Waterfront Park – Showbams

CRSSD Festival turns to Duck Sauce, Jamie xx, ARTBAT, Dom Dolla & more to carry Fall 2022 lineup

June 21, 2022 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
September 24th-25th, 2022 //

Who’s ready for another round of CRSSD?

After unleashing its Spring 2022 lineup before ringing in the New Year, the bi-annual event organized by San Diego-based promoter FNGRS CRSSD is back with another electronic-leaning roster in September over the same weekend as the inaugural Portola Music Festival at San Francisco’s Pier 80.

Duck Sauce and Jamie xx are set to headline the two-day festival’s Fall 2022 edition coming off their exhilarating performances at Coachella this year, while the undercard brings its own fire power with ARTBAT, Dom Dolla, Joseph Capriati, Reinier Zonneveld (Live), Cannons, Caribou, DRAMA, Elder Island and Fred again.. taking Waterfront Park by storm in a few months.

Fall in full force 🌅

ALUMNI PRESALE
11AM PT 6/28

CRSSD SMS PRESALE
-12PM PT 6/28
-Text CRSSDFEST 855-912-1457

GEN SALE
-12PM 6/29

[ PAYMENT PLANS ]
-2-step plans are avail until 7/22.
-50% down, 50% due on 8/15https://t.co/mHOzhJfh7T pic.twitter.com/aF8nnazyhR

— CRSSD festival (@crssdfest) June 21, 2022

But that’s not all of the names who are worth mentioning here. Other notables include Godford, KUU, L’Impératrice, Lewis OfMan, Moderat, Orbital, Fatboy Slim, MK, Sonny Fodera, The Avalanches (DJ set), Deeper Purpose, Richie Hawtin, Stephan Bodzin, Testpilot, I. Jordan, Jaguar, Romy (of The xx), Wax Motif and more. Check out the poster above for the rest of the acts scheduled to perform.

Those who previously attended the fest in Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021 and Spring 2015 or DAY.MVS XL one of the last two years will have access to a special alumni presale starting Tuesday, June 28th at 11 a.m. PT. The general public on-sale will begin the following day on Wednesday, June 29th at 12 p.m. PT.

Take a look back at our coverage over the years here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A-Trak, Armand Van Helden, ARTBAT, Biscits, Cannons, Caribou, Chloé Robinson, CRSSD, CRSSD 2022, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2022, Deeper Purpose, Dom Dolla, DRAMA, Duck Sauce, Elder Island, Fatboy Slim, FNGRS CRSSD, Franky Wah, Fred again.., Godford, I. Jordan, Jaguar, Jamie xx, Joseph Capriati, KUU, L'Impératrice, Lewis OfMan, Marcel Dettmann, MK, Mochakk, Moderat, Ms. Mada, Orbital, Reinier Zonneveld, Richie Hawtin, Romy, Sarah Story, Sonny Fodera, Stephan Bodzin, Stephen Jolk, Sven Väth, Testpilot, The Avalanches, The xx, Tibasko, VTSS, Waterfront Park, Wax Motif

10 California music festivals you won’t want to miss in 2022

March 1, 2022 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

With live music returning to stages across the U.S. during the second half of last year and spring now right around the corner, 2022 is shaping up to be a monumental year for the industry and a big reason for that is the comeback of the music festival. California has certainly played a major part in its revival coming out of a global pandemic, with a number of single-day and multi-day events already scheduled to take place up and down the Golden State over the next six-plus months. So, who’s ready for festival season to begin?

If you’re itching to hit a music festival, here are 10 in California you should save your cash for this year.

CRSSD Festival
Location: Waterfront Park – San Diego
Dates: March 5th-6th
Tickets: Buy them here!

