breakaway.4.5.25
Earlier this April, I had the opportunity to volunteer with End Overdose at the Breakaway Music Festival, a touring festival around the country bringing DJ sets from the likes of Zedd, Louis the Child, Afrojack, and Slander to big cities. After countdowning down the year with Zedd at our first rave festival, Countdown 2024 in San Bernardino, we eagerly embraced the energy our home crowds had to offer.
We were there volunteering with End Overdose, a nonprofit based out of LA which sponsors events nationwide to ensure people always have life-saving resources on hand. Our jobs were to train people on how to use Narcan, a nasal spray that counteracts the effects of someone going through an opioid overdose. Awareness surrounding overdosing on drugs containing traces of fentanyl is crucial in our generation, which is why we train and provide narcan out for free at music events across UTD & DFW.
In between shifts, I was able to break away to see the DJ sets and participate as part of the crowds. The first day, Saturday, I came across Ship Wrek and TroyBoi. I enjoyed TroyBoi for his remixes of popular hip hop tracks, including “Fein” by Travis Scott. He energized the crowd with hyper, using elements of Jamaican beats and afro punk with a balanced bass. There were no dull moments in his set, giving material to dance to just about the entire time I was there.
At the end of the first night, I was able to go see Zedd for the second time this year; after attending my first rave festival in San Bernardino, Countdown 2025, where Zedd counted us into the new year, it was incredible to be able to revisit his set and how it differed from the first. Zedd’s big advantage of his DJ sets is his talent has brought so many of his tracks to the radio over the past few years. Almost every song remixed was a song just about everyone in the crowd was singing along to. He also injected some old classics into his set, such as bringing back “One More Time” by Daft Punk, which we heard at Countdown, as well as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics. My partner knew just about every song that came on throughout the performance, which made the concert feel that much more special to me.
breakaway.4.6.25
The next day brought a cooling winter reminder back with very cold winds and a temperature sitting at just about 50ºF. Rain sprinkled here and there to add to the brisk nature of the day, but the heat from the crowds and stages’ pyros kept the crowd warm. The bi-polar winter weather in spring really solidified its location in Dallas, Texas, next to the Cotton Bowl.
The sets I was able to see that day were astonishing. To start, Afrojack bestowed us so much energy within the crowd, using a hype man to keep the vibes up the entire show. His visuals were some of the best I’ve ever seen, dynamic enough to elevate the experience of the show. His set remixed songs in a uniquely bass thumping, uplifting way that made it hard not to vibe to.
Louis the Child, composed of two DJs, had a connection to each other that radiated through their sounds. The pairs movements to the beat differed in the way they danced along, and yet they managed to sync up in rhythm. Their sounds would bounce back and forth between the two, but perfectly integrated to create consonance. I enjoyed the vocals and the overall sense of confidence they brought to the stage.
Speaking of bringing confidence to the stage, they shined a spotlight on the American singer EVAN GIIA. Their notable song performed was “Blow The Roof,” a track that warmed the crowds with its summer feel. GIIA’s ability to formulate a strong stage presence brought a unique touch to the rave festival. The energy of all the musicians on stage was incredible to witness, and a new fan of Louis The Child was born that day.
The final set of the night was Slander, a duo from Los Angeles who explored several emotions of the human experience with heart-shaking bass. This last set was luckily experienced with the entire End Overdose crew; it was incredible to be surrounded by friends in those head-banging mosh tracks. Slander would switch from heartfelt heartbreak to dangerously nasty tracks swiftly. Slander sent us on our way to end the long, exhausting rave-full weekend.
cicada.soul.4.11.25
Transitioning into the next weekend we were informed about an unofficial club of UTD, dubbed Cicada. This club was formed by our very own Marco, a DJ from RadioUTD. Cicada was looking to hold a house rave, displaying talents from Adi Louis, Redline, and Name-Searcher himself. This event was created for the appreciation of electronic music, “Where lost is found, and love is loud.”
Love was indeed loud: I loved Redline’s set, with that night club hype radiating through the hazy, crowded room. His sounds were a mix of original and remixed classics, giving us something fresh to dance to. I especially enjoyed his stage presence, as I had a front row view of the deck.
Additionally, I saw Adi Louis perform his alternative beats, described by Cicada as a mix of ambient film scoring and grungy shoegaze. His background is riveting in itself, shining through classical Indian Carnatic elements to bring something new to his perspective of the genre. Unfortunately my time was cut short before seeing Name-Searcher, however the energy was incredible for a house party. The feelings were excitement, as I felt I was in the thick of what college had to offer after school hours. 
renegade.trollz.4.12.25
The next day, a friend from volunteering told us about an inn to a secret bridge rave. “Renegade Trollz” was the name upon only remnants of information we found on the event, but the idea peaked our intrigue.
We drove to an undisclosed park in south Dallas late Saturday night, pulling up to an intersection of trains. Peculiarly, we came to hear mariachi music blasting from the woods. As beads of sweat started to form, we inched closer and closer to the music. Surely this wasn’t the function? Did we drive all this way for this? As we walked closer on the path, we turned the corner to find a couple dudes blasting loud music and drinking beers. Wrong way. 
