If you read my review of the show before Bassnectar (Pinback) you know I was in a meditative trance. 

That wonderful bliss was horribly interrupted by the disgusting sounds of Bassnectar who was next on the line up.

Before Bassnectar fans read my review and start looking for my address on Facebook, be aware that the performance was great. It’s the music and entire genre that suck. Now if you like the sound of fingernails running down a chalkboard – Bassnectar deserves 5 stars.

Me on the other hand, I do not enjoy being musically sent to Hell, and will generously give two.

Bassnectar sounds identical to the gags of someone vomiting, only instead of liquid, the puke blaring out of the speakers is made up of techno-alien-like chunks gurgled alongside roaring belches. Like Enya and Pantera came together and had a retarded baby. I wanted to chop off my ears during this performance.

But weirdly, I seemed to be the only one. Maybe it was the alcohol and drugs, but some people were having the time of their lives. Mini-moshes and octopus-gorilla-like dances consumed the crowd and I was quickly pushed out to join the old people.

Not to mention someone stepped on my toe.

Frustrated and deaf, I left the main area to watch the chaos from the back, silently observing the psycho-dementia that had taken over Elemental Experience. Every once in a while, Bassnectar would slow it down, take it easy, and create classical arias bursting with harmonic tunes and a little hip-hop groove.

But it never lasted, and as the festival got darker, colder, and wilder – Bassnectar got more cacophonic, more repugnant, and the twisted hip hop-grunge slowly drilled holes in my head.

Never again, my friends, never again.

Photo Credit: www.karhton.com