I attended my first Same Same But Different Festival in 2019, so I knew what I was in for this time around....but there was so much more.
The festival has grown both in attendance and in the size and quality of the stages and features and this 4 day festival is becoming one of the best in all of Southern California.
The stages seemed bigger and closer to the water this year.
The concept is for festival goers to be able to watch and hear and dance to music in the water of Lake Perris during the daylight hours. The Coconut Club Stage was very close to the waters edge and the dj's there could actually look out and see the faces of the crowd on all kinds of floatation devices all day long.
The camping experience for most was a pretty positive one. While there were camping and shower and storage upgrades, the basic package did include access to indoor plumbing bathrooms and outdoor showers- a BIG plus for those of you who know camping.
One major improvement this year was that everyone had full access to all of the beach and the water.. even outside the fenced in beach concert area, festival goers could swim and beat the triple digit heat much closer to their campsite.
My personal performance highlights included:
Groovesession on Thursday- what a way to start off the first night! Excellent musicianship!
Cofresi was to me, the most creative as far as using the widest range of music and samples all while playing drums with the dj set..
I knew about Clozee, having played her on the radio before coming...and I was not let down by what i saw..an amazing set!
On Saturday Motet was pure funky fun.
Of course Big Gigantic and STS9 were the big headliners, and both lived up to the hype.
One of the best upgrades was what I refer to as themed "attractions'- many more, and more interesting...without a doubt the "Cloud Room" was a highlight that I returned to several times throughout my stay.
One of the aspects of a festival like this, is that you can tell if the promoters really care about more than just the music. If they invest in the total experience, then you think about the long weekend as your journey of sights and sounds and activities...and people!
I met so many new friends that I plan to stay in touch with...some of my new friends may even show up in future blogs.
Stay tuned..
Below are photos of much of what I talked about...and a video of "The Cloud Room"