Zeds Dead. Bassnectar. Griz. Skrillex. Porter Robinson. Excision b2b Slander.
These were the headlining artists for the 2019 Hijinx lineup, which was absolutely, completely and undeniably insane. Those artists alone were reason to buy tickets the day they dropped. In the months leading up to the festival, Hijinx focused on branding itself as a top tier event where only #FullSends were encouraged. However, a good lineup doesn’t mean a good festival, and some clever marketing can trick any enthusiastic raver. Did the festival truly live up to the hype it created?
Yes, it absolutely did.
The Venue:
Hijinx took place in the heart of downtown Philly, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The building is massive with seven halls spanning one million square feet so the festival has room to grow. Even with the event being sold out, there was more than enough room for everyone. My crew of 15 didn’t have any issues finding areas we all could dance in and flow together. You could easily see the stage from the back of the venue if you wanted some time to chill, or dive deep into the middle of the raging crowd and feel the energy of the event.
Hijinx switched up the layout of the festival this year which was a great choice. It allowed for an increased number of bathrooms and an easily accessible vendor area. They added more bars as well, so with a little searching, you could find options that had no lines. The only downside was the lack of real food, and instead only having typical “convention center” foods (think: hotdogs and pretzels). However, given the hours of the fest (5pm-2am), we excitedly grabbed dinner at new and interesting restaurants around the city before heading in.
One of the things I loved was that Hijinx took the time to listen to their customers. On the first day of the fest, many struggled waiting in line for an hour to get in. By the second day there wasn’t a line in sight. Security was respectful while still being thorough, and the Hijinx volunteer team really got people pumped as we skipped our way into the hall. I never ran into a staff member that wasn’t excited about being a part of team.
They also had a space where attendees could stop and take a break called the Jellyfish Lounge. It was full of couches and inflatables to lie down on and give your feet a rest, and decorated with beautiful art. Some of my favorite moments were spent in this area meeting new people from all over the east coast.
The Production:
On the first day there were pockets of the space that had a bit too much bass (sfmfstaffisingly, this is a real thing.) It caused some vocals to be drowned out more than most attendees wanted. They tapped in Kyle Pace, audio engineer guru. He took the time to speak with customers about where the issues were and fixed them for night two. I never had an issue with the sound from where I stood, but I respected the fact Hijinx took the time to ensure it was the level of quality us ravers expect. Being only in its second year, growing pains were understandable. Getting an indoor festival right can be much more difficult than an outdoor one, but Hijinx made it happen.
The stage design, visuals, and production overall were fantastic. The lights and lasers were fitting for each artist’s set and captivated us with vibrant colors and energy anywhere we were within the convention center. The high-quality production carried right into the official after-party. I had the opportunity to see Slander and Wavedash at NOTO, only a few blocks from the convention center. The visuals for Slander’s set were stunning-–so much so I made sure to run up to their creative director Kevin Mead to thank him for a job well done.
My favorite set of the weekend had to go to Skrillex. He’s the one who truly brought me into the EDM scene back in 2010, and I’m always filled with nostalgia anytime I hear “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into his set. Would he play only his more recent tracks or bless us with those old school bangers? He thankfully did a fantastic combination of both, taking the entire crowd on a perfect Dubstep journey. I still get chills thinking about the moment he dropped “Bangarang”. The crowd went absolutely insane and there wasn’t a single person standing still.
Overall, Hijinx was a great way to close out my 2019 festival season. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to end the decade with some of the most innovative artists in the industry with a crowd that was so appreciative of the music. We will definitely be returning in 2020!
