A few weeks ago we experienced what was arguably the craziest party outside of a festival that northern California has ever seen. Our friends over at Vital are known for bringing insane lineups and immaculate stage production to every event they put on; but this was truly something special. Wobbleland has been around since 2010; and every year it gets more and more insane as the staff tries to surpass their last show in every sense of the word, and they’ve been nothing but successful so far. This year, on their fifth time around, Vital decided it was time to add another day to the show; a questionable decision that paid off in droves of bass hungry ravers & many timeless moments.
The first days lineup was absolutely bonkers, featuring P0gman vs Dubloadz, Megalodon, Jackal vs Boombox Cartel, Minnesota vs G Jones, Loudpvck, Grandtheft, Jauz, & 12th Planet. The anticipation was palpable as the doors opened to usher in the throng of bassheads wrapping around the block. So many hardcore bassheads had come from far and wide to see some of their favorite artists perform; and with the heaviest Dubstep acts kicking off the evening, they made sure to get there early. 
The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the stage setup. A massive head dominated the stage above the artists, painted with unbelievably intricate, everchanging 3d mapped visuals that one couldn’t help but stare at in wonder. If that didn’t get you, the lights and lazers sure as hell did. I mean ho-ly sh*t, this stage setup outshone every other setup Vital has brought to the table so far by a longshot, and the sound was just as good. Clear relentless and just a tiny bit low heavy, their speakers where just what the Dr. ordered for this wobble filled evening. Now then, about those artists…
Dubloadz & P0gman started us off with some classically raunchy Dubstep that got things underway very quickly. Despite the swirling complaints of the heavy Dubstep acts opening up the show, fans turned out in large numbers to see these guys play and for good reason. Both of these guys have been crushing the Dubstep game for years now, as any whomp rat will tell you, and their skills behind the decks were truly something to behold. By the time their set was over, they had the crowd begging for more filth, and Megalodon gladly obliged.
Another legend in the dubstep scene, Megalodon has been touring all over the world for quite some time and has earned a reputation for being one of godfathers of the ‘Riddim’ genre that carved its way into the scene a few years ago. In addition to his well known sound, Megalodon is also a monster DJ. Double drops, rewinds, & dubplates turned the dancefloor into a madhouse, and it wasn’t even close to midnight yet. It had been over three years since I last saw this badman behind the decks, and I can’t wait to see him again.
Next up, was one of my favorite performances of the night: Jackal b2b with Boombox Cartel. These guys have been some of my favorite artists to watch over the past few years, and their performance was f*cking incendiary. Ferociously gritty Trap music with a bouncey twist is the best way to describe the madness that almost tore the roof off the Civic Center that night. These guys were outstanding, and the screaming sea of ravers hanging on every beat was a testament of that fact. Do not miss out either of these amazing artists when they roll through your city this summer. They are the definition of party music.
After Boombox & Jackal, the air inside the Civic Center was electrified with energy. Things were already getting crazy, but Minnesota & G Jones took things to the next level. After their incredible breakout performance at the previous Wobbleland, it was no surprise that Vital brought these two local heroes back to the stage. Both of them have been on a rocketship ride to stardom since they last graced the Wobbleland stage; and their newfound experience was shining brightly as the used Ableton to absolutely destroy the dancefloor with a fantastically innovative live show that blew us away. I will never get tired of seeing these two work their magic.
On the heels of that fantastic performance, bass music superstars Loudpvck took the stage and proceeded to run the trap. This duo has become synonymous with two things, epicly massive trapstep bangers, and copious amounts of high grade marijuana. Both of which were in no short supply as their set tore up the crowd like nugs in a grinder. This is was right about when things started to get really out of control.
By the time Grandtheft took to the stage, the civic center was a madhouse; and it was only 11pm. Picking up where Loudpvck had left off seemed to be a daunting task, but Grandtheft was more than up to the challenge. As another superstar in the trap music scene, he pushed all the right buttons to kept the energy level at insane. Classicly epic Hip Hop bangers accompanied his unique style of trap music and had the crowd screaming lyrics like they were paid too. I even helped a kid blow his tax return over the balcony while the crowd chanted “I been gettin’ money where the f*ck you been?” If that’s not the definition of epic, I don’t know what is.
When Grandtheft left the stage it was finally midnight. That meant it was time for another local legend by the name of Jauz to hit the stage. If you haven’t heard of this kid yet I honestly don’t know what you’ve been doing with your life. Exploding like a nuclear bomb in 2014, this music mastermind started as a Dubstep artist, got signed to Buygore, and began producing some of the dopest future garage I’ve ever heard all in the span of one year. His wobbles were different than anything else that hit the stage that weekend. Groovy, bouncey, deep, and gangtser as f*ck Jauz has a sound that you can’t help but love. His set was refreshing splash of diversity that was received outstandingly well by the packed auditorium of ecstatic fans. This is a set no one will be forgetting anytime soon. Out-freakin’-standing.