One North American concert promoter who wasn’t deterred by the news surrounding the coronavirus’ omicron variant a few months ago happens to be FNGRS CRSSD, the San Diego-based brand that debuted CRSSD Festival back in 2015 and has been going strong ever since with a spring and fall edition of the event each year. Unleashing another electronic-leaning roster for its first installment in 2022 with Glass Animals and SOFI TUKKER as headliners, CRSSD has managed to hold tight with its plans. Four Tet, Get Real (Claude VonStroke and Green Velvet), Gorgon City, 070 Shake, Blu DeTiger, Cautious Clay, Chet Faker, Parcels, Franc Moody, Lastlings, SG Lewis and more stack the undercard.

READ MORE HERE

Smokin Grooves Fest
Location: LA State Historic Park – Los Angeles
Dates: March 19th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Smookin Grooves’ lineup has easily matched what it offered fans in 2018 (read our review here) and 2019 (read our review here) after putting on excellent showings both years sheerly by landing Erykah Badu, Nas, The Roots, Miguel and Jhené Aiko to lead the charge. But adding The Internet, Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Smino, Toro y Moi, SiR, Little Dragon, Hiatus Kaiyote and more to the roster makes this another must-see production. The one-day fest is also getting a change of scenery as it relocates north to the 32-acre LA State Historic Park in the Chinatown neighborhood of downtown LA that once hosted FYF Fest and several HARD events.

READ MORE HERE

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Location: Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
Dates: April 15th-17th & April 22nd-24th
Tickets: Buy them here!

The three-day, two-weekend event is finally ready to give it another go in April after becoming one of the first large-scale music festivals in the U.S. to postpone its plans when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm almost two years ago. Harry Styles and Billie Eilish will spearhead the 2022 lineup, with Swedish House Mafia back at Coachella for the first time in a decade since the electronic supergroup’s closing set on the main stage in 2012 and The Weeknd added late to help replace Ye (fka Kanye West). The famed California fest has had a penchant for booking more international acts — from BLACKPINK to Bad Bunny — in recent years, and 2022 will be no different.

READ MORE HERE

BeachLife Festival
Location: Seaside Lagoon – Redondo Beach, CA
Dates: May 13th-15th
Tickets: Buy them here!

The three-day event moved to September in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s back to its normal month of May this year with plenty to get excited about. Leading the fest’s third installment will be Weezer and 311 as co-headliners on Friday while The Smashing Pumpkins and Steve Miller Band will have their own days — Saturday and Sunday, respectively — to shine even after the sun dips into the Pacific Ocean. Black Pumas, Vance Joy, Sheryl Crow, Stone Temple Pilots and Lord Huron, in the meantime, anchor an impressive undercard for what’s sure to be a party down by the shore.

READ MORE HERE

Just Like Heaven
Location: Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Dates: May 21st
Tickets: Buy them here!

The one-day music festival put on by Goldenvoice, which debuted in 2019 and was an instant success, has dropped a 2022 roster that should be a dream come true for any indie music fan. And after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show is ready to go on again — although this time it’s migrating north from the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach to take over the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl — and we still can’t remember the last time heaven ever looked this good. NYC indie rockers Interpol will have the honor of headlining this time around, but sets by Modest Mouse, The Shins, M.I.A., Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Chromeo, Santigold, Cut Copy, The Hives, Wolf Parade, Peaches, !!!, The Raveonettes and more are likely to leave a lasting impression.

READ MORE HERE

Lightning in a Bottle
Location: Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
Dates: May 25th-30th
Tickets: Buy them here!

After being forced to cancel its 15th edition more than 18 months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the “transformational festival” is returning to Kern County over Memorial Day weekend and The Do LaB has retained a handful of acts on the 2020 roster from headliners like Kaytranada and GRiZ to several undercard standouts such as Purity Ring, Big Wild, Four Tet, Empress Of and Jon Hopkins. But LIB in 2022 will also feature some new blood, starting right at the top of the poster with Glass Animals as well as a pair of Brits in SG Lewis and Little Simz — who are newcomers to the event — on the bill. Other notable names include Chet Faker, Black Coffee, CloZee, Seth Troxler, Monolink, G Jones B2B Eprom, Maya Jane Coles, Goldlink, OPIUO, Chika, Mr. Carmack, Big Freedia, Dirtwire and more, including a Desert Hearts launch party with Lee Reynolds.

