to his multi-genre set that featured a bunch of unreleased music. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t expect to be too impressed by the Pre-Party and had considered Thursday a throw-away night. Our first stop was the Thursday Pre-Party with a headline set from Virtual Riot on the Cheshire Woods stage. Photo Credit: Orhun Turk Uygur for Insomniac Events Once we were all settled in, it was time to put our party pants on. Overall, the camping organization and grounds quality worked great for the festival size, with no major issues to report – and just wait until I get to the campground renegades later. I didn’t even have a rainfly on me when it rained, and they generously helped me zip tie a tarp to my tent (and trust me, I’ve been in weird festival camping situations before in the exact same setting – this felt special). Like true festival culture, the common link was a friend I camped next to at Shambhala over seven years ago, and we hadn’t even seen each other since! Yet, between the welcoming vibes of his friends and the general intent to have an amazing time together, I felt so at home. Plus, this would be my first time at The Gorge! Photo Credit: Gabe Tiano for Insomniac Events After arriving early on Thursday and picking up my pass with ease, I quickly met up my camping crew – a group I had never met before. Their main edition was one of the first big festivals I attended when I moved to Los Angeles for college, and it’s always held a special place in my heart though it had been years since my return. Much like many others flocking to the Pacific Northwest, I was bubbling with excitement in the lead-up to Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge. ![]()
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