The first ever Origins Arizona happened this past weekend at the Riverwalk at Rawhide Event Center in Phoenix, Arizona. I hadn’t been to an event in Arizona since Decadence so I was very eager to get to Arizona and be reunited with the Arizona rave scene. For being the first event of its kinda in Arizona, turned out to be insanely successful. The small and intimate vibe of the venue had the crowd grooving and shuffling all night long.
The Venue
Origins was held at Rawhide Event Center but at a different spot than I was used to. I have been to Rawhide many times so I’ve been to many events that were in the warehouse as well as in the western town for Goldrush. They had opened up this section behind the western town on the west side of the venue. It had grass and seating areas. Food, drinks and vendors lined up the walkway to the single stage. I liked the set-up of this event for how it felt small and intimate. Most events at Rawhide are huge with large production so this was perfect for a one-day event. I also applaud RB Deep for placing the stage to where the crowd would be facing the sunset which was absolutely perfect for Nora en Pure’s set.
The Music
I covered this lineup when it first came out and I got multiple texts how this lineup was made for me and my friends were not wrong. What I loved about this lineup is that even though all artists are generally house artists, they all dominate the sub-genres within the house genre.
Sean Watson is native to Arizona and kicked it off perfectly playing some vibey house tunes to warm the crowd up. EDX had me shuffling like I was on a tropical island somewhere.
Nora en Pure was perfect to have be the sunset set.This was my first time seeing her and it was incredible because of the musical journey she takes you on heavily influenced by nature.
Autograf surprised me with an upbeat house set. I’ve seen them play before as a live set and their music isn’t typically upbeat house, but they got the crowd going by playing crowd favorites of Losing It by Fisher and Close Your Eyes by Chris Lake and Walker & Royce and even played some Carl Cox for the techno fans out there.
For Justin Jay’s set I hung back behind the sound booth to watch a massive shuffle circle that ensued. Seeing the shufflers of Arizona get down to this set was so fun. Justin Jay seamlessly transitioned into Lane 8’s set, who from asking around was almost everyone’s must-see artist for the day.
This was my fourth Lane 8 set for the year and I don’t know how every time he is able to top himself, but he does. You can just feel the energy in the crowd just burst through every buildup he had. It was magical.
Finally, Duke Dumont closed this festival out in the best possible way. He brings all the feels with tunes like Need U (100%) and I Got U. Him closing with Ocean Drive had everyone singing along with the last bit of energy they had. It was truly the best way to end the first ever Origins.
Which set was my favorite? I couldn’t tell you honestly. Each artist brought their own unique set and vibe to the festival that I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Overall Experience
For being the first to ever happen, everything was smooth. Logistically, the festival was very well thought out. I am excited to see how Relentless Beats and RB Deep can nurture and continue this festival to grow. I can imagine it will be very similar to Seismic Dance Event, a two-day house and techno festival in Austin, Texas. I think this could have been a test to see if there was an interest in Arizona and the house scene here is alive and thriving after this event for sure. The time of year is perfect as it wasn’t too hot, I would recommend to anyone going next year to pack some warm clothes for when the sun goes down.
Overall, I had an amazing time at Origins and already can’t wait for next year! Special thanks to RB Deep for having me out to cover this event.
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