This year, big things happened at Moonrise 2019. Not only were the sets out of this world (like we all knew they would be) but the actual event itself was too. The stages, the artists, and the people were amazing. The vibes? Even better.

Make sure you check out our photography recap at the bottom of the page! All photographs were taken by @taylor_thehuman

The Stages

This year Moonrise made it a point to take some much-needed actions for their stage setups and boy- they did not disappoint. You can check out the artists day by day schedule here, and you can check out the stage set-ups here.

The Solar Tent

The Solar Tent was a highly anticipated part of Moonrise this year, and it was totally worth the wait! The tent was way bigger this year (60% bigger, to be exact) and it was set up so that the artists playing were higher up than normal.

Stellar Stage

Unlike in previous years, for 2019 Moonrise did the Stellar Stage right. Not only were the sounds and screens bigger and better, but the location of the tent was better too. This made it more convenient for festival-goers to swing by the stage without having to dive too far off course to another stage.

Lunar Stage

Over the weekend, this stage was the one festival-goers wanted to hit if they were looking for mass amounts of confetti and streamers. The sound was great, and the stage was huge. Although it was a little lower to the ground, it was still an amazing experience. Not to mention Desiigner climbed up the side of it during his set.

Celestial Garden

For Moonrise, this stage was everything it needed to be. Like the other stages, it boasted it’s own ‘vibe’ and boy, were we down for it. Being the home of house music for the weekend, Celestial Garden was also the home for hoopers, flowers, and just downright hang-outers.

The Artists

Obviously- with such a stacked lineup there were bound to be some performances that just utterly stole the show. Not to mention that there were some artists that just absolutely DESTROYED their sets and wow-ed their fans in return.

Day 1 (August 10th)

If you checked out my Moonrise Schedule post, you’ll know that Saturday was a PACKED day. The conflicts were intense, but the sets were to die for. Gryffin brought the heat during his set, not only bringing a top-notch performance but also played live instruments to take it over the top. As promised, the Boogie T B2B Subtronics set was absolutely insane. They played at sunset which was even more magical to experience. Their set was lively and you could tell from their stage chemistry that they knew how to feed off each others energy.

Closing down the night was some intense shows. The first ‘need-to-mention’ show was the Gud Vibrations boys. Slander and NGHTMRE brought in a big crowd, as expected, and although most of the crowd was exceptionally happy with the set, there were others that may not feel the same. Those looking for the more melodic, sing-songs were a little shocked by how heavy the bass truly was. There were no complaints coming from us though!

Closing down Saturday was the one, the only, ILLENIUM! I would consider the Rave Hackers team definite Illenium fans, and this set, like always, did not disappoint. As we’ve started to see from this diverse artist, he’s able to cater his sets to either heavy bass, sing-song melodic, or a beautiful mixture of the two. At Moonrise, he chose the latter and it was amazing. We’re already beyond excited about his new Ascend Tour!

Day 2 (August 11th)

Day 2 seemed to have less running around and mayhem as compared to day 1. However, that’s not to say that the shows weren’t just as AMAZING! The Zhu set was beautiful- the people that attended that set were enthralled and were so happy which of course, made me happy in return. Hippie Sabotage was another set that was exceptionally fun to watch too. The brothers were energetic as always, and one of them even made it a point to get down in the crowd. This was a great surprise after their more disappointing set at Electric Forest.

Touching on disappointing, Seven Lions was unable to make it to Moonrise festival this year. Due to some intense travel logistics that didn’t pan out, he was unable to attend. However, he did issue a public apology to his Seven Lions fan group:

Another amazing artist that’s a personal favorite for the Rave Hackers team is Space Jesus. As always, he played that weird shit that we all love and his visuals were A1 too.

Closing down the night, Excision absolutely destroyed the crowd. Playing tons of fan favorites, as well as bringing his A-game when it came to production level and visuals. No one was disappointed by this closing set.

Security & The Venue

Lines getting into Moonrise this year were actually pretty reasonable. Wait times weren’t long and there were hardly any issues once you got to actual security. Unlike in previous years, security was laxer and seemed a little more disorganized in comparison to other festivals. However, it made getting access to certain areas easier which was a bonus.

