***BEWARE EXTRA LONG REVIEW***
1 week and a few days later, my review of the Stilldream 9 Year Gathering.
Sorry I haven’t written early everyone, I immediately got called into work, so no days off this year after the big event and have been working very long hours every day which has left me drained of energy. I still haven’t even unpacked my car if that says anything.
Anyways what can be said about the Stilldream 9 Year?
First off Holy Shit! What an amazing event! Here’s a short list of thank you’s, (please forgive me if I forgot to mention ya I’m doing my best to remember all the details).
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Thanks you’s:
Big props go out to Felix, Rizin, Robyn & Dustin, Nick, Jay & Alex, Heather, Steve Swami for all of their hard work that starts every year in November and keeps going throughout the year until a week or two after Stilldream when we get a little bit of vacation. To Ben & Midnite, Adam Ant & Love Allstars, Alex and Adam with Viral Vibes, Kelly and Tao from Whole Earth, Jon E. Qwest & Other Promotions, Sosa, Dave & Matt with Exile Events and Night Droppin out in Utah, thank you guys for all of your hard work and your time dedicated in helping spread the message of Stilldream with our Warm Up Events all over California, Nevada and now Utah (Look out Oregon your next). Enough can’t be said about all the people who put in that extra time and energy into the dream, and help make it happen.
To our extended family and volunteer staff:
Tennyson & all of Tribe Vibe (fire performers) Caley (Robyn’s Cousin), Crazy Carl, John Moon, Stuart, Mike Creature & Beth, Genny, Andrew and Julie, Christafari, Mr. Rogers, JT, Elbereth and Brian, Marjorie and Walter (Glass Blowers), Victoria, Jeff Thompson, Rodney from Funky Baby and Balifornia, Wally, Paul and Joe from Operation Camp and everyone else who I might be forgetting with my Swiss cheese memory. Thank you guys! I can’t say it enough but thank you, thank you, thank you!
For the guys who bring the Boom, Boom and those lights that make you go wow:
Tim Manas & Lite Brite Sound, Matthew with Resonance Sound & Atom ONE with National Entity. These three crews have become a staple of Stilldream and our production. These guys really put it out there to bring everyone the highest quality sound and lighting to remote settings in and around California. Spread the love, if you have an event coming up and need some help call on these guys they know how to do it. Long haul weekends of 3 days plus set up and breakdown can prepare you for almost anything, they are ready for everything and if you don’t know how to get a hold of them feel free to ask us, we’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.
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Onto my review.
8 months of Planning, promoting, late nights, poor diets, lack of sleep, tons of driving, meeting people from all over the country come to fruition in one weekend. That was the Stilldream 9 Year. Lots of people see Stilldream for one weekend a year but for us in the Collective its hours upon hours and months upon months of hard work. Then it all comes to a head and at some point you realize that things are in motion that are way bigger then yourself. One might call it a leap of faith.
This year’s Stilldream was by far the best event we have ever put together. So many people and so many projects coming to light.
Travel back in time for a moment:
During the planning of the 4 year Anniversary (now years ago, wow!) we decided that we were going to push Stilldream towards bigger things then just a party in the woods. Boy oh boy has it grown since then. Lots of hard work are finally seeing Stilldream become what we had hoped and planned for! Its really something to see years of growth finally coming together to be what you were hoping for and becoming things you hadn’t even dreamed of when you made those first steps.
NOW:
The People:
Now more people than ever are still dreaming about that wonderful weekend in the woods where everyone can come and be themselves, express themselves and make new friends from all different parts of the US. That really has to be the most fulfilling part of doing this event is seeing how many new friendships are forged at Stilldream.
Stilldream doesn’t pull from one region or crowd but has a very diverse group of individuals from all walks of life. Everything from Burners, Ravers, Hippies, Urban types to people who are just outdoor enthusiasts and love a good event, and the thing that unites us all is that love for music and community in a natural setting where we can share our culture and expand our consciousness.
This year was nothing but exemplary! Thank you to all who came to this year’s anniversary. I personally thought that besides a few hiccups that this year’s vibe was even more amazing and vibrant then any year previously! I cannot wait to see what next year will be like. I’m already excited about next June!!!!
The music:
Wow! What else can be said! This year saw the biggest acts to ever grace Stilldream and diversity was at its core. There was House, Techno, Trance, Dubstep, Breaks, Jungle, Dub, Reggae, just about everything that resonates with the outdoors was represented this year.
Though I didn’t catch a ton of the music, that which I did was honestly some of the best music I have ever heard! Uberzone vs. Bassbin Twins destroyed it Friday night, followed up by Doc who I heard nothing but amazing reviews from. Due to a miscue between Stilldream and Vibesquads agent Vibesquad had to switch his slot to Friday night. We apologize for any inconvenience to anyone. He still rocked it from all accounts but unfortunately I was unable to catch any of his set due to event duties.
