Houston Gets Freaky on Halloween Weekend: Freaky Deaky Festival Recap

Day 1:

Contributions by Walbert Castillo

Shiba San b2b Walker & Royce

House music is always a great vibe no matter the time of day. The 5:05pm set of Shiba San b2b Walker & Royce was one of the sets that I was most looking forward to seeing at Freaky Deaky. They did not disappoint, as his set was definitely in my top 5 for the weekend. The tech-house DJs played some of their great tunes which include Shiba San’s “All I Need” and “Okay,” and Walker & Royce’s “Bodies Do The Talking” and “WORD.” This set was the first one I saw this past weekend which was really a great way to start off Freaky Deaky 2019.

Photo by RUKES, courtesy Disco Donnie Presents.

FISHER

Following the amazing back-to-back set, Australian house and techno DJ, FISHER, had a two-hour sunset set at The Shrine for Day 1 of Freaky Deaky. Being one of the most popular DJs right now, FISHER’s set was not one to miss. His set was really something else. FISHER had everyone “losing it” throughout the whole show. The energy he brings to his sets is really uplifting and this one was no different. FISHER played some fan favorites including, “You Little Beauty,” “Losing It,” and “Stop It” which of course got the crowd really hyped. FISHER’s groovy vibes landed him a spot on my top 2 favorite sets of the weekend.

Tchami

Martin Bresso aka Tchami brought good vibes to the main stage with his future house sound on Day 1. According to many different people that I asked, he had one of the best sets of the weekend. When you looked around, all you could see was everyone dancing and jumping with joy. The energy was really high throughout Tchami’s whole set, but it stood out when he played “After Life” and his remix of “You Know You Like It.” Tchami is one of the best future house DJs and he proved that with his performance on Saturday.

Photo by RUKES, courtesy Disco Donnie Presents.

Day 2:

Contributions by Parnia Razinobakht

CloZee

Playing on Sunday at the Crypt stage, CloZee captivated her audience and took off to another dimension with her unique bass-heavy sound. A fresh and young DJ/producer from France, CloZee has been in music for years but recently has gained a larger global fanbase, allowing her to play more shows in the U.S. and across the world. Last year she opened for one of Bassnectar’s annual shows, giving her exposure to a large and dedicated fanbase whose taste her music surely aligns with. Blending tribal-influenced sound with her own unique mix of electronic music, CloZee almost creates her own genre so I was unsure what to expect of her live set, but I left the set wanting more and already looking for the next time I would get a chance to see her. Her mix was really impressive and unlike anything I had heard before, and she was more versatile than I had expected because her music is very niche. Yet she seamlessly went between her own tracks, remixes of other EDM tracks, and even her own mixes of rap/hip-hop songs and she easily had one of the best sets I saw all weekend.

Chris Lorenzo

Bringing a deep house party to the Big Top stage, I ended up at this set unplanned because I was initially at the Shrine stage for Armin Van Buren when I left to grab a bite to eat and stumbled upon this stage behind one of the food trucks. Needless to say, I enjoyed the first few minutes I watched so much that I had to stay there for the rest of his set. A relative newbie to the EDM sub-genre of House, this set helped me realize the truth behind the ravers who stick by small stages and don’t go to main stage sets. While the main stage is filled with DJs yelling ‘1, 2, 3, let’s go!’ and ‘put your hands up’ at every drop, it was definitely refreshing to hear a vibrant, effortless set like this one. Just a great House mix, everyone dancing, and huge smiles on everyone’s face – no yelling into the mic needed. I’m glad the festival included this stage dedicated to House music, the production of the stage itself was perfect and very fitting, and it definitely created a much-needed space to relax and get away from some of the main stage madness while still enjoying great music.

Photo by RUKES, courtesy Disco Donnie Presents.

Martin Garrix

An artist who likely has a place in the heart of every raver, Martin Garrix gave us all the goosebumps and feels on a perfect Sunday evening to close out the festival. I had been dying to see him again after briefly catching a part of his set at EDC Las Vegas earlier this year and this set gave me everything I wanted and more. Garrix is exceptional as a DJ because he can blend together his soft, melodic songs with some heavy drops, unique transitions, and fun remixes. He can truly do it all, and his status as a well-seasoned DJ among the highest ranks in his genre really came through in this set. He can make you tear up and hug your best friend and make you headbang all in the same set. I enjoyed the versatility he brought with his set, and I think this set perfectly captured everything we love about rave culture. United with a group of people all different from you, you can come together with the power of music and love for each other above anything else at that moment. With fireworks to top it off, he played a beautiful set that ended the weekend on an incredibly positive note that I hope everyone was able to carry with them through their week.

Who was your favorite set at Freaky Deaky 2019? Let us know! Until next year, freaks!