It was all about Kaskade and the West Coast love

If you were some of the lucky ones that grabbed tickets, then you partook in this amazing beach party. I had just seen Kaskade played a secret set at EDCLV, but that was such a tease being that SoCal hasn’t had any Kaskade love in a while.  I wanted more, so when I heard he would be doing his beach show – Sun Soaked – on July 15^th in Long Beach, I jumped on it.

Some people may or not understand your affinity for an artist, and when I first heard Kaskade, I fell in love with his music instantly. Through my best friend, I connected with Kaskade Konnect and if you haven’t heard of them, it is a fan group for the amazing man himself. The group was putting together a pre-party BBQ at a park nearby the event and I started to count the down the days. Kaskade has some of the best fans I have ever seen.

My girl Mayra picked me up to head out to Bixby Park for the unlimited tacos, merchandise, Kaskade cupcakes, pictures and good company.  Everyone was welcomed at the Kaskade Konnect picnic for fun and games. There was a $15 fee to partake in all the eating and free merchandise, which is not bad at all.  Parking was a little crazy in Long Beach, so getting early is of essence. Once we arrived, there were so many people having fun playing games, hooping, mingling, crafting and plainly enjoying the perfect day.

I saw familiar faces but got to meet new friends as well.  Fans of Kaskade love his music because it has given them therapy and happiness in a time of hardship which has done the same for me.  I want to give a big thanks to Raquel and Chris for being so amazing that day. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them, go say ‘hi’.  They are like the power rave couple who has great love for Kaskade. I would have probably felt a little lost if it wasn’t for them.

2PM was around the corner and we headed toward Alamitos Beach where the concert was to take place. The World Series of Beach Volleyball was being held near Sun Soaked, so there were a few things to do before entering. Mayra and I decided to hit up the bar, and good thing we did because inside the concert area the alcohol lines were long. Bought merchandises right away and scoped out the grounds. There were various places for photo ops, shade and water misting areas to cool down.

There were four acts before hand consisting of Bynon, Ravell b2b Lipless, SNBRN, and GRYFFIN.  I only caught the last two and I wanted to position myself before the big act. The energy was peaking at its best; everywhere I looked was smiles and the beach party vibe was in full effect.

As Kaskade finally took stage for his 3-hour set, it was crazy happiness. Have you ever felt so at peace and didn’t want a moment to end? Yup, that’s how Sun Soaked felt. For those lucky ones who were crazy enough to purchase ticket, all I have to say is ‘best choice of your life’. The fans showed him how much we needed this reunion and Kaskade gave us so much love back. You could tell he was excited to be back by playing Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it like its hot” along with my favorite part of his remix of Fleetwood Mac “Dreams” and also hearing some Lana Del Rey. He played all his goodies and everyone was immersing in the moment just singing along and hugging each other around.

It all felt like a magical dream now, and I hope the rumors are true that another Sun Soaked party for next year may happen. I suggest for anyone who missed out, treat yourself, splurge a little and this experience will be totally worth it.

Ugh take me back!!!

-Renee Morales