Dreamscape Festival Day 2 Recap + Photos
–Written by Kevin Madert
I awoke to a dull gray sky. The chatter of birds echoed through the trees over my tent. Interspersed were the overlapping conversations of others who’d either just woken up or hadn’t yet gone to bed. I checked my phone, hoping to see four digits. 8:45 – damn. I try for maybe ten more minutes to fall back asleep, fail, sit up, and rub last night from my eyes. Unzipping my tent, I step out into the cool post-dawn mist and into the second day of Dreamscape.
Happenstance has other ideas as a vibration in my pocket informs me of some rather unfortunate news. A friend who’d left the festival for work around when I went to bed (call it crazy, call it dedication) had blown a tire not once but twice on the Baltimore Beltway. My next several hours were spent on a round trip journey to fetch him from the mechanic’s shop, with a stop at Chipotlé wedged in between. All the alone time (my friend slept through most of the drive back) saw me thinking about how the day would unfold. How would the music compare? The crowds? Could it top Friday? Thoughts ran rampant as I eased under the shade of a low-branched tree behind the eerie white house that served as the Dreamscape ops center and put my car in park.
Read More
Dreamscape Festival Day 1 Recap + Photos
–Written by Kevin Madert
Over the weekend, the annual event known as Dreamscape experienced a plethora of firsts in its fourth year of existence. It was the first year Badass Raves chose to expand the event into a two-day festival. As a result, it was also the first time Dreamscape called Camp Ramblewood home, allowing attendees to pitch tents and spend the weekend in rural Darlington, MD. Perhaps most relevant to this write-up is the fact that it was the first time I attended a Dreamscape – after the weekend I had, it certainly won’t be my last.
Ended up parked all the way in the back of Camp Ramblewood. Nice view though.
Read More
Dreamscape Festival Local Spotlight
–Written by Kevin Madert
Dreamscape is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to join Badvss Raves and all of you at Camp Ramblewood May 8-10. In the days leading up to the festival, we’re hoping to get you better acquainted with some of the artists playing the festival; if you read about them here on the AltFreq page, you should definitely catch their performances at Dreamscape.
2Rip
The fearless leader of Badass Raves since its inception (sometime in the late Jurassic period), 2Rip is equal parts man, myth, and legend. With over a decade of DJing experience under his belt in myriad genres catching one of his sets a bit like playing Russian roulette, with all six shots replaced by your new favorite songs. Nothing but respect from AltFreq for this scene staple and local legend; that sunrise set in particular shouldn’t be missed. Set times: City Of Dreams, 3:00AM-4:00AM Saturday; Pool Stage, 5:30AM-7:00AM Saturday
Dreamscape Festival Undercard Spotlight
Written by Kevin Madert
Dreamscape is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to join Badvss Raves and all of you at Camp Ramblewood May 8-10. In the days leading up to the festival, we’re hoping to get you better acquainted with some of the artists playing the festival; if you read about them here on the AltFreq page, you should definitely catch their performances at Dreamscape.
Festival lineups these days are often loaded with big names – so much so that it’s easy for the smaller print to be overlooked or unheralded. Dreamscape Festival is no exception, with the talent appearing at Camp Ramblewood May 8-10 being both impressive and in ample supply.
To help you become a more informed festivalgoer, we’ve compiled a shortlist of our favorite musicians on the undercard. Call it an attempt to combat “headliner bias,” – a term we just made up but are confident is a real thing. Familiarize yourself with the acts below and step out of your comfort zone this weekend; you just might discover your new favorite artist.
Read More
Weekend Wind-Down No. 16: Dreamscape Edition
-Words & list by Kevin Madert
Plenty of the artists on the Dreamscape Festival lineup can throw down bangers with the best of them (Friday’s warm-up is plenty proof of that). Yet it’s a mark of true comfort behind the decks when an artist can weave in moments of sonic respite throughout a set. This variation allows the crowd those brief moments to catch their collective breath and makes the inevitable return to heavier and faster tones that much more satisfying.
Naturally the fine folks at Badass Raves are savvy enough to populate their event lineups with artists who possess such skills. From the funky undertones of Dr. Fresch’s “Dreamin'” to one of my all-time favorite Michal Menert tunes in “Tomorrow May Never Come,” it’s clear Dreamscape Festival is no exception. A cursory glance at the remainder of the tracklist confirms there’s no genre boundaries on piloting a diverse set. Whether you’re into liquid drum ‘n’ bass (Total Science), downtempo trance (Aly & Fila), or whatever the heck you want to call Vibe Street’s ingenious melding of bluegrass and bass (he prefers grasshop), Dreamscape Festival has you covered.
Read More