USC Events has been working to refine their efforts and performances more and more every year

I make mentions of this because last year alone, USC Events made changes in response to their patrons from switching stage locations, sound system upgrade, long line situations to revamping their entire guest services team. Not only was I impressed with these revamps at Lucky Festival 2019, but I can easily say that my opinion was also a consensus.

Upon arrival to the event, I first noticed how quickly the line was moving because after Resolution 2019, my only real complaint was the slow process to get in. This was eventually resolved because we were inside within 15 minutes and that’s when the magic really started as the dome was filled with varieties of decorations covering all the areas.

We first went into the Leprechaun’s Lair to catch the last half of SoDown’s set and the first thing I noticed was the stage set as in previous years, the bass cave is usually lacking on LED screens but this time around the entire wall was decorated like it were the side of a castle. It really captured the atmosphere as if you were sitting in a dimly lit dungeon with fake foliage along the walls giving a more realistic feeling.

The sound design was also phenomenal as you could feel the bass reach in the back of the room. This really complimented SoDown’s set as his logo also felt cohesive with the room’s setup. Seeing SoDown play the saxophone so flawlessly in an amazing sound system was one of the best first impressions I’ve had at a show in a while. I was upset that I only caught par of his set, but I recently found out that I’ll be seeing him later in the summer.

Afterward, we caught Champagne Drip ‘b2b’ Zeke Beats and I was excited that USC finally notice Zeke Beats talent. Having seen him twice, I was impressed once more but I was not digging the ‘b2b’ with Champagne Drip’s musical styles. I think both would have done phenomenally individually as I’ve never been a huge fan of ‘b2b’ and this one felt really off to me; but moments later, time was made up with Will Spark’s set which really blew me away.  

The main stage production had about 12 narrow but long LED screens with very high concert style hanging intelligent lighting that covered the dance floor very well. I was blown away by the amount of lights the main stage offered as it felt like there was so much happening at once, and I mean that in the best way possible.

I was in awed with the Clover Park where there was a rainbow shooting straight across the entire area that lead to a full banner at the end of it. The area was full of local artists as well as interactive activities parading each corner. It was a massive upgrade from any chill zone up to date, and it began to make more sense when I heard that USC collaborated with WAVES (another EDM/artist event company). I hope this isn’t the last time we see these two entities work together as the payoff of their conjoined efforts really shined.

I was so distracted by all of the surroundings and its ambience that I only enjoyed hearing Feed Me‘s set which wasn’t so bad when the sound system quality sounded superb, as I recalled him playing tracks from his new album.  

When 3LAU came on, my friend and I decided to sit in the stands at the top where the view was amazing. You could see the entire main stage perfectly; every flash of lights and visual effects were intensified as it came into full view and still noticed even detail in decorations around the balconies. There was a performer hanging from the ceiling on a moon prop in front of one of the balconies which gave her a beautiful silhouette in front of the stage. With so much distraction going around, my favorite moment of 3LAU‘s set was when he played Alice Deejay‘s “Better Off Alone” as his neon pinks and blues paraded the walls. 

We ascended back into the crowd to as close as we could get to the stage when Adventure Club came on. There intro was the most suspenseful I had witnessed most recently. As the drop picked up, you could hear vibrations of screams that made the crowd head bang straight from start to finish. My favorite drop was when they played a clip of Bring Me the Horizon‘s “Can You Feel My Heart”. I didn’t feel like Adventure Club‘s visuals were much of the focus as it felt subpar from other times. They still incorporated old visuals like asteroids from space to crumbling cities, but again I was more enveloped by their drops and mixing capabilities.

My favorite part of the night was giving hand shows but I had someone who wanted to try it out, and that’s when “Youth” came on. I had been waiting to hear this song as it is my favorite of theirs. As it played, I glided my hands with other ravers following to the beat of the song as we danced together and tried doing different hand movements. I wish I could relive that moment multiple times as it was one of the few that I’ve experienced in raving that truly made me feel connected with strangers of my community.  

It was finally time for Galantis and the last time they came to Seattle was for my first ever USC Event, Freaknight 2016. They left an impression on me that inspired me to continue raving and be involved in the community. The crowd waited a while as they set up their drums. They played classics like “Peanut Butter Jelly”, as well as their new hit “Bones”, featuring One Republic. I couldn’t help but jump up and down the entire set as their visuals were mostly from their music videos and scenes of magical forests. Galantis ended their set with one of their most popular hits “Runaway (U & I)”; this song was when I felt that feeling I experienced when I first saw them years ago. Watching the crowd unify to the lyrics of the song as well as people in the stands jumping to the beat made me feel so infinite. 

USC upped their game with Lucky Festival 2019 and my expectation for them has risen as I have a good feeling they won’t let me, or anyone else in our community down. This was a big step for EDM music culture in the Pacific Northwest.

-Jeffrey Davis