DMNW on the Road: Celebrating America’s Birthday at FVDED in the Park

[authorbox authorid=”14″ title=”Letter From the Editor”]

Dear Northwest Ravers,

June is a tiring month to love music and live in the Northwest. I knew of plenty of people who did some combination of WTFest, EDC, and Paradiso, and some who even peeled themselves off the floor to do all three. This year, I opted for just Paradiso, and even that was an exhausting experience. As fun as it was, 100 degree heat is difficult to deal with no matter where you are, in the end it made for a draining albeit exciting weekend. FVDED in the Park though was the antithesis of the typical summer festival.

More than anything, we were afforded the freedom to relax in a party-friendly atmosphere. The 19 and up beer garden provided plenty of space if you didn’t feel like braving the crowds, while the modest two-stage/small park setup kept things relatively low key. At no point did we feel the claustrophobic auditory assault that tends to plague a majority of larger festivals. Instead, it was an entirely relaxing way to take in what was an incredible lineup of music.

On the smaller stage, we were treated to a beautifully weird array of music, featuring everything from Pete Tong and Destructo’s brand of minimal house, to the instrumental grooves of Paradiso alum Haywyre. The real action though took place on the mainstage, where artists like Chuckie, Flosstradamus, and The Chainsmokers kept everyone plenty satisfied. The real highlight came at the end of Day 1, where deadmau5 delivered a stunning hour and a half of music, set to his brand new tour setup that really needs to be seen to be believed.

Festival season is exhausting. Something about standing on your feet for 8-10 hours at a time during the hottest months of the year while surrounded by music that will inevitably make us all deaf in 40 years tends to take its toll. FVDED in the Park was a blessed respite from this, more than any 4th of July celebration we would have taken part in back in the States. Oh Canada indeed.

Sincerely,

The Editor-in-Chief