Trance music and its dreamers set sail for a new destination…

…and disembarked at the Port of Los Angeles Berth 46 the weekend of June 11th and 12th, aptly naming it Dreamstate Harbor which came just seven months after the annual Dreamstate SoCal held at the NOS Center. With two days and nine hours each day of trance music right on the water, this was the closest thing to a beach paradise.

Berth 46 is a beautiful, small and intimate outdoor venue which was one thing I loved about it. Everywhere you went, you were bound to see a familiar face. There was room to roam, dance, sit and talk without screaming in each other’s ears. That’s what made the harbor so appealing was the intimacy of it all. No matter if you lost the group you came with, you could easily find another friend group until you were bound to meet up with your original crew sometime later. Although it did have a grassy area to sit, chill and eat, it did not provide much shade, which for those who burn easily, sunscreen was a must considering this event started at 3PM rather than 5PM.

There was ample parking even though it was a fairly far walk from the venue, it was much more organized than it would’ve been at NOS. Getting to rideshare was also much more organized it seemed than calling one at NOS.

The only gripe that I really have with Dreamstate Harbor was the ticket price of VIP and the lack of amenities/cool perks that VIP usually comes with. Yes, it came with better bathrooms, but with such an intimate and older mature crowd, porta potties never got to be that bad. I mean, granted, getting drinks were easier in VIP than in GA but it still doesn’t justify it being over $300, when a GA ticket with taxes and fees were around $150-$170, depending on the tier you bought at.

I really enjoyed the minimalist production that Dreamstate Harbor had. It let the music speak for itself and really showcased how well the artist could pull and keep the audience engaged and dancing. The lineup for each day was very well put together, and flowed well. I love that there were local talents such as the psy duo Sidekicks, Vangar, Mr. Brooks, and Jorza. There were so many incredible sets, but the Hydra stage was the place to be on Sunday as it showcased tech trance and hard trance. There was so much foot stomping and fist pumping, to the high-end energy sets from Ganesh, and on closing with Renegade System and Bryan Kearney. Each day, Aquaria stage was packed, showcasing uplifting on Saturday and progressive on Sunday.

Of all the sets, Vangar “Vanessa Garcia”, friend and beloved LA local was the set to not miss. It was her festival debut and she smashed that dance floor. It was amazing to see the support that came out for her, including other DJs. She finally got to showcase who she really was by playing tech/hard trance. She did not let up, and set the tone for the rest of the artists that day.

No matter who you decided to see, there was a sound for everyone. Whether you wanted uplifting, psy trance, progressive, tech trance, or hard trance, Dreamstate Harbor had it all.

I really hope this event will become an annual thing.

-Sharissa Garcia