Cell Service

Another positive was that cell service seemed to be pretty good. Sure, it was spotty sometimes and it took a little longer to get things to load, but overall coverage was good (using AT&T anyway). Getting other internet-based applications to load such as Instagram or email wasn’t as easy, but if you waited long enough it would eventually load.

Travel

The Rave Hackers squad was lucky enough to have a friend that lived close to Pimlico that was willing to let us crash with him (shout out Henry!). The location was about 15 minutes from the track which was ideal, to say the least. Something to note for anyone anticipating driving in the future though, parking is expensive. We were able to secure parking on a side street, however, there were tons of people selling parking in various areas around the track.

Food & Water

Arguably one of the most important aspects of festivals is food and water. With so many different ‘lifestyles’ out today (vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, gluten-free, etc.) having options for your attendees is essential. Moonrise didn’t disappoint though! The festival offered tons of different options for those of us choosing a different lifestyle.

The other MOST important key to festivals is hydration. For Moonrise the water was cool, clean and refreshing. The water stations were easily accessible and lines were equally easy. On top of the fill-up stations, Moonrise also had giant water guns that sprayed the crowds throughout the sets, and they were VERY generous in handing out water bottles to those who were at the rail.

Check out the ‘Faces of Moonrise‘ over on my Facebook page! This is where you can find the rest of @taylor_thehuman ‘s pictures from Moonrise! They were all too beautiful to fit on this post. Make sure to tag your friends if you see them <3

The post The ‘Tea’ on Moonrise Festival appeared first on Rave Hackers.

We’ve all been readily anticipating the official daily schedule for Moonrise 2019. Now that it’s finally here though? RIP to everyone. With such a stacked lineup, there were bound to be conflicts but boy oh boy… There are some tuffies on this one. Check out how to navigate them, Rave Hackers style. Make sure you go and find my human, @taylor_thehuman so she can snap some pictures of you! <3

Disclaimer: This post has been converted from video form to written form! I’m traveling for the next week and a half and forgot my harddrive that I stored the video on D:

Moonrise Schedule

August 10th Schedule

• 11:00 AM – DOORS OPEN
• 12:00 PM – Get in line
• 1:40 – 2:30 PM – LUCII @ Solar Tent
• 2:30 – 3:20 PM – ATLIENS @ Solar Tent | ATLIENS just dropped some new music too!

For those of you looking for less wubs and more dance, head over to the Stellar Stage to catch the dynamic duo Bonnie x Clyde throwing down. This IS a hometown event for them so expect big things!

• 3:20 – 4:15 PM – Sullivan King B2B WOOLI @ Solar Tent | This is a B2B that I haven’t seen on ANY other lineups so this may be your only chance to catch this particular set.
• BREAK FROM 4:15 – 5:00 PM
• 5:30 – 6:30 PM – Cheat Codes @ Stellar Stage
• 6:15 – 7:15 PM – Gryffin @ Lunar Stage
• 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Boogie T B2B Subtronics @ Solar Tent

If you’re looking for a break from all the wubs and bass, head over to the Celestial Garden from 7:30 – 9:15 for the Desert Hearts take over with Mikey Lion @ Lee Reynolds.

• 7:30 – 8:30 PM – Alan Walker @ Stellar Stage

Head over to Big Gigantic at the Lunar Stage from 7:45 – 8:45 PM for some funky jams and tunes.

• 8:00 – 9:00 PM – TroyBoi @ Solar Stage

• BREAK FROM 9:00 – 9:45 PM @ Stellar Stage to camp for ILLENIUM
• 9:30 – CLOSE – ILLENIUM

August 11th Schedule

• 11:00 – DOORS OPEN
• 12:00 – Getting in line
• 1:10 – 2:00 PM – Vampa B2B ZIA @ Solar Tent

• 2:15 – 3:15 PM – HayWyre @ Lunar Stage | I was there for the unveiling of HayWyre signing onto the Gud Vibrations label, and lets just say this is an artist you will NOT want to miss.
• 2:50 – 3:40 PM – Calcium B2B Hekler @ Solar Tent

• 4:30 – 5:30 PM – Dirt Monkey @ Solar Tent

Although Dirt Monkey does conflict with my girl Whipped Cream, I think it is going to be a set that attendees will NOT want to miss. Although I love Whipped, after her last set at Electric Forest I think it would be worth skipping. It was hard to get into her set and you could tell that she was not able to vibe with the crowd. HOWEVER, I will say, I’ve seen her almost 5 times this year alone, and her set at Forest was the only one that was hard to vibe. So… Do with that what you will.