READ MORE HERE

BottleRock Napa Valley
Location: Napa Valley Expo – Napa, CA
Dates: May 27th-29th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Despite announcing its lineup at the beginning of this year when COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing across the U.S. due to the omicron variant, the three-day event is marching ahead toward its normal timing of Memorial Day weekend after canceling in 2020 and sliding the festivities back to Labor Day weekend in 2021. And much like BottleRock’s previous rosters, 2022’s follows very much in the same vein (i.e. lots of rock ‘n’ roll) with Metallica, P!NK, Twenty One Pilots and Luke Combs topping the bill. The Napa fest’s ninth edition should serve as a special performance for Metallica no less, considering that the legendary heavy-metal band has called the Bay Area home for almost three decades.

READ MORE HERE

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
Location: Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
Dates: August 5-7th
Tickets: Buy them here!

After being forced in 2021 to push back its 13th year (read our review here) to Halloween weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-day music festival is finally returning to its usual timing in August and spring is when we normally anticipate the lineup dropping every year. But the latest installment of SF’s signature event has a slightly different feel than in years past as Green Day, Post Malone and SZA assume headlining duties with Jack Harlow, Weezer, Phoebe Bridgers, Illenium, Lil Uzi Vert, Kali Uchis, Disclosure, Mitski, Polo & Pan and Anitta leading the undercard. And though all three headliners will be topping the poster at OSL for the first time, Green Day’s performance should carry a little extra weight given that the legacy act is originally from the East Bay.

READ MORE HERE

This Ain’t No Picnic
Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Dates: August 27th-28th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Concert promoter Goldenvoice is bringing back This Ain’t No Picnic to SoCal for the first time since 2002 and taking over the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl for two days in late August (warning: it will be hot) with a killer two-day roster that screams “Pitchfork Fest!” The event has a history of exposing the raw energy of punk-leaning, indie darlings such as Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney and Guided by Voices in 1999 before taking another step toward the mainstream by booking Beck, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, At the Drive-In and Modest Mouse for its 2000 edition. A couple of NYC products in The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem will serve as headliners in 2022 while the fest’s undercard offers its own set of highlights starting with the reunion of Le Tigre, another NYC product who last reunited in 2016 to give us “I’m with Her” as their latest single.

READ MORE HERE

Primavera Sound Los Angeles
LA State Historic Park – Los Angeles
Dates: September 16-18th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Primavera Sound has been a staple across the music festival circuit since launching back in 2001 with its Spanish roots firmly planted in Barcelona. But we would be lying if we didn’t admit here that we have eagerly been anticipating the release of Primavera Sound LA’s inaugural lineup, which was originally set to make its U.S. debut in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic put a hold on things, and that news has finally become a reality with Arctic Monkeys, Lorde and Nine Inch Nails set to headline. That said, Arca, Bicep (Live), Buscabulla, Cigarettes After Sex, Clairo, DARKSIDE, Faye Webster, James Blake, Jehnny Beth, Khruangbin, Kim Gordon, King Krule, Low, Mitski, Stereolab and Tierra Whack have all signed on as well to mark what’s looking like a banner year for live music in the City of Angels.

READ MORE HERE

Which of these music festivals are you going to? Which are you looking forward to the most?

