Paradiso was a much needed break from the month of June, which has been given unflattering names due to the amount of work everyone in my company has to finish before the end of it. June was such a blur of 50 hour work weeks, leaving work only to come home and work more, much needed dinners and drinks with friends on Capitol Hill, and weekend escapes to the other side of the mountains. alcohol + glow sticks + black milk skeleton leggings = awesome ideas. Avicii & Knife Party & Above&Beyond were the highlights of it all for me. There was a beautiful moment when Above & Beyond was playing. A remix of Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ blared from the main stage speakers, and nothing in that moment could have been more perfect. I was exhausted from dancing for 8-9 hours, curled up next to my boyfriend, surrounded by all of my lovely friends, in a state of bliss. Work was nowhere in my mind, just the present and what was happening then. It is more than the music at these events that I care about. It’s the people I care about that I get to share it with.…
the gorge
Memorial weekend was my first official music festival. Four days of camping and raving out at the Gorge Amphitheater in the middle of Washington, along the Columbia River. I have only been to the Gorge once before, 5 years ago when I went to Pearl Jam with some coworkers from Camp Reed for our weekend off. I had forgotten what a truly breathtaking view there is from the hill around the main stage. It is a beautiful venue, but also extremely hot in the summer, it is in the middle of a desert/farmland. I got sunburned and was wearing my sunglasses too long over the weekend. I look like the coon. Over the course of the weekend, I saw these artists play: DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid The Head & the Heart Local Natives Pink Martini Washed Out The Glitch Mob Sleigh Bells Bassnectar Fitz & the Tantrums Tokyo Police Club Beach House Cold War Kids Flogging Molly Gold Panda The Flaming Lips Flying Lotus MSTRKRFT Ratatat Young the Giant Old 97’s Chromeo (Bolded artists were the performances I really loved, but ALL the performances were amazing) And then the Trailer Park Boys made an appearance and it was…