u/Existing-Estimate122

Funny memory from Northern Nights x Dirtybird Campout I thought I’d share.

We’re walking back to camp from Madrone around 7:30-8am, all strung out, and there’s a group with their own speaker just playing music and dancing on top of the art car. No lineup had even started. They just decided it was their time to shine.

Went and took a nap after that because honestly it felt too early to process.

Woke up a couple hours later, headed down to the river, and saw the same group floating by on a tube, drifting toward Bird Bath. As they passed, I heard one of them go “should we take more acid?” like it was a totally normal thing to workshop out loud on a river at that hour.

Pretty sure they were on their way to open the Bird Bath. Wooks really do operate on their own schedule and I kind of admire it.

::)

Hello all I would love to hear your thoughts on stage design, art installations, and sound this year! I’ll kick it off with my opinions:

First off, the Junkyard has now taken the throne for my favorite stage of all time. That upgrade was HUGE. Major shoutout to Patricio and the Danley crew because those portal-looking subwoofers threw some crisp sound all week. The stage is epic and I was dying to get into the spaceship all week but wasn’t complaining about being in the crowd.

Personally I prefer the Woogie with Void soundsystem (like 2024) but man they had those Funktions dialed this year. On Wednesday, we stopped by during sound check and got educated by the sound engineer on the phrase dispersion and how they delayed each subwoofer a few feet back, rather than the 20 foot vertical tower from 2025 - really cool to hear tbh. Overall, great production as always, wouldn’t be mad to see a Void return in the future.

I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but please DoLab, bring back the canopy stage design at the Thunder. I’m not a fan of these dotted towers. I liked the old stage design because it felt like you were inside an enclosed tent. This new design feels open and unfinished. I thought it was just a one-of design last year for Jade Cicada’s special set, but unfortunately they made a return. Once production was in full effect in the evening/night the stage looked sick but still not a fan compared to years prior. Please bring back the Thunder tent/canopy design.

I was a little caught off guard to see the new stacks stage from 2025 not in use. Not only was it not in use but my camp informed me it was on-site and still not in use. Anyone know if there was an issue when set-up came around? Really curious because that stage was sick. Nevertheless, the sound was fucking MASSIVE this year and I find myself digging my earplugs in my ear canal every time I was at the stacks. Cool stage design at night, ugly during the day, would like the stage from 2025 back with elevated surfaces from years prior.

Art installations were absolutely beautiful of course. I really enjoyed the Black Rock Observatory and the Geometry of Sound (wish I could’ve heard the acoustic treatment on this jawn). Was a little upset to see the lack of interactive art installations like climbing through the snail and controlling light cues and whatnot from years prior.

Honestly such a great year and was awestruck at the sound and stage production (as always). Hope everyone’s decompression and wook flu has settled at this point. Let me know your thoughts on this years production and design. See ya next year, Blaya. ::)

Favorite sets:

1. Heidi Lawden at the Junkyard
2. Justin Martin at the Woogie
3. Desert Hearts at the Junkyard
4. Of the Trees at the Thunder
5. Avalon Emerson at the Woogie