We went, we saw and we had an amazing time, but in the process, we also got our party-asses kicked by all of the glitz, glamour and galore that was to be had all weekend long. This year was definitely one for the books with our biggest and most comprehensive VIP party list, and with it, the most epic time out in the desert. With everything going on in such a big way, there were so many events that were schedule-stacked on top of each other on Friday and Saturday, the two biggest days and nights of weekend one. One of the biggest issues that plagued us and many potential event attendees, this year, was the lack of parking at many of the locations throughout the whole weekend. With legacy parties like Neon Carnival, Nylon Desert House, Tao Desert Nights and newcomers, Camp Poosh and Sonic Desert, parking was abundant and available to everyone attending. 818 Outpost also gets an honorable mention because even though they did not host inside a palatial estate, their location had plenty of street parking available. But with only those grievances mentioned, weekend one was otherwise filled with so much to do, so much fun to be had and so much to be remembered. Check out our recap of the everything that we were able to make it out to and see how to party when hitting weekend one of the music festival
THURSDAY:
GALLERY DESERT HOUSE
Gallery Media Group along with Patrón El Alto debuted the Gallery Desert House (GDH) this year, which promised an expansive luxurious resort compound, filled with pampering poolside experiences and boy did they deliver. Our first visit to the GDH was during their Thursday night soft launch where guests were treated to mini Patron bottles with glowing straws, filled with yummy spicy El Alto margaritas.
Both Egbert and Metody Hristov are no strangers to devastating bangers but neither is Michael Klein who took their collaboration. “Connect” and sent it into the stratosphere.
The palatial grounds were quiet but the private estate pool was where the party was popping. With the stunning DJ Millie on the decks, the poolside grooving was in full effect, well into the evening and even past the original posted cut off time. Two bars on opposite sides of the Olympic sized pool, poured Patrón El Alto and Cielo non-stop. Just to note, El Alto and Cielo are not the Patrón tequilas that we’ve all done shooters with, instead they are the top shelf head of the table tequilas that price in at $179.99 (El Alto) and $139.99 (Cielo) respectively. So talk about alcohol-decadence!
Our second visit was Friday afternoon where the party took place in the massive backyard of the same beautiful estate. Entering proved to be a little challenging since the GDH was only accessible via rideshare drop off and zero parking for miles but thankfully we were able to figure it out. Upon entering guests were once again greeted with Patrón’s crafted El Alto spicy margaritas and then ushered in to check out the coolest micro-activation hosted by Delta Airlines. Inside this casita area, guests were allowed entry via their Delta SkyMiles number and treated to a private full service bar, secluded jacuzzi, complimentary Delta bucket hat and towel and a chance to receive one of the coolest jewelry gifts from Rellery. “Relationship+Jewelry” Rellery, is a jewelry company featured in Vogue, Elle, Forbes and worn by celebrities like Selena Gomez, Addison Rae and Vanessa Hudgens. We had the pleasure to meet the owner Sally Rong who was so nice and guided us through the process of receiving some permanent gold-filled bracelets that were professionally set by Rellery’s master welder, Emma.
Exploring further into the GDH, the estate pool revealed its open arms lined with Patrón El Alto cabanas, multiple bars and DJ Millie serving up poolside tunes. Multiple tents provided food to the tune of chicken and waffles, fried mac n’ cheese balls, truffle fries and plant based sliders. Kemo Sabe also set up a special pop-up offering guests the opportunity to purchase some of their high end western hats and accessories with a full blown cowboy hat customization counter. Hats started at $500 and could be adorned with precious metals, branded symbols and initials and then perfectly steam fitted to fit the buyer’s head like a glove. While not free, this pop-up was a very cool addition to the GDH’s event.
On top of the never-ending flow of Patrón El Alto and Cielo, which I vehemently would only take “neat,” because such a fine spirit should never be disrespected with mixers, GDH also offered a CoverGirl area that offered professional make up touchups and free glosses, mascara, lip liners and liquid eye shadows, while Lunautics were also at the ready to precisely adhere face & body gems wherever guests desired.
