It’s often said that the third time’s the charm. But, Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD have proved all it takes is two. Their second ever SD music festival this year blew us out of the water, unsurprisingly. With a deservedly hyped lineup and a fantastic front runner, this pair of concert promoters have etched their names into the proverbial show-stones of San Diego and SoCal.
Without a doubt, ‘Generation Why’ leader Zhu takes the cake for the weekend’s most anticipated – and remembered – act. He lived up to the calling with his uniquely in-between underground hip-pop electronics. Other stars of the day include the garishly faceless Golden Features and his Australian-tinged industriousness, Justin Jay‘s homecoming dirtybird house party, Goldroom & Le Youth‘s feel-good B2B beach vibe-off, and Bob Moses‘ timeless poison of a ride.
Sunday saw a smaller crowd trickle in slowly; probably owing to the heat and the availability of single days. Technical difficulties during Touch Sensitive had us starting the day off with Big Data‘s logo-matching electro-rock instead. While we chose to keep the day a bit more mellow (because Sunday and work and all), the daytime talent from the likes of andhim, Claptone, and TEED kept our feet on fire. Todd Terje‘s pew-pew-pew disco ramped up the heat as the sun set over the bay. His happy sounds led us off for a quick exploration of techno-legend Ben Klock and the raspberry princess Banks before heading back to the masterful Nico‘s smorgasbord of a set.
As the clock struck 10, we slowly shuffled our way out of the Waterfront Park with our spirits on high from another magical weekend. Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD really have something special growing here. It’s nice knowing only 2 editions into its life, CRSSD Fest has found itself as a staple in SD’s music scene.
