Photo by Kris Kish, Dillon Francis @ Snowglobe 15

New Years Eve is just around the corner, and young people around the country are gearing up for the annual celebrations, with a plethora of festivals and parties this year to choose from. I’ll be flying to California, and, in the company of about 15,000 strangers, getting down for the weekend in South Lake Tahoe at this years SnowGlobe Festival. With a lineup as stacked as the Sierra Nevadas surrounding it (Flume, Odesza, Major Lazer, The Chainsmokers, RL Grime, Big Gigantic), theres a lot of preparing to do for this romp on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus.

Temperatures can drop below zero, but dancing in a crowd of thousands of people in full snow gear can cause things to heat up quickly, so layers are a necessity. Winter Festivals are few and far between, and come with their own set of obstacles when it comes to apparel, transportation, and accommodations; but the extra struggle to catch those worthwile tunes creates an added sense of community to the festivities. For those of you who are still preparing for this crazy good time, I’ve compiled a playlist to pump you up, and a short list of must see acts for SnowGlobe festival:

1: Odesza

Photo by VRTX Mag

I know, I know, this one is a given. With a top billing for this years fest, and a confirmed slot on the 31st- Odesza will likely be closing down the festival (and the year- what a dream), but the Seattle duo is definitely my main reason for making the trip to California, so I had to include this performance on the list. Odesza has been touring on the same album for the last two years- and finally are working on an answer to 2014’s In Return. This is likely to be their last show until the summer festival circuit ramps up again in 2017; so if theres ever been a time for new music to be teased, this would be it. Still, even if they stick with their normal setlist, Odesza keeps it fresh every time (trust me, this will be my 9th time seeing them since In Return came out). Despite having a reputation for chilled out, atmospheric, indie electronic, Odesza actually brings an insane amount of energy to their shows; especially when headlining a festival. I’ve seen them bring out the Colorado Symphony on stage at Red Rocks, the Chicago Bulls drumline at North Coast- with the added magic of a NYE countdown set, I’m hoping for something big to happen at this set.

2: Rufus Du Sol

Photo by Kirsten Spruch

The Sydney Trio, known only as RUFUS elsewhere, puts on a really special show. A live set from Rufus Du Sol takes the viewer deep into the aboriginal jungle, the air thick with fog and mystery as they croon over live instruments. It’s really exciting to see a group with live vocals and instruments receive higher up billing on a largely EDM lineup, and Rufus won’t disappoint. I saw their set at Summer Set music festival this summer- it was a sparsely attended show in direct competition with a much more well known dubstep act, but the few who were lucky enough to stray off the beaten path were stoked- I saw people dance harder than I had seen all weekend. It was the highlight of my experience. I think its no coincedence that less than 6 months later, Rufus played a sold out show in Minneapolis. They are one of those acts that make believers out of people who just chance upon their sets.

3: Marian Hill 

Photo by Grace Dickinson

Marian Hill has massive technical skill- considered a duo consisting of producer/keyboardist Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gogol, the Philadelphia duo also wields Steve Davit on the Saxophone while on tour, and are another act that has enjoyed a lot of success in the past year. They are making a shift from playing small intimate venues on tour to playing major festivals, and I can think of few acts that deserve it more. Gogols’ earnest, focused lyrics and vocals combined with Lloyd tuned in production and Davit’s wild saxophone licks make for an impressive, well thought out show- but moments of wild improvisation are also to be expected. I love Gogol’s control over an audience, with concepts like womens agency and power are made sexy. Marian Hill will put on a lasting set.

4: Big Wild

Photo by James Nagel

If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re right: I really love electronic acts that incorporate a live element to their stage presence, and thats probably what drew me to Big Wild, the Foreign Family Collective affiliated producer from Venice, California. Big Wild has toured recently with huge acts like Odesza and Griz. Big Wild plays drums and keys live on tracks like “Aftergold”, or his explosive newest single, “Invincible”. He’s got a great live energy, and is sure to get the body temperatures in the crowd up with his danceworthy grooves.

5: ILLENIUM 

Photo by APIS Photography

Another newer act, ILLENIUM is playing on the heels off of his Ashes tour that ends on Dec. 28th. Having only really seriously pursued a career in music after a Bassnectar show in 2012, ILLENIUM has become a mainstay on todays festival circuit- and with good reason- his music is captivating and powerful. Electronic music can have difficulty conveying emotion like other genres, but ILLENIUMS music has a raw emotive power to it that I’ve rarely seen in a producers set. Coming off of a national tour, I’m hoping Illenium brings the heat with him to Tahoe.

SnowGlobe festival takes place Dec. 29th-31st at Lake Tahoe Community College. 3 Day Passes and Single Day passes for Thursday and Saturday are already sold out, but a limited number of single day passes for Friday night are available here.

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