Head Trip Day 1 was nothing if not memorable. The one-off EDM festival opened an hour late on Saturday, Oct. 10, and ended with a 9 p.m. evacuation due to lightning. Shortly before 9:30 p.m., organizers canceled the remainder of the Day 1 action, leaving attendees without a headlining set from Calvin Harris.
It wasn't a great start to what is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime electronic music festival at the Empire Polo Club in the spirit of Goldenvoice's other "trip" festivals, Desert Trip in 2016 and Power Trip in 2023.
However, the day wasn't a complete wash. Here's the most memorable moments of Head Trip Day 1.
Head Trip festival proving we don't need brand activations at fests
Let's face it, Head Trip's cousin, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, has grown up since it began in 1999. The festival's
eclectic mix of EDM, hip-hop, indie rock and more has shifted to include the biggest names in music from around the world while trying to stay true to its origins. But perhaps the most notable change over the years is Coachella becoming an influencer conference of sorts, with dozens of brand activations with lines as long as the one to get into the Sonora tent (aka a line that actually gets you in to hear live music).
Walking into Head Trip Saturday, there was hardly a presence of brands and influencers. The backdrops that are built each year welcoming fans to Coachella and the Stagecoach country music festival, or the epic devil-horn-shaped cactus sculpture at Power Trip, was reduced to simply a small sign for Head Trip. With fewer vendor booths and zero art installations, there was more space to move around than there is at Coachella or Stagecoach.
This feels intentional and a throwback to what the electronic music experiences used to be like at music festivals, but on a larger scale.
Attendees refusing to let Tropical Storm Rachel put a damper on the party
The lingering effects of Tropical Storm Rachel didn't stop festivalgoers from enjoying the first day of Head Trip — while it lasted.
Many festivalgoers showed up in face paint, costumes, or rave outfits similar to what would be seen at Coachella or other electronic music festivals, and were dancing from the afternoon until the evening — even as the intermittent rain came down.
It was endearing, and even somewhat inspiring, to see the crowd's positivity and refusal to let the rain get them down.
Peggy Gou reminding us why more women should be in EDM
While Seth Troxler and Ben Sterling did a great job as the first artists to perform on the Head Trip main stage Saturday, let's be real: the act that really stole the show was the Peggy Gou B2B Four Tet set, with the former especially bringing it.
EDM is a famously male-dominated music genre, and though we're learning of more women getting into DJing all the time, it's rare that a woman makes a name for herself in this corner of the music industry — let alone a BIPOC woman.
That's why it was particularly cool to see Peggy Gou, a South Korean DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Berlin, crushing it on the Head Trip stage as the only woman on the entire Saturday lineup. She had a big smile on her face for much of her set, and it was well deserved — it was the smile of a woman who knows she's amazing at her job.
Fisher and Chris Lake's 'Under Construction' set showing the power of strong visuals
Chris Lake has definitely graduated from the Coachella Day Zero headlining slot.
Fisher and Chris Lake's collaborative live project, "Under Construction," which Coachella festivalgoers will remember from 2023, returned to the polo grounds Saturday and featured an industrial construction stage theme, lasers and heavy lighting that was stunning from start to finish (both visually and musically). This was the type of set that belongs on the Coachella Stage following a headliner, and hopefully Fisher and Chris Lake come back again.
Goldenvoice proving its evacuation messaging has improved, even if many ignore it
During Stagecoach in April, dangerous high-velocity winds and blowing sand forced an evacuation for the first time since the festival debuted in 2007. Indio had seen wind gusts over 40 mph on Saturday, April 25, before all attendees at the Empire Polo Club were told to evacuate just after 7:45 p.m. The festival was reopened about an hour later after winds died down. Although the evacuation ended up being short-lived, it left many fans unsure where to go and what to do next.
On Saturday at Head Trip, the venue was evacuated around 9 p.m. and festival organizers said around 9:30 p.m. that the day's performances were canceled for the rest of the evening, as the National Weather Service warned of lightning in the area.
"There is approaching severe weather," the Head Trip festival app warned. "The show is suspended. Exit the venue the way you entered and seek shelter in personal vehicles or shuttles. Stay tuned in the app for updates."
Even though this time, the notice on the screens and in the push notification used extra clear language, many festivalgoers didn't leave the site and remained there for up to 30 minutes after the evacuation notice was issued. The communication was better this time, but considering how many people were still inside the venue and weren't following instructions, it was far from perfect.
Previous reporting by Desert Sun staff was included in this report, as well as a blurb by Desert Sun Features Editor Niki Kottmann.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Tropical Storm Rachel tried to kill Head Trip festival. Why it failed
