Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge 2021: Beyond Anything We Thought Possible [Review + Photos]
Written and Photographed BY MATTHEW DEMARKO
Can a festival named “Beyond Wonderland” deliver on that promise? Let’s just say this: the Gorge’s main stage, dressed in Wonderland’s splendor, was the most beautiful combination I’ve ever seen at a festival.
So yes, I was taken beyond.
It was an honor to be invited to cover our first Insomniac show, Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge. After almost a decade of festivals with few Insomniac productions under my belt, I was ecstatic to explore the biggest name in the industry and how they would dress an iconic venue in their premier production. Themed in all the fantastical ambience that Alice in Wonderland has to offer, this was a beautiful trip indeed.
This was the first Pacific Northwest edition of Beyond Wonderland, classically held in Southern California. The Gorge itself is almost as famous as Alice herself. Every person I mentioned it to “Ooohed” and “Awwed” at where it was being held. Not knowing anything about it except for the famed beauty of the Pacific Northwest, I was psyched. After a year of inner-city next-to-the-stadium festivals, I was ready for some nature camping action.
Immediately upon entering the garden party began. The welcoming walkway was lined with giant vine trellises, playing cards, and welcoming signs. These decorations looked permanent, like they could stand the test of time, an important detail when working to mentally transport thousands of guests.
The grounds felt packed with options, and in a seemingly appropriate disorientation, I didn’t know where to walk first. Classic carnival rides; art installation Instagram hot spots in the form of thrones, mushrooms, and teacups; enough food options to feel like a small city; the three themed stages - where does one begin in a place like this? Luckily two days of Wonderland and an easily maneuverable perimeter made taking each new lap its own discovery adventure.
I was pulled to the left of the venue by a mysterious force, and this is where it happened. Climbing a small hill, drawn by the laughter of ravers swinging under some neon clouds, I crested over the top and I saw it. My jaw dropped. My body laughed at how unbelievable it was. The most gorgeous amphitheater I’ve ever witnessed.
A massive green hill fit for tens of thousands, cascading downward towards the main stage framed in keyhole LED’s, with a background only nature could paint. The steep rocky walls of the gorge hugging the water that went back for miles. You could see the disbelief and gratitude lit up on everyone’s faces. And on the top of this beautiful landscape, the perfect playground - swings!
The hill was a Wonderland all its own. Perfect for chilling or raging, the grass went on for seemingly forever. About half way down, a road cut across for easy passage, and below tiers of grass platforms descended to a fence.
Going around, you could make it all the way down the rabbit hole to the ground level, a concrete jungle where the tallest tree was the main stage. Here, those who didn’t want the relaxation the hill offered came to rage their hardest. It truly was a stage that had something for everyone.
The music here tended to be heavier, but also had more variety than the other two themed stages. A real highlight was capturing Blunts and Blondes at sunset, fresh off his set in a comparatively tiny venue in Atlanta after Imagine Festival was cancelled. Of course there were the nighttime sets, but we had so much to explore before then.
Leaving this stage, so expansive and vast, I was struck by the truly metaphysical level of people watching. From just about everywhere you could do a 360 degree turn and be floored by the variety of personalities, outfits, and dancing styles.
The interpretations and recreations of Wonderland characters were the sweetest eye candy, and came in everything from the creatively simple to the meticulously dedicated.
The Wonderland theme itself seems to have some inherent magic, spurring a much higher percentage of festival goers to be playful in their dress and attitudes. This helped to set the tone for the environment and background vibe of the entire two days.
When I successfully escaped the magnetic pull of the main stage, I stumbled into another pleasant surprise, the VIP Lounge. Beyond the upgraded amenities and concessions, my eyes were drawn to the color of the Kandi making station and the neighboring Cheshire Lounge.
Complete with chandeliers and Cheshire cat fur walls, this place made you forget you were a festival at all. Next came the makeup and glitter stations, which brought me right back to the festival energy.
Walking back up the hill from here, the house stage, lovingly named the Caterpillar’s Garden, presented itself unmistakably.
One of a pair of stages, this and the bass stage next door, Cheshire Woods, were of similar sizes. The Caterpillar’s Garden may have been a bit smaller, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in sound. That sound actually inspired me to buy my first pair of ear plugs at a festival.
At the back of the dance floor was a giant plush throne everyone lined up to take pictures upon, and to the right was another VIP lounge that offered a roomier dancing experience.
This stage offered up absolute House legends all weekend long. I was floored to see Green Velvet on the lineup, and was introduced to the unmissable Bijou and Dr Fresch by friends. John Summit closed out Friday, and Malaa shut the festival down Saturday night. The latter’s “Turn off the radio, turn of the bullshit” was especially prescient.
“The energy of the house stage was unmatched. All of the artists brought their A-game this year. I could feel the earth bouncing beneath my feet...”
It was an incredible stage where the vibes matched. Many times I’d find myself looking around, vibing to the music, looking for the next photo opportunity, and strangers would randomly fist bump me as they passed. That’s the stage energy you want.
In between the two stages were Merch, the giant Wonderland teacup, and The Oasis. Having heard of the Oasis before but never witnessing it, I was curious to explore how the safe space for those who have gone a little too hard operated. Complete with heaters, massive bean bags, and the attending Ground Control members, this centrally located haven delivered on its promise.
