Photos by Daniel Lopez
Guest Written by Miguel Covarrubias
The Venue:
Don’t let the outside of The South Side Ballroom fool you. It may look small at the entrance, but Insomniac’s Crush was SOLD OUT, and everyone STILL had plenty of room to rage the night away. When you first walk in, most noticeable are the 3 big hearts and the unique stage set up. The production was impressive and satisfied everyone’s needs. Each heart of the main stage had an individual screen that was synchronized to the music. The smoke cannons were timed well and used just the right amount. Overusing the cannons is usually a problem I have experienced at smaller venues, but that was not apparent here. The lasers provided for a trippy, immersive experience that left people jumping up in hopes of touching them. The cherry on top was the streamers and confetti, making the venue feel more like a large-scale festival. Overall, the South Side ballroom crushed all expectations with production and left plenty of room for the Shufflers to dance their hearts away.
The Vibe:
Festival goers from far and wide all came to experience the fire lineup (Medasin, Gryfinn, Malaa, Rezz) that was expected to fill our hearts with the endless house and bass vibes all night. Medasin started the good vibe train, with classic well-known songs and a good combination of rap remixes and vibey music, that left us hungry for more. Gryfinn came out shortly after, high in energy and passion. With every bang of the drum and strum of the guitar, head-banging and jumping followed. If you are a fan of live sets, then you would have been blown away by this set. The bar was set high after Gryfinn, but Malaa absolutely crushed it.
Malaa took control of The South Side Ball Room and made it his house during the set. The House of Blues crew definitely decided to show up for Malaa, making it easy to spot squads of ski mask wearing, Malaa fans shuffling to the beats. Playing hit songs such as “Notorious” and his collab with Tchami, “Summer 99”, made a set that is one to remember.
Dallas must be filled with bass-heads because before Rezz took the stage, all you could hear was the chanting of “SPACE MOM! SPACE MOM!”. Space mom without a doubt delivered an amazing performance. From playing classic headbangers “Livid” and “Edge” to a new unreleased song, there was something for everyone. Do yourself a favor and experience a set by Rezz,- I guarantee you won’t regret it. This was my first time seeing a full set, and for long after I could still feel the bass in my bones. I was even catching myself head-banging on the ride home.
Crush Dallas was undoubtedly going to sell out from the start, with a lineup that could draw in any crowd and production that made the experience memorable. The one-day festival satisfied every festival goers heart and CRUSHED all expectations, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings!