Even from the parking lot you could feel the love in the air; couples, best friends, and onesie crews all gravitated towards the ground-shaking speakers of the Damus Arena for another installment of Insomniac’s Valentine’s Day event, Crush SoCal.
Insomniac Masters the Small Venue Experience
As people bolted for the stage and others frolicked to the heart installation for their future Facebook profile pic, strings of red lights illuminated the grounds of the NOS Events Center. The event venue was small, but Insomniac has mastered the art of concert and festival curation. You know the cliché phrase, “big things come in small packages?” Well, Crush was the epitome of it. While listening to one set after another, you could dance to your heart’s content for nine hours at just one stage.
Even for a sold out event, the arena comfortably accommodated all attendees. I had a great dancing spot (with room!) for each set. Although I did not have a huge crew this time, I saw lot of groups easily make it to the front to dance their nights away.
After each set, I took a lap for fresh air by heading out the exit and back around to the arena entrance. There were speakers outside the arena for the many people taking rest breaks or waiting on friends to return from the restrooms or water refill stations. None of us missed a beat while cooling down. Food carts and beer stations for 21+ attendees were easily accessible. Each time I returned, I would follow the wall as far as I could to the front and then enter the middle with no problem.
Music + Love = Crush SoCal 2016
The venue was great, but the music was what we were all there for. Sweet & Low and Kotch started the night off with some grimy beats. Kotch even mixed in some Gesaffelstein (my favorite!). KRNE, Wuki, and Wiwek followed and held down the decks for an hour each. They had the whole crowd bouncing from front to back. At 11 o’clock, I headed back into the arena for some Don Diablo house time and was showered with a confetti hearts greeting. Borgeous took the stage at midnight and played an electric set that included a mix of his old and new tracks and kept the crowd lit. I began to get my second wind of energy as Tritonal and Dash Berlin took the stage. Tritonal brought tons of energy and played nearly every one of their songs you wanted to hear. I was really hoping to hear the synthy progression of ‘Still With Me,’ but I was satisfied with ‘Blackout’ and ‘Until You Were Gone.’
Dash Berlin as the headliner could not have been a better way to end the night. He took the decks from 2AM-3AM. As groups began to leave, the remaining music lovers were dazzled with mesmerizing lasers and engulfed in bass.
As the night winded down, the smell the bacon wrapped hot dogs being cooked by locals filled the air outside the event exit . All in all, Crush SoCal 2016 was an awesome time. The arena had great sound and the lineup was stacked. The great vibes from the crowd rounded off the Crush experience.
Thanks, Insomniac, for Crush SoCal 2016! The Chainsmokers, Tommy Trash, and Seven Lions last year. Dash Berlin, Tritonal, and Borgeous this year. I can’t wait to see who will be on the lineup next year!
