This past weekend the Wild West came alive as ravers near and far descended on Phoenix International Raceway for Goldrush: Sonoran Skies. The squad at Relentless Beats pulled out all the stops!
With three main stages, each had its own flavor to sample. The Moonrise Mountain stage was home for baseheads all weekend. The volume and intensity were shaking my bones, it was amazing! Coyote Cove was a vibey slice of warehouse energy that had the house lovers enthralled. And last but not least, the main stage, Paradise Prarie, brought big names and big crowds!
I was thoroughly impressed with the venue layout! With three big stages pumping out high-volume energy, sound bleed-over could have crept in. RB slayed the setup and delivered a wonderfully curated experience throughout the weekend! Beyond the musical talent gracing the decks, the Weird and Wonderful crew roamed the festival grounds. What I love most about the different performers is their range of talents! From flow artists to go-go dancers, the way they easily tune into the live music has always mesmerized me.
RB had a new treat in the mix for Goldrush! For the first time, there was a cannabis area. While vendors have participated in festivals in the past, this was the first time medicated items were being given away (with an ID check, of course). It was pretty cool to see cannabis becoming more socially acceptable at RB events!
Day one was beyond packed with stellar names! Kayzo treated us Valley Ravers to an Unleashed set. With a full drum kit and guitarist accompanying live, it was unreal to see the level of energy pouring out!! My favorite moment from his set was his feature of Korn’s hit track “Coming Undone“. It was equal parts nostalgic and heavy! This Unleashed set at Goldrush was his last for the year. You could tell he was putting every last drop of energy into his performance!
After I caught my breath following Kayzo’s Unleashed set, I found myself at Coyote Cove. In the dark and vibey warehouse, Dombresky was hitting a crazy wavelength! There were samples of classic EDM tracks and wild remixes pulling them into a modern twist. He had me absolutely drooling over his sampling of “Shout”, adding a high-energy, clubby anthem.
As day one continued, I had the start time of Alison Wonderland’s set right in my crosshairs! I wasn’t going to miss a single moment. Not only did she deliver with some incredibly heavy moments, but she also made it rain DnB energy left and right. You may call me a DnB fiend, I went so feral with Alison! After a full hour of top-tier music, she delivered the cherry on top by dropping a new Whyte Fanng track and pulled up some BAD BITCHES to party and celebrate the new track!
Rolling up to day two I had a roster of sets that were absolute “musts”. Hamdi’s Phoenix stop was in the midst of a ten-show run! He went from 0 to 60 and didn’t slow down through his whole set. The way he electrified the crowd was honestly a breath of fresh air! His crowd work was phenomenal!
You couldn’t pull me away from Paradise Prairie if you paid me a million bucks! Zeds Dead and then ZHU? Nowhere else I’d rather be! While I was hoping Hamdi would pop up during Zeds set for their most recent single “Criminals” it was still exciting as hell to have the Zeds duo drop it and shake my bones! The absolute jewel of their performance was their DnB remix of Destiny’s Child’s smash hit, “Say My Name“. If I could I would bottle that energy to use on a rainy day!
The crowning performance of the weekend came when ZHU took to the deck. For me, it had been a solid four years since my last seeing him perform. To be honest, I was a little nervous that he may have drastically changed and I wouldn’t be sucked in as I had historically. I was stupid to have worried. The moment ZHU came on stage he oozed his signature energy. It was like no time had passed at all! He sang live and enveloped the crowd in his silky voice. I’ll never take for granted those special moments when he is adding his special energy to life.
Time and time again, the RB team blows away my expectations! Regardless of what your style or sound preference is, there is always a place to dance at a Relentless Beats festival. My visit to the Wild West this year sent me home with memories and a saddle full of happiness! See our full photo album here. If you can’t wait for your next RB event, Body Language: Super Unnatural is just around the corner!