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: !!!, 070 Shake, 311, Arca, Arctic Monkeys, At the Drive-In, Bad Bunny, Beck, Bicep, Big Freedia, Big Wild, Billie Eilish, Black Coffee, Black Pumas, BLACKPINK, Bloc Party, Blu DeTiger, BottleRock, BOTTLEROCK 2022, BottleRock Napa, BOTTLEROCK NAPA 2022, BottleRock Napa Valley, BOTTLEROCK NAPA VALLEY 2022, Brookside at the Rose Bowl, Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area, Built To Spill, Buscabulla, Cautious Clay, Chet Faker, Chika, Chromeo, Cigarettes After Sex, Clairo, Claude VonStroke, Claude VonStroke and Green Velvet, CloZee, Coachella, Coachella 2022, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2022, Cut Copy, Darkside, Dirtwire, Empire Polo Club, Empress Of, Eprom, Erykah Badu, Faye Webster, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Franc Moody, Franz Ferdinand, G Jones, G Jones B2B Eprom, Get Real, Glass Animals, Golden Gate Park, Goldenvoice, Goldlink, Gorgon City, Green Velvet, GRIZ, Guided by Voices, Harry Styles, Hiatus Kaiyote, Interpol, James Blake, Jehnny Beth, Jhené Aiko, Jon Hopkins, Just Like Heaven, Just Like Heaven 2022, Kamasi Washington, Kanye West, Kaytranada, Khruangbin, Kim Gordon, King Krule, LA State Historic Park, Lastlings, LCD Soundsystem, Le Tigre, LIB, LIB 2022, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2022, Little Dragon, Little Simz, Lord Huron, Lorde, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Low, Luke Combs, M.I.A., Maya Jane Coles, Metallica, Miguel, Mitski, Modest Mouse, Monolink, Mr. Carmack, Napa Valley Expo, Nas, Nine Inch Nails, Opiuo, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2022, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2022, P!nk, Parcels, Peaches, Primavera Sound, Primavera Sound 2022, Primavera Sound LA, Primavera Sound LA 2022, Primavera Sound Los Angeles, Primavera Sound Los Angeles 2022, Purity Ring, Rose Bowl, Santigold, Seaside Lagoon, Seth Troxler, SG Lewis, Sheryl Crow, SiR, Sleater-Kinney, Smino, Smokin Grooves, Smokin Grooves 2022, Sonic Youth, Stereolab, Stone Temple Pilots, Swedish House Mafia, The Hives, The Raveonettes, The Roots, The Shins, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Strokes, This Ain't No Picnic, This Ain't No Picnic 2022, This Ain't No Picnic Festival, This Ain't No Picnic Festival 2022, Thundercat, Tierra Whack, Toro Y Moi, Twenty One Pilots, Vance Joy, Waterfront Park, Weezer, Wolf Parade, Ye, Yo la Tengo

CRSSD unveils Phase 2 of Fall 2018 lineup

August 9, 2018 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
September 29th-30th, 2018 //

Less than two months after releasing the first phase of its Fall 2018 roster, CRSSD has added even more artists to the bill now.

UK ambient/post-dubstep two-piece Mount Kimbie, California-based electronic producer Big Wild, Chicago DJ/production duo Louis the Child and 23-year-old singer-songwriter Kiiara all lead the two-day music festival’s Phase 2 lineup, while The Hacker, LEFTWING & KODY, Mija, Oliver, Will Clarke and Dateless are also among its new additions this September.

CRSSD’s eighth edition will be headlined by British DJ/record producer Duke Dumont, who we saw close out last year’s inaugural Skyline festival (read our review here), and Canada’s Bob Moses, with Marian Hill, Sofi Tukker, Flight Facilities, Hayden James, PNAU, Autograf, Elderbrook, shallou, Claptone and more scheduled to perform in San Diego.

See the poster above for the entire Fall 2018 lineup. The bi-annual, 21-and-over event has GA tickets available here for $145 before they increase to $155.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AC Slater B2B Jack Beats, Anti-Up, Autograf, Big Wild, Bob Moses, Claptone, CRSSD, CRSSD 2018, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2018, Cut Snake B2B Ardalan, Darius (Live), Dateless, Detlef, Duke Dumont, Dusky, Elderbrook, Flight Facilities, FNGRS CRSSD, Hayden James, John Digweed, Kiiara, Leftwing & Kody, Louis the Child, Marian Hill, Mija, Mount Kimbie, NAATIONS, Nina Kraviz, Oliver, PNAU, shallou, Sofi Tukker, The Hacker, Thomas Jack, Waterfront Park, White Cliffs, WILL CLARKE

CRSSD enlists Duke Dumont, Bob Moses to headline Fall 2018 lineup with Marian Hill, Sofi Tukker & more

June 28, 2018 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
September 29th-30th, 2018 //

Since its official debut in 2015, CRSSD has found a home at San Diego’s scenic Waterfront Park and become a mainstay across Southern California’s ever-expanding live music landscape.

