Review: CRSSD Fest Kicks Off the Spring Music Scene in San Diego
☆ BY Shellsea Lomeli ☆
images courtesy of CRSSD Fest // photographers Juliana Bernstein and Rachael Polack
AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING WINTER OF RAIN AND LOWKEY GATHERINGS — the high-energy vibrations that the coastal city of San Diego pridefully delivers were reignited last weekend on the waterfront as thousands spent back-to-back nights celebrating dance and electronic music at CRSSD Fest 2023.
Organized by the entertainment company FNGRS CRSSD, who put on a variety of music events year-round across the city, the bi-annual festival has been creating space for lovers of the electronic genre and beyond to appreciate the expansive genre as a collective since 2015.
While it attracts a crowd of mostly millennials and older Gen Z-ers, CRSSD welcomes people of all generations and walks of life — as long as they’re over 21. The age restriction is a clear indication that the festival stands as a weekend for partying, indulging, and letting loose of any and all stressors that the real world imposes. These intentions remained true throughout the weekend as attendees created jump rope circles with strangers, ran playfully from stage to stage to catch their favorite daytime DJs, and simply soaked in the sounds that the specially-curated lineup had to offer.
There are few things that boost serotonin levels more than witnessing a great production live, and CRSSD Fest 2023 did not disappoint, delivering artists who went above and beyond in their performances. The festival is known for bringing forward-thinking, top-tier talent from across the globe to the West Coast.
Kicking off on Saturday, CRSSD began at noon with the show-starting sounds of San Diego local RIVKA M at the Palms stage. Among the standout performers of day one was Italian DJ and producer Anfisa Letyago at the City Steps, a stage dedicated to techno giants and left-of-center electronic acts.
The lively nature of BRIT Award-winner Becky Hill expanded the already prominent crowd at Ocean View, the largest stage of the three. This pioneer’s ground-shaking ability to blend the best of pop and electronic music was not lost on Saturday night’s audience. On top of the high-energy sounds pounding through the speakers, Hill’s impressive live vocals and enthusiasm is what kept festival-goers’ spirits soaring.
Wrapping up the night at the same stage was Parisian duo Polo & Pan, an act whose distinction in the electronic community is crystal clear — they are completely unique to their own. Their refined incorporation of house, disco, psychedelia, and more took CRSSD Fest on a cinematic journey throughout their entire 90-minute set. Just like a great film, Polo & Pan’s abstract performance flew by, but was sure to remain with the audience for quite some time.
The engaging excitement of CRSSD Fest remained strong on day two as festival-goers made a conscious effort to forget about the following workday and live in the present, something that is not hard to do when you’re surrounded by some of the most in-demand electronic acts today.
“Wish You Were Here” shined in neon letters at the festival’s main photo op, pulling a line of attendees waiting their turn to share the message and carefully-curated outfits in FOMO-filled group chats and on social media.
Fur-like coats made a reappearance later in the day as warm-blooded San Diegans braced the chilling, 50-degree night on the waterfront. From cheetah prints to rainbow LED lights, the California cold was not going to stop the seasonal tradition of funky, out-of-the-box outfits on festival grounds.
The City Steps hosted the boundary-pushing productions of rising techno producer Juheun to kick off the final festival day, as festival-goers made their way back to the waterfront. Artists such as AMÉMÉ and Bedouin brought their dynamic, house-forward sounds to the Palms stage with head-bopping tracks and mixes from day to night amongst the coastal jungle stage design.
Following the weekend-long anticipation, beloved duo ODESZA reeled in the festival at the Ocean View Stage, facing the biggest crowd for the weekend. The thing about ODESZA is that they live up to the hype. In fact, they remarkably exceed it. From stimulating lights and visuals to the recurring, heart-pounding drumline in bold attire, Sunday night’s performance could be described in an overwhelming amount of words, but we’ll just give you these: captivating, connecting, and euphoric.
There are few acts in the industry that can deliver such a well-orchestrated visual and sonic experience, and CRSSD Fest ensured that attendees left feeling impacted and celebrated.
CRSSD Fest will return in the fall but if you can’t wait to indulge in the immersive nature of electronic music, check out FNGRS CRSSD’s upcoming events leading up to the festival.
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