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With the sun finally breaking through the Pacific Northwest clouds, my Anjunafam has been talking about Anjunabeach nonstop. The bigger the Anjuna event, the greater the hype and anticipation. And for us Pacific Northwesterners, getting to dance on a warm, sunny beach is a special treat. So I asked my PNW Anjunafam to give voice to their excitement.
When Above & Beyond announced Anjunabeach, what were some of your first thoughts?
David Wroblewski: HOLY SHIT! This is going to be amazing. I was excited to have a big outdoor Anjuna fest on the west coast this summer because I knew we wouldn’t be able to make the ABGT milestone show this year.
Luke Smith-Royal: My initial reaction was WOW–this is the best birthday present I could have gotten. My mom bought me tickets to go right when they went on sale. She knows how much I love Above & Beyond and said it was a no-brainer. Shout out to you, Nanette!
Marina Aguero: I knew I was going no matter what! A&B on the beach with my Anjunafam? No way I was missing that! My excitement has continued to grow as more and more PNW fam confirm they’re going. It’s a beach party with my closest friends!
Lance Milliken: After my second cross-country journey to see Above & Beyond in Portland, I left with a big hole in my heart. At the time, I was going through an extremely rough part of my life, and I had no idea what I was going to do from there. Then A&B announced Anjunabeach and after a few messages from my PNW friends, I was on the road to putting my life together enough to take this trip and am now planning on moving to Portland.
[irp posts=”15961″ name=”Above and Beyond | Common Ground Portland | Meet 8 Amazing Anjunafam Members from the PACNW!”]
Tell me a bit about your planning and expectations for the trip.
David Wroblewski: We were at Jade Club seeing Grum with a bunch of our friends back in March. We made plans then and there that we were going down with a large group. Getting an Airbnb. Big Anjuna van. All the fixins.
Sandra Huitt: I was with David and our PNW Anjunafam crew right after hearing the boys were playing twice in Vegas for EDC week followed by Red Rocks Common Ground and then Anjunabeach a couple weeks later. With Grum Shouting us on, we immediately went to work planning which events everyone could attend and how we could all bunk together so it wasn’t just an Anjuna event, but an Anjuna trip.
Lance Milliken: To be quite honest, I can’t say I have much of a “plan,” but like the boys (and a certain Zoë Johnston) say, “You gotta choose a direction, and when the moment is right for you, you gotta go.” And so, the direction is Anjunabeach, and I just gotta go!
What other types of venues have you seen the boys at and how do you think Anjunabeach will be different?
Victoriana Biyo: I’ve seen the boys 21 times with anywhere between 100-100,000 people. But at the beach with the sun and water will be amazing!
Luke Smith-Royal: I saw them at Resolution in my hometown of Seattle, EDC, worked as their Campground Activities Manager for ABGT250, and at Common Ground Portland where I had the pleasure of Pushing the Button! As it’s on the beach, I’m hoping to hear some Oceanlab songs while I dance the day away with my Anjunafamily.
Lance Milliken: I’ve seen the boys at clubs, festivals, and their self-produced landmark ABGT250 event, but Anjunabeach represents something entirely different for me. Sun-soaked at the beach with three very interesting openers, all headliners in their own respective realms.
David Wroblewski: The first time was at Last Supper Club in Seattle 2007, then Whiskey Bar in Portland 2010 followed by ABGT250 at The Gorge (which will never be topped). I saw them at the LA Convention Center on the first leg of their Common Ground tour and then at the Anjunadeep after party where Paavo & Jono played my second favorite A&B set after 250. The Portland CG Show was amazing cause it was on home turf surrounded by so many people that I love. Anjunabeach will probably be the closest to 250 because it’ll be outdoors with a massive crowd.
[irp posts=”16762″ name=”Rare Yoga Set to be Performed at Anjunabeach”]
Have you done an Above & Beyond yoga set in the past and if so, what are your thoughts?
Lance Milliken: I…uh…overslept at 250, and missed the yoga set there, so I’m definitely setting an alarm not to miss this one! I look forward to the wonderful background and brilliant music for my first time practicing yoga!
Sandra Huitt: I got to the field at ABGT250 halfway through the yoga set and was bummed I missed any of it cause I do yoga to the Anjunadeep podcasts several times a week. I’m definitely making sure my crew doesn’t miss the Anjunabeach set!
Marina Aguero: Meh.
Which artist are you most looking forward to seeing and why?
Lance Milliken: The artist I’m most excited to see is the one I’ve never seen, the unicorn of the group, Mat Zo. As someone who holds his first album in high regard with tracks like Bipolar, The Sky, and one of my all time favorite collaborations in the history of dance music, Easy, getting the chance to see this maestro live, is (almost) a once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus, everyone I know that’s seen him has said his sets are life-changing!
Marina Aguero: I am honestly super excited for all the openers. Each one has their own vibe and I was not disappointed when they were announced. Like much of my Portland fam, I’m stoked for Lane 8! My wish is that we will be able to keep our recording to a minimum and embrace his “This never happened” message. I was lucky to see Luttrell three times in March and can’t wait to dance to Contact. His sets are different every time and they keep me engaged. He’s also just a gem of a human.
David Wroblewski: It’s gonna have to be Mat Zo. I’ve been listening to him since around 2005 and this will be my first time seeing him. My friends that saw him at Red Rocks have been praising his set nonstop.
Victoriana Biyo: Apart from A&B, I think Luttrell and Lane 8 are currently the best producers and I know they’ll bring the beachy vibes.
Get your tickets lickety-split cause they’re going quick. And if you see a big group of pasty people with face-splitting grins rockin’ the funky beat, come say hi! We’re always looking to expand our Anjunafam.