Dove body wash set up shop and offered cold plunges and sauna experiences for those really needing to relax in the desert dust and heat, along with a take home bottle of body wash. To also help combat the elements, like the sandstorms that plagued the festival this year, Michael’s set up an “Art Bar” where artist Ava Mae painted custom lettering on bandanas that could further be customized at the crafting stations.
Guests also got a chance to have a hands-on experience with the new top-of-the-line 2025 Infiniti QX80 SUV, which was parked on the grounds for anyone to explore. Additionally, a fleet of QX60s were at the ready to drop off any and all guests at Coachella if needed and for free.
For those that will be out in the desert for Stagecoach Festival, the Gallery Desert House rides again and will open its doors for invited guests. This VIP oasis should definitely be one to check out and don’t forget that you can get chauffeured to the festival after your visit.
Thank you again to Gallery Media Group and Patrón for inviting us to the Gallery Desert House and we look forward to next year’s return.
PAPER PLAYGROUND
PAPER returned to the desert to unleash the Paper Playground presented by True Religion and E11even and yes it definitely kicked off Thursday night with a supersonic bang. After a long drive into town and checking into our hotel, we quickly got ready and headed out to the Laguna Seca Estates in Bermuda Dunes. With available parking and free shuttle service to the Playground, our night was already off to an amazing start. After a quick ID check, we walked down the tree-lined walkway towards the familiar barnyard-warehouse where Tinx & Lucas were already spinning up a tirade of beats. With a PAPER magazine media wall to the left, EVERYONE was reveling in their “15 minutes” as photographers snapped away like TMZ paparazzis. Outside of Armani White and Saweetie, a big AAA-List shoutout goes to makeup legend Patrick Ta who came out for the fun with Alix Earle.
Paper Playground did not disappoint when it came to drinks, eats and swag. After a long drive into town, it was so nice to roll straight into a party where an Impossible Foods truck was at the ready to fill grumbling bellies with plant based hot dogs, chicken nuggets and sliders. Thirsts and road-trip melancholy were also squashed with an abundance of Absolut Vodka x Ocean Spray RTD cans, E11even Vodka and Don Londres Tequila cocktails, glasses of Sainte Marguerite en Provence Wine, Happy Thursday spiked still cocktails and Heineken Silver. For those keeping it clean and sober, LaCroix sparkling beverages and St. James Organic Teas were widely available.
One thing that ENTER is notorious for is always being generous when it comes to gifting and this year they delivered. PAPER x Cohart passed out limited edition totes with matching bandanas while Miage Skincare handed out product filled bags similar to this year’s Grammy gifting suite! Miage Skincare is a luxury skincare line that integrates human stem cell science and isotonic nutrient delivery producing amazing results. binnky was also on-site handing out free vapes for those in need of a nicotine fix. Cohart went a step further with a very cool live art installation where an artist painted your words onto a naked woman and man throughout the night.
As the night progressed so did the music. Tinx & Lucas, DJ Pookie along with DJ Ruckus destroyed the decks making way for live performances by Armani White and Saweetie, that drove the house crazy all the way into the wee hours of the night.
As the hours passed into the very late, and with the weekend still ahead of us, we called it a night, but not before grabbing a ton of Zen Water for the soon-to-be-had hangover, Reign Storm energy drinks for that much needed go-go juice for Friday and of course bags of Cookie Pop Candy snacks for binging on during the 30 minute drive back to the hotel.
FRIDAY:
818 OUTPOST
The 818 Outpost returned to the desert for a one-day pop up in Thermal but this time with a full blown western town complete with a general store, a provisions tent and full service saloon bar! Unlike last year’s pop-up, 818 Tequila closed a whole city block and took over the AC/DC High Voltage Bar as part of their event space. This year the outpost was “INVITE ONLY” however for a short period of time, GA tickets were open to the public and those quickly got snatched up as evident by the line that wrapped around the compound’s outer walls.
After a check-in we entered the outpost and immediately was impressed by how many things were being offered to guests. Immediately to our right was the General Store where you could grab five travel sized items from the many sponsors, all for free. Next stop was the GoPuff Provisions Tent where you were handed a cool brown paper bag looking sack that you could customize with markers and a pin and then fill up with yummy snacks.
