Excitement ran high last weekend (April 28 – May 1) as, Further Future, winner of Las Vegas Weekly’s 2015 Best Music Festival award, celebrated its second year running, and, its very first year being open to the public. Created by Burning Man enthusiasts and music festival aficionados at Robot Heart, Further Future 002 (FF002) already has a cult following of sorts despite its short history.
Due to the first year of Further Future being strictly invite only, some festival-goers were so excited to get in this time around, they were spotted trying to pick-up their rental vehicles called Jucy Vans, at the company’s Las Vegas location before the facility was even open. Attendees who obtained a Jucy were only a short 40-minute drive from the festival grounds. For attendees who wanted to say in comfort of a hotel, downtown Vegas was only about 45 minute drive, while the Las Vegas Strip was about an hour away. For those who didn’t want to worry about any driving, or, didn’t have access to an RV, Jucy, or parking pass at the festival, Shuttle buses were originally scheduled to leave every 90 minutes, with pick-up and drop-off stops at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, MGM Grand and Gold Spike.
After FF002 attendees selected their method of transportation, they traveled to the festival grounds, which were located inside the Moapa River Indian Reservation in Nevada. Upon entering the festival grounds, festival-goers were directed to go different direction based on what typo of pass was purchased. Attendees with camping passes were directed to setup camp in designated camping areas, while guests who could afford high-end prices had a bevy of luxury camping options.
In addition to general and high-end camping, Further Future featured an area to corral a large fleet of Jucy vans and their temporary residents. Despite the company’s somewhat short history in the states, Jucy vans have quickly become the preferred method of festival transportation. Each Jucy featured sleeping space for groups as large as four, a wind-up tent stored on top of the van, a kitchen equipped with a burner and sink, allowing guests to save money by preparing their own meals. With prices significantly cheaper than traditional RVs, Jucy vans were an amazing option for festival attendees who did not splurge on the expensive luxury options.
After setting up camp, guests entered venue area of the festival ground. Upon entry, guests were immediately in awe of its natural beauty. Nestled inside a valley along the Moapa River, FF002 grounds had a 360-degree view of spectacular mountain ranges and breathtaking skylines. The views were so unique that it was common to find patrons climbing to the top of numerous structures that were scattered around the venue in hopes of getting scenic photos as they entered the one-of-a-kind festival grounds.
Stages at FF002 were spaced far enough apart that there were no overlapping sounds from one another which was key for getting immersed in the music at each of the stages. Attendees could also move quickly and freely between stages to checkout different music, whisk through Vendor Village for food and drink, and, access their campsites with little effort. Plus, a semi-intimate crowd size made for a comfortable setting at the stages, all the while providing revelers with plenty of room to dance.
The Mothership stage, at the far end of the festival grounds, was scheduled to host live performances throughout the festival. The Booba Cosmica stage, an intimate setup created with mattresses (yes, you read that correctly), hosted speakers and live performances. The Void tent and Robot Heart stage hosted amazing DJ sets throughout the entirety of the festival. Between the stages, patrons could peruse a multitude of art installations by artists such as Jeffrey Rizzy Scott, Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk, as they strolled throughout the venue.
By Friday evening, the festival was off to an amazing start. Live sets by Daedelus and Crazy P rocked The Mothership stage during the sunset. After the sun had gone down, The Void tent saw a big crowd for DJ Tennis. As FF002 began to build some serious momentum, unpredictable desert weather moved in and brought things to a halt.
An initial warning of severe and dangerous lightning strikes postponed the festival and some guests were warned to retreat to their RVs and Jucy vans. Although the most dangerous storm passed without much threat to safety, torrential downpours came later and lasted for much of the first night. Due to the circumstances, the Further Future 2016 schedule changed abruptly. Many partiers were able to soldier through the weather, while others rested up at their campsites to prepare for the next day.
The wind and rain did cause some severe logistical issues, however. The unpaved road that led to the festival washed out in the rain, wreaking havoc with the shuttle buses all weekend. Inside the festival, things got a bit messy, but everyone partied on. The rain stopped just in time for Dixon’s morning set, which hopped between The Void tent and Robot Heart’s stage, and carried on until 10 in the morning.
Saturday was full of informative talks, great food, and amazing music. Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google, was a must-see talk for many attendees. Due to the weather, Kid Koala’s afternoon set got pushed back a bit, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from bringing the heat after he made it on. The rain ended in the early evening, right in time for amazing live shows by The Pharcyde and Nicolas Jaar.
As the sky cleared above Further Future, it made for brilliantly starry night, equipped with the ability to reveal how spectacular both natural and laser lightshows were. The night carried on and patrons danced the night away to to Leftfield, YokoO and Kimball Collins.
At 4:30 AM Sunday, Lee Burridge took the stage for a sunrise set that was a major highlight of FF002. The sun created a brilliant blue-green light as it crested over the mountains. Lee continued to drop his set and had the crowd dancing in unison. Frank and Tony followed this up with another amazing performance, and kept the crowd dancing even as the sun became hot for the first time.
Although some guests began to leave Sunday, FF002 carried on with style and bass. A nighttime performance by HVOB led straight to the Robot Heart afterparty, where DJ sets were announced. Eduardo Castillo and DJ Tennis were among the artists who had the crowd dancing past the Monday Morning sunrise.
The true stars of the show, however, were the attendees of Further Future. They were clearly a crowd comprised of solid characters who seemed dedicated to making the festival as special as could be. As a counterpart, the festival itself served as a safe space for attendees to express themselves and create connections with others. Whether if they were offering one another water, glitter, fruit, or even wine, attendees helped create a better experience for each other.
All and all, Further Future 002 turned out to be an incredibly memorable event, meeting many expectations by delivering a high quality experience that many could appreciate. Furthermore, it seemed clear that attendees left feeling more comfortable about making an effort to express themselves in their own unique way, and, improving their abilities to keep an open connection with others. Memories of this unforgettable journey are only sure to create more and more anticipation leading up to Further Future 003!
