5 Inspiring Impressions at Dreamstate 2022

HIGHLIGHTS

• Dreamstate had all-around remarkable vibes. The attendees were caring, compassionate, and engaged in the trance community.

• The production at most of the stages was A1. The lighting effects were absolutely superb, featuring top-notch lasers, visuals and pyro.

• The event hosted an official on-site after-party each evening until 6AM—a welcome first for an Insomniac event at NOS Events Center.

• Overall the music, the vibes, and the atmosphere blew us away. We highly recommend this festival, especially for trance or psytrance fanatics.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The seventh rendition of Dreamstate SoCal at NOS Events Center was one for the books. As a progressive house and trance fanatic for over 15 years, I could not be more elated to have attended an event dedicated to genres at the root of Electronic Dance Music. That same sentiment was reflected in many of the other ravers at the event. There was a tangible love for the music and the people. There was a collective euphoria and celebratory nostalgia. There was a real care, enthusiasm, and dedication from the performers, the attendees, and the producers of the event.

Here are five awe-inspiring impressions that left me feeling like it was all a part of an epic dream. 

1. The Community

Dreamstate has long been touted as a festival with immaculate vibes and a true embodiment of the PLUR philosophy. Given the uplifting and positive energy of trance music in general, it makes sense that Dreamstate—a festival dedicated to the genre—would attract people to match that energy. A lot of the DJs at Dreamstate are artists that millennials listened to in their youth: Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyk, ATB, and the like. The crowd at Dreamstate largely consists of this demographic and therefore tends to be older, and more mature, than at other mainstream EDM festivals. There seemed to be a higher concentration of “OG Ravers,” or people that have been in the scene a long time, and know what it’s about. 

While we want to welcome everyone into the EDM community, unfortunately a lot of EDM events attract people who may not fully embody the PLUR philosophy. Pushing, shoving, theft, rudeness, and nonconsensual touching are just some of the unfortunate things that can happen at many larger EDM festivals. I did not see any of this going on at Dreamstate. The crowd felt more intimate and overall the people seemed more down-to-earth and respectful. 

Add the fact that Dreamstate is a trance destination, uniting trance families from across the globe to share their love and passion for the genre, and you get a recipe for a truly diverse and stellar community. At the end of the day, I could tell that most of the attendees were there for the music. I saw fewer people on their phones, fewer people who were messily intoxicated, and more people with ear-to-ear smiles and dancing their hearts out.

2. The Food & Drink

Dreamstate had a varied selection of food vendors, most of which were delicious. There were vendor tents and food trucks that sold Cajun food, ramen, Mexican food, teriyaki, smoothies, fruit bowls, and more. The VIP section had gourmet food trucks that sold Sushi and Burgers. I tried a spectacular rice bowl from the ramen truck. Having warm food in the cold weather was very helpful. There were sufficient vegan and gluten-free options as well. I stayed well-nourished and fueled for hours of dancing throughout the weekend.

3. The After-partIES

Finally, a rave that goes from dusk til dawn at NOS Events Center! A lot of ravers want to keep going past 2 AM, especially in a festival community that relishes dancing through the night. The after-party went on until 6 AM, which is a first for an Insomniac event at NOS, and we loved it. It featured several artists from the main lineup, such as Craig Connely, Billie Gillies, and Taylor Torrence.

At trance and psytrance gatherings in other countries, the party is just getting started 2 AM, and we want that option in the USA, too! Having the after-party was a more-than-welcome addition to this year’s event, and put the event on the map with other all-nighters like EDC Vegas. There were things that could be improved upon, which we will touch on in the next section, however, just having this option was a great move in the right direction.

In addition to an after-party each night of the festival, there was an official recovery party one week later held at Academy LA. The recovery party featured a secret lineup with Ciaran McAuley, Greg Downey, and GVX.

4. Light Effects

The light design at Dreamstate was some of the best I’ve ever seen at a festival of its scale. The stages hosted state-of-the-art graphics, lighting rigs, pyrotechnics, fog and lasers, which bolstered the dreamy element of the overall environment. The LED visuals, lasers and stage lighting at the main stage (The Dream) was a real sight to behold at a distance. 

In between stages, there was a large green laser that blanketed the sky with a huge wavy aura. There were also hundreds of color-coordinated, hanging carnival lights throughout the festival, which gave a magical and dream-like feeling to the atmosphere.

