An open letter to CRSSD Fest, Day 2

Thanks, CRSSD. It's been fun. I know we only met seven-months ago, but I feel like we really got to spend some quality time together this weekend. Of course, we still had our differences. Your entry lines never got beyond impossibly maddening, and I can't believe you let all three of your stages creep into one another's conversations. But ultimately, you came through in the end, and that's what matters. On Saturday, things got a little heated, but I was impressed how mellow you were on Sunday. Really, the credit should go to the cloud cover, but you had quite a nice demeanor on day two. Please don't think it went unnoticed. And all of those second-day acts! I don't know how you did it. Berlin-based DJ Claptone, of course donning his trademark black top hat and golden masquerade mask, had all of the City Steps stage guests dancing to deep house and putting their hands in the air. Orange County singer/songwriter Banks brought an enjoyably slinky vibe to the party, somehow remaining cool, but using her amazing voice to infuse her dark R&B with a fiery passion that swept over everyone at the Ocean View Live Stage. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (aka London-based DJ Orlando Higginbottom) made the very most of his "special guest" DJ set, mashing genres together like an expert chef and closing on an amazing remix of Disclosure's "F For You." And it was a pleasant surprise to hear Norwegian DJ/producer Todd Terje kick off his set with the "Beep Beep Toot Toot" sample from Donna Summer's "Bad Girls." I don't know if that was a nod to Giorgio Moroder's incredible performance from the night before, but I'm guessing it was. What wasn't a surprise was Kygo drawing the biggest crowd of the day. The other Norwegian DJ on Sunday plays the most mainstream music of all of Sunday's acts. But you were there when Ben Klock handed the reins to Maya Jane Coles for the biggest crowd the City Steps stage saw all weekend. Both DJs crushed their sets with no-nonsense, hard-nosed house. It was a shame to see TV on The Radio play to such a meager crowd at the main stage, but it certainly didn't stop them from delivering a quality, career-spanning hour of music. And what can you really do about that? Ms. Coles and Nicolas Jaar were playing at the same time, and you can't please everyone. But you tried. You really did. And you did it with a great attitude and overall vibe. I mean, if seeing the San Diego Sheriffs deputies doling out daps and high-fives like candy to trick-or-treaters was any indication, you had just the right demeanor for everyone. We didn't always see eye-to-eye, CRSSD, but whether we reconnect next March, or in a year next October, I'm really looking forward to your next visit. Source: DiscoverSD