Secret Dreams and a Shared Reality
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Attendee Point of View:
I am a lifelong party kid! My first rave was in 95 and I have watched the culture go through so many changes. I love everything that goes into creating an event, but most of all I love what we give back. We don’t just go to shows and festivals for a one-time experience. It is a journey of inspiration, connection, and creation.
From the moment my friends and I learned about Secret Dreams, we were going. This was our first festival in an RV. We got into the festival relatively quickly, but we went without power the first night. I don’t think that was the festival‘s fault. Their electrician bailed on them. Getting waste and water was not easy either. As a matter of fact, we never received that service, but the festival was very helpful in communicating and resolving that situation. I found that even when things weren’t perfect Everyone was very respectful and tried to help.
Tipper and Daily Bread were enormous draws for us. The lineup was curated very well, along with the schedule. It’s nice to enjoy set after set of bass music and then balance it out with an incredible jam session.
I absolutely loved Kurza’s set. It made me fear for my life a little. It was followed by one of my favorite Daily Bread sets ever. I’ve never seen Rhett play a set that dark but it made sense playing in between Kurza and Detox Unit. Detox unit was a first for me also. Do not miss a Detox Unit set. I heard so many people talking about it afterward. Everyone was just blown away.
After all that heavy bass Andy Frasco was perfect. They had me laughing so hard. I never imagined seeing the wall of death, bar mitzvah style. I will also just say, “Dizgo fucks!!!” I heard that repeated several times throughout the night, and it is absolutely true. They did this Dirty Vegas jam session among others that kept the whole crowd grooving.
The artist we were all truly there for was Tipper and it was awe-inspiring. The visuals of the set started with a broken question mark and a heart pulsing to life. It was a beautiful testament to life. Not to mention, I was probably 300 yards from the stage and the bass hit like I was next to a sub. Don’t sleep on Jason Leech or Vincent Antone. They didn’t have the largest crowds, but their crowds were dancing joyfully. I can go on and on about the music, but there is more to Secret Dreams than that.
Going into the festival I didn’t realize how many art installations would be there. Every stage and every path was covered with art. I felt very fortunate to watch an artist‘s creative process while enjoying the music I love. I had the opportunity to photograph a few as they were created throughout the festival. I spoke with Nate Huffman (Mystic Unity Creations), Renzi, Grey Hash, Josh Zarambo, and others.
There was a common theme I found in all the conversations I had throughout the festival. It did not matter if it was family, friends, vendors, or artists. We all spoke of our freedom at these events to be ourselves. Our true self. This requires love and respect for one another. I was shown that from every group and individual I met, and we all expressed a desire to practice or show others how to do this every day of their life.
Now, after the festival, is the time to keep those connections. We don’t have to wait until the next show. I have a love of journaling that Dylan Lane, aka ill. Gates taught me at producerdojo.com. I shared that with my new friends,(Josh, Samyo, Jack, Tiara, and Molly). After meeting Devin of Ravetopia he has given me the opportunity to write and share my experience with others. Sure, I could do this many different ways, but sometimes the people we meet give us the courage to try something we would not have done otherwise. Share our experience.
Learning to be creative in all aspects of life helps us to grow this culture. It is not just freedom to be ourselves but taking action and giving purpose through our art in every form. Today I’m a writer learning to make connections. I hope to share more events with you as I continue my journey from festival to festival and show to show. This is all part of my artistic process. I can’t wait to share my music with you next.
Vendor Point of View:
The Good: The Secret Dreams Music and Art Festival 2023 was a shimmering beacon of music, art, and camaraderie. Teaming up with The Drippy Lab added a splash of vibrancy to the weekend, with an awe-inspiring range of items available. Located at the iconic Legends Valley Venue, the event promised—and delivered—an eclectic lineup of musicians. Personal favorites like Griz, Of The Trees, Daily Bread, and Wreckno ensured the mood was electric. But credit where it's due: artists like Tipper, STS9, Detox Unit, and Lettuce, while not my personal go-tos, played some memorable sets.
Seeing familiar faces like Pin Stop Shop never gets old. We're proud to boast a few of their pieces in our personal collection. Playing Frick Frack Black Jack was an added perk; typically, the lines are prohibitive, but this time fortune favored us. The live art was nothing short of mesmerizing. Talent was in abundance, making it evident that the organizers had invested thoughtfully in ensuring a quality experience. A personal highlight was Griz's performance – the cosmic alignment of the rain ceasing just before his set was magical, making it one of the most intimate Griz sets ever witnessed. Thanks to Louie Fontana for sharing that extraordinary moment. The festival has set the bar high for its subsequent editions.
The Bad: However, every festival has its learning curve. My partner's preoccupation with Elements Music & Arts Festival 2023 meant a slight hiccup in our arrival plans. The lack of clarity about early vendor arrival led to Louie and me lugging around a massive inventory for nearly a mile. While 3rd party for a fee taxi carts were available later and helped us move some stuff from the car to the road, a more vendor-centric approach would've made our lives considerably easier. Another point of contention was the water prices. With the soaring heat, many festivals lock water prices to ensure attendees remain hydrated. Here, the price was slightly steep.
The Ugly: And now, the part that needs improvement: the exit strategy. The security measures seemed more haphazard than planned. The initial information provided by security about loading out post 4 am was soon superseded by another instruction of waiting till sunrise, then 8 am, and eventually, we were told the gate wouldn't open at all. Hours wasted, fatigue setting in, and then being told to carry our inventory across the venue once more was grueling. To add to the woes, a particularly insensitive security personnel suggested perhaps vending wasn't for me. I won't forget him telling me as I'm loading up my supplies "Maybe you should just attend and not vend at festivals" to which my reply was "I have 4 kids to feed bro" and he replied with "that sucks" and then ignored me the rest of his shift. We are fairly use to festival staff not really knowing what's going and things changing but this may have been the worst experience I've ever had at a festival ever, much less as vendor staff. The lack of empathy was palpable, and the entire ordeal was one of the most challenging experiences ever faced at a festival. After 7 hours of trying to get loaded we finally left and drove 14 hours home to unpack and sort inventory and prep for Electric Summer this week!
In Conclusion: Despite the bumps, the Secret Dreams Music and Art Festival is a must-attend. Its potential is undeniable, and the memories forged, both good and challenging, will remain etched in memory. With a little tweaking and better communication, it's poised to be one of the leading festivals in the coming years.
This was an awesome read, Thanks for sharing!