Beyond Wonderland

Sometimes you just need to HEADBANG By Alexandra Bonnet Level 1

The feeling of needing to surround myself with unlimited bass was growing stronger. I desperately wanted to feel music course through my veins as I sway back and forth, surrounded by bodies.To hear unlimited laughter and sit by the pond as I watch Boko Fine Art’s Illumiloti Ignisis blaze with fire, one press of the button at a time. To make everlasting memories with those I love and those I had yet to meet! Level 2

Okay, now I really needed to get to my happy place. I needed to leave a piece of my heart and soul on the dance floor and play with my newly picked flow art: the Flowstar, surrounded by other flowmies. One of my friends was hoping we would make it to Beyond and I would tell her: if it is meant to be, we will. And then, one early morning at work, the text came in: “we would love to see you at Beyond this weekend.” And just like that, we were given an entry to Beyond Wonderland, one of Insomniac’s many events. 

Level 3 The anticipation was rising and I felt an abundance of gratitude. I immediately texted my friend and we geeked out over the fact that I was going to make it! That same day, I got word that SoCal Flowmies were hosting a meetup and it was incredible seeing everything align. For those of you who do not know, SoCal Flowmies is a group that hosts flow meet-ups and is made up of absolutely incredible and beautiful souls! I was introduced to them by my best friend, Taylor– the person who introduced me to the world of flow art.  It was all coming together and in a blink of an eye, it was rave day. Level 4 Escape Hockey Jersey, check. Fishnet stocking and docs, check. Bucket hat and sprouts, check. Glitter (lots and lots of glitter), check. Trinkets and flowstar, check.

We made our way over to the Nos Center and as soon as we walked through the gates, you heard the music pounding and the bodies piling in. We were back and damn did it feel good. From Queen’s Domain to Mad Hatter’s Castle to the Sea of Wonder…the dancing never stopped. We kicked it off by strolling near the merch area–something I had not done yet at this venue. I must have felt a pull because I ended up buying what is now my favorite flowstar from Sick Beets. We went over to the Boko Fine Art Crew– individuals we hold dear to our hearts– and it felt like a warm blanket was being draped over me. This was extra special as this crew is made up of veteran burners so to have two of my favorite worlds at one place– immaculate.  Level 5 The SoCal flowmies had their meetup at ALLEYCVT’s set and when I tell you we got down…I mean we got DOWN. One of the girls I had met before ran up to us and gifted my boyfriend and I homemade clips: one Pikachu and one of the tiniest crocs I have ever seen! After that, we went over to see Wuuli perform and oh.my.god. Every time I tried to go take a quick breather, another “I must dance to this” song came up…even the French Cancan! Why was this so exciting? Well, for those of you who do not know me, I am a French American lady who has never heard the French Cancan be played in the States; let alone at a RAVE. When the sun set, we went back towards the pond to play with Illumiloti Ignisis. You see, the artists always finds way to create interactive art and with this one, festival goers have the chance to be fire benders! One click of the button and the lotus spews out fire. Pretty cool, right? 

At some point, Reno and I were on our own for the rest of the night and the sidequests continued. We stepped into Sea of Wonder– the Drum and Bass indoor stage– and I looked at him and said: “Why do we always end the night here? This is one of our favorite stages!” After we got a good dose of DnB, we headed to the Funnel Cake stand and on the way, there was this one door right outside that caught Reno’s eye. So of course, he opened it. Next thing you know, we were transported into the most intimate set that felt like a small oasis amid the festival grounds. We made our way through the minimal crowd and as we stepped outside of the exit, we came face to face with TIME. Yes, Time. Our encounter with the orange men of time was truly something out of Alice in Wonderland–especially after we adventured through a mystery door. We could not believe what we had just experienced in under five minutes but hey, that’s what happens at Beyond!

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Funnel Cake acquired, we made our way back to Mad Hatter’s Castle and into the bleachers. We found a nice spot where we could sit and enjoy the show but also get up and headbang as needed. The stage went quiet, and on the screens we could see videos of famous movie scenes and words by some of our favorites such as Bob Marley. The music started softly and you could feel the emotions build inside of each person surrounding us: it was the closing act. It was Zeds Dead. They played their new album but it was so much more than that. It was poetic. It was magical. It was Zeds Dead.

By the end of the night, my thirst for headbanging was quenched and we made our way back home. We played some ZHU as we slowly came down from the high we were on– not a substance high but the high you get after spending hours surrounded by nonstop music, flashing lights, and uncontrollable happiness.

Thankful. Grateful. And blessed. <3