This past Sunday The Ocotillo Resturant and Bar was the place to be for trance music! All Day All Night events hosted the Ocotillo Open Air Festival featuring many Anjuna artists, Alex Cruz, David Hohme, Öona Dahl, and GRUM. It was my first time attending an EDM event at this venue and they totally knocked it out of the park! When you first came in there was a comfy couch and some art on display to enjoy. They had decked out the entire place with beautiful decorations that created a really comfortable whimsical feel. Ocotillo usually has large picnic tables outside but they cleared it away to extend the patio dance floor for the day. The events team did an excellent job of curating a great atmosphere for the day! With multiple bars, plenty of space to lounge, and a wide-open dance floor, there was a place for anybody to enjoy themselves. If you’re more of a people watcher than an all-day dancer, there were two areas towards the back of the venue where you could spread out and kick back while still being immersed in the music and atmosphere.
I arrived just before 3 pm and local favorite Sean Watson was getting the crowd warmed up. Ticket holders were encouraged to arrive by about this time to show support for the whole bill of amazing artists. Just like clockwork, everybody started pouring in right at the 3 o’clock hour! It felt like a mini Anjuna Fam reunion. With Anjuna having a huge year for festivals across the entire globe, it wasn’t surprising to find so many overlapping connections. Attendees from Anjuna Explorations in Albania, Anjuna Weekender in Washington, and ABGT350 in Prague spent so much time exchanging stories and laughing and sharing moving moments from each special adventure. I’m always reminded how special Anjuna Family is when we get back together.
Alex Cruz took over the decks after Sean Watson. Cruz brought a fun and light vibe to the day. His music was upbeat and he featured an array of light vocal elements through his set. I found it really calming and the perfect setting to catch up with friends and groove on the dancefloor while sipping a cold drink. Alex Cruz was so relaxed behind the decks and was dancing right along to the beats. He ended up spending the rest of the show dancing around the venue or supporting the other artists from the winds of the stage area.
A friend of mine has an Anjuna flag that she has been collecting signatures on. We spotted David Hohme when he came into the venue and we made our way over to him. He was so warm and inviting and immediately recognized the Anjuna Angels flag he had signed in the past and was so excited to get the opportunity to sign it again. When it was his turn to take over the music responsibilities he did not disappoint! He kept the fun going as the sun finally started to set on the crowd. He gave us a very dynamic set that brought out upbeat happy feelings but also some darker brooding portions of his set provided an excellent contrast. Öona Dahl followed up and kept the place moving! Everything about her and her music felt so ethereal. She gave off such bright energy and her music matched it so well. Transitioning between fun club beats to light and airy moments, Öona was a special type of sound I had yet to come across. She was so sweet and invited a few fans up on stage with her and grooved with them for a while. I love seeing how happy fans get when they get the chance to have an experience like that with a favorite artist of theirs!
Finally, the man of the house came up to the stage! This show is apart of GRUM’s Deep State tour and he went straight for it by starting off with his two single from the album, “Stay” and “Tomorrow”. Grum is a little more serious of a guy behind the decks but that doesn’t stop him from getting a crowd’s energy turned way up! There is no doubt he played a lot off his new album Deep State that’s out now on Anjunabeats. He dropped this album two days before this show and I made sure to wait until after to listen through. While I do love being able to sing along to every song, I love the feeling of new music live even more! The Arizona Anjuna Family was upfront and center supporting Grum and dancing the night away. The highlight of the night was definitely when he dropped “Shout”. You could feel unifying electricity as the whole crowd sang along “Shout, shout, let it all out!”. He put together the perfect set to finish off a really great Sunday on the patio.
To top off a spectacular Sunday Funday, Ocotillo partnered with Montucky Cold Snacks to give a portion of the proceed to the Walter Hive. This nonprofit aims for empowerment through creative expression in art and technology. Montucky had some reps floating around the venue talking about the fundraiser and giving out brand pins. It was great to know our Sunday Funday was benefiting the community as well. Overall, this was an excellent day! Ocotillo really blew it out of the water, especially for this being one of their first few events. I definitely see this spot growing in popularity! Great drinks, great food, EXCELLENT music!