Saturday was the most active day I have ever seen at Stilldream, there was so many people out and about, playing Frisbee, meditating, resting in the shade of the Bamboo Pagoda, dancing under our new shade structure and misting system. Stilldream was alive this year and I think it also helped with the music break on Saturday Morning leaving people with more energy. Hypnotech’s opening Downtempo set Saturday morning could not have opened the day any better. I was in awe and it was honestly the only set that I got to listen to in almost its entirety. Just amazing! The rest of the day was kept going strong with acts like Atom ONE, Kelly D., Carlos Alfonzo, Adam Ant, Aleks, Jon E. Qwest and a few more. Thank you guys you kept the dance floor moving and grooving all day long.
Saturday night as far as production and time slots things went a little awry. When dealing with so many live acts there’s a lot to be accounted for… well to keep it short, We are still learning. It’s quite a process to deal with and every year we get better at it. Thank you for your patience and we apologize to everyone about the timeslots getting moved around.
Saturday nights acts were amazing from everything I saw from The Collab Project, Medicine Drum, Heavyweight Dub Champion and PitchBlack! Jupiter destroyed the dance floor and expect to see more of these acts gracing our events. Seriously mind blowing!!!
I personally didn’t catch any of Dresdens set but have heard mixed reviews from he was their favorite to he was a giant pain in the butt. I’m really bummed I didn’t get to meet him or hear any of his set but it so happened to coincide with the 3 hours of sleep that I got on Sunday morning.
The music was turned down for a short time Sunday morning unfortunately during our psytrance block of artists. I have no idea what happened there but will be looking into it guys. We’ll make it up to all of ya that that happened to. Promise! Thank you for your understanding!
The music kept on strong through Sunday and I was so happy to see so many people sticking around on Sunday to enjoy it. All the way up till the closing of the main stage around 4pm people were dancing on the main green, and enjoying themselves and the wonderful setting. It was an amazing site and am so happy to see people embracing the extra day of enjoyment.
The Chilldream:
Once again Swami managed to bring us tons of great and amazing talent from some of Northern Californias best locals (Muti, Ooze System, Addictech, Full Melt to name a few) and with great joy some of Southern California’s best as well (Kether, Dat Girl, Heavenly Father)! What can be said that hasn’t already. I didn’t catch everyone’s sets but caught bits and pieces and alls I can say is “Fuckin A! Well done people!!” That was some of the best and most original music I have ever heard. Thank you to all the came out. Without you and your influence Stilldream wouldn’t be the same.
Remembering a dreamer - Ian Dice aka DJ Dice:
Also on a sad note a long time friend and family member of Stilldream, A person who along side SeventhSwami helped the Chilldream Stage grow into what it is today passed away that Saturday morning June 20th, 2009. Ian Dice aka Dj Dice has helped for the last few years bring the extras that made the Chilldream space warm, inviting and functional and after a long battle with Melanoma left our world that Saturday morning. He was ready to go to Stilldream even under the stress of being sick but alas could not make it. Thank you Ian for all of your hard work with Stilldream, Chilldream and your own company Straylight. You will be missed, and will not be forgotten my friend.
Back to the review -
SUNDAY NIGHT:
Sunday night definitely did not go according to plan or our contract. We apologize to all of our DJs who were supposed to play on the Chilldream Stage Sunday night and did not get to. We would also like to apologize to any of our loyal Stilldreamer’s that were asked to pack up and head home a day early. It was an unfortunate situation but we did our best to manage and contain it. Thank you to all that were on staff and volunteers that stuck it out with us, helped clean up the property and pack up.
What happened?
The owners of Toney’s Mountain Golf broke contract with Stilldream and forced us to close the event on Sunday afternoon / evening. No need to go into all the details but if you had any issues with Toney’s Mountain Golf Staff or Owners please let us know ((JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)). We want to document all instances and make sure that nothing like that happens again.
Toney’s Mountain Golf is a beautiful venue with tons of awesome amenities, but because of the actions of the owners, Stilldream will NOT be returning there. It’s for the best, for the safety of our guests, staff and patrons. We had two beautiful and wonderful years there. Let’s remember the good times that we had there and move on to the future!
Production:
This year’s production was bigger and better than any previous year at Stilldream. Thanks in part to Lite Brite, Resonance and National Entity but a lot of the extra stuff you saw there was brought to you by Stilldreamers Crazy Jay and Alex and their families. Tons of hard work and energy were poured into all of this year’s decorations, actually so much that we ran out of time putting everything up and some things will have to wait till next year’s anniversary to be fully unveiled. Also big ups to Dustin for turning the Mandela from this year’s Stilldream Flier into a reality and the party center piece. Amazing job people! Just amazing. I think you managed to blow everyone’s minds this year and we can’t thank you enough for all the months of hard work and dedication you put into this event.
