Perhaps one of the best showcases of music I witnessed in 2017 went down at Imagine Music Festival in Atlanta, GA. With the Imagine 2017 lineup boasting some of the biggest names in the electronic music scene, night after night the hits echoed through the Atlanta Motor Speedway. From acts like STS9, deadmau5, Pretty Lights Live, Claude VonStroke, Above & Beyond, Shiba San, Chris Lake, Will Clarke, Claptone, Big Gigantic, Tiësto and many others, each night was a treat.
Although Sunday night included some of my personal favorites like STS9, Shiba San and Claude VonStroke, the music that captivated me the most throughout the weekend were back to back to back sets on Saturday night at the Disco Inferno stage (aka the house music stage). The 3+ hours of pure musical magic included performances by Chris Lake, Nora En Pure and Claptone, just before Gorgon City (which I'm sure was also good, but we headed to Pretty Lights) got on to do their thing.
With flames bursting high above crowd seemingly every other minute or so, the Disco Inferno stage became a spectacle you just couldn't walk away from. On top of the visuals going on, it was if though all three performances complimented each other so well you'd think they were in cahoots. After each set finished I kept wondering how is next set going to match that one; but it did.
Following that string of performances, it was hard to be openminded that I'd witness anything quite that intense for the rest of the weekend. Musically speaking, I feared that Imagine might have blown its load. Alas, Pretty Lights, STS9 and Claude VonStroke were still on deck!
After the music commenced that night on the main stages, the campgrounds picked up with crazed campers running ramped throughout the festival grounds, and, the silent disco, which drew high numbers each night. With multiple artists getting their tunes pumped through red and green channels controlled by the headphone user, the energy continued to perculate into the wee hours of the morning.
Just outside the silent disco area, patrons took advantage of the many vendors that made up 'shakedown street' at Imagine. From the official pin vendors at music festivals near and far, Sloth Steady, to those vending delicious festi-foods of all sorts, bases were covered when it came to getting what you needed and more while on-site.
Other attractions on the grounds included art installments galore. Not just the kind you can look at when you and your crew may or may not have experimented with psychedelics, but the kind you can fully immerse yourself in. For attendees who attended in VIP fashion, a pool was another extra one could immerse themselves in.
Although the inside and outside of festival grounds were more than pleasant, one area I'm sure the festival will work on to improve for next year is the line getting into the heart of the speedway where he stages were located. I could've never imagined it would take so long for patrons to get through security checkpoints and into the actual venue. However, with music so fire, I guess it should've been expected.
Despite the lines, what Imagined offered all around made it one of the best festivals I've attended in 2017. From the fire music to the fire visuals, this festival was LIT. Currently, Customer Appreciation options for Imagine 2018 tickets are on-sale starting at just $99. In addition to being the perfect gift for music lovers across the states, it would definitely be a nice thing to look forward to attending all year long. 2018 marks the 5th year anniversary of the festival and judging by their last go at it, this one will be bigger and better than ever.
IMAGINE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018 TICKETS FOR SALE