• 5:30 – 6:30 PM – Peekaboo @ Solar Tent
• 6:30 – 7:30 PM – 12th Planet @ Solar Tent
• 7:30 – 8:30 PM – Space Jesus @ Solar Tent

• 8:00 – 9:30 PM – AC Slater @ Celestial Garden
• 8:30 – 9:30 PM – Seven Lions @ Stellar Stage
• 9:40 – CLOSE – Tiesto @ Stellar Stage

Overall, there are A LOT fewer conflicts on Sunday than on Saturday, but either way, no one can go wrong with these sets. You are going to have an amazing experience regardless!

Rave Hackers will also have a media team on site this weekend, so make sure you go find my human @taylor_thehuman so she can snap some cute ass pictures of you and I can feature you on the blog!

The post How Can Moonrise Do This To Us? appeared first on Rave Hackers.

Let Me Tell You About Moonrise

Hailing from the East Coast, Moonrise Festival is an event that is very near to home for me. A ton of my friends growing up, before I got into the scene, went. Even now, many people in my rave family attend this festival annually. It’s definitely one that should be on your festival bucket list.

This year, Moonrise is back and better than ever. Not only with a kicking lineup, but the curators have upped their game with stage upgrades and immersive art installations and experiences for the festival-goers. This year, Moonrise is returning to the Pimlico Race Course from August 10th – 11th.

Traveling to Moonrise

If this is going to be your first Moonrise, then this section will be essential to making sure you’re ready to for the event. First things first, this is not a camping festival. Attendees need to not only coordinate travel plans to the event, but they also need to make sure they have somewhere to stay for the 3-4 nights that they choose to be in Baltimore. As well, given the area that the event is held in, it’s very important to plan travel to and from the event accordingly.

Hotels & Airbnb

Since this isn’t a camping festival, securing somewhere to sleep for your time at the festival is important. Getting a hotel is obviously a popular option for this festival. There are several popular options that I’ve listed for you below, but there are also just some areas in general that make for great options to stay as well.

Another option to keep in mind when preparing for Moonrise is Airbnb’s in the area. This can be a really great option for a couple of different reasons: 1. They cost less the larger your group, 2. They give you a functioning kitchen, which means saving mad $$ on eating out (not to mention it’s way healthier).

Recommended Hotels:

Something to also keep in mind about these hotels is that they are a short walk from the Bus Stop located at the Holocaust Memorial.

• Baltimore Marriot (15-minute walk to bus stop)
• Hotel RI (5-minutes walk to bus stop)
• Crowne Plaza (13-minutes walk to bus stop)
• Holiday Inn (15-minutes walk to bus stop)
• Hotel Indigo (18-minutes walk to bus stop)
• Lord Baltimore (11-minutes walk to bus stop))
• Radisson Inner Harbor (13-minutes walk to bus stop)
• Renaissance (5-minutes walk to bus stop)

Recommended Areas:

• Mount Washington
• Towson
• Pikesville
• Rowland Park

Non-Recommended Areas:

• Pimlico
• Park Heights

Traveling To & From Moonrise

If you’re not familiar with the area around Pimlico Race Track, it can be a very rough neighborhood and it is very easy to find yourself in the wrong area. The area directly to the North and East of Pimlico are relatively safe if you’re going to be walking/waiting for an uber/ride. It’s recommended to stay away from the South and West sides of Pimlico. These areas can be dangerous, and there are more than a fair share of attendees annually that are robbed/mugged walking around these areas late at night. Just be smart and aware of your surroundings.

Ubers/Lyft can be very expensive during events, and Moonrise is no different. People in previous years have seen prices 5-60x the regular prices due to the price surge increases that the apps allow. This means paying sometimes upwards of $150 just to get a couple of miles home. Something else to keep in mind is that cell service during/near the event is horrible, so you may not even be able to call for an Uber/Lyft.