Finally, to wrap up the first night, 12th Planet fired up four CDJS and proceeded to shut sh*t down like finishing move in mortal kombat. To say that 12th is a worldwide legend would not be an exaggeration. This Badman of Dubstep has been crushing stages around the globe for over half a decade and is responsible for bringing an unbelievable amount of talented artists into the spotlight (Skrillex anyone?). Founder of the notorious SMOG records, 12th has access to some of the hottest and rarest tunes on the scene, and he used them alongside is mind bending DJ skills to blow us all into next week with some of the filthiest Dubstep and Trap music that I’ve heard in years. I’m still not fully over it.
By the time we managed to wake ourselves up & grab some food the following day, it was already time for round 2; and we were barely, barely ready. The crowd today was a bit ragged after the ridiculous beatdown that was Saturday night, but that telltale sparkle in everyones eyes spoke volumes. We weren’t ready to be done just yet.
Woolymammoth opened things up with some slow & heavy Trapstyle tunes that did an excellent job of shaking the cobwebs out of our heads as we got ready for more bass fueled shenanigans. After Wooly got us warmed up, Grimblee and Midnight Tyrannosaurus got down to business real quick; hitting us with some seriously filth heaters that inspired many, many bass faces. This back to back set was especially awesome for hardcore dubstep fans like myself who’ve, been a following of both these guys for a very long time. I never in a million years thought I’d get to see these two throw down together, and from the crowds response, I wasn’t the only one.
Once Grimlee & Midnight Tranny were done, it was time for Jackal to rock the stage solo this time, and rock the stage he did. We’ve already covered his sound, so let me just reiterate what I said earlier, you do not want to miss this guy when he plays in your hometown. Next, was a clash of two Dubstep titans, Getter & Trollphace. Getter, another Bay Area native has played at every single wobbleland for the past five years, and he never failed to amaze us. Trollphace, a legend in his own right for so many reasons only added to the epicness that was their set. I haven’t heard people scream that loud for Dubstep in a very long time, it was heartwarming.
By now, everyone was wide awake. The trials of last night forgotten in a sea of disgustingly heavy bass music. It was at this point that Must Die! hit the stage guns blazing, and turned things up a few notches. It was my first time seeing Never Say Die’s poster boy live and I must say he puts on one hell of a show. Screaming synths, booty shaking nuanced moombhaton and that classic NSD flare really made this set one to remember.
By the time Must Die! was done, the auditorium was in full on party mode, and it was good thing too because Snails was on next and he was not playing around. With unique sounds and an excellent ear for musical innovation, Snails has been smashing his way to the top with startling speed. His collabs with HeRobust, Big Gigantic, & Jack Ü are absolutely mind blowing, and so are just about every single one of his solo tunes. I never thought I’d find vomitstep so appealing. I think it’s safe to say he was definitely one of the crowd favorites that night.
After Snails things started to get a little weird in a very good way. That’s because it was time for Brillz to show us what the Twonk Team was all about, and he most certainly did. Weird, crazy, wild, hair raising madness ensued as soon as he hit the decks, and the crowd absolutely loved it. Brillz wasn’t alone either, he had a whole squad on stage going absolutely bananas as his relentless style almost caved the roof in. Towards the end of his set, the one and only Ghastly made a surprise appearance for some insane back to back action that took things into the stratosphere. It was just plain madness.
As Kill the Noise took the stage to finish things off, it was plain to see just how much two days of bass in the face had exhausted everyone,;but Jake hit all the right notes with his closing set. As one of the original members of the OWLSA family, KTN has had a prominent role in helping to build the label into what it is today. Despite his lack of recent public releases, his last album can still easily compete with anything on the scene today. Luckily for everyone in attendance we got to hear some brand new KTN throughout the course of his highly entertaining set. His was probably the most ravey performance of the weekend, and it was a perfect way to wrap things up.
Wobbleland’s 5 year anniversary was an experience that will be etched into my mind for a very long time. Every year we look forward to seeing what Vital has in store for us, and every year they keep raising the bar. The dedicated teams planning and organization was strikingly apparent throughout the course of the event, it was very obvious to us just how much Vital loves their fans. Special shoutout to the Do Lab Crew, Sam F, Vaski, the one and only Jon Zombie, the amazing Vital staff, and all the other family new and old that came out to make this show what it was. We can’t wait for next year.
Kill The Noise closing out the 2nd day of WobblelandShot by JON ZOMBIE PRODUCTIONS
Posted by Wobbleland on Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Video: Jon Zombie Productions
Photography :Vital Events / Holy Mountain Photography
