Basslights 2013
Venue: Klipsch Amphitheater, Bayfront Park
Closest Metrorail Station: Government Center
Walking distance from Metrorail Station: 10 minutes
Doors Open: 6pm
Friday Lineup: Supervision, Pantyraid, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights
Saturday Lineup: Koan Sound, Run The Jewels, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar
Best surprise performance: Pantyraid
Best overall performance: Pretty Lights
Price of Beer: $5 for small classes or $9 for double size Miller Light/small size Heineken
Price of Cocktail: $8ish
Price of Water: $4
Interesting Types of Food Available: Falafel, Spanish Arepa Flatbreads
First, let me say that the Pretty Lights live band was SUCH an experience to see. Keyboard player, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, drums, plus a DJ?! Are you kidding. Definitely check whether the Pretty Lights tour is bound for your neighborhood because it’s not something you want to miss.
Security was light the first night, but heavy the second. They broke the crowd into two separate lines for men and women and searched each thoroughly. Strangely, you were not permitted to bring in bottle caps; if you had a sealed bottle of water they actually removed the cap and threw it in the trash. While there were water stations near the bathrooms to fill up bottles (hose water, by the way), having no caps meant we had to hold the bottles the entire night. Big pain.
The amphitheater was broken into a front “pavilion” section, which consisted of 40-ish rows of seats and a main dancing mosh pit up near the stage. Separated by a low fence was the rest of the venue- a gently sloping grassy park, no seats. There were two white tents in the midst of the park for sound and lighting personnel and equipment.
Around the amphitheater was a semi-circular concrete walkway along which were scattered various food, drink and merchandise tents. There were indoor bathrooms as well as port-a-potties at the left-most end of the walkway. A handful of benches for sitting studded the outer wall.
As for artists, it goes without saying that Pretty Lights and Bassnectar BLEW.IT.UP. Without question the PL laser show is the best in the industry. He also incorporated a new technique with circular light smoke rings that I had NEVER seen before. Such a master at his craft.
Definitely want to mention that we thoroughly enjoyed Pantyraid. They were a surprisingly fun trap diversion (complete with 4 backup dancers) that was a great opener for Bassnectar. I wish we had been able to see Supervision, but we arrived too late (the second act had already started playing when we arrived at 7:30pm).
Also, a note about tickets. We elected to purchase lawn tickets, meaning we weren’t able to get into the mosh pit below. However, on the second night, right before Bassnectar started his set, security began letting people on the lawn through the gate into the pavilion. SCORE! We made it about halfway down the center walkway and had an incredible spot for the rest of the show. Which, by the way, was a sweaty, hair-whipping, 2-hour bass mind-trip that ended with “Pink Elephants”:
Would do Basslights again in a heartbeat- what a fantastic two-day concert!
