This past weekend Above & Beyond brought their world-renowned Group Therapy show to the Gorge Amphitheater in the beautiful state of Washington. To help Above & Beyond celebrate their 250th edition of Group Therapy the boys hand-picked some of their best up-and-coming artists off their Anjunabeats label.
On day 1 Luttrell, Yotto, Oliver Smith, Genix b2b Sunny Lax and Seven Lions b2b Jason Ross graced the airwaves with their variant styles of melodic trance. Day 2 saw their Anjunadeep label take over with Moon Boots, Eli & Fur, Jody Wisternoff & James Grant, 16 Bit Lolitas, and Yotto and Luttrell to close. This was an Anjuna fan’s dream come true from start to finish.
Day 1:
One of the coolest parts of the weekend was that doors didn’t open for ABGT 250 until 4 pm. What was so cool about it was that everyone had all day to meet each other and party in the camping fields before heading in. The Anjuna family is known for it’s amazing people who show nothing but love to each other. Needless to say, the entire day leading up to the start of ABGT 250 was wild and wonderful.
Starting the show off was Above & Beyond doing a special deep house set from behind the stage. The sun was still shining, giving away a special ambiance to the Gorge. Following Above & Beyond was Luttrell who showcased his deep house vibes as the sun began to set. This was easily one of the better sets of the weekend.
Progressing the night along was Yotto who ingeniously built up his set from a slow warm up to high energy trance. Yotto was the lucky one that got the sunset midset, and he did not disappoint. The next man up was Oliver Smith, who in my opinion stole the show. He proved why he is the only man featured on every Anjunabeats volume compilation. He was absolutely amazing.
The final three acts of the day were the heavy hitters of the lineup. Genix and Sunny Lax created a high energy atmosphere that only intensified as the night went on. They wonderfully mixed in new ID’s and old singles they are so well known for. Taking center stage after Genix and Sunny Lax were Anjuna bosses Above & Beyond.
I have never seen 25,000 people get so excited and energized for anything quite like when Above & Beyond came on stage. They started their set with a new single called ‘Hideaway’ and it only got better from there. They played a wide range of music from the likes of Grum to a new Andrew Bayer song and even premiered a handful of new singles. Above & Beyond once again proved that they are indeed the benchmark for quality music that brings every type of person together. Music clearly is a universal language.
Finally, to top off day 1 was one of the more highly anticipated sets that I can remember. Seven Lions going back-to-back with Jason Ross was nothing short in insane. From start to finish, they were fast paced and brought more energy than anyone. They even premiered a couple ID’s that seem to be future collaborations. Something to definitely keep an eye on.
Day 2:
Day 2 brought a much needed change of pace. Everyone was exhausted and tired from the day before but luckily for all of us in attendance, we had Above & Beyond take us into a Zen state of mind with a morning yoga set. That put everyone right back in the mood to party with Anjunadeep artists.
The day started off with Moon Boots, who just released his debut album ‘First Landing’ on Anjunadeep not too long ago. His set was another highlight of the weekend. Moon Boots delivered a deep and sexy set that was one of the most unique of the weekend.
The rest of the day showcased Anjunadeep mainstays. Following Moon Boots were UK deep duo Eli & Fur. Not to be outdone, the duo played a set filled with their own music, old and new, and showed everyone why they are one of the best acts in deep house. Coming up after the girls was Jordy Wisternoff and James Grant who absolutely tore it up for almost two hours. That was easily one of the better sets of the weekend as well.
Closing out day 2 was 16 Bit Lolitas followed by Yotto and Luttrell. Both acts were unique in their own right. 16 Bit Lolitas brought the deep vibes while Yotto and Luttrell took us on a journey into the deep and progressive world.
Overall, this was one of the best run events I have ever been to. It was well organized and brought the best out of people who only showed love and care to one another. Some highlights of mine were Luttrell, Oliver Smith, Moon Boots, and of course the Anjuna bosses Above & Beyond. We’ll be sure to update the sets as they begin to come out. Day One sets can be listened to here.
Oh and one more exciting piece of information for all of you A&B fans… Common Ground, their new artist album, drops January 2018. A perfect gift at a perfect event.
