FVDED in the Park & More After Dark (Review)

We loaded up the cars, piled in our friends, and set our sights on Canada for the weekend. This wasn’t our first time at FVDED in the Park, but it’s safe to say that somehow this year found a way to top the last. It doesn’t hurt that Vancouver and Surrey are beautiful cities to be in, or that the nightlife continues to impress us with each visit.

We kicked things off at FVDED in the Park with some exploration of the different merch tents, and the food trucks. Oh, the food trucks. Whether you wanted pizza, a burger, crepes, a hot dog, or a smoothie there was a food truck for that. They spread the trucks out into three different areas to keep any one spot from getting too hectic– good planning, guys!

Last year we were surprised at the lack of water stations, since they’ve been a staple at events in the Seattle area for years now. This year, they set us up with water in three different areas, none of which was ever too crowded to discourage you from filling up. It was also nice to see roaming medics periodically throughout the day, checking on people. As fans of harm reduction, we’re suckers for stuff like that.

Part of what made FVDED so special for us was the crowds. There was a pretty diverse group of people, lots of different types of festival fashion to admire, and some wicked rad totems. Plus, it never hurts to have the person trying to get by you actually say, “Excuse me” or “Sorry.” Way to go Canada, you’re still the nicest!

Day 1 we wandered around a lot, checking out as many artists as we could. Since the venue isn’t too large, it was easy to split sets into two or even three pieces if you were really passionate about doing so. The weather was sunny but didn’t even hit 75 degrees, so we didn’t feel that sun-drain that we sometimes feel at outdoor festivals. We had all the energy in the world to go check out DJ Mustard, REZZ, Marshmello, RJ Grime, Tchami, Giraffage, and of course Jack Ü.

We saw REZZ at Paradiso, and she stole our hearts then, and seeing her at FVDED in the Park exceeded our expectations yet again. Her intimate set in the FVDED Lab tent, where she dropped Funkhole by Destroid straight into Bassnectar’s Basshead wowed our little basshead brains. She blends techno and bass seemingly effortlessly, as the crowd looks around at each other smiling, yet confused and pleased. If you get the opportunity to catch REZZ anytime soon, do not miss the chance. Her set at the Celebrities afterparty was even more insane. We’re glad to see this lady on the rise, because she’s earning her way to the top!

Some of our favorite moments from the weekend were at the FVDED Lab, actually. We got chill-fun-groovy with Giraffage there on Day 1, and got funky with Pomo on Day 2. Pomo was one of the best sets of the weekend, if you ask us. Our whole group had rendezvoused at the Lab for the set, and we just grooved with all the happy Canadians (and visitors) at the back of the tent. Any time we needed a spot to recharge or meet up, it would always be at the FVDED Lab because it was always the jam.

For many of us, it was our first time seeing Jack Ü, who threw down a surprisingly bass-heavy set. Their album would have you expecting more mainstage trap than we got. It was surprising in a good way, that would have us heading to whatever stage Jack Ü was at the next time we come across them. As much fun as Jack Ü was, it was nothing compared to what we experienced at the afterparties.

We told you that REZZ basically changed our lives at Celebrities, and Tchami absolutely threw down. There’s definitely something to be said for having a longer set time at a smaller venue, where it feels like the artist can really guide you on a journey. While some of us opted for the house-heavy afterparty, most of us had chosen the Diplo afterparty at the Commodore Ballroom because we had a sliver of hope that Skrillex would show up to play a surprise set (’cause you know, he does that!) Turns out that we were right, but it was less of a surprise, with Blueprint announcing the addition of Skrillex a couple days before the show.