Not many festivals can say – with integrity – that they have kept true to their original spirit. Sonic Bloom (Shadows Ranch – Georgetown, CO – June 13-16, 2013) is one of those rare exceptions. Entering its 8th year in 2013, and its 3rd at the majestic Shadows Ranch (a mere 45 minutes from downtown Denver), this is any Coloradan electronic music lover’s paradise. Nestled amongst a canyon split down the middle by I-70, there is plenty of shaded camping (but make sure to arrive early!). Pack your gear efficiently because you will be parked in a separate lot up a slight hill. A smaller scaled Rocky Mountain take on festivals with attitudes such as The Do LaB‘s Lightning in a Bottle, Burning Man, and Symbiosis have made this a treat year after year.
With its biggest year to date and a sell out crowd of over 3,000 last year, it’s obvious we can expect big things from festival planners Jamie Janover and company. Some might say that this is a very similar lineup from previous years, however for guys like Aaron Holstein (Vibesquad), Michael Travis (EOTO, String Cheese Incident), and Janover (Lynx & Janover, Praang, and many more) – who each make up 1/3 of Zilla, the founding fathers – this is a family festival. And we are all lucky enough to be invited to it. And quite honestly, these are the performers that are still keeping it real within this blowing up “EDM/bass music” scene. Thank God Passion Pit is not headlining Sonic Bloom, as they are at many other festivals around the country which unfortunately used to be known as “premiere electronic” festivals themselves. With workshops and offerings such as yoga classes and massages (by donation), this is more than an EDM festival to melt our faces. This is a festival for the mind, body, and soul fueled by deep grooving electronic music (albeit some artists are billed for energy and party purposes only). If you aren’t the type of person that can thrive on three straight days of electronic beats, make sure to immerse yourself in the art and the beauty that surrounds you; this is Colorado after all. There is enough landscape art and live creation going on that you can entertain all of your senses with very little effort.
“Sonic Bloom will not only cater to your ears, but your entire body and mind through intentional community co-creation. The landscapes surrounding Sonic Bloom will provide festival-goers with countless opportunities to enjoy the Colorado wilderness through hiking, biking, and whitewater rafting. As well as more yoga offerings, workshops (belly-dance classes!), and community learning events (including discussions of unified field theory) than previous years” – Sonic Bloom ’13 Press Release
Another fan favorite returning this year is the Sonic Bloom Orchestra, which is basically a super jam consisting of Jason Hann, Michael Travis, VibeSquad, Jamie Janover, and an array of Sonic Bloom artists who join in on the on stage musical madness. A new feature for this year will be a first ever Michael Travis DJ set, the other half of EOTO, bringing his DJ prowess to the stage as Prophet Massive (Hann) did a year earlier with chocolate covered bacon served stage side. There are a ton of things to do and artists (new and old) to check out. As Colorado weather is finally turning into the beautiful sunny summertime we have come to love here, Lost in Sound could not be more excited to kick off a summer of activities (aside from you lucky Summer Camp and Wakarusa people).
*If you are unaware of Lucent Dossier Experience, prepare to have your mind blown*
Be sure to check out The Hummingbird Stage (3rd stage) as Boston/Denver homies Elevated Arts & Entertainment will be hosting it along with Temple of Visions and Basscouch. Word on the street is that they will be bringing an entire new element to the Sonic Bloom stages with great deco ambiance and top notch sound! This area will host workshops during the day and beats by night. Recent sub.mission contest winners, Mile High Sound Movement, will have the pleasure to host Thursday night’s music. Elevated A&E artists kLL sMTH, Cloud-D, bioLuMigen, and White Robot will throw down throughout the weekend along with lots of other amazing acts!
