Festival season is in full swing and Euphoria Music Festival really set the bar high! Euphoria took place last weekend April 7-10 at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, TX, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since! Though the forecasts called for some showers, it wasn’t the rain that made an appearance. Rather, the festival was flooded with chill vibes, good crowds, and even better music.
Seems like since 2012, Euphoria has grown quite a bit. Euphoria stepped up their game and what was the Unearth tent last year evolved into this year’s Elements stage. It was another big, open space stage with a cool LCD setup and boisterous speakers. The Elements stage seemed to host a variety of DJs, producers, and hip-hop influenced acts. The Euphoria stage was the main stage for yet another year. The Euphoria stage was a perfect main stage to host crowd-drawing performances by STS9, Bassnectar, and Above & Beyond, as well as, lots of live acts. The Dragonfly stage, which had to be my favorite, was definitely the most unique and visually astounding stage setup. It was a modest amphitheater with the creek flowing behind the stage. To the left of the stage, there was an area that was absolutely perfect for hammocks, so setting up a hammock and chilling while listening to Left/Right &Zander was really something for me. It was a like living a springtime dream.
Every single set at Euphoria was phenomenal. Literally ZERO complaints about the lineup. There were the honorable hip-hop acts, like Lil Dicky, Juicy J, and Waka Flocka. I must say, Waka Flocka is a people pleaser. His set was absolute FIRE. Bridging hip-hop and trap and sprinkling in some classics, he really showed the crowd how to party. Honestly, if you thought you could headbang, watch Waka do it and prepare to be dominated. Nahko and Medicine for the People brought the crowd together for sing-a-longs to his cover of pop favorites, like “Hello” by Adele. I mean, who doesn’t love that song?! Eric Prydz, Shiba San, and SNBRN really brought the thunder and lightning for all the house lovers in the crowd. Lettuce, GRiZ, STS9, and Klingande delivered the saxophone funk to Euphoria in their own unique way – whether jam band, future funk, or melodic house. Big Wild and Autograf performed some mind-blowing, atmospheric sets with their unconventional percussions that went perfectly to the Dragonfly stage setting. Bassnectar, Break Science, Dillon Francis, Branchez, G Jones, LOUDPVCK had the festival grounds rumbling with their bass action. Above & Beyond closed out the weekend with some good ol’ Group Therapy, and as always, it was really something powerful. Some lucky folks got proposed to/engaged during their set. What a way to get proposed to, right?! Euphoria’s lineup was anything but disappointing, and all the artists certainly delivered unforgettable sets.
On top of the music, Euphoria held some great workshops for a variety of activities like sacred Thai yoga massages and Shamanic sound immersion. Though not marketed as an arts festival, there was an art gallery tent with some pieces from local artists. They also hosted a handful of vendors – from selling crafts and clothing to offering face painting – there were a bunch of different things you could check out in the vending area. Behind the vending area, the Tree of Life was this beautiful, large tree with tree swings attached to it. It was a great place to relax and see the Euphoria stage from the distance.
Some other things worth mentioning about the festival. There were free water stations throughout the festival grounds, and food stands and bars were plentiful. I must say that the price of drinks were amazing for being a music festival. $5 well drinks and $6 tall cans. Who can complain about that? Also, compared to some of my other festival experiences, the organizers seemed to have gotten their Lyft/rideshare system down. Of course, it might take a few attempts to catch one, but it was clear where your driver should pick you up. It was just a matter of patience of leaving the festival grounds.
Only steps away from the festival grounds, the campsite was its own little world. The sense of community in the campgrounds was wonderful. Campers were having face painting sessions and massage trains for that post-Bassnectar stiff neck, and overall just having a great time. In the mornings, there was group yoga, and after the festival, there were silent discos for those who wanted to continue the party.
The people at Euphoria were something special. Everyone was there to enjoy to the music and to enjoy the good vibes and atmosphere. There were individuals hooping and poi spinning all throughout the festival. These folks weren’t just putting on a show, but everyone was teaching each other new tricks and things about anything and everything. People were also sharing their hammocks, blankets, etc. It was really a sight to see when the sun went down, and you saw everyone dancing together and in sync. There were lights spinning in all shapes and sizes throughout the entire ranch, which complemented the energetic music and the lights and lasers beaming from the stages.
With the way things went this year, looks like Euphoria is headed in an optimistic direction. I’d really love to see them expand with more art displays and installations, as well as, more interactive workshops for everyone. But all in all, what an incredible weekend! Everyone this past weekend was on a mission to find their Euphoria, and I sure did find mine.
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