2014 was an incredible year filled with outstanding festivals, shows, and clubs across the nation. As festival goers we’re kind of like nomads, traveling from city to city making our destination home for that moment in time. We pilgrimage across the globe to unite with people who all have the same passion and love for dance music, and we’ve all made wonderful friends along the way and and the friendships we make usually end up lasting a lifetime.
This New Years Eve, many of us though found ourselves migrating back to Southern California, where Insomniac was born and grass rooted. As EDM lovers, we know a strong base for our music scene was founded here. So where was the best place for so many of us to reunite? The NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California, of course. The NOS event center is a special place for so many people. With previous Insomniac festivals being held here like Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal, and Escape All Hallow’s Eve, there’s no wonder this place brings back so many special feelings and unremarkable memories. This year Insomniac decided to show everyone you don’t have to be 21+ to bring in the New Year with a bang! And how did they do that you ask? Insomniac Countdown, their first-ever 18+ NYE event! Countdown brought in 2015 with a legendary night filled with extraordinary talent and beautiful people from all around.
Just pulling up to the venue you could feel the amount of energy in the air, something that you don’t get at many events. When you first entered the NOS there was a beautiful glow from the Chinese lamps hanging in the trees. The lamps glistened off the lake as you walked the path to the stage. When you first caught glimpse of the stage, you noticed a giant mechanical clock that was rotating and counting down the time till we reached the New Year. The production was surreal; Insomniac had a beautiful array of L.E.D. lights and lasers. They also had giant screens hung throughout the tent so no one would miss any of the action on stage. With enough confetti and air blasters to cover a mountain, Insomniac also created spectacular visuals on a massively built stage. All these elements together made for an night that we knew no one would forget.
Oh what a site it was to see, everyone was united through the power of music and the energy it created was surreal. There were so many new young faces; it really was a refreshing moment to see. Everyone I spoke to came with the full P.L.U.R. mentality, and there was nothing but love. No differences, not even race, creed, sex, or age could stop this crowd from making Insomniac history. Even the brisk cold weather couldn’t stop the magic! The NOS Event Center in San Bernardino was glowing bright like the sun, full of warmth and energy.
The night was kicked off by the highly energized Manufactured Superstars. This was a pleasant surprise though since they weren’t initially on the line-up. The next DJ to spin was the highly anticipated Bingo Players. Maarten of Bingo Players had a MC by the name of MC Iceman come out on stage with him. Mc Iceman and Maarten of Bingo Players had the crowd in the palm of their hands their whole set. Following Bingo Players was the incredible Dutch Duo Showtek. Showtek threw down their notorious colossal bass lines that had the crowd going insane like we’ve never seen before. Following them was DJ Snake. He had everyone twerking to his enormous trap sound and filthy raw bass. It was a crazy sight to see. Audien was in stark contrast and made the place feel whimsical with his catchy medleys which helped fuel the love in the air. He captivated the crowd with elegant slow parts and heavy drops to slam your feet to. We were really impressed. The artist to bring in the New Year was the young prodigy Porter Robinson. He opened his set with his huge progressive hit “Easy” ft. Mat Zo. Porter had the crowd going berserk from the first song he blared out the monitors. With the clock winding down to 12, Porter captured the beauty and essence of the night perfectly. Every face in the crowd was shining with happiness, they hugged their friends and loved ones and as the clocked moved past midnight, it was a moment of true euphoria to ring in 2015. Closing out the night was energetic superhero himself, Laidback Luke. He kept “Countdown” on their toes till the end with his extremely high energy.
This was hands down one of the best NYE shows we have ever attended. Sure you may have seen many of these artists before, but for being Insomniac’s first 18+ NYE event since they’ve grown so large, it was an overwhelming success filled with good vibes to bring us into the new year. Insomniac definitely didn’t disappoint with their attention to their decorations, production and all-star lineup. The crowd and vibes at Countdown were euphoric, and made you feel warm inside even though it was a frigid cold night.
In many ways it was magical, and hopefully you can have the chance to bring in the New Year with the Insomniac Family next year. Trust us you don’t want to miss this two years in a row!
