Bassnectar's Be Interactive Was an Empowering and Inclusive Experience

Focusing on women empowerment and supplying Nashville students with essential healthcare supplies, Bassnectar’s Be Interactive was everything I could’ve hoped for and more.

My journey into bass music has been quite a long and interesting one. Beginning many years ago, Bassnectar was one of the first artists I listened to from the genre. Though I found myself indulging other EDM genres, I eventually came back to bass and attached myself to heavy dubstep and freeform. Due to several poor interactions with elitist bassheads online that drove me away, it wasn’t until relatively recently that I became wrapped up in the spell of Bassnectar’s sound and close-knit community. For quite some time I had wanted to attend a curated event and I finally made my dreams come true with Be Interactive in Nashville.

From the second I neared Municipal Auditorium, I could feel a shift in energy like I had never felt before at any of the festivals or shows I had previously attended. There wasn’t a single face that wasn’t smiling from ear to ear, and strangers standing next to each other in line became close friends in a matter of seconds. Everywhere I turned, there was a friend who I only needed to meet, a long-lost family member, a steady support system and a hand to hold.

Each season of Be Interactive centers around a specific theme. The first Be Interactive, which took place in San Francisco last September, emphasized the importance of voting. This year’s summer edition of the event focused on healthcare, with initiatives set in place for women’s healthcare and the healthcare of young students in Nashville. Featuring support from Truth, Mr. Carmack, LSDREAM, and Rhaksha, Be Interactive brought me unmatched unity and positivity from the basshead community.

Related: Check out Dan’s recap of the first ever Be Interactive in 2018!

The night kicked off with a deliciously deep dubstep set from Rhaksha.

While others took to the stands to secure their spots for the night, my group and I decided to find a spot directly in the middle of the pit. The night would be a beautifully intimate experience; with Municipal Auditorium’s seating capacity being just under ten thousand, this would be one of Bassnectar’s smaller gatherings. That wouldn’t hold the openers back, though. Rhaksha dragged everyone under her spell with ominous wubs and soul-shattering basslines that shook us to the core.

Up next was one of my personal favorites of the night, LSDREAM.

Having caught LSDREAM in action before, I was looking forward to a set filled with psychedelic visuals and a vast array of music, and I was not disappointed. Playing everything from his hit song “HELLO HUMAN” to several bops off his most recent album, LSDREAM’s set got everyone in Municipal shaking their hips to each intergalactic sound wave.

Around this time was when the floor began to get extremely packed as attendees flooded in.

With seemingly little to no air circulation, it quickly got excessively hot and uncomfortable and would remain that way for the rest of the night. Despite the heat, Mr. Carmack serenaded us with a blend of feather-light melodies and deep, juicy trap beats, which was a perfect warm-up for Truth’s hauntingly dark set. Both members of the bass duo were relentless as they hit us with wave after wave of delectably gross dubstep, giving me permanent bass face for the entirety of their set.

bassnectar be interactive 2019 — Photo Credit: aLIVE Coverage

After the openers finished, people took their seats and stared at the glowing lavender bassdrop on the screen, awaiting what was to come.

In my short time following Bassnectar, I’ve fallen in love with just how unpredictable he and his sets are. My friends and I tossed around ideas as to what he would open with or what sonic direction he’d take, and the best part was that no one knew with 100% certainty what he would do.

He opened with “Hot Right Now”, which is the track one of my friends had guessed he’d open with days prior, and a majestic display of orange and yellow lasers swirled and twinkled with each resounding bass kick.

With such a heater of an opener, I assumed Bassnectar would cut us a break before slapping us in the face with bass again. Upon hearing the lyrics of “Ugly” trickle into the background, I gladly realized I was mistaken. This was one of the tracks I’d been chasing for a while, with it being one of my favorite Nectar tracks of all time. The energy in the room was intoxicating as thousands of bodies swung themselves around to each gnarly pop of bass.

The rest of the night was filled with elements of trap and DnB, though there were plenty of moments that hit me straight in my feels and others that had everyone getting straight ignorant. From classics such as “Don’t Hate the 808” and “Thursty”, to sensual heaters such as “The Future”, Bassnectar’s set was everything I didn’t know I needed and so much more.

Overall, I am extremely proud to call Be Interactive 2019 my first curated event, and I am excited to see what else Bassnectar has in store.

I can’t describe the feeling of being immersed in a crowd of thousands of like-minded individuals. Be Interactive wasn’t just about Bassnectar and getting to hear some good music – it was about finding reflections of yourself in strangers in the crowd and caring for people you’ve never met before like you’ve known them all your life. It was a pause in time where people could come together and connect over music, identities, political activism and just being human. I can’t wait to see what Bassnectar comes up with for future editions of Be Interactive and other curated events!