Venue: Jacome Plaza
Date: November 10-11, 2023
Overview:
If there's a festival someone knows about in Tucson, Arizona, it's Dusk. I heard of it last year when I was a freshman and didn't attend due to a prior concert commitments, but I took the leap of faith and went this year. I prepared for the crowd to mainly be of college students who thought "Hey look! A music festival!" and have little concert/rave etiquette, but it was much better than expected! I really regret not going last year even if I wasn't in the EDM scene, but it seemed that this year had more recognizable artists that drew a larger crowd. As someone who is mainly an indie lover, this music festival was the perfect way for me to dip my toes into all the different genres of EDM.
Notable Artists:
The reason I splurged on the two-day ticket is because I saw COIN and Bad Suns on the lineup. When I first started getting into indie, COIN helped start it all. It only felt right being able to see them live since I missed my chance at Lollapalooza in 2022. Bad Suns is also one of my favorite indie bands (I happened to see them live in Tucson exactly a year before I saw them at Dusk), so they were who I was really looking forward to. As if it couldn't get any better, I got barricade for both artists! That's the first time I ever have been on barricade, especially at a
music festival, so seeing these artists live will be an experience I'll never forget.
I also realized that I recognized Smallpools without realizing. A couple days before the festival, one of their songs popped up and I saw that they would be at Dusk! The group I went with and I saw most of their set and they seemed out of their element playing for a rave crowd, but it was nice to hear some throwbacks. My only negative thing I have to say about their set was their whale inflatable. It knocked my phone out of my hand, and hit my face about five times during the set. There wasn't a single song they played that needed to be doing all that, lol.
Surprises:
Like I said, I am a baby when it comes to EDM. I know the notable artists, mostly house DJs, and have seen a couple play at Lollapalooza the past two years. I had never been in the crowd, though, and the experience is totally different. Rave culture is totally different than any other concert culture, and I'm starting to be able to take my training wheels off after Dusk. Everyone around me in the festival were super nice and approachable, and I found it really easy to make new friends in the crowd! The festival left a positive impact on me about rave culture, and I can't way to go to another one.
Some artists that really stood out to me at the festival were GG Magree and Ray Volpe. I didn't know either prior to the festival, but I left with a great appreciation for them both. GG Magree was really interactive with the crowd by coming down to dance with us and talk to her fans after her set. She plays a mixture of every EDM style and sings some of her own songs during her sets. I may be biased because when I walked over to her set she remixed "BLACKOUT" by Turnstile which is one of my favorite rock songs.
Ray Volpe is a dupstep artist that managed to keep the energy up in the crowd his entire set. I wasn't a fan of dubstep prior to the festival, but I get the hype. Watching people headbang and put their whole body into each song was amazing. I am one to go into a mosh pit, so I feel like these genres overlap in similar ways.
Closing:
I'm really glad that I was able to attend this festival! Depending on the lineup next year, I would definitely attend again. Not to mention the location is amazing as it's in the middle of downtown, and not too far from campus. The decorations were all super creative (ex. murals, couches, inflatable car wash things) and the vendors were amazing! I regret not buying merch, but once I know more EDM artists I might consider it. If you're not the rave/concert type but still appreciate live music, sign up to be a ranger at the festival! All the people who volunteered were amazing when it came to directing people where to go or helping people who needed assistance in the crowd. The energy was great for a local festival, and I hope Tucson has more events like this in the future!
Reviewer Name: Elizabeth McCluskey
Date of Review: November 13, 2023