Next door to the provisions tent was the Sprinter Vodka Sodas saloon where all yummy flavors were offered after scanning your wristband. If canned vodka sodas weren’t enough, the full service bar saloon was serving 818 Tequila mixed cocktail. Guests were only allowed two drinks, which was probably for the better since the outpost was the first event of Friday. If day drinking wasn’t your thing, Chamberlain Coffee and Olipop probiotic sodas both had ice barrels filled with tons of different flavors for each with Zico coconut water readily available for proper sunny weather hydration.
After grabbing a few drinks we made our way to the Bumble dating app customization kiosk where bright yellow cowboy hats were gifted to everyone and could be adorned with beads, ribbons and iron-on letters. If yellow wasn’t your color, The Anastasia Beverly Hills booth next door had pink and white cowboy hats with LED light up piping. They also offered make up touchups and handed out a bandana and a goodie bag filled with a Brow Freeze Gel, a Lash Sculpt and a Crystal Lip Gloss.
Food options were also pretty awesome with Mr. Charlie’s plant based Not A Chicken Sandwiches being passed out to everyone on the inside and a Yeastie Boys x Pizza Hut truck passing out personal sized bagel pizzas to people on the outside as you exited.
With so much food and drink, it was a solid start to our Friday as we ventured off to our next event. Many thank you’s and a wholeheart yeehaw to the 818 Outpost, can’t wait to see your return next year.
NYLON HOUSE
After driving down so many dark and excruciatingly long desert streets, we finally arrived at the Nylon House and immediately were filled with excitement. While in line we met a model/influencer (@libertyannflynn) who literally just flew in from Miami and was there solo ready to go with the flow of the night and weekend…ah to be young and free at Coachella! Unfortunately we had a little issue at the GA line and the list girl that checked our names seemed to be quite rude, but that was before we realized we were in the wrong line…VIP baby! After the entrance debacle we immediately were surrounded by so many micro-activations and cocktails, it was a whirlwind of libations and exploration.
At the entrance, Nylon Magazine’s signature banner opened its welcoming arms for everyone to flock to for that selfie memory at one of the best Friday night parties in the desert.
We were positively overwhelmed with how many activations there were for everyone to explore, but started off at our favorite activation, the e.l.f. cosmetics dome. Inside guests were surrounded by bubbles and a couple of media walls that gave everyone opportunities to snap a curated photo or video experience. e.l.f. also supplied a sample counter where guests could sample various newly released products. When exiting, everyone was gifted with a cool clear duffle bag (perfect for using at festivals to avoid long security checks) which were filled with so many full-sized products! Thanks e.l.f.!!! Next door to e.l.f. cosmetics was their sister company and Alicia Keys’ skincare line, Keys Soulcare, which had a “Soul Share” wall at the entrance where guests were urged to write anything positive that was on their mind. Also inside was a gumball machine that rolled out special messages of affirmation with each turn. After getting a small gift clutch, guests were also treated to an aura photo booth, which captured the auras emitting from photographed guests.
Kate Spade had a beautiful flower filled inifinity room experience that mesmerized everyone once inside. To compliment the floral moment of zen, we were all gifted a Kate Spade hat with Nylon House 2024 embroidered on the back.
The QUAY (pronounced “key”) Gifting Truck and lounge was our next stop with one of the longest lines and for good reason…FREE SUNGLASSES!!! Coincidentally we bumped into our favorite interior, fashion & print designer Dani Dazey and her hubby Phillip Butler in line, where we strategized about weekend party plans and gushed about how fun the Nylon House was.
Walking into the truck, we were greeted with our own QUAY concierge who urged us to try on all of the glasses to find the best pair that suited our looks. A mirrored ceiling made it easy to just look up and see how great or meh each pair looked. We ended up with the polarized Soundcheck and Night Cap pairs, which would come in handy the whole weekend.
