As the sun began to set and the masses scrambled across the basin floor of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in search of their favorite stages, the Bassrush bassPOD immediately filled to capacity as heads like Definitive and Kove kickstarted the proceedings by unleashing a series of massive bass bombs that had the crowd stepping and moving.
TrollPhace and Getter delivered the party vibes as expected, and even though all of the early sets were plagued by power issues that interrupted the flow, it wasn’t until 12th Planet was due to step up that his very presence seemed to pull the plug and plunge the stage into darkness. As crews scrambled to resolve the power issue backstage, the bassPOD crowd held tight in a united front that made it obvious just how important the bassPOD experience is to their EDC experience.
When the sound came up, 12th Planet stepped up to the decks. Even though he was squeezed for time, he delivered an expertly crafted selection of bits that ranged from peak-time burners to old-school vibes that had the crowd bubbling.
Thankfully, all of the technical issues seemed to be resolved by the time Snails took the stage, and the vomitstep king definitely put the PK Sound Trinity rig to the test. Bulldozing his way through the crowd with a multi-sensory show that enveloped the crowd in a mix of visuals and full-on fire, the crowd had swelled to capacity and was on the verge of exploding.
Sigma shifted gears into drum & bass territory with an ill mix of anthemic, hands-in-the-air vibes before the Executioner himself eased up to the decks and proceeded to put on a master clinic in DJing. Teasing and double-dropping new and old-school classics alike, Andy C not only flexed with his selections and mastery of the music, but his ability to remain cool, calm and collected throughout it all—even in the Vegas heat—was legendary. Equally impressive was Armanni Reign, whose smooth lyrical flow and addictive energy seemed to elevate the evening’s proceedings to a higher level.
There seemed to be nowhere the energy could go from here, but as the Never Say Die crew unleashed a two-hour takeover, the vibes continued to build as Zomboy led the charge before Skism and Laxx brought down the house with their own signature filth.
To close out the first night in proper style, Dieselboy stepped up to the decks and dropped nothing but heavy-metal thunder, tune after tune, with the crowd calling out for more until the horizon began to lighten, hinting that the sun was on its way.
All in all it was a huge night that even technical difficulties couldn’t stand in the way of. As each DJ built on the vibes of the other, the energy out on the floor of the bassPOD seemed to gel into a powerful energy all its own. As the last bassline rumbled across the valley floor of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the heads were already looking forward to the stacked lineup on night two, calling out to each other who they were most excited to see. All we can say is get there early and stay latei—t’s going to be another night of bassline destruction in the bassPOD!
