Bassnectar Holds the Year’s Final “Church” Gathering for the Faithful
Article by Zach Sanders
Images from the Bassnectar Facebook page
New Year’s Eve means many things to many people. For many it means resolutions and others parties, and for some it’s just another night. For bassheads, Bassnectar’s legion of head-banging fans, it represents the last “church” gathering of the year. The NYE event for bassheads is akin to a journey to the holy land in many religions. This year’s event was held in the Georgia World Congress Center and catered to 22,000 people ready to break their necks in the church of bass.
I’d be lying to you if I told you I had seen all of the awesome music that was played that night. Truth be told I only saw about half of it. That’s not because there wasn’t plenty of it; the stage was graced with names like What So Not, Ott, and Phutureprimitive, who are all amazing in their own right. I missed a lot of this great EDM talent because this annual event represents so much more than just music; it represents the entire community that is the heart and soul of Bassnectar. From flow artists, live painting, gift altars, awareness initiatives, and yoga to places to kick back and relax, Bassnectar’s NYE is truly an all-inclusive and immersive event. It’s like a giant family reunion, but instead of your gross Aunt Hilda and a pie-eating contest you get to see friends from across the globe and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
About those all-inclusive amenities, they are amazing and truly unrivaled by any other event. The Haven, that place to kick back I mentioned, had massage chairs with professional masseuses and masseurs working just for tips, tons of the air loungers you find at festivals lately (those bright-colored things that look suspiciously similar to vaginas), a station to get free earplugs, and the gift altar. All of this is lit up by a disco ball spinning to its hearts content. It’s an amazing area to relax before the show or to retreat to if things get a little too intense while dancing to your favorite music. That gift altar, think of an indoor trading blanket.
Live painting was done directly adjacent to the stage, and subject matter ranged from Bassnectar symbology, space, and, of course, a samurai storm trooper. Awareness initiatives ranged from bicycle donation to water conservation and beyond. Flow artists roamed freely, spinning all manner of props from poi to hula hoops and dragon staffs, and a yoga group was held right behind the merch area, complete with mats. These were combined with the standard beer and food carts of most events, and if I could ding the event with one thing it would be that they could have used a few more staff manning these last two mentions.
Finally, 11 P.M. arrives, everyone has ingested a sufficient amount of drinks, warmed up their dancing shoes, found their favorite place in the crowd, and the man himself Lorin Ashton, Bassnectar, the Bass god, takes the stage. By the end of the first song it’s clear that Ashton has been investing in lasers, with enough beams flying over head to build a skyscraper.
This year’s NYE staging was different than previous years. Bassnectar NYE had been a “360” event since at least 2012. The 360 moniker related to the staging setup used, which was intended for the center of an arena with bleachers and offered the same view to everyone in the crowd. This year, the biggest NYE to date for Ashton, was held in a more standard format of a stage at an end of the room. To make sure everyone still had a great view, the Bassnectar team took pieces of the 360 rig and placed them on the ceiling just above head, and put amazing screens on the room’s pillars. It was a decision that I was skeptical about after having enjoyed the 360 format, but it totally worked. It was different, and the 360 rig will be missed, but it has found a worthy successor in this new staging.
With this setup the crowd was treated to hits such as The 808 track “I’m Up,” a remix of Run DMC’s’ “It’s Tricky,” the original cut “Teleport Massive,” a “Breathless,” a ball drop and many more. These hits were of course coupled with numerous tracks from other artists chopped and screwed together. By the time 1:15 hit the clock the crowd’s ears were ringing from the assault of bass that had been delivered to them, and they poured out into the frigid Atlanta streets with dazed looks from the beauty they had just witnessed.