With Smirnoff Ice running point on keeping everyone refreshed with buzz inducing flavors, they erected a cool chill-inspiring dome filled with cool gem encrusted visors and battery operated LED fans to help beat the imminent desert heat. To keep the party going, Smirnoff Ice bars, coolers and kiosks were sprinkled all over the Nylon House grounds, ensuring that getting Smirnoff “ICED” was just a reach away. Also on-site to satisfy more distinguished liquor-palettes was the Rémy Martin bar located inside the XO Night Lounge where guests were treated to crafted cognac cocktails from the best in the business.
As the night progressed, we also checked out the Hilton Hotels Curio Collection lounge that was drenched in beautiful floral bouquets that offered curated photo moments and snacks from the Curio Collection to refuel for more fun to be had at the party. With the weather being windy and dusty, the göt2b tent was a welcome sight for sordid tresses as stylists assisted with hair do touch-ups and transformations with wild colors from their Color Remix line. Once the colorful coif was complete it was off to the Sally Hansen tent where nail techs expertly decorated awaiting nails with butterfly-inspired nail art in line with NYLON’s metamorphosis theme. Transformations could also be more completed with complimentary ear piercings that were being gifted to anyone brave enough at the Banter by Piercing Pagoda. With so many pampering options available for the ladies, it was nice to see that Nautica was ready to hook up the fellas with their newest Pure Blue cologne to keep the desert sweat stinks at bay along with shave gel and after shave balm to keep that five o’clock shadow away.
Gifting can be exhausting but not with NYLON’s battery of awesome DJs that consisted of opening sets from Blond:ish, Tinx & Lucas and a climactic performance from Grammy nominated Sofi Tukker with Sophie belting out vocals on the mic causing the dancefloor to explode!
After such an amazing party on a Friday night, it was time to say adieu and head off to the next one. A tip of the hat to Nylon for putting together a fantastic playground of music, beauty, style and fun.
SATURDAY:
REVOLVE FESTIVAL
We kicked off our Saturday afternoon at the Revolve Festival situated within the iconic and beautiful Parker Palm Springs hotel. This year REVOLVE opted for a more intimate single day soiree that definitely delivered an elegantly decorated fun-filled party filled with amazing gifting, refreshments and food! Even with a smaller footprint, the Revolve festival still delivered with the same top shelf gifting that they have always been famous for.
Immediately to our right was the Havaianas booth that has been a REVOLVE fan favorite for a few years. Immediately we were greeted with a gift bag with our choice of flip flops, which definitely came in handy at our hotel pool.
QUAY (pronounced “key”) was out in full force this year and once again made another welcomed appearance with their awesome showroom gifting truck. This time, they laid out a whole new collection of colors and styles that weren’t available the night before (see above) and once again the line to get in was long. With a bit of patience sprinkled with tons of sunshine, we finally gained access into the air conditioned mecca of sunglasses. With so many different colors and styles to choose from, I ended up going for the polarized black on black Night Cap.
Deeper into the festival, guests were treated to an 818 Tequila bar that offered refreshing heavy poured crafted cocktails that were definitely kicking the festivities into high gear. rhode skincare had a really cool photo booth set up that let guests use a special token to pick one of four free products and also snap a series of photos inside the booth which printed them out for a fun souvenir.
Sprinter Vodka Sodas also had a fun bar area where all flavors were available for the taking and guests had the chance to try their luck and skills on the Sprinter claw game which was filled with branded hats, slim-can coozies and socks.
One of our favorite activations at the festival was the P.F. Flyers basketball free throw booth where guests channeled their inner Michael Jordan to hit that 3-pointer to win a free pair of high tops that could then be customized with different colored shoe laces, charms and iron-on patches.
When the hunger pains began to hit, we literally were approached by a gal walking around in a Pizza Hut shirt and a pizza delivery hot-bag offering a free Yeastie Boys bagel pizza! Raising Cane’s also handed out chicken tenders and fries along with fun fanny packs and trucker hats, while Mr. Charlie’s offered plant based burgers and chicken sandwich options. Also at the ready to quench all thirsts were VOSS Water bars, Heineken beer carts and the very cool LaCroix Sparkling Water booth that featured so many fun goodies like a large tote, denim hat, phone charms and a sparkling photo op.
