Okee 2023 Rewind

This year's Okeechobee was amazing- my friends and I all got together and formed a huge campsite, and had so much fun catching up on life and reminiscing on memories. We were spoiled with some amazing sets, treated ourselves to an insane amount of frozen lemonade, and met lively new people every day.

Now that I've gotten over the "post-festival depression" that often hits when returning to normal life after a weekend of fun and zero responsibilities, I'm excited to share a list of my favorite sets of the weekend- I got to see a bunch of my favorite artists and some new ones. I was starstruck! To hear a little more about my past experiences with Okeechobee and what makes it so special, check out my last post!

Griz

This was my 5th time seeing Griz, and let me tell you he NEVER disappoints. Not only does he put on an insane show, but he is truly an amazing person. Griz incorporates saxophone in his "future funk" sets and is one of the most upbeat and encouraging DJs I've ever seen. I leave his sets feeling full and inspired to be a kinder person to those around me. It may not sound like much, but Griz always ends his sets by telling his fans to clean up the venue, which I love. He champions inclusivity, PRIDE, sustainability, and harm reduction. I will definitely be rewatching this set on YouTube until my next festival.

Zingara

I would be shocked if I am not among Zingara's top fans. I found her scrolling through Tiktok about a year and a half ago, and since then she has gone on to amass a following, earn the respect and attention of huge players in the EDM community, and play some crazy stages. I got to see her for the first time at Lostlands last September, and she threw down some bass on one of the smallest stages there. Artists like Griz and Subdocta began to recognize her talent, and I felt so proud to see her play the HERE stage to such a deep and excited crowd. Her perseverance and amazing attitude inspire me to always say yes to trying new things. Her set was one of my favorites to dance to and she debuted new songs I have had on repeat since leaving Okee.

I got to meet Zingara at Lostlands last year! She was so sweet.

Excision

A king of the dubstep community, Excision's sets are an amazing example of the full rave experience, with plenty of attention paid to the visual aspects of a great set. Okeechobee failed to give Excision the lasers and pyrotechnics he deserved, but it was still an awesome set and he played most of his hits. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential DJs in the bass music scene, and his event planning is as impressive as his music. I'm so excited to return to Lostlands in the fall, Excision's prehistoric dubstep paradise. Lostlands has some of the best production I've ever seen (sorry Okee)!

Odesza

This was my second time seeing Odesza, and they blew me away. All of the pyrotechnics and lasers that Okeechobee held off for Excision were brought out Friday night for Odesza. It was their first festival in four years, so they pulled out all the stops with tons of fireworks, the full drum line, and a set list full of their best songs. I attended their tour date in Atlanta last year, so I was impressed to see so many differences between the sets and all the new sequences they included.

Wreckno

This was my first time seeing Wreckno, and their set happily surprised me. As a gender-fluid artist, Wreckno's sets celebrate the queer community and aim to make the EDM/bass scene more inclusive for LGBTQ+ ravers. This was the first set I saw at the HERE stage this year, and the vibes of the stage matched Wreckno's upbeat energy perfectly. Shout out to the set planners of Okeechobee for always looking ahead.

Sullivan King

Directly after leaving the melodic and heavenly vibes of Odesza's set, I was convinced by friends to check out Sullivan King's set. While I have always recognized his talent, I was a bit apprehensive to go to his set because his music is very intense and involves a lot of screaming. I was very happily surprised by his set, he killed it and I was so impressed by how he incorporated his guitar into the set (of course this ended with a smashed electric guitar). He is one of many artists that pushes the boundaries of EDM music by including influences from other genres, in his case, metal and hard rock.

Earth Wind and Fire

A classic band, and the only non-EDM act on my list, everyone over the age of 40 told me I had to go to this set. I went for the good vibes and stayed because I realized I knew a ton of their songs from listening to the radio with my dad. Dancing to "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" with my friends old and new was a moment I knew would turn into a special memory. Often it is the sets you were not that excited about that end up being really fun surprises.

Additional thoughts:

I truly did not attend a bad set. One of my favorite things about attending festivals is the amazing opportunity to discover and support artists you may not normally get the chance to see. I got to see a total of 23 sets this year!

In at Okee:

Smoothies / Fresh fruit juice

Paying for showers (so worth it)

Blow-up couches in the back of the crowd

Buying new pins for my bucket hat

Emergen-C

Sunscreen

Out at Okee:

Blow-up couches in front of the sound booth

Pickpockets

Lack of shade

No lifeguards

$16 slices of pizza

Cheers,

Katie Magnolia