As we walked back, praying we weren’t bamboozled, we couldn’t help but notice a glow stick sticking out of the ground on the sidewalk going the other way. Wary, we tread on into the darkness with nothing but a full moon illuminating our path and the Dallas skyline in the distance. After about 500 feet or so, we finally saw another glow stick peeking out from the ground. We knew we were onto something….
After about a half mile walk, we finally heard some thumping in the distance. As we wrapped around the loop of the park trail, we saw flashing LEDs in the distance along the DART train track. The bridge, holding a crowd of about 30 people, held small vendors and a deck with generators to power the night. Our journey towards music was a success.
We heard music from the debut of “Echo Chamber” a duo consisting of ‘Godspeed’ and ‘dankle.’ The two brought to the crowd some remixes and beats to bop to. The two had more of their own style, but had fun collaborating with their sounds. Another DJ came up and brought titillating ticks, sounding like video games to the ears, as well as some UK inspired beats. The music was exciting, and the crowd seemed to basically all know each other. The small and friendly environment was refreshing, and I felt like I had enough room to let it all out and be myself. Me and “Hash Brown” had a ball dancing together in the classroom-sized crowd.
On the way out I bought some Kandi, the name for beaded bracelets in rave culture that is often shared amongst one another. In buying a few bracelets, I was told I was going to be put into a raffle for a free ticket to a show happening in the next two weeks. They asked to write my name and number down, and were told I’d be contacted if I won. I did so promptly and bought some red glasses from another vendor, and went on my way.
As I was leaving, I came across Godspeed once again, and was introduced to his personality and kindness. He told me about another show that was coming up, and shared the connection of what the culture was all about.
About 10 minutes later, I got a text that I won a Rufus Du Sol ticket for free, and grew ecstatic at the fact I had finally won a raffle for once. The ticket offered was from THE Godspeed himself and their rave group invited us with open arms. New experiences bring new friends!
rüfüs.du.sol.4.23.25
About two weeks go by and I am finally ready for the Rufus Du Sol concert, their first stop on their US tour. Despite not having any prior knowledge of who the band or the group was, I was eager to meet new friends and have a beautiful view of a popular DJ band on the lawn of the Pavilion at the State Fair park grounds: the very grounds where Breakaway was held in the first place.
After swinging by for a quick bite at the Dallas classic burger joint, Skyrocket Burgers, we were on our way into the event. Parking was surprisingly free (for once!) and the walk into the event felt a breeze. The atmosphere was perfect weather, being a cool spring April evening.
We came across the group on the colossal pavilion by spotting someone with rainbow hair. As we walked up we were instantly welcomed with open arms and treated with kindness. We met up with Godspeed and his group, and were introduced to several other friends who were inviting to us.
As the sky fell and darkness covered the night sky, a brisk wind swept the crowd off their feet in excitement for the band’s arrival. The stage was comprised of drums, synthesizer, guitars, a DJ deck, and vocals. Geometric lighting covered the crowd and created a mural behind the music. The winds brushed by as the tempos sped up to walking speed, and the night began in waves to the song “On My Knees.” Cries from the background rang as the bold chords pierced through the crowds. The spatial sounds surrounding the pavilion brought waves of everybody dancing and having a great time, which was an incredible sight to see.
Throughout the night the moods shifted from party anthems to happier ballads to more introspective prolonged tracks. One track sounded almost like the dystopian sounds coming from Incredibox V8, with melody contours that sounded both futuristic yet nostalgic. The sounds’ overarching themes had a very 80s, synth dance feel, that of which the Australian-coated vocals went along nicely to.
As the end became near, the chords became majestic, transitioning into the hit track “Innerbloom” which touched the hearts of everyone in the crowd. The long track felt significant to see in person, with everyone in our group singing along to the touching lyrics. The chord progressions along with the melodies and counter melodies were grandiose and tender. Feelings of connectedness united the crowd of people as everyone swayed along together. The end of the set felt like the end of a movie, of an in-person experience that was rare to come across. Feelings of love radiated through the lasers amongst the winds. Rufus Du Sol truly gave us a night to remember.
All in all, I appreciate the pavilion set up for the concert. It splits up the crowd into different categories of people who want to watch the show, and when done right, gives everyone a nice experience to be able to view the stage. The ease of access to leave and come back carries an advantage to a festival scene, and there’s less of an urge to rush to the front.
I also appreciated the bridge set up for Renegade Trollz, with a smaller community giving a more connected feel to everyone. Having that much room to dance was a plus, and it was a cool and eerie experience to find the spot. It was what is considered a “speakeasy”
Though, nothing beats a festival scene. The opportunity to find your way to be in front of the artist off of pure will is a gift that has become increasingly more difficult with paywalls in this day and age. We are lucky to have found an inn into the music scene, which will hopefully continue cascading from event to event. Nothing beats viewing the artist face to face, with the bass shaking your core as you dance to the beats.
It’s beautiful how life guides us from one event to the next when we fully embrace those around us with positivity and connection. The culture very much fosters and rewards having an open mind to those around us, despite the vast differences in our backgrounds. I appreciate rave culture for creating a safe space for everyone who wants to have a good time and let loose. There’s a lot going on in the world, but one thing proves itself to me every time: Nothing brings people together better than music. 
