Positive: Saturday night was amazing. I liked all of the djs I saw and with 5 stages, there was ALWAYS something that I was really into and couldn't stop myself from staying and dancing. Mando was definitely my favorite set (he even dropped Warp by the bloody beetroots so I got to get a nice "ONE TWO WHOOP WHOOP!" in there).

The main stage music was amazing too, and the lights were also badass. All of those screens plus the projection onto the mountain was great.

Just as it started to get dark we had a really nice prayer for peace which was totally amazing and was a great way to start off the night.

So all in all, the rave portion of Earth Dance was everything I hoped it would be.

Negative: However, Earth Dance was supposed to be more than just a rave. It was supposed to be a 33 hour long event. The fact that it would be 33 hours long was stated in capital letters all of the place. "FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER 33 HOUR LONG EVENT!!!" etc.

My friend and I decided to skip friday night and get there really early on saturday morning so we could do all the guided meditation, yoga, and all the other stuff they had planned for the morning (and what we felt where the parts that set Earth Dance apart from a regular rave)

So we walk into the "festival" at 6:30 am and waited for the techno to stop (which it did around 7am).

We continued to wait a little bit, but nothing was happening, nobody walking out of the main stage to start meditation/yoga or anything.

So we went back to the car and slept for a couple hours, came back out and saw a circle of about 5 or 6 people doing yoga or something at the main stage, but then saw them get up and walk away. Then again, nothing. By this time it was about 9 or 10am. So we just left the venue and drove around peoria for a while looking for stuff to do (we found that you can ride in a glider for $109 dollars, but we didn't have the money for that haha).

All in all we basically killed the entire day just messing around in stores in the area and checking in on Earth Dance every now and then. We even talked to the Kind Smoke vendors who said they were hoping for the meditation portion as well, and it never happened.

Since the schedule was SO off, we couldn't possibly know when any bands would start or end. At noon, there was no fair/circus or whatever it was supposed to be, and there were no bands playing, and nobody there.

When night came, things actually started happening, and then the rest of our friends showed up and the rave started, which was AMAZING.

But all in all, we all expected Earth Dance to be more than just a rave, and it flat out didn't deliver.

Now I can understand that it's not entirely the promoters fault (we heard some people talking about how almost all of the vendors backed out of the deal because they couldn't pay the fee, which ended up in a very weak "vendor village")

And also one of the guards told us that part of the highway was getting blocked off so people were going to have a hard time getting in. I don't know if that messed anyone up but it definitely could have.

But the fact that there was absolutely nothing going on for all of the morning and all through the day on saturday (I think the prayer for peace was around 6:30 or 7pm and it was supposed to be at 4pm), just sucked because we expected so much more.

To be honest...there are a whole lot of raves that promise SO SO much and just don't do any of it. I mean...Guaranteed Lei was supposed to have coconut bowling and a limbo and that didn't happen. I've seen "Stringing competition" advertised a bunch of times, but never seen it actually happen. And set times are almost never correct which makes it hard to see the djs you've come for. Don't get me wrong, I always have A LOT of fun. But they didn't deliver like they said they would, and it gets annoying when you keep getting your hopes up over and over.

Please!!!! Please please please! The next promoter that uses the whole "This will be something special" pitch. Will you PLEASE deliver, and actually give us what you promise. I'm a bit tired of being lied to. --inb4 "they just want money" I already know that.

Anyway, thanks for the great night on Saturday, it was a blast :)

Actually that was me =)

Actually your still all my songs....lol

I agree 100% with you grind, i stopped falling for the bullshit pitches after glow. Even still this was supposed to be "not just a rave" so i got a little hyped for the daytime activities. there was nothing!!! it was a ghost town!!! fri night was great though!! awesome vibes and really cool people. the daytime however... epic total fail!!!!!!!! and my apologies to all the vendors that had to stay all day long!!!!!!

Yeah, the day time was major WHACK,
Didn't expect a whole lot oudda Saturday during the day, but man when it hit 9 pm,
Then it was bumpin.

Wow, sounds good that I left at 7am Saturday morning.
For my first rave, shit yeah, Earthdance needs to happen sooner.

Either way haha, at the last stage, way in the back, I know I saw mando-rockz' face haha. To be fair I was rocking out pretty damn hard so I may be mistaken.

And I'll just throw this out there: any dj should feel free to drop Warp at any time :) I'll be there screaming the "whoop whoop!"

Wow, that's a nice looking stage!

Thanks Nick !!

Chris that stage was AMAZING. Best stage I ever seen in the desert.

Thanks .

but just to clarify the design and Rig was All Phoenix light Lab,

i just helped set up Run the Lighting and Tear down.

It's the people who make the party! Start your own meditation circle! It's about us! It's about love! It's about co-creation.

You want something to happen, make it happen. We all have that power. I couldve just sat my ass in the dirt and started something.

But I was at Nocturnal.

Love you all<3

Lighting looked great both nights :)