Tristan, a member of Ground Control pictured above, described it as “the intermediary between the Med Tent and the festival.” It warmed your heart to see this be an option. And not chained to the Oasis itself, Ground Control members routinely walked the festival, looking for those who might need a little help.
And then the Cheshire Woods presented themselves. In it’s magical element this stage seemed to grow at night.
And it was impossible to walk by without some hefty head nods. This was the heavy bass stage, there was no doubt about it. Drezo, Feed Me, G Jones, Virtual Riot, and Kayzo all played here, and that was just on Friday.
This stages production was a bit larger than the house stage, with circular LED’s flanking the artist as well as lasers that projected all the way across the venue to over the main stage and valley.
The true standout performance of the weekend here for us was Sullivan King, an act that had been growing in notoriety all festival season. Having missed him at both Sunset and Global Dance, I was eager to not make that mistake again.
As soon as he started, it was apparent this show was going to be on another level energetically. Mixing the best parts of Screamo and Heavy Bass, this show brought the heaviest headbanging I witnessed. To watch an artist not just play music this heavy, but to sing along with it as well, elevates everything. It was as if Sullivan took us on an amusement park ride to the underworld. It was menacing but exciting; throttling, all encompassing, and undeniable.
One highlight was about three songs, he transitioned to an Illenium track. Thinking this was a slight reprieve from the relentless audio slaughter, he quickly axed that notion after only a single bar, interrupting it with the sample “Shut up Bitch!” and it was back to the bass circus. You could see the surprise, love, and appreciation of the moment on everyone’s face there. They came for Sullivan.
Another highlight was him calling out Claire, a girl who had been religiously on the rail. “Shoutout to the girl on the rail that’s holding some stale bread, I’m not sure what’s up with that but that’s cool.” Claire, front and center, did indeed have some stale bread with a playful smiley face cut out of its center. Claire told us the bread’s name is “Breadbanger” and she’s had him for awhile.
When we asked Claire about the experience, she told us: “Sullivan King has always been one of my favorites for so many reasons. He has such a unique sound, and he incorporates his vocals into his music more so than I see a lot of other EDM artists do. He truly is a king and I feel so honored that he took time out of his sets to recognize the Breadbanger.”
“The visual he leaves in people’s mind of him standing up on the stage, flipping his hair around, playing the guitar, while fiery skulls blast up around him on the screen is so iconic. ”
Another example of why this community is so damn creative and special.
Going back to the main stage, aptly named Fractal Valley, was a complete transformation at night. While the Gorge disappeared behind it, it more than made up for it in electric visuals and collective insanity. There’s actually an epicenter I didn’t discover until Saturday where you can see all three stages at once, so if you go next year, I highly recommend hunting for this special spot.
While this stage hosted household names like Aoki, Bennasi, and Tiesto, the two absolute standout performances here personally were Alison Wonderland and Rezz.
Alison Wonderland must have been feeling especially inspired to play a festival that shares her moniker. At this stage, she was literally home. And at this festival of her namesake, she absolutely delivered. Her set masterfully toured just about every electronic genre. In the middle of our electronic education, she stopped the bus to proclaim the reason:
“This is where we come to remember music is god”
To help us remember, she queued up Cinema, a throwback favorite that almost everyone sampled that weekend. Her spin? At the drop, blasting the first track of 2018’s “Awake.”
“IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?!”
A freaking masterful move. She also whirled Kanye into some hard style, and truly fucked us up on a spiritual level. The rail of the main stage couldn’t get enough, and her fans showed up with some impressively decorated kandi.
“Her set was by far the most spiritually uplifting part of the whole festival. From the visuals to the sound, Alexandra tore it up. You couldn’t just see the happiness from the crowd, you could feel it .”
And that was only the first day! We were eager to see Rezz and how she would close out Beyond, especially after witnessing her earlier this year close out Sunset Music Festival in Tampa.
From the second Rezz started, it was as if half the lights on stage had been saved for her closing set. As the spotlights scanned across the crowd, her eerie heartbeat rhythms made it feel as if the stage was being set for War of the Worlds. Here she sonically announced that she had evolved from trained hypnosis to human abduction.
“her eerie heartbeat rhythms made it feel as if the stage was being set for War of the Worlds. Here she sonically announced that she had evolved from trained hypnosis to human abduction.”
Intending to stay up on the hill to witness it all, she beckoned closer, and you had no option but to listen. But as I got closer, I was also filled with...dread? Is Rezz the first Horror EDM artist? She’s really in a genre of her own, and watching her marionette the mainstage was a highlight I’ll never forget.
So how was the experience as a whole? We met a real life Druid, August Urban, at the fest, and he had this to say:
“I've been going to the Gorge since Paradiso 2017, I attended '18, '19, along with Bass Canyon '19 and '21. Beyond Wonderland was the most well-organized festival I've ever seen at the Gorge. I felt like I was walking into the venue for my first time again, such was the excitement and wonder for what had been put together for us…
“...Each stage’s production and unique attributes brought each artist’s performance to another level. For the entire weekend, I felt welcome to be myself in the magical realm that Insomniac created for us to enjoy.””
Even though it was our first experience at the Gorge, our sentiments echo his words. And with that, we can’t wait till we go Beyond again!