California-based event promoter FNGRS CRSSD has organized seven editions of the bi-annual music festival in that time, partnering with Goldenvoice early on, and has already announced its eighth installment almost four months after Empire of the Sun and Gorgon City topped the fest’s Spring 2018 lineup.

Headlining this time around will be British DJ/producer Duke Dumont, who we saw close out last year’s inaugural Skyline festival (read our review here), and Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses. This won’t be either’s first time performing at CRSSD, with one previously serving as a headliner (Duke Dumont) and the other as an undercard act (Bob Moses).

UPDATE (August 9th): Organizers have unveiled Phase 2 of the Fall 2018 lineup, with Mount Kimbie, Big Wild, Louis the Child, Kiiara and more joining the party this September.

Though CRSSD’s rosters have often leaned in the electronic direction and continue to as evidenced by this latest one, there was a time when it strayed off course and gave rock a chance, booking The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio surprisingly enough.

Meanwhile, the two-day festival’s Fall 2018 bill also boasts Marian Hill, Sofi Tukker, Flight Facilities, Hayden James, PNAU, Autograf, Elderbrook, shallou, Claptone, Dusky, Anti-Up, Thomas Jack, AC Slater B2B Jack Beats, Darius (Live), Detlef, Cut Snake B2B Ardalan, Nina Kraviz, John Digweed and more.

See the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, July 3rd at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AC Slater B2B Jack Beats, Anti-Up, Autograf, Bob Moses, Claptone, CRSSD, CRSSD 2018, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2018, Cut Snake B2B Ardalan, Darius (Live), Detlef, Duke Dumont, Dusky, Elderbrook, Flight Facilities, FNGRS CRSSD, Hayden James, John Digweed, Marian Hill, NAATIONS, Nina Kraviz, PNAU, shallou, Sofi Tukker, The Flaming Lips, Thomas Jack, TV on the Radio, Waterfront Park, White Cliffs

CRSSD unveils first phase of Fall 2016 lineup

July 6, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
October 1st-2nd, 2016 //

For its second year on the circuit, CRSSD Festival returned to San Diego’s Waterfront Park this past spring and kicked off festival season on the West Coast in style with headliners ODESZA and Chet Faker.

After turning its attention toward more rock-centric acts like The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio for its first fall edition last year, the bi-annual SoCal fest went back to curating a mostly electronic-focused lineup in March and has continued that trend with its latest bill of artists for the first weekend of October.

Leading the way as headliners will be Swedish indie-pop band Miike Snow and Chinese-American electronic musician ZHU (born Steven Zhu), while Cashmere Cat, Lido, Flight Facilities, Ta-Ku, Big Wild, MNEK and more will also hit CRSSD’s main stage.

Other notable names who are scheduled to perform at the two-day music festival include Thomas Jack, Trippy Turtle, MALAA, Lee Burridge, Lee Foss and Felix Da Housecat (B2B), Destructo and Busy P (B2B), DJ Harvey, Brodinski, Shiba San, FJK, Sam Feldt, Bakermat, M.A.N.D.Y., AC Slater and Wave Racer, among others. Better yet, fans can expect to hear two-hour extended DJ sets from Bonobo, Maya Jane Coles and Claptone at the City Steps stage, which even boasts Dubfire as a special guest.

Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, July 12th.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AC Slater, Bakermat, Bonobo, Boys Don't Disco, Brodinski, Busy P, Charles Murdoch, Claptone, CRSSD 2016, CRSSD Fest, CRSSD Fest 2016, CRSSD Festival 2016, Destructo, DJ Harvey, Dubfire, Felix Da Housecat, FNGRS CRSSD, Kungs, Landis LaPace, Lee Burridge, Lee Foss, M.A.N.D.Y., Malaa, Maya Jane Coles, Metroplane, Miike Snow, Nora En Pure, Sam Feldt, Shiba San, Sophie, Thomas Jack, Trippy Turtle, Waterfront Park, Wave Racer, zhu

CRSSD kicks off festival season on the West Coast

March 7, 2016 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Photos by Felicia Garcia, Skyler Greene, Glenn Silva & Gabe Tiano // Written by Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 5th-6th, 2016 //

This past weekend officially signaled the beginning of festival season as several major music festivals across the country hit the ground running, including both Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival and AURA Music Festival in Florida.