The Concha Dome:
A dream come to reality is all I can say. Heather has been working on this all year along with our 2nd Saturday Art Shows. She has gone the extra mile on every turn to make sure that Stilldream is more than just a party, she has finally given a home for all the Stilldream Art, Meditation, Energy Workshops, Yoga and now even Guest Speakers. This year I saw the Domes always bustling with people it was truly a dream come to reality and we can’t thank Heather and all of the Concha Dome guides and volunteers for all of their hard work to bring that little bit of something extra for all Stilldreamers to enjoy. THANKYOU! Also big thanks to Christafari and Crazy Carl for the Domes. Providing The Concha Dome and the Stilldream Art Gallery a place for people to gather, share and expand their knowledge.
Also a huge thanks to Marjorie and Walter who were doing the Glass Blowing demonstrations this year. They went well and above the call of duty to help make sure Stilldream ran as smoothly as possible. You guys are family now!
Operation Camp:
Big thanks to Wally, Punk Rock Paul and Joe for restoring the Burning Man legend back into working order and finding a new home for it at Stilldream. It was so amazing to see everyone playing it all night long. Operation Camp lives on now at Stilldream. thank you guys you did a great job and peoples laughs, screams of joy while being shocked were proof of it! Can’t wait til next year!
About the Fire:
All right here’s a little rumor control for everyone.
Facts: Yes there was a fire on a nearby property. Luckily it was reported in time and was put out by a bunch of people from Toney’s Mountain Golf and some Stilldreamer Volunteers and staff. This fire was no joke. I later went down to the site where it happened. The location of the fire was between 1/2 a mile and a mile down a trail leading off the property. There was 1500 sq feet of burnt and the fire nearly reached the tree canopies.
It is unclear who started this fire, whether it was by accident or planned, or even if it was a person, the previous night there was tons of Dry Lightning lighting up the skies all around the property, maybe it was some residual of that. We have no idea and most likely never will.
The Owner who had finished putting out the fire with luck of having a water truck on site was convinced that it was one the Stilldream Attendee’s and wanted nothing more than an apology from the person who started the fire. Citing that if no one stepped forward he would shut down the event. Once everyone was informed it was quite an amazing site. Immediately we were approached by over 20 people who each said that they had started it and were willing to step up and face the music. Whether any of the individuals actually did start it or not I personally doubt it but have no way of proving one way or another.
The person who apologized to the owner took full blame and honestly it was one of the most honorable things I have ever seen go down in my life. I was brought to tears by the sheer guts that he had.
For those spreading rumors, we at Stilldream not once ever encouraged anyone to take the rap for this unfortunate event, this was a pure act of faith by one individual who I now hold in my deepest regards. They have earned my trust fully.
Regardless if the fire was started by an individual or an act of nature this is a great lesson to be learned that if you smoke, cigarettes or weed or whatever, it’s VERY important to know where you are ashing and to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Once again a bad situation brought the best out of people and we saw some real team work come together to manage and put that fire out.
Please be aware and respect the fire rules when you attend events or even just camp in the forest. NUFF SAID!
Wrapping it up:
Stilldream every year brings forth unique challenges that you can only due your best to prepare for. Every year is a bit different and has its own new set of challenges but with that being said I think we saw our most succesful and positive Stilldream to date even with a few of the hiccups. This year brought people from far and wide. We even had people in attendance from as far as New York and as far north as Alaska.
Every year we aim to bring you the best music, production and vibe. Stilldream is a forum to express yourself and every year we see more and more people getting hands on involved. Its truly becoming an asset to the community for expression. We are always looking for more good people who would love to help out and bring something extra to the event. If you would like to get involved shoot us an email ((JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)). We fully believe in if there’s a will there’s a way. We want to see your dreams come to reality.
This years Stilldream was a huge success in many different avenues, Its truly amazing to see how people band together in times of need to help each other out and keep the dream alive. Every year we continue to grow, expand and spread the message that no matter what is happening within our lives, that we have a place to join together and become a giant family.
We look forward now to the future. The 10 year Anniversary is on the Horizon. We are on the hunt for a new venue with a few locations already in mind. If you have leads we can always use a helping hand. Let us know!
More from Stilldream:
Expect more from Stilldream. Look for us every 2nd Saturday in Midtown Sacramento for our 2nd Saturday Art Shows and our next event is coming up quick. Check it out: BLVD w/ MC Souleye comes to Sacramento Friday July 24th @ Beatnik Studios! We are super excited about the show and look forward to seeing everyone there!
Well after writing a short novel here I say thank you one last time for believing in the dream and trusting us with your visions. We love you all!
Let the 10 year Anniversary plans begin!