It was just another quiet Friday morning in the quaint town of Eugene, Oregon. The birds were chirping, some event was happening on the University of Oregon Recreational field, and college kids were waking up to the weekly visit from the inevitable Friday morning hangover. Everything was in routine harmony, until about 2:30 in the afternoon, when people started crawling out of their houses in neon bodysuits, face-masking bandanas, and Kandi up to their shoulders. Friday was the day when all the closeted ravers of Eugene came crawling out of their caves. This Friday was none other than the annual Mad Decent Block Party.

I gathered my flock of friends, and we made our way to the Cuthbert Ampitheatre. As we drove closer and closer, you could see the density of MDBP attendees thicken. There were less concerned Eugene natives starting at furry boots and pasties, and more concert-goers, eagerly making their way to the show.

As we went through security, each girl was directed to take her hair down. If you don’t already know, this is not what any rave thot wants to hear. The strength and hairspray it takes to adequately put together space buns that will hold for 8+ hours is a tedious task. But alas, security trumps a bunch of whining girls, so we trekked along. However, I was pleased to find out that one lady complained about this over Twitter, and Mad Decent immediately handled the situation; and all the rave thots rejoiced.

When I walk into a festival, I usually look for a few things, all of which I found shortly after I entered the venue. I strolled in and was immediately hit with heavy bass, the sweet sound of the crowd, and the visual of more than just a handful of medical staff. These three factors are extremely important when at a concert, for you wouldn’t want to find yourself dehydrated with no access to medical attention, nor would you want to end up sitting alone without the wubs.

I arrived to none other than everyone’s favorite bass artist Herobust. It was my first time seeing him, and I was extremely impressed with his stage presence and overall performance. I’m definitely more of a house and techno snob, but I’m not too pompous to admit that Herobust did indeed throw down.

Following Herobust was Party Favor. He spun his oldies but goodies along with his fresh album ‘Party and Destroy.’ I attended the Party Favor’s Party and Destroy album release party in Los Angeles, and since seeing his performance then, and then at MDBP, I have solidified my appreciation for his work.

Jai Wolf came immediately after Party Favor. The last time I saw Jai Wolf was at HARD Summer 2015, in which he performed a masterfully composed set. His MDBP performance only furthered my love for him and his artistry; I didn’t stop smiling once during his set.

Then came Keys N Krates, who blew everyone away with their dynamic stage setup and undeniably stunning set.

Alas, out came the artist who is infamously known for not giving a f*ck… or sh*t. Dillon Francis threw down a typical yet exciting hype set. He played all of the gems that we hold close to our hearts, and all of his newest releases that we have come to know and love. However, his set was much shorter than expected. But before any of us knew what was happening, we were going vun deepah with DJ Hanzel. It is safe to assume that DJ Hanzel’s set was one of my favorite sets of the weekend, coming in a close second to Tiësto.

I was a huge fan of Tiësto’s ‘Adagio For Strings’ when I was first dipping my feet into the electronic music scene as a middle schooler. When I saw his name on the MDBP Eugene lineup, I knew that I would live my life filled with regret if I did not snatch the opportunity to see him.

Everyone knows that when an artist opens with one of his or her most well known songs, the set is about to blow everyone away; that is exactly what Tiësto did. He opened with ‘Split (Only U)’ and took the crowd on a trip like no other performer I’ve ever seen. He played music all across the board, catering to every person in the crowd’s music taste. However, one of my favorite aspects of his set was not his variety of music choices, but rather the community of people during his set. Yes, he played some tracks that I wouldn’t necessarily ever listen on my own, but I still danced along with the people around me. Tiësto is a polished diamond in the electronic music world, and everyone knew that and found enjoyment in every part of his set.

Mad Decent Block Party Eugene was overall a success. I felt safe with all of the medical staff around me, I felt respected by security and by other staff members in the venue, and most importantly, I felt as though the performances were executed the best way they possibly could’ve been. I’ve attended MDBP two years in a row, at two different locations, and I’ve been satisfied with the outcomes of both parties. If you ever have the chance to attend one in your area, I highly recommend you experience it at least once in your lifetime.

Photos By: Loren Wohl