Kingston Downs opened their gates on a warm September day in Georgia to ravers and music lovers from all across the country. We set up camp and greeted our friendly neighbors all eager for the weekend to begin. Festival-goers adorned in vibrant outfits flooded the venue, eager to dive into a world of music, art, and unity. The security line into the grounds were very efficient in my experience, and the security personnel was welcoming. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the stages came to life, casting a mesmerizing glow across the festival grounds. The grounds had an increased amount of art installations compared to last year, yet they thankfully brought back the gigantic fire blowing elephant (which really comes in handy if you get cold at night). Friday started out STRONG— NBA basketball star strong— with Diesel AKA Shaquille O’Neal.
DIESEL B2B NGHTMRE
Two of the hottest dubstep artists in the game came together for this explosive set. The entire set felt like a friendly competition to see who could get the crowd to headband the hardest. Each drop was a more-than-welcome surprise sprinkled with Diesel interacting with the audience by screaming “Where’s my mosh pit?!”. NGHTMRE didn’t let Shaq’s seven foot one stature overshadow him though. These two did an amazing job working together while emphasizing their personal styles.
Subtronics B2B Ganja White Night
Having seen both of these artists perform on their own I had extremely high expectations for this collaboration. They managed to shatter my expectations with their unique sounds you won’t find anywhere else in EDM. Subtronics has such a distinct sound that no one has managed to copy. Mixed with Ganja White Night’s intricate bass lines, sometimes referred to as “bass wobbling”, my ears were left confused in the best way. It was the most unique dubstep set I have seen, and I hope to see these two make more music together in the future.
Sofi Tukker
The New York based house duo captured the audience with vivid colors, fun costumes, and music they could dance to. The set had a heavy techno influence and was a great contrast to the other headliners from the night to give Imaginers a taste of the varying styles of electronic dance music. Sofi danced upon the stage in a bright yellow feathered pantsuit entrancing the crowd that couldn’t stop dancing.
Missed Imagine Music Festival 2023 and want to read more? Check out our Day 2 and 3 recap on weglfm.com