Shuttles are a great reliable option to consider for attendees. They run about $50 for the weekend, but it can be worth it to have a guaranteed pick up and drop off that’s safe. Not to mention that the shuttles are operated by Festdrive- a leading company is festival transportation. Like a rave on wheels- yanno?

An alternative to both of these options is walking. This is when being aware of your surroundings is highly important. Driving is also an option for Moonrise as there’s a parking lot provided for attendees, however, please avoid driving under the influence of ANYTHING. Your life is worth so much more than that.

The Music

This year’s Moonrise Festival lineup is one for the books. With four stages, each with their own genres and diversity, there’s a little something for everyone. Not to mention that Moonrise has absolutely STACKED their lineup this year. Honestly- the schedule conflicts might just crush your soul, it’s THAT good.

The Stellar Stage

One of the four stages at Moonrise, the Stellar Stage is going to be home to some huge name artists. Popular names on the festival circuit this year, Illenium, along with Seven Lions, and the Gud Vibrations boys will be gracing the floors of the Stellar Stage.

A cannot miss act at this stage is going to be Tiesto. This DJ has a show unlike any other, with visuals, lasers, and so much more. His live shows are highly acclaimed, so make sure not to miss him while you’re at Moonrise this year. Another notable act that is going to be gracing the stages of the Stellar Stage is Alan Walker. After seeing him for Haunt Fest last year, his show BLEW me away. His uptempo, scream at your lungs songs are some of my favorite to dance and vibe too. So make sure you don’t miss it.

Celestial Garden Stage

The Celestial Garden Stage is going to be perfect for any of those festival-goers that need a little house music in their life. Moonrise is giving everyone their daily dose.

When it comes to cannot miss artists, I highly encourage you all not to miss my boy AC Slater. Although I’m admittedly not a huge house lover, after seeing him at Bonnaroo this year he’s someone I would definitely see again. Also, Desert Hearts with Mikey Lion x Lee Reynolds are also making an appearance at Pimlico. For you Trance & House lovers, you will absolutely not want to miss this event.

Solar Dance Stage

This stage is one of the most highly anticipated stages of the entire weekend. The lineup for the Solar Stage is out of this world. Not only is the lineup stacked, but this stage has gotten some mad love from the Moonrise curators. They’ve made the tent almost 60% larger than last year, they’ve added more production and bass, AND they’ve added Co2 throughout the entire tent. But lemme tell you about this setlist.

Artists that you absolutely cannot miss are Peekaboo, Rusko, Boogie T, Hekler, Wooli, and Atliens. I promise, if you catch these sets you will not be disappointed. Peekaboo brings the absolute heat when it comes to bass- not to mention that he has absolutely popped off over the past year or so. Boogie T has a performance that no one should miss- with so much fun going on on stage, it’s hard not to find yourself wigglin’.

After seeing Rusko at Lost Lands in 2018, I was sold. His sound is so original, not to mention that his visuals are out of this world too. Hekler absolutely blew me away at Bonnaroo too. Although his visuals were relatively basic, his mixes were awesome. Throwing in fan favorites, as well as oldies that the crowd could scream/sing along with.

Lunar Stage

Last, but certainly not least, is the Lunar Stage. This stage is going to be home to some amazing performances this year. Some big names that you all know- Excision, Big Gigantic and Zhu will be playing at this stage come August. This stage has tons of diversity for attendees, giving them the melodic bass they love, while also giving them the headbang they all deserve. Needless to say, these artists will be on everyone’s ‘cannot miss list’, however, there are some additional ones that you all won’t want to miss either.

Gryffin, Blackbear, and Haywyre will also be on the Lunar Stage this year. Gryffin has some amazing visuals, not to mention that his songs are beyond amazing to sing along to. Blackbear brings the deep and dark vibes to the world. These tunes always get me in the mood to just rage. Haywyre is another name that has popped up and taken off in the festival circuit. After announcing at Lost Lands 2018 that he was signing onto the Gud Vibrations label, we’ve been seeing a lot of Haywyre and rightly so. His show is full of bass and watching his performance on stage is exciting too.

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