The Wanderlust Creamery cart was probably one of my favorite spots with some delicious ice cream flavors which were perfect for such a warm sunny day. Complimenting my ice cream treat with a beignet from the Beignet Box truck was the icing on the cake.
But wait, there’s more! On top of being a celebrity filled party, one of the biggest treats that the Revolve Festival has always been notorious for is their top tier music performances and this year did not disappoint! Starting off the day were DJs Siobhan Bell and “Bling Empire’s” Kim Lee who warmed up the crowd with their groovy dance sets. Then hitting the stage the Ying Yang Twins gave a crowd hopping performance, with legendary Jamaican Dancehall singer Sean Paul who raised the “Temperature” of the festival grounds.
One of my favorites, T-Pain followed after debuting some new music that got the crowd hyped up with the finale headliner Ludacris absolutely destroying the stage with his chart topping hits, making everyone “Move Bitch.”
Once again Revolve Festival delivered one of the best parties, as usual, with so many goodies, food, drink and performances! Definitely already looking forward to next year’s festivities!
CAMP POOSH
Camp Poosh on Saturday was the best daytime soiree south of the Coachella Music Festival with its massive campsite, tons of gifting tents, ever-flowing cocktails and refreshments and the largest selection of food offerings for the whole weekend. We unfortunately got there towards the end of the party but upon entering, the energy felt like the party just started as the campground was filled with dancing happy campers. After a quick check-in at the registration desk, we were left to explore everything that Camp Poosh had to offer and let me be clear…THERE WAS A LOT to unpack at this awesome camping party.
Almost immediately we were greeted by the Havaianas Lake Break cabana where coconuts with straws and Brazil’s most beloved slippahs were passed out to every guest. Erewhon set up a tent that offered guests a chance to stock up on Lion’s Mane mushroom gummies, mosquito patches, colustrom supplements and other healthy provisions for the festival weekend. Gimme Seaweed snacks were plentifully available and such a delicious healthier alternative to fried potato chips. Lemme supplements set up a “Chill Lounge” where every supplement to keep you healthy were widely available for the taking. They even had delicious popsicles to beat the desert heat. Like the Erewhon tent, the Shopify Camp Store offered a plethora of camping essentials like deodorant, socks, candy and more. For those with a sweet tooth, the Smart Sweets Candy Shop offered low sugar sweet gummy and hard candy treats that deliver all the yummy flavor without the diabetes scares. Further down the line of tents, we found The Camp Stash tent where Barker Canna Co. set up shop, offering guests the opportunity to learn how to roll the best joints and blunts. They also passed out yummy weed gummies that came in handy at the late night parties. For those needing to get their hair did or something to control the frizz, Wella’s All Out Hair Repair tent happily assisted with a battery of hair care products.
The most popular spot was definitely the Adidas Sneaker Studio that had a limited number of Samba sneakers available for customizing with charms, baubles and chains. We definitely missed out on shoes but we did score the cool Adidas tote. One of the longest lines was for the Coney Island Picnic Camp Outfitters booth where guests were treated to a full Camp Poosh sweat suit, hat and tank top. We waited forever in this line, hoping to get the sweats but after witnessing a guy in black leathers and cowboy hat literally stealing stacks of sweats from behind the booth, along with his two friends, we were doomed and only able to get a tank top. Bad campers suck.
Camp Poosh’s legendary gifting gave us an appetite and a desperate need of thirst quenching. As I mentioned earlier, drinks and food were abundantly available by way of multiple bars serving mixed cocktails with 818 Tequila, Farmer’s Botanical Organic Gin and Crop Harvest Earth Organic Vodka along with cans of Sprinter Vodka Sodas.
When it came to food, Camp Poosh, hands down, had the greatest variety and selection of full blown meals from various delicious restaurants and food trucks. Our favorites were the Korean chicken sliders from Chimmelier Korean Fried Chicken, refreshingly delicious kale salad from Alfalfa, delicious pickle tastings from the Kaylin + Kaylin pickle tent, yummy pizza cupcakes from The Pizza Cupcake truck and the classic corndog from Hot Dog On A Stick. They also had burgers from Monty’s Good Burger and Mexican deliciousness from The Lime Truck, but our stomachs was already too full to indulge.
