SoCal – Dark Psy ‘Open Up’ Recap
The month of July in SoCal has been a trance heaven ranging from some amazing locals to legends
On Saturday, July 22nd, Dreamstate presented Open Up, and the event was definitely one for the books. Held at the beautiful historic Belasco Theater in Downtown LA, Open Up in simplest was one hell of a show!
Trance Family LA were there early as we took our normal spots spread across the front left. This allows us to find each other providing us space to dance and not be cramp. This spot has become my favorite for the view as you take on the full theatrical sounds and lighting. In recent years, the venue has been transformed to be a powerhouse of sound and lights in LA; whereas, the acoustics of the old theater weren’t built for the electronic music sound, but Dreamstate and Insomniac have put an investment to make sure the sound continuously gets better.
The lineup was a mix of techno, progressive, tech, and psy trance. Each performer was amazing with a true progression of sound. Starting with the dark techno sounds of Kane Michael was followed by the progressive sounds of Gai Barone to a 90-min of music mastery by John Askew. Next was one of the best sets I have seen in recent memory from Simon Patterson and onto some heart pounding psy by Avalon as we closed out the night by one of the greatest producer doing what he does best, Sean Tyas.
Open Up was a memorable event because of the dark nature of the opening acts. I love trance, but hearing some good hard techno just makes the body go. Kane Michael dressed up in a suit and tie as if he was going to some formal event, laid down some ‘sexy techno’. I was so amped up to see Gai Barone in the back of the theater grooving out while getting his blood pumped up for his set was a real highlight. I love when DJs like Kane interacted in the crowd, greeting fans and showing some love back to Gai. For many in the crowd, it was the first time seeing Gai and from the feedback I received, no one was disappointed.
John Askew and Gai Barone were my favorite sets of the night. Their music seamlessly did not miss a beat when the two switched and their journeys were musical bliss. Spending it with my trance family was even more special. My goal that night was to meet John Askew in person and get my infamous photo and flag signed. A definite success, as I was able to get pictures with all the DJs with my flag signed as well.
I cannot wait for the next Dreamstate event yearning for a lifetime of memories, music that makes my heart swell, and a stronger bond to both my trance family and the music overall.
-Danielle Sanders
CLICK HERE for more pictures courtesy of Dreamstate