With the sun finally breaking through the Pacific Northwest clouds, my Anjunafam has been talking about Anjunabeach nonstop. The bigger the Anjuna event, the greater the hype and anticipation. And for us Pacific Northwesterners, getting to dance on a warm, sunny beach is a special treat. So I asked my PNW Anjunafam to give voice to their excitement.
When Above & Beyond announced Anjunabeach, what were some of your first thoughts?
David Wroblewski: HOLY SHIT! This is going to be amazing. I was excited to have a big outdoor Anjuna fest on the west coast this summer because I knew we wouldn’t be able to make the ABGT milestone show this year.
Luke Smith-Royal: My initial reaction was WOW–this is the best birthday present I could have gotten. My mom bought me tickets to go right when they went on sale. She knows how much I love Above & Beyond and said it was a no-brainer. Shout out to you, Nanette!
Marina Aguero: I knew I was going no matter what! A&B on the beach with my Anjunafam? No way I was missing that! My excitement has continued to grow as more and more PNW fam confirm they’re going. It’s a beach party with my closest friends!
Lance Milliken: After my second cross-country journey to see Above & Beyond in Portland, I left with a big hole in my heart. At the time, I was going through an extremely rough part of my life, and I had no idea what I was going to do from there. Then A&B announced Anjunabeach and after a few messages from my PNW friends, I was on the road to putting my life together enough to take this trip and am now planning on moving to Portland.
[irp posts=”15961″ name=”Above and Beyond | Common Ground Portland | Meet 8 Amazing Anjunafam Members from the PACNW!”]
Tell me a bit about your planning and expectations for the trip.
David Wroblewski: We were at Jade Club seeing Grum with a bunch of our friends back in March. We made plans then and there that we were going down with a large group. Getting an Airbnb. Big Anjuna van. All the fixins.
Sandra Huitt: I was with David and our PNW Anjunafam crew right after hearing the boys were playing twice in Vegas for EDC week followed by Red Rocks Common Ground and then Anjunabeach a couple weeks later. With Grum Shouting us on, we immediately went to work planning which events everyone could attend and how we could all bunk together so it wasn’t just an Anjuna event, but an Anjuna trip.
Lance Milliken: To be quite honest, I can’t say I have much of a “plan,” but like the boys (and a certain Zoë Johnston) say, “You gotta choose a direction, and when the moment is right for you, you gotta go.” And so, the direction is Anjunabeach, and I just gotta go!
What other types of venues have you seen the boys at and how do you think Anjunabeach will be different?
Victoriana Biyo: I’ve seen the boys 21 times with anywhere between 100-100,000 people. But at the beach with the sun and water will be amazing!
Luke Smith-Royal: I saw them at Resolution in my hometown of Seattle, EDC, worked as their Campground Activities Manager for ABGT250, and at Common Ground Portland where I had the pleasure of Pushing the Button! As it’s on the beach, I’m hoping to hear some Oceanlab songs while I dance the day away with my Anjunafamily.
Lance Milliken: I’ve seen the boys at clubs, festivals, and their self-produced landmark ABGT250 event, but Anjunabeach represents something entirely different for me. Sun-soaked at the beach with three very interesting openers, all headliners in their own respective realms.
David Wroblewski: The first time was at Last Supper Club in Seattle 2007, then Whiskey Bar in Portland 2010 followed by ABGT250 at The Gorge (which will never be topped). I saw them at the LA Convention Center on the first leg of their Common Ground tour and then at the Anjunadeep after party where Paavo & Jono played my second favorite A&B set after 250. The Portland CG Show was amazing cause it was on home turf surrounded by so many people that I love. Anjunabeach will probably be the closest to 250 because it’ll be outdoors with a massive crowd.
[irp posts=”16762″ name=”Rare Yoga Set to be Performed at Anjunabeach”]
Have you done an Above & Beyond yoga set in the past and if so, what are your thoughts?
Lance Milliken: I…uh…overslept at 250, and missed the yoga set there, so I’m definitely setting an alarm not to miss this one! I look forward to the wonderful background and brilliant music for my first time practicing yoga!
Sandra Huitt: I got to the field at ABGT250 halfway through the yoga set and was bummed I missed any of it cause I do yoga to the Anjunadeep podcasts several times a week. I’m definitely making sure my crew doesn’t miss the Anjunabeach set!
Marina Aguero: Meh.
Which artist are you most looking forward to seeing and why?
Lance Milliken: The artist I’m most excited to see is the one I’ve never seen, the unicorn of the group, Mat Zo. As someone who holds his first album in high regard with tracks like Bipolar, The Sky, and one of my all time favorite collaborations in the history of dance music, Easy, getting the chance to see this maestro live, is (almost) a once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus, everyone I know that’s seen him has said his sets are life-changing!
Marina Aguero: I am honestly super excited for all the openers. Each one has their own vibe and I was not disappointed when they were announced. Like much of my Portland fam, I’m stoked for Lane 8! My wish is that we will be able to keep our recording to a minimum and embrace his “This never happened” message. I was lucky to see Luttrell three times in March and can’t wait to dance to Contact. His sets are different every time and they keep me engaged. He’s also just a gem of a human.
David Wroblewski: It’s gonna have to be Mat Zo. I’ve been listening to him since around 2005 and this will be my first time seeing him. My friends that saw him at Red Rocks have been praising his set nonstop.
Victoriana Biyo: Apart from A&B, I think Luttrell and Lane 8 are currently the best producers and I know they’ll bring the beachy vibes.
Get your tickets lickety-split cause they’re going quick. And if you see a big group of pasty people with face-splitting grins rockin’ the funky beat, come say hi! We’re always looking to expand our Anjunafam.
Click for Tickets & Info Here