Out here on the West Coast, CRSSD Festival returned to San Diego’s picturesque Waterfront Park, serving as the perfect warm-up for Coachella with the renowned desert festival only six weeks away. CRSSD, which was started by Southern California promoters FNGRS CRSSD and Goldenvoice last March, originally presented itself as an indie-electronic music festival with Empire of the Sun and Chromeo leading the way as headliners (read our review here). But last October for its second edition, CRSSD turned its attention toward more rock-centric acts like The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio for top billing while targeting a number of electropop bands, including St. Lucia, AlunaGeorge and Big Data, to also play over two days.

Boasting a more electronic-focused lineup this spring, CRSSD welcomed back Seattle duo ODESZA, who climbed to headliner status in leading a Saturday bill that featured sets from Cirez D (aka Eric Prydz), Gesaffelstein, John Hopkins, Ryan Hemsworth, Ben UFO, Poolside and Damian Lazarus. While 2016 marked the second straight year that Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight performed on the festival’s main stage, Sunday’s card saw two sets (DJ and live) from North London garage duo Gorgon City as well as the CRSSD debuts of Claude Von Stroke, Hi-Lo, Tycho and headliner Chet Faker. After returning to its indie-electronic roots for this latest installment, it will be interesting to see if CRSSD continues down the same path it’s on after two sold-out days or once again tries to bring more rock-based bands into the fold.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals, Photos Tagged With: Adriatique, Ardalan, Ben UFO, Bondax, Cassian, Chet Faker, Cirez D, Claude VonStroke, Colour Vision, CRSSD, CRSSD 2016, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2016, Eric Prydz, FNGRS CRSSD, Gesaffelstein, Gorgon City, Green Velvet, Gryffin, Hi-Lo, Hot Since 82, J. Phlip, Jamie Jones, Jeremy Orlander, Jon Hopkins, Julio Bashmore, Kidnap Kid, Lane 8, Lee Foss, Lee K, Loco Dice, Odesza, Poolside, REZZ, Ryan Hemsworth, Sacha Robotti, Sam Gellaitry, Skream, Skylar Spence, Tale of Us, Tiga, Tom Trago, Tycho, Walker & Royce, Watefront Park, Waterfront Park, WILL CLARKE

CRSSD shares first phase of Spring 2016 lineup

December 29, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 5th-6th, 2016 //

CRSSD Festival in San Diego made a big splash in its debut last spring and followed it up with another go-around at Waterfront Park this past October.

Now, the two-day, electronic-leaning music festival put on by promoters Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD will return this March for its third edition after announcing its initial lineup, which includes ODESZA and Chet Faker as headliners along with Gorgon City (Live and DJ set), Tycho, Gesaffelstein (DJ set), Hi-Lo, Jamie Jones, Claude VonStroke and many more.

Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup. The 21-and-over event has advanced tickets available here for $125 before increasing to $135 during the general sale.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Ardalan, Ben UFO, Cassian, Chet Faker, Claude VonStroke, Colour Vision, CRSSD, CRSSD 2016, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2016, CRSSD FNGRS, FNGRS CRSSD, Gesaffelstein, Gorgon City, Green Velvet, Gryffin, Hi-Lo, Hot Since 82, J. Phlip, Jamie Jones, Jeremy Orlander, Julio Bashmore, Lee Foss, Lee K, Loco Dice, Odesza, Sacha Robotti, Sam Gellaitry, Skream, Skylar Spence, Tale of Us, Tiga, Tycho, Waterfront Park, WILL CLARKE

CRSSD makes a big splash in debut as 2015 festival season heats up

March 19, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 14th-15th, 2015 //

Music festivals rarely ever run smoothly in their inaugural year. Whether they are poorly timed, disorganized or just not well thought-out, first-time festivals often have their fair share of problems.