The Void stage had smaller lasers and lights that were modest compared to other stages. The stage was placed so that its laser array hit the building behind the crowd and displayed mesmerizing patterns in combination with the aforementioned large green laser and additional rotating set lights. 

I was especially impressed by the psytrance dedicated Sequence stage. There was a large array of lasers on the stage itself, as well as four additional lasers mounted over the crowd, on the sides of the enclosure. When viewed from the middle of the crowd, the light shows at The Sequence blew me away sometimes even more than the music. The setup of LED screens at The Sequence was also very creative and awe-inspring, with psychedic patterns and symbols sequencing over goliath 3-dimensional prisms. 

5. The Music

Perhaps I’m biased because trance, progressive house, and psytrance are some of my favorite genres, but the music, lineup, and most of the sound production was stellar at Dreamstate. The Vision, The Dream, and The Sequence stages had enough sound to feel the bass. Yet even at the front, the volume didn’t make my ears feel like they were bleeding. I did wear earplugs for some of the sets, but most of the time the volume didn’t compromise the sound quality—which feels like a special rarity at EDM festivals.

The music is what made the atmosphere feel like a real dream. I felt delightedly nostalgic with the countless trance classics, throwbacks, and remixes dropped throughout the weekend. Sultan + Shepard played Allein by Pryda on Friday night, which brought the crowd right back to 2011. Armin Van Buuren dropped Benny Benassi’s banger Satisfaction, which seemed a bit off-brand for a trance event, but made the crowd go wild all the same. 

ATB dropped his own classics like Ecstacy as well as his modern hits like Starfire. Blastoyz created one of the most beautiful moments of the weekend during his set: a festival-goer proposed to his wife on-stage to the melodic backdrop of the Blastoyz remix of Sun and Moon by Above & Beyond. Abraxis (a trio consisting of Seven Lions, Dimibo, and Blastoyz) closed the festival out on Saturday night with psytrance renditions of throwbacks like Darude’s Sandstorm and Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 400. The only thing that surprised me about the music was that some of the headlining DJs at the main stage played big room house and electro house where I expected there to be more progressive house and trance. 

Dreamstate was undoubtedly one of my favorite festival experiences of all time, and there are always areas of growth that every event can improve upon. Some of these areas of growth were things that I noticed, some were things that other ravers pointed out to me at the event, and some were expressed online.

Here are five things that the community would love to see improved at Dreamstate in future years.

ART AND Stage Design

Compared to last year’s Dream stage, this year’s set design for the event’s largest stage was said to be lacking by some of the attendees. Its cathedral-like design was an intriguing concept, however, it could have been done without the large hanging metal trusses that obstructed the view of the stage. For me, exposed trusses give a boring and mechanical look, and they take away from the creativity and aesthetic of the overall production. 

The void stage was also pretty basic, with square LED panels and more metal trusses. The setup of LED panels at The Vision and The Sequence stages was more complex and impressive, however I wish overall there could have been more decor at each stage. A little fabric placed over metal trusses can go a long way to make a stage look less industrial and more immersive (The Hydra stage from Dreamstate Harbor back in June 2022 provides an artful example).

Dreamstate could give a nod to the worldwide psytrance scene if they added projection mapping, fluorescent canopy mandalas and/or a sacred geometry art installation at The Sequence stage. I’m no production expert, but I’ve seen relatively simple stage makeovers make a big difference at smaller psytrance festivals in the USA. 

Ticket prices for Dreamstate’s ($150 and up) are considerably lower than other 2-day Insomniac events at NOS Events Center ($200 and up), so it would be unrealistic to expect the same level of production. This is probably why we saw fewer interactive areas, art installations, and decor at Dreamstate. There’s no reason to complain here⁠—it’s even a welcome sacrifice⁠—if it means lower ticket prices and more focus on sound quality and musical lineup.

Sound Production at The Vision Stage

Before I talk about The Vision, it’s worth noting that the overall sound production and stage placement at Dreamstate was drastically improved upon from previous years. In 2021, attendees complained that music between stages bled into each other. I didn’t notice any bleeding between the three outdoor stages this year. In my experience this year, the sound quality seemed for the most part to be crisp, clear, and loud enough to feel the bass. Some attendees noticed that the volume was too low for lesser-known acts like Liquid Soul at The Sequence stage, but was louder for some of the headlining acts like Vini Vici.

