Paradiso has come and gone, but we definitely haven’t forgotten about it. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, love dance music and are always looking for a great time, then hopefully you made it. Of course, Dance Music Northwest took part in the biggest EDM music festival in Washington State, and we are here to break down the two-day dance music wonderland for you.
Entry and Exit
Heading in early seemed to behoove festival-goes this year as far as lines go, but the report across the board was that getting into the festival was way less of a hassle than previous years. While wait times did get up to an hour and a half, most of our staff got in in less than 20 minutes. Security this year at the festival was swift and easy; Live Nation seems to have upped its game (or finally put all the feedback to use). All-in-all we were impressed with entry this year.
Leaving the venue always takes a bit of time since everyone stays until the last act (which you should do), and the weather did get a little chilly, but the mass exodus was generally painless as well.
Venue and Stages
This year, the Wreckage and Digital Oasis stages switched locations to allow for an increased amount of bassheads over the years. From the decoration to production, Wreckage blew it out of the water. There was even a wrecked plane by the stage. And the main stage will always have a place in our hearts because of the GORGEous background. We really are spoiled out here.
The rest of the venue was on par with previous years with a variety of vendors, the usual carnival rides, and a chill dome for those who needed a break from the sun. While the Gorge’s water stations need a serious upgrade, obtaining water in a timely fashion did not seem to be a huge problem this year. Either there were more accessible stations, or people weren’t drinking enough water (hopefully the former).
Food
Food is something that the Gorge can definitely work on. The food is pretty much the same each and every year, in and out of the venue. More options for food trucks inside the venue would be very nice unless you are fine with gyros, burgers, etc. We’ve seen too many Instagram pics of gourmet Coachella fare, and we are hungry! But most importantly…
The Music
Day 1:
Kayzo hyped up the wreckage stage this year with a headbanging set that got people energized and exhausted. Wreckage was filled with eager headbangers early on the first day of the festival, and Kayzo played hits such as Whistle Wars.
Seven Lions played main stage, and it was a set filled with love, bass and more. Many people who had seen Seven Lions at EDC said this would be a set not to miss, and they did deliver. Day 1 of Paradiso was filled with “vibey” music from some of the best EDM artists.
For those who closed out the night at the Wreckage, it was said that Flux Pavilion b2b Doctor P was pure madness and a great way to burn off every remaining bit of energy.
Though the set was a bit delayed, Porter Robinson was the perfect choice to close out day 1 of Paradiso at the main stage. Porter filled the stage from the pit to the hill, and the feels filled in every inch in between. After playing his originals Divinity, Flicker, and ending with Shelter, Language, and fireworks, there were many faces flowing with tears. Such a beautiful and humble performance with insane visuals.
Day 2:
BTSM has some of the most dedicated fans out there. When BTSM stepped on stage, the fans had flags, shirts and everything in between flying high. From EDC to Paradiso, BTSM puts on an insane show for the festival goers. Being earlier in the day, unfortunately, there were no lasers. It was still a great show regardless.
Rabbit in the Moon was a new one to us, but definitely a show worth seeing even if you aren’t a biggest fan of the 90s psychedelic trance sound. Their visuals were so bizarre (including a woman getting paint dumped on her, a person in one of those giant crowd balls, and a “resist Shia Labeouf” montage), it was definitely a treat for anyone who caught it.
And who else would you ask to play a sunset set but Griz. The funky jazzy dance music DJ played a slower set to accompany the sunset behind mainstage for the first half of his set, and filled the second half of the set with bright lasers and originals hits. It was a great way to cool off from the long hot day and build up the energy for the rest of the night.
If you want colorful, fun, trippy visuals, Marshmello is the set to go to. The masked artist brought all the fun vibes to the Gorge, with the crowd singing along to Alone, Moving On, Chasing Colors. Marshmello closed out his set with his Hello remix, one of the best remixes out there in our opinion.
And while we’re sure people had a great throwback experience seeing Tiësto at the Gorge for the umpteenth time, most of DMNW decided, “Why wouldn’t you want to break your neck one last time before ending the magical weekend?”
Zomboy closed out the Wreckage, and the stage was absolutely packed. Nothing but HARD bass all throughout the set, with some Excision, Chainsmokers and throw back tunes mixed in. When it was over, we were spent, and we got our money’s worth.
To sum it up: Paradiso was incredible, emotional, amazing, and we are counting down to Paradiso 2018 already. USC Events did a superb job with the lineup this year, and can’t wait to see what is next.
What did you think about Paradiso this year? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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