With all of the gifts, all of the food and all of the cocktails, the icing on the cake was DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak) on the mainstage holding it down with some of the grooviest tracks that kept all guest dancing and swaying to the beats. Not only did Pee .Wee curate some amazing musical sets but he brought up some special artists that uniquely complimented his awesome style of DJing.
Saying goodbye to Camp Poosh was bittersweet, like watching the fleeting sun drift westward and though we had to head off to our next adventure, we carried with us a treasure trove of Poosh goodies and a tons of fun-filled memories. It’s safe to say, our stay at Camp Poosh was absolutely incredible!
ZOEASIS
Pulling up to the Rachel Zoe’s ZOEasis is always a relaxing feeling because it’s always assured that luxurious pampering awaits you once you arrive. Returning to the same estate as last year, the ZOEasis was once again filled with so many activities and refreshments for all guests to enjoy.
Because of our restrictive schedule we arrived near the end of the event but we were able to check out some of the micro-activations like the Lumify Eyes booth where guests were invited to sit at the Bejeweled Bar to get gemmed looks on before the festival. They also gifted everyone with a bag filled with their Lash & Brow Serum, Brightening Eye Cream and Cleansing Water & Eye Makeup Remover. Gwen Stefani’s brand GXVE was also on-site handing out bandanas, mascara and lipstick.
With more exploration and a cocktail (or three) from the Smirnoff Vodka bar, there was an inked by Dani temporary tattoo booth offering guests non-committal tattoos, The Kacey Welch Method handed free hair brushes along with offering hair clip extentions and our favorite permanent jewelry company, Rellery, secured bracelets “permanently” with master welder Emma, hard at work.
ZOEasis guests were also treated to a plethora of bites and snacks that were periodically carried out by their gourmet kitchen. My favorite were the avocado toast hors d’oeuvres which were tasty and quite filling. Another fun section was the Smirnoff Surpr-ice bar where everyone could get “iced” and play a game of cornhole or Mega-Connect Four.
SONIC DESERT
After the longest Saturday we finally made our way to the Sonic Desert tucked away east of the festival grounds. Located on the same ranch estate as last year, the Sonic Desert decided to go bigger and better for 2024. Presented this year by Coca-Cola Spiced and Topo Chico in connection with BPM Music, this year proved to be one hell of a party out in Thermal.
Upon entering we were greeted by the 21 Arrows Ranch stallion statue rearing its hoofs above the Sonic Desert marquee, which was decimated in Coca Cola Spiced cans. Over to our right in the covered gifting cabana guests were treated to hair touch-ups with hemp based hair hydrating goodies from Giovanni Cosmetics. Guru Nanda also set up shop offering guests a holistic and ayurvedic way towards teeth whitening with whitening strips and pulling oils in coconut and mint. For those that were feeling sluggish from partying the night before, Drip IV Therapy was also set up to aid guests with complimentary B12 IV drips to help get them back on their ponies after a day of multiple party hopping and day drinking before actually heading the music festival.
Coca-Cola Spiced set up a spiced up lounge complete with a 360 video experience, complimentary ice cold cokes and a hair bedazzling tent where guests could spice up their hair dos before heading out to the festival. I even heard that a lucky few got a cool branded boombox cooler!
Multimedia artist and clothing designer, Lauren Altman, also set up a very cool interactive mixed media upcycled art installation entitled, “Desert Garden.” Using Coca-Cola and Glacéau smartwater products and also featuring upcycled pieces from her fashion collection, Lauren Altman Studio, Lauren was able to erect multiple photo moments for everyone to enjoy and capture for the gram.
One of the most amazing things about this year’s Sonic Desert was the food with Dang Brother Pizza and their rolling mobile vintage fire truck pizza oven that cooked never-ending delicious pizzas to perfection, while The Boiling Crab tent served up a treasure trove of boiled and seasoned crustaceans along with their signature fries that went soooo fast. By the time we got there, they only had fries left. Happy Thursday was at the ready to provide still cocktails while Dulce Vida Tequila brought organic tequila shots, crafted cocktails that kept the buzz going strong.
