story / Jordan Blakeman
photos / Eric Rippin
CRSSD Festival splashed onto the scene this weekend in San Diego kicking off another year of flocking off to enjoy music in the sun and under the night sky shortly ahead of the original precursor to the season, SXSW. While most festivals start small and eventually grow into a megalithic force, CRSSD jumped right into the deep end booking big-fest safety acts like Empire of the Sun and Chromeo who each have rabid followings alongside well-seasoned yet less commercial acts such as Hot Natured, DJ Harvey, and Maceo Plex onto the roster. While we’re sure Goldenvoice, the powerhouse behind Coachella and a myriad of various events in Los Angeles and beyond, brought a lot of their expertise in to help streamline the process, the San Diego-based FNGRS CRSSD seemed to have a heavy grip on the overall festival direction. Rather than booking the usual festival acts (let’s be honest, most of the same folks playing Coachella you can also catch at Bonnaroo and the other big-name ones), they ventured off the beaten path to appeal to fans of the underground with artists such as Justin Martin and Lee Burridge being a staple on many festival goers must-see lists.
The first day brought the heat but everybody powered through. Thanks to the 21 and up policy, you could wander the grounds with your drink in hand without being chained to a designated area and having to decide between chugging it quick to catch an act or trying feebly to listen from afar. Through partnering up with local vendors, attendees were able to pick between ordering margaritas, sipping on a whiskey mule, enjoying a craft beer, or dining on fresh oysters. Feel fancy yet? While providing some ultimate provisions, there were still a few road bumps along the way. At one point they had run out of water and with bathrooms tucked away in a corner down a hill it provided an uncomfortable congestion. However, the water problem was swiftly fixed and we imagine the bathroom situation will be different when we return for round 2.
Overall, the rest ran smooth. We first caught Goldroom bringing out his live set on the main stage which is always a special treat, danced for a beat to Treasure Fingers who last-minute upped the ante with a nearly two-and-a-half hour-long set, then caught Damian Lazarus and the Ancient Moons bringing their unique blend to a swath of newfound ears (read our review of his Los Angeles show here). Classixx lit up the stage with some classics after Thomas Jack soundtracked the sunset then Hot Natured jumped on board to rock the crowd with their sensual sound. Empire of the Sun ended the fest on a high note, as expected, with dancers performing alongside the music in lavish costumes while Lee Burridge and Kaytranada carried their own heavy crowds. Sunday started off with fairer weather and George Maple giving everyone a little something to Talk Talk about. Most of the rest of the day the highlights were at the back to back Palms and City Steps stages, making it easy to run back and forth between Tensnake, Simian Mobile Disco with Roman Flügel, Jamie Jones b2b Seth Troxler, and Justin Martin whose set was so good it was hard to come down from the high after. Fortunately, Maceo Plex was able to keep the energy going as the fest wound down to a close and festival goers were making their way home… or to yet another one of the final CRSSD After Dark parties that followed the fest each night. Wherever they went, we’re sure we’ll see them again as we eagerly await to see what this newcomer brings next year to San Diego.
Until then, we caught up with a few of our favorites at the festival to find what they’d do with 50 bucks and discover what they’ve got their fingers crossed for.
Odesza
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
Clayton: I would get $50 worth of squirt guns and then attack a bunch of people.
Harrison: He kind of stole mine. I would definitely get those hand grenade water balloons.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
Clayton: Do they have to be real animals? A dragon would be one of them. Given, duh, and then I don’t know like a cheetah for speed?
Harrison: A drageetah is what you’re saying.
Clayton: Yeah. I mean, that’s pretty common I guess. I’m sure you get that answer all the time.
Harrison: I’d get a bear wolf. Or no, no, no. I’d get a wolf sloth, just a really relaxed wolf.
What do you have your fingers crossed for?
Clayton: Just hoping things go well at this show.
Ladygunn: What could go wrong?
Clayton: Everything!
Harrison: Many things could go wrong.
Clayton: The way our show is set up there’s a lot of room for error so we hope it goes well when we get no sound check and we’re just going up there and winging it.
Ladygunn: Harrison, what are your fingers crossed for?
Harrison: That in 10 years I’m not working at Circuit City selling DVDs to people.
[Ed. Note: Considering Circuit City doesn’t exist anymore, we think Harrison’s in luck.]
Tensnake
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
Right now I would get a big box of tennis table balls because the guys over there lose them all the time.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
Maybe a unicorn and a rabbit.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
I think just many simple basic things. Staying healthy and enjoying the DJ game and staying in the game and making great music. Finding more time to make music because I missed that last year. Trying to be able to play less and spend more time in the studio.
Giraffage
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
I would probably honestly just buy a lot of candy, like 50 bags of old candy and then eat the aforementioned candy.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
I would be a cross between a dolphin and a human because then I would have the brain of a human but the swimming ability of a dolphin.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
I hope that everyone will stay safe at CRSSD.
Goldroom
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
I think that I would buy 50 t-shirts and then I would cut them up and turn them into a hammock and then I would lie in the hammock.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
I would definitely be a dolphin but I would add gills so I didn’t have to ever come to the surface and I could just swim around underwater forever and be really smart.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
I hope that I survive this year.
Treasure Fingers
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
They usually have pretty good name brand candy so I would just go HAM on some watermelon Sour Patch Kids, like $50 worth, and just kill ’em all in one setting.
Ladygunn: Do you think you might die from that?
Yeah, possibly, but I’m willing to risk that.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
Some type of wolf bird, like a flying wolf. That’s fucking dangerous. So like a wolf with crazy furry wings that bites things.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
World peace. Just like good vibes for everyone.
George Maple
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
If everything was 1 dollar (is that how it works in USA?), I would definitely buy every cheap decorative sparkly item in the store. I’m thinking disco balls, streamers, confetti… and probably just throw a party.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
Swan and an unicorn… I like the idea of being slightly fictional.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
That I will survive SXSW and make it to NYC for the last show.
Seth Troxler
If you had $50 to spend at the dollar store, what would you get and what would you do with it?
I go to the dollar store quite often and I like to buy like snow globes or I just bought this big thing of bouncy… they’re kind of bouncy balls but they’ve got prickles on them and they flash light. I like cheap, Asian dollar store stuff.
If you had to be a cross between two animals, what would they be?
I would be a slow loris and a horse.
What do you have your FNGRS CRSSD for?
World Peace.
Lee Foss
MK
