Another amazing year of festivals has finally come to an end, and I am so thankful I got to sign off 2018 at Get Together this year in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I got to spend the final week of 2018 with two insane nights filled uplifting vibes, killer performances and some new pals. I now have a new perfect memory to add to 2018’s memory lane. (I also got to fangirl over one of my personal faves, Alison Wonderland, but more on that later).
This event held an extra special place in my heart because it was the first time my boyfriend, Jake, would be returning back to the music scene. Due to an inner- ear disease, music events have become increasingly harder and harder for his ears to handle, to the point where we weren’t sure if he’d ever be able to enjoy live music again. After months of retraining therapy, doctors visits, some incredible support from the rave community and a pair of intense custom earplugs, he was finally given the go-ahead to try out the new earplugs at an event. We were nervous, to say the least. However, his custom earplugs worked wonders, and he was able to finally return to the music we both love (a moment that brought us both to tears). Needless to say, this event was very, very special to me.
Get Together 2018 was definitely one for the books, and I’m so stoked that I was able to be a part of the festival magic. Here are a few of my top event highlights:
1. My First iHeartRaves Snapchat Takeover!
On night one, I had the privilege of doing a Snapchat takeover for iHeartRaves during the event. The takeover was SUCH a fun way to get more involved with the crowd, chat with some festie lovelies and admire some killer iHeartRaves gear. I was able to experience every nook and cranny of the event, and I loved getting such a well-rounded taste of all the flavor the event had to offer. Everyone was thrilled to be a part of the takeover, and I was over the moon to witness such a crazy amount of love for iHeartRaves. If you ever see me at a future event, don’t ever hesitate to come say hi! :)
2. The People
Edmonton has some of the dopest ravers out there. If there’s one thing I can say about this city, it’s that its EDM scene knows how to party and vibe in perfect harmony. The energy emitting from the crowd was intoxicating, and I drank up every last bit of it. The crowd was hyped from doors open until lights on. Set after set, everyone was throwing down, headbanging, jumping and bumping with endless amounts of electric energy. Aside from being wicked partiers, Edmonton ravers are also filled with tons of good vibes. The level of PLUR in the event center was real, and I loved it. From my experience, the crowd was filled with love, compliments and a desire to spread positive energy. I was even gifted some kandi from an amazing human who welcomed Jake and me into his rave crew with open arms (everyone from the crew was awesome, might I add). New rave friends = the best of friends.
Jake (left) myself and our new pal Derek (right).
Derek gifting Jake some kandi.
3. The Artists
As expected, the artists at Get Together absolutely killed it! Both nights were filled with dope tracks and high energy during every set. Personally, I have to give the best set award to Alison Wonderland. Regardless of my undying love for her, she genuinely brought the house down. Hitting the stage on Night Two, Wonderland had an interesting mix of her older hits flowing with her newer tracks, which added a lot of diverse flavor to her set. (I may or may not have gone HAM when she dropped I Want U, but that can be our little secret). I was also a big fan of the visuals she used from some of her music videos, entwined with her wicked light show. More than anything, I was really impressed with her level of crowd interaction. A. Wonderland was hyping the crowd from start to finish. She even gave a shoutout of encouragement for those struggling with mental health, which was really incredible of her.
We also need to appreciate the set from the icon himself, Diplo. Diplo was an absolute killer during his performance. The crowd was raging, the beats were bumping and the energy was incredible. If you ever get a chance to catch one of his sets, I strongly recommend you don’t miss out. Diplo fully lived up to his reputation and was definitely a highlight of the event.
A few other personal favorite sets of mine were Loud Luxury, BTSM, TroyBoi and Illenium. (The feels train was in full force during Illenium. Totally epic).
4. The Harm Reduction Team
Huge shout out to Indigo Harm Reduction for being at Get Together this year! I’m a huge advocate for harm reduction and safe raving, so I was pumped to see that Get Together was onboard. Indigo is an Edmonton-based team that provides harm reduction services and strategies that promotes education and support in a safe, judgment-free environment. Props to Get Together and Indigo for making safe raving a top priority.
Photo provided by Indigo Harm Reduction
5. The Production
As anticipated, Blueprint and Boodang nailed this event. For starters, I was really impressed with the stage production. The lights/laser shows during each set were killer, the visuals were rad and most importantly, the sound was fantastic. In my opinion, sound can either make or break and event. Personally, I can’t fully immerse myself in the music when something is slightly off, so I was pumped with the pristine sound quality. The sound was crisp and clear, with perfectly balanced bass, so I was able to completely focus on the music. I was also pumped Jake was able to still enjoy it with his earplugs in, even at a much quieter volume (a well-balanced bass was crucial for this, so I couldn’t be happier about it). Boodang and Blueprint fully delivered on all levels and came together (no pun intended) to host an epic way to ring in the new year.
Overall, Get Together 2018 was a great experience and was one of my favorite events. I had a blast from start to finish, and I’m really stoked that I got to be a part of it. (I was also in love with my festival outfits from iHeartRaves, which is just the cherry on top).
If any of my fellow ravers are headed up north to Alberta next December, I highly recommend partying at Get Together. It was the perfect way to ring in the new year with a bang.
If you want to keep in touch with either Jake or myself, feel free to follow us on Instagram! Jake @jlit_studios / Me: @_mroberts