Also floating around were vodka infused (10%) whipped cream cans from Whipshots®, which unlocked a lot of eyebrow raising shenanigans with their “whip it, sip it, lick it” creamy treat that everyone had tons of fun with.
Something new this year was the ROLAND tent that gave guests a chance to sample and play with their newest released electronic synthesizers, samplers and drum machines while sipping ice cold Topo Chico flavored sparkling waters.
With all of the food, fun and freebies, the Sonic Desert also delivered a monstrous soundstage that delivered some of the best afrobeat house music that the 21 Arrows Ranch has ever seen. With BPM Music curating the show, Austin Millz headlined the afternoon and kept the flow groovy and vibey the whole time we explored the party.
Running past their 6:00 pm shut down time, the Sonic Desert continued to be gangsta and keep the party going until it was finally time to call it quits but not before I was able to grab a nommy Melona banana milk ice cream bar to offset my day of fried salty foods. Not only was the ice cream delicious but they were super nice and gifted me with one of their awesome banana milk cooler bags. But with the clock ticking and the vendors shutting down, it was time for us to leave. On the way out we stocked up on some Smartwater, because hydration is key, grabbed a few Monster Energy drinks and Verb Caffeinated Energy Bars, for energy, and tagged up the Toyota Mirai to show our love and support for the DriveH2 zero emissions goal for a cleaner sustainable planet.
Many many thanks to the Sonic Desert for an amazing 2024 party to end our decadent Saturday afternoon. Definitely looking forward to next year’s return!
NEON CARNIVAL
We unleashed our inner child this year at one of the greatest after parties that the Coachella night sky has ever seen. Brent Bolthouse and Jeffrey Best once again delivered a slam dunk of a night with so many libations, fun rides, a massive midway game area and the best musical talent.
Following their 2020 collaboration, Alan Fitzpatrick & Rebūke reunited once again this past year for “Nice & Cool Trigga.” Without a doubt, the biggest banger of 2022. A track so massive that it is nearly impossible to follow up in a set.
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Belgian production duo, Joyhauser joined their fellow compatriot, Push for this hard trance production that truly stood out among a crowded field of giants. Yet another world-class production for the Filth On Acid stable.
Gary Beck and Klaudia Gawlas presented us with a three-tracker back in August that featured this fist-pounding excellence they titled, “Treasure.”
” tml-embed-width=”100%” tml-embed-height=”166″ tml-render-layout=”inline” tml-embed-viewport-heights=”{"A":166,"B":166}”>Once again held at the massive Desert International Horse Park, the Neon Carnival welcomed thousands of invited guests to continue partying once Coachella’s weekend one Saturday was over. Upon entering it was immediately easy to grab MANY drinks from the Patrón El Alto bars and the Heineken kiosks. Also sprinkled all over the fairgrounds were other drinks from Nütrl Vodka Seltzers and other Patrón bars that were always packed with people. Outside of the abundance of cocktails, Liquid I.V. hydration drinks and other refreshments from LaCroix, Coca-Cola, PathWater and Ghost® Energy were everywhere for people to enjoy.
What’s a carnival without games and rides…NOT a “carnival,” which is why Neon Carnival crushed it in all of those areas. Midway games were everywhere with the coolest plushie toys, human sized teddy bears, rainbow llamas and merchandise from Levi’s® Brand!
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Brightly lit rides sprinkled the massive grounds and the best part of it all, IT WAS ALL FREE TO PLAY AND RIDE! Sadly we didn’t see our favorite, the bumper cars, but hopefully they will be returning next year.
With all of the carnival festivities, cocktails and dance boxes checked, Neon Carnival also brought in a flood of AAA list celebrities, some fresh off the Coachella stages and some who just came to the desert to get away from the LA to party.
With so many to celebs to name, familiar faces like Simu Liu, Paris Hilton, Leonardo di Caprio, Ice Spice, J Balvin, Maluma, Jon Batiste, The Weeknd, Bebe Rexha, Tinashe, BLACKPINK’s Lalisa Manobal, Peso Pluma, Tyga, Kyle Richards, Kesha, Amber Rose, Teyana Taylor, YG, Busta Rhymes and way too many more, were in attendance keeping star gazers in a state of people watching voyeur heaven.