But Southern California-based event promoters Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD are quickly changing the game after putting on a nearly flawless first edition of CRSSD Festival at San Diego’s Waterfront Park last weekend.

Bridging the gap between the EDM and alternative electronic worlds much like HARD Events founder and CEO Gary Richards has done with his own festival series, the two-day, 21-and-over event initially caught fans’ eyes with electro-rock bands like Empire of the Sun and Chromeo topping an impressive, dance-oriented bill that also included ODESZA, Flight Facilities, Hot Natured, Classixx, Maceo Plex, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge and Pete Tong.

Then, a month later, CRSSD organizers drew even more attention to the festival when they announced Phase II of the lineup, adding James Murphy, Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons and Trippy Turtle to an already stacked list of performers.

And with temperatures hitting the high 80’s on both Saturday and Sunday, CRSSD Festival couldn’t have served as a better warm-up (no pun intended) for Coachella, which, by the way, is only three weeks away.

Here are our awards from the first-ever CRSSD Festival.

Most Epic Set: Empire of the Sun

The Aussie glam-pop giant has been headlining festivals for a while now and continues to do so in epic fashion. Empire of the Sun’s live performance is as much of a spectacle as it is a psychedelic dance party, and when they intertwine the two so fluidly as they did to close out the first day of festivities at CRSSD, they’re able to leave lasting memories for both new and old fans.

Biggest Dance Party: Chromeo

These two childhood friends from Montreal have been igniting dance parties all over the world since dropping their 2004 debut She’s in Control, and while their synthpop sound hasn’t necessarily evolved leaps and bounds over the last decade, they still know how to get a crowd moving, whatever the occasion may be. With the weekend winding down, you could find plenty of festivalgoers all over the grounds grooving to Chromeo’s signature brand of disco funk. We even saw people dancing on their way to the porta potties!

Most Uplifting Set: Classixx

As we found out at Treasure Island Music Festival last fall, LA electronic duo Classixx have come a long way since their early days remixing artists like Phoenix, Mayer Hawthorne and Holy Ghost! Scheduled to play the always-important post-sunset set on the Ocean View Live stage, they stepped up to the challenge and delivered one of the most awe-inspiring shows of the weekend. With their wide range of influences, the sky — especially when it’s tinged orange, red and blue — appears to be the limit for these two beatmakers.

Biggest Surprise: Lido

Quite frankly, we didn’t know anything about Norwegian producer Lido (aka 22-year-old Peder Losnegård) prior to his 4:30 p.m. set on Sunday. Well, maybe we should have. After watching him drop remixes of Bill Withers, The Weeknd and alt-j all while maneuvering between keyboards, electronic drums and a variety of programming equipment, we were thoroughly impressed with this young stud’s skills. Oh, and his pipes aren’t shabby either.

Best Stage Visuals: ODESZA

The Seattle production duo has been on fire of late, and its Sunday night set was easily one of the most anticipated of the weekend thanks to the release of its second full-length album In Return this past September. While “Say My Name” has taken the airwaves by storm over the last few months, it was their stage visuals that really stood out. Artistic and abstract at the same time, you couldn’t help but stare at the huge LED screen directly behind Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight as they worked their magic on us.

Most Enthusiastic Performance: Robert DeLong

Is there a more entertaining live performer in dance music right now than Robert DeLong? Whether he’s singing or banging away ferociously on the drums (his stage setup includes both acoustic and electronic), the 29-year-old Washington state native is one of the most animated acts in electronic music. Fusing house, moombahton and a handful of other EDM sub-genres into his Sunday afternoon slot, he showed an enthusiasm unparalleled to any other artist on the CRSSD lineup.

