Something Wicked: Day One Review

Coverage by Parnia Razi and Christopher Kalwick

Since 2013, Something Wicked has returned each year to bring an amazing music festival to Houston. There has been a consistent diversity in the artists to allow the music fans the most experience that they can get. Coog Radio was able to cover some amazing artists, who are able to give the festival goers the experience of a lifetime.

San Holo

Coming out of the dark with a hit remix of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”, San Holo has risen to international fame. His music incorporates a very melodic take on the trap and future bass genre. His most notorious single produced is “Lights”, which was released in 2016. “Lights” was able to take the 13th place in the US Dance category, bringing in more and more San Holo fans. His music is soothing to the point where you can’t avoid swaying to the beat. The consistency in his tracks to provide the listener with a relaxing beat is thrilling. His set this year at Something Wicked gave the audience a time they will not forget. Opening the set, San Holo started off with a bang, giving the audience a quick taste in his music by performing “Lights”, which brought a roar to the crowd. Instantly, he was able to take the whole crowd under his wing, playing the best selections of music possible. From hits like “Better Off Alone” by Ayo & Teo to “Antidote” by Travis Scott, San Holo brought a perfect vibe to the show. His set ended with his song, “BWU” or “Be With You”, it was an amazing song to close on, while still hyping up the crowd for what’s to come.

-Christopher

Space Jesus

Space Jesus, playing at the Bass Crypt Stage, definitely added to the diversity of the lineup this year. Not as much about huge drops and turn up/trap EDM, he had his own vibe and funky style going on. He played some intense beats nonetheless, playing some of his latest collabs with G Jones, who has also done a lot of producing for Bassnectar; there was no doubt he’s making his way up as a DJ. He also made his set more personal, dedicating one of the songs he wrote to a close friend who has been battling addiction. He balanced his more intense and uptempo songs with some slower beats, however his inexperience showed a bit in comparison to some of the other more seasoned DJs on the lineup. Although his set wasn’t as smooth, his talent and potential as a DJ and producer definitely showed with this set.

-Parnia

Rezz

Rezz, one of the youngest and fast growing DJs in terms of popularity today, has been making major moves since she dropped her album Mass Manipulation this year. Her fanbase is growing immensely as more and more people are becoming mesmerized by her haunting and intense sound. Definitely a good fit for a Halloween-themed festival, her spooky and creepy vibes, as well as the set-up of the Mystic Meadow Stage, made her set absolutely perfect. The crowd around the stage was definitely the most packed between the 3 stages at the time, and she kept up the mystic and mysterious aura she’s known for with her dark clothes and light-up glasses. Her performance, persona, and music were incredible and the energy from the audience made it clear she was one of the most-favored artists on the lineup. Overall, her set was mesmerizing and easily one of the all-around best of the day.

-Parnia

Marshmello

The seemingly unknown masked DJ known as Marshmello is a sensation to the world of EDM. His masked persona really speaks to everybody that anyone can be anything. His music debut was an album of previously released music known as “Joytime” hitting the number 5 spot on Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums in 2016. In which, it featured songs like “Keep it Mello”, “Know Me”, and “Summer”. His music is primarily future bass, trap, and house, but he is able to give each song their own unique twist. Marshmello’s music always has an enjoyable beat with an uplifting chorus. One of his most featured songs “Keep it Mello”, takes the stage as one of his most popular songs which happens to feature rapper Omar LinX. The combo brings a hit every EDM lover knows by heart. This year, Marshmello brought a diverse show to Something Wicked. Opening the set, was a very creative mashup of his song “KnOw mE” with Skrillex’s “Right In”, which instantly got the crowd off their feet. He later featured an interesting array of songs like Steve Aoki’s “Pursuit of Happiness”, “Wonderwall” by Oasis, and even “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. The climax of his set felt to happen with his remix of Avicii’s “Waiting for Love” which blew away the crowd. His set was closed by a few mashups, the main one was “One More Time” by Daft Punk and his song “BoUnce”.

-Christopher

Above & Beyond

The Trio from London, England, always comes to perform one of the best trance/progressive house sets you can get. This year, their headlining brought one of the largest crowds Something Wicked as seen yet. Starting off their melodic set, they opened with a series of songs including their hit, “Tightrope” which was able to set the pace for the night. The set included a variety of their soothing songs but was able to keep the energy flowing. Like every performance they have, they manage to lure all of the crowd into a trance. Their set started off amazing and stayed amazing, the timing for each song was perfect. One of the highlights of the night was when A&B played “My Own Hymn” featuring Zoë Johnston, it brought the whole crowd in the air. The night officially hit its peak when they played “Sun and Moon”. This song featuring Richard Bedford if most likely their most recognized song ever. It seemed like the whole crowd knew the lyrics and sang it out beautifully. It really completed their set, everyone was happy and having a good time. The finally was presented by the song “On a Good Day”, which featured the perfect melody to end the night. Not only has Above & Beyond given the festival goers the perfect time, they successfully reminded everybody why they were the main show that night. Above and Beyond will always be a must-see show.

-Christopher

Hippie Sabotage

Hippie Sabotage, although not a headliner, played at the same time as headliners like Above & Beyond, and considering the competition, they had a great crowd as the two brothers brought the perfect energy to end the festival. Known for being trap/hip-hop producers in their hometown of Sacramento, California, they definitely brought their quality sound and experience to this set. Playing almost entirely their own original music, their talent and experience as DJs was clear. They mellowed out their set with some of their more chill, original electronic tracks that the rave crowd loved. They also were perfect for closing the night as they reminded the audience about the power of love and unity, and how important it is that music brings us all together. They thanked the crowd for coming out and having fun with their friends tonight, and the positivity was definitely well-taken and appreciated by the audience. Reminding us about how powerful and beautiful these experiences can be, Hippie Sabotage ended the festival on a perfect note with their good energy and quality music.

– Parnia

Thanks for reading, if you were at the festival, what sets did you see? Which ones did you like? Which ones didn’t you like? Let us know in the comment section. Check the site tomorrow for more coverage of Something Wicked.