Unfortunately, the indoor sound quality was subpar at The Vision stage, which was also where the after-party took place each night from 2-6 AM. It was clear that the warehouse was not designed for acoustics. The bass rattled the metal roof so loud that it drowned out all the other higher-frequency sounds and made it feel off-beat as well. This was a real shame, because some of my favorite acts played in the warehouse, like Ilan Bluestone and Paul Oakenfold, but it sounded so muffled that I left their sets early. There was one corner of the warehouse, in the rear next to the ADA platform, where the sound was a little better, but I couldn’t see the stage very well from that far back.

Amenities

Amenities were limited compared to other Insomniac festivals, and it left me wondering if the lower ticket prices and lower attendance were the reasons for this. I couldn’t find any comfortable spaces to take a breather and just chill out at the event. Other than a lawn space, picnic tables, and a small turfed canopy area near the main stage, there weren’t many good places to relax between sets. A small area with hammocks, bean bags, reclining lawn chairs or couches would have gone a long way. Add to this that security would not let people sit down on the dance floor (for good safety reasons) and it was a recipe for fatigue, especially during the after-party.

Other festivals at NOS Events Center feature a Ground Control Oasis area for people having a difficult experience, as well as a Consciousness Group tent for sober ravers, both of which were absent at Dreamstate. Though there were ample clothing vendors and an official merch booth, there was an absence of a general store. A place to buy basic items like chapstick, gum, and ibuprofen would have been appreciated. I did not find anywhere that sold gloves, hand warmers and hot beverages, which would have also greatly improved the experience during the windy, 40-degree weather on Saturday night. These amenities were not advertised in the first place, so the festival delivered on its promises listed on its website, but they would be welcome additions in the future.

Some attendees said that the VIP and GA+ were not worth the extra cost. Entrance and exit signs were confusing at VIP security checkpoints. The bathroom trailers in VIP and GA+ were sometimes dirty and understaffed. The VIP viewing areas were sometimes very overcrowded at headlining sets, especially at The Vision and The Sequence stages. 

Lines and Parking

The line to get into the after-party took from 30 to 45 minutes if you didn’t already have a wristband and had to scan your ticket at the door. I’ve waited in way longer lines just to get into the main entrance of other festivals, so at the end of the day, this wasn’t a huge problem in my opinion. Still, many attendees missed a large portion of the first set, and this could have been avoided if the after-party tickets were scannable on the main festival wristbands.

The line for the merch booth was also very long and moved very slowly. This is a complaint I’ve seen at multiple Insomniac festivals and could be improved by having multiple, separate merch booths and more staff. As it currently stands, you need to show up early or go during a headliner’s set if you want to snag some merch and not wait hours in line.

Parking was a long walk in the cold for people who parked in the further lots. With no late-night shuttle after a long night of dancing, it was not the best way to end the experience. It is recommended to do your research beforehand, get there as early as possible to get closer parking spots, or spend the extra money on premier parking. 

Pickpocketing

These days, organized theft is a relatively common complaint at many large music festivals in the US. There were reports at Dreamstate of thieves opening zippers, backpacks, and reaching into pockets without attendees noticing at the time. In reality, it happens to a small percentage of attendees, and it may seem to be less of an issue at Dreamstate because of its smaller crowd. Nevertheless, theft is still something attendees should be cautious about. We can and should hold event producers and security accountable, however, there is only so much they can do. The solution is often increased security checks, which is a tradeoff for some. Preparation and vigilance of the attendees are often the best prevention. This is a big topic, so here is an article about how to avoid theft at a music festival.

Overall, Dreamstate 2022 was a massive success. Despite some of the areas of growth, an overwhelming majority of the stories and videos posted in the Dreamstate online communities (i.e on Reddit, Radiate, and other social media platforms) are filled with positivity, connection and memories that will last a lifetime. Feedback is offered freely because of how much the community cares about this event and about trance. We look forward to seeing how the festival will continue to expand to other locations, and continue throwing a world-class event at its home base in Southern California.

What was your impression of Dreamstate SoCal 2022? Let us know in the comments or on social media. If you attended Dreamstate and have any feedback for the organizers, then fill out the official survey here.

OUR IMPRESSION OF DREAMSTATE

4.5 / 5 Electric Hearts

Written by Colin Eldridge