DBC21
Dirtybird Campout 2021 went down in Modesto CA and it was nothing short of phenomenal. The weekend marked it’s six year anniversary as one of the leading House music campout gatherings. With activities, art installations, and many talented DJs, this event brought out tons of music lovers from across the country.
Dirtybird is a record label based out of San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2005, Claude VonStroke brought the label to international notoriety. Aside from being known for their funky tech house releases, their label originally gained a large local following from their BBQ parties in Golden Gate Park. The playful nature of their BBQs in the park was at the fabric of Campout’s inception in 2015.
If you’re new to Campout expect to see all the silly shenanigans from your childhood summer camp. From getting pied in the face, to performing in the talent show, as well as collecting patches for your scout uniform, there are tons of ways to bring back childhood nostalgia with a naughty twist.
Once arriving at the festival grounds the first thing we noticed was the beautiful weather at the Modesto Reservoir. Temperatures were in the mid 70’s during the day and we immediately felt comfortable strolling around the camp and festival grounds. There were trees, hammocks, food trucks, and an insane view of the water throughout the festival. The reservoir water was clear and many festival goers did not hesitate to jump right in after setting up camp.
As expected, the pandemic made this gathering all the more special. People were reuniting left and right; we could just tell this was going to be an epic weekend.
The festivities officially kicked off with sets by Camp Counselor Claude VonStroke and Damian Lazarus at the Bass Lodge stage. By this time the sun was down and people were already turning up a notch to the dreamy house music. Having just a few sets as the opening party made Thursday a special night. The performers were followed by Silent Disco DJs. Each night there were three at a time performing at the Bass Lodge. Thursday’s Silent Disco starred Astronomar and FOOLiE.
Friday’s musical line up began with the sounds of Luke Andy, Arnold & Lane, and Codes. Each bringing their own unique style of Ghetto Funk. The crowd was filled with amusing totems, crazy camp uniform costumes, and smiles from ear to ear. VNSSA, Steve Darko, Rodriguez Jr, Carl Craig, and Walker & Royce kept the party going throughout the night.
On the field, the official speed-walking competition was underway, followed by an epic round of kickball. In Claude’s Cabin, the first annual Dirtybird Spelling Bee was taking place with lots of anticipation. By nighttime, the Lovebird Dating Show began. Singles were paired up and sent on a scavenger hunt around the festival to get to know each other and were expected to show up the next night to test their knowledge.
When the festival sounds shut off, Renegades went on into the early morning. There was nothing that could top seeing tons of talented up-and-coming artists just a few campsites away.
The next morning, campers took advantage of the showers and breakfast burritos being served at the campground. The weather made the mornings bearable and festival goers didn’t wait long until being back at the Birdhouse stage for E.R.N.E.S.T.O’s opening set followed by Dipzy.
We watched as the floaty race took place on the reservoir right outside of the stage area. After a bowl of amazing fried rice we found ourselves taking a nap in the shade and waiting to catch more sets from Worthy, Wyatt Marshall, and a surprise set from the legend Green Velvet.
By nighttime, crowds went back to bundle up into warm clothes. The temperature dropped heavily by nightfall and we were ready for it. Exploring our way to the Bass Lodge, we got destroyed by the sounds of Yheti, Barclay Crenshaw, and Ivy Lab. Our long night ended off with Boys Noize on the mainstage. The German legend got down with some dark techno as well as tracks from his latest Polarity LP.
Our weekend ended things off with an epic B2B renegade set by Arnold & Lane, Luke Andy, and Dipzy at the Double Down dome. I hopped on for a B2B set with Baby Weight, and by 6AM the legend Wyatt Marshall hopped on with Chocolate Sushi to summon the sunrise.
Sunday brought unique artists such as Jazzy Jeff, Sacha Robotti, and as always the most epic family set to send us off with a bang.
This weekend was never short of musical adventures with plenty of activities to lift your spirits. Dirtybird Campout is an immersive growing festival with so much to look forward to and we can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.
