Kaskade came to play in Long Beach last weekend for the second coming his Sunsoaked Beach Party. The festival brought 8 DJs, and over 30,000 ravers to the coast for 7 hours continuous beats.
So how did it stack up to the prior year? The best change: Atmosphere. Get it? “Atmosphere.” Ok, anyway, this year’s Sunsoaked stepped up the festival atmosphere with more focus on the amenities. More open ground, a giant inflatable slide, water stations, shaded areas with picnic tables and giant mist fans.
MOST IMPORTANT…the food and beverage options were a night and day difference from last year. While 2017 consisted basic picnic fare, 4 bar lines that took 2 hours to get through, and closed 2 hours before the show ended, 2018 brought more variety. Well known food options, including food trucks, and quadruple the number bar stations was a good improvement. Unfortunately, it still took awhile to get through the food line and another hour to get a drink. The experience could be improved with the addition a cash only line and an increased sense urgency by food and beverage vendors.
In the end, that disappointment was quickly erased by a clearly upgraded sound system and a Kaskade set I would rank in my top two personal favorite performances. His energy and upbeat set, mixing both new and old tracks lifted the crowd out their heat exhaustion and dehydration. Creating a beach party vibe that left us all counting the days until Sunsoaked 2019.