Also in attendance by way of secret and secured entry was “TAYVIS” (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce), who danced the night away from their VIP section. They even were caught swooning to Taylor’s hit “Cruel Summer” when it spun on the decks.
And just when we thought the night was complete with the overabundance of everything above, the music kept going with more house music in the beginning versus the top 10 radio pop like previous years with James Kennedy at the decks, followed up by DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), who I feel was the sleeper superstar of weekend one’s party roster. Not only did he deliver his alter ego’s awesomeness through music but he also brought up hip hop legend Busta Rhymes who performed “Look At Me Now” which seriously made the stage area explode in dance!
Many thanks to Brent Bolthouse, Best Events, Liquid I.V., Levi’s Brand and the Neon Carnival for an amazingly fun Saturday night that is definitely one for the books.
FRAMEWORK IN THE DESERT
The best warehouse rave in the desert proved to be just that…After a long and non-stop Saturday of driving for many miles back and forth to many different events and parties, we were literally the walking dead at the 3:00 am mark but WE HAD to check out Dom Dolla at Framework so onward and forward we made the journey to the Atlantic Aviation hangar in Thermal, California. For those of you that are Neon Carnival veterans you will recognize and know this location to be the original spot that the carnival used to take place. NGL, the drive into Framework SUCKS. It is a long and extremely slow moving process that is aggravated by aggressive ride share drivers that cut long car lines to get ahead of people, which is terrible when there is only one entrance for both self parking and drop off/pick ups.
After soldering through this parking nightmare, we were in and entering the hallowed halls of RAVE. The sound system is epic with thunderous bass that begins to push your heartbeat to slam to its rhythm even though you’re still a couple of football fields away. The closer we got, you could hear the vibrating walls of the hangar reminiscent of the old school warehouse raves in Downtown Los Angeles. This was promising to be an epic party and with a turn of the corner we were bashed into an ocean of ravers in a banging tsunami of sound!
Let’s be clear, Framework IS A LEGIT WAREHOUSE RAVE and the energy of the packed hangar crowd was infectious that quickly brought our dying asses back to life! Centered in the back on the massive airplane hangar, Dom Dolla could be seen high above on a custom built stage that easily was three stories high! With each bassline drop and track transition the crowd would lose their mind and at times it felt like the roof was going to explode off the foundations.
This was a sight to see, an experience to feel and a party to dance your ass off to. I don’t know when we left but we definitely enjoyed spending a lot of time in the thick of the crowd as Dom Dolla dropped new unreleased tracks and continued to keep the night going.
If you find yourself in the desert and wish to be at a full blown rave where the music cannon blasts through your body as you drown in a sea of dance, then Framework In The Desert is where you need to be. We give this annual four thumbs up and hope we can return next year!
SUNDAY:
GOLDENVOICE SURF CLUB
After a VERY LONG weekend of decadence, debauchery and dance, pulling up to the The Goldenvoice Surf Club was such a welcoming sight for our desert-dusty crusty eyes. For Coachella party veterans you may remember and/or have fond memories of Goldenvoice’s Day Club at the Hilton Palm Springs with its amazing pool parties and even more amazing DJ sets. Sadly those days are gone but I am here to tell you that this pool party phoenix that has arisen from the Day Club ashes, the Goldenvoice Surf Club (GSVC), is and will continue to be the most amazing replacement!
Upon walking through the hallowed halls of the GVSC, I was reminded of one of the greatest old school raves, Grape Ape 3, that was held at the original Irvine Meadows Wild Rivers location in Irvine, California. The GVSC chills were legit and hearing the echoing music throughout the park just made all those old memories tidal wave back!
With so much to cover, please stay tuned for my in-depth review of our time at the Goldenvoice Surf Club.
And there you have it. It was a long fun filled blur of a party weekend without ever stepping inside the music festival. With El Nino in full effect, this year’s trip was definitely a trip as we had to drive through torrential down pours on our 2.5 hour drive home from an amazingly fun filled weekend but it was WELL WORTH IT and we’d do it again if we had the chance! See you next year!
