This year, Bassnectar fully redeemed last year’s missteps and his team put together what may have been their crowning achievement. How do you describe something that left you completely speechless?

This was a rare night where both the old, pretentious wooks and the nectar newbies were left slack jawed. Personally, with 17 sets under my belt, I was beginning to worry that the magic had worn off a bit, especially considering the logistical nightmare that was NYE 2017 in Atlanta. Fans last year were traumatized by 4 hour security line waits and a poorly laid out venue with no seating and poor access to water. This year, those problems were long forgotten as the imposing visuals, wall of perfectly manicured sound and a set list that still has attendees reeling proved my doubts to be unfounded.

The basshead community was in prime form. I brought some pins to give away and I wish I had brought more for all the new friends I made in the crowd as everyone eagerly awaited for Lorin to take the stage. While I fully understand why some take issue with the poor behavior of certain bassheads, this night everybody seemed to be on their best behavior (not the case at hijinx, however, but you can read about that here).

All the opening acts were jaw dropping as well. It was my first time seeing Anna Morgan live and she did not disappoint, playing some very trippy noises that came together into a very psychedelic set. Manic focus, who I’ve seen many times, changed things up with a funkier set before G Jones and Eprom took over. If you never got the chance to see “G-prom” on their Acid Hysteria b2b tour in 2018, I regret to inform you that you may have missed a chance to see two of bass music’s most talented artists bring their seemingly disparate sounds together. I feel that most b2b’s are just hype and geared to look cool rather than accomplish anything musically, but G-prom is a big exception to that perception.

After opening up with fan favorite track “Infinite”, Bassnectar took us through a two hour journey across the musical spectrum. I was particularly happy to hear “Chicken Dippaz”, and that remix of “E.T Finger” by Bro Safari had me hypnotized. We were treated to a dreamy mix of Chasing Heaven for the ball drop, which had a big smile painted on my face. As with most Bassnectar curated events, we were treated to about 20 or so minutes of unreleased filth across every genre of EDM.

At the end of the set displayed on screen were the words “flawless; just like perfection. Flawless; needs no correction. Absolutely flawless.” This guy couldn’t agree more. That phrase has now been rattling around in my head for almost a week and I’m not upset about it! Bravo to Lorin and the rest of the Bassnectar team; that was the best concert experience I had in 2018 by a wide margin.

Bassnectar Drops Wildstyle Method | Video via Tayner Blackburn