Best Guest Performance: Flight Facilities

Since their inception in 2009, Australian production duo Flight Facilities have continued to soar by dropping new singles year after year. Exceeding all expectations at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco during Noise Pop 2015, they arrived at CRSSD on Sunday night and didn’t disappoint, employing guest vocalists like Brooke Addamo (aka Owl Eyes) to engage the crowd and supplement their disco-house grooves.

Most Under-Appreciated Set: STRFKR

Portland electronic quartet STRFKR have been going strong for more than eight years now. With four studio albums to their name, Joshua Hodges, Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran and Patrick Morris have continued to build on their synth-heavy sound. Unfortunately with DJ Harvey and Thomas Jack playing sets on the festival’s two other stages at the same time, STRFKR’s rather fun and upbeat performance on Saturday went relatively unnoticed.

Sexiest Stage Presence: Goldroom

We unexpectedly caught Goldroom at Lightning in a Bottle a couple years ago, so we were already familiar with Josh Legg’s breezy, chilled-out arrangements. But somehow we did forget how sexy Mereki Beach can be when she takes over the mic, as she strutted her stuff in her shiny kicks midway through Goldroom’s Saturday afternoon set. With Legg getting the live band back together, fans of the LA-based act should be seeing a lot more of Beach.

Most Mysterious Performance: Slow Magic

One of the biggest enigmas in electronic music these days is the man behind a Technicolor wolf mask. While his identity still remains unknown to most, his fans know him best by his stage name Slow Magic (read our review of his SF show from the fall). Though a small, yet passionate crowd assembled for his early-afternoon set on the main stage Sunday, you had to feel for a guy wearing a mask and playing drums in almost 90-degree heat.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Chromeo, Classixx, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, CRSSD, CRSSD 2015, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2015, Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons, Empire of the Sun, Flight Facilities, FNGRS CRSSD, Goldenvoice, Goldroom, James Murphy, Jason Bentley, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge, Lido, Maceo Plex, Pete Tong, Robert DeLong, Slow Magic, STRFKR, Tensnake, Trippy Turtle, Waterfront Park

Five reasons why you won’t want to miss CRSSD

January 12, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 14th-15th, 2015 //

Making its debut this spring at San Diego’s Waterfront Park, CRSSD Festival is the newest music festival to call California home.

Los Angeles promoter Goldenvoice and San Diego promoter FNGRS CRSSD have teamed up to assemble an eclectic lineup of electronic talent, one that’s suited for a more sophisticated, mature audience with headliners like Empire of the Sun, Chromeo, Justin Martin, Jamie Jones and more. Simian Mobile Disco, Classixx, ODESZA, STRFKR, Flight Facilities, Breakbot, DJ Harvey, Robert DeLong, Lee Burridge, Pete Tong and Aeroplane are some of the other names rounding out this year’s impressive two-day bill.

With CRSSD serving as a nice warm-up before Coachella in April, here are five other reasons why you’ll want to be in SD for all the festivities.

5. Tickets are going fast

Both early-bird and advance tickets are sold out, and only weekend GA passes, which started at $85 and are now up to $145, are left for purchase at this point. You won’t want to wait until the last minute to buy your pass and risk seeing the festival sell out.

4. There are more than just DJs

Portland-based quartet STRFKR provide an intriguing blend of synthpop and indie pop, while Robert DeLong and Slow Magic employ the one-man-band philosophy when performing live. Trust us, your weekend down south won’t be filled with only a bunch of button pushers.

3. You will definitely dance

With Empire of the Sun and Chromeo leading the way, there’s little chance that you won’t be dancing your ass off by the end of the night. Not to mention, electronica vets Pete Tong and Simian Mobile Disco certainly know how to throw down, too.

2. The location

Overlooking the San Diego Bay, Waterfront Park offers one of the best backdrops you could find for a music festival. Between the sunshine and sweet tunes, it’s sure to feel like mid-summer in mid-March.

1. The music

While the lineup leans heavy on the electronic, there is enough talent from top to bottom to keep you entertained and not overwhelmed over two days. With its laid-back vibes, CRSSD feels like it could be a perfect fit in sunny San Diego.