5 impressions from day 1 of Bud Light Dreams Festival
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Above & Beyond
The British trio (Paavo and Jono behind the decks) made a triumphant return to Toronto to a crowd that was eager to let loose and get back the festival on track following the rain delay. The vibe at Above & Beyond performances are unique as there is a special sense of euphoria that is created between A&B and the crowd. An Anjuna crowd are the nicest and happiest fans within the scene and they showed their enthusiasm for the entire set.
Above & Beyond showcased a mix of their own tracks (usually the club mix versions) with tunes from others within the Anjunabeats roster like "Endorphin" by Oliver Smith. Paavo and Jono made sure to remind the audience that they are able to bring the heat as the driving beat from Fatum's "Pharaoh" filled that need perfectly.
What So Not
What So Not
The Australian artist Emoh Instead (Chris Emerson) of What So Not got his set to a quick start with an ID that led into a remix of the intro of "Stranger Things" from the hit Netlix show. The early time slot was ideal as he got to showcase his growing repertoire of chiller tracks, including many from his Divide & Conquer EP. When he wanted the crowd to move he dropped classic Baauer edit of "Tell Me" by RL Grime/What So Not or "Waiting", his collab with Skrillex and RL Grime to great effect. Since the end of the partnership with Flume, Emoh Instead has made What So Not into his own and has successfully given it a fresh direction.
Green Velvet
Green Velvet
Green Velvet was relentless as he brought driving beats and kept up the tempo throughout the set following the rain delay. The waterfront stage is covered in greenery and is one of the most intimate stage at a festival that I've ever seen while sporting a powerful sound system. Fans were eager to dance after been held up due to the weather. The atmosphere was electric.
Bass Tent
If you went on the search for the most enthusiastic crowd for day 1, you would find them all at the bass tent. The shufflers, the ragers, the headbangers, and the bass heads were there in full force to show every DJ love from the beginning to the end. When the rain poured down, the tent's vibe got even more heavy as both the DJ and the crowd doubled down on getting even crazier. Whether it was drum and bass, dubstep, hip hop remixes, or bass being played - the crowd loved every moment.
Rain
Rain continues to plague our beloved summer festival season as it rained down hard midway through day 1 of Dreams Festival. Some lucky fans managed to seek shelter within the bass tent as the crowd raged hard to TrollPhace and Delta Heavy. With reports of golf sized hail and severe thunderstorms threatening to rain down at Echo Beach, organizers decided to temporarily shut down the festival. Fans sought shelter at the adjacent Budweiser stage, and after about an hour, Dreams Festival was back on as the storm never came. Thankfully for day 2 the weather promises clear skies, so at least we have that to look forward to.
Day 2 starts at 2 pm today, make sure to follow the live coverage on Twitter by following https://twitter.com/edmtoronto and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/edm_canada/
Ekali
