Anheuser Busch’s Bud Light brand throws the most insane parties. Not only are they the purveyors of one of America’s most popular party libations, they are also the connoisseurs of one kick-ass good time. Whatever, USA weekend long excursions are the events dreams are made of; you have probably seen their incredible recap videos on YouTube or their TV commercials that air during primetime television. Recently Your EDM was invited to the one held on the picturesque Catalina Island off the coast of L.A. and we could not have had a better time. Bud Light spared no expense to throw the party of the summer for 1,000 lucky #UpForWhatever contest winners.
You Haven’t Partied Until You Have Partied With Bud Light
I don’t have any idea how much it cost Anheuser Busch to throw this weekend-long all expenses paid ragefest but, it had to be many millions of dollars. No guest paid for a thing all weekend and the Bud Light flowed like water. 4 star seafood dinners at beautiful restaurants along the pier? Free. Courtesy of Whatever, USA. Want to stop off into a cafe for a quick sandwich for lunch? Free. Want to try an appetizer while you watch the waves crash into the sand? Please have two.
The entertainment they provided was unparalleled. Huge musicians from all genres showed up to wow the intimate crowd of only 1,300: T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, Diplo, Elliphant, Kip Moore, Rachel Platten, Postmodern Jukebox, GirlTalk, G-Eazy, and Jack Novak provided a mind-blowing soundtrack to the weekend’s fun.
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The Turn Of An Era Party
Saturday was perhaps the best day of the 3-day soiree. We woke up in our beautiful beachfront hotel and were told to go to a certain shop to pick up our outfits for the night. When we arrived the girls were outfitted in pretty 1920’s flapper-esque dresses and acoutrement, and the boys were outfitted in tuxes. We were getting all gussied up for a fancy dinner with an excellent jazz band on the pier and delicious dinner entrees. The women looked stunning and the men looked dapper. The big band singer sounded almost exactly like Frank Sinatra and the 4-piece band behind him were excellent jazz musicians. A classy way to celebrate an amazing weekend of fun.
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#WhateverUSA Catalina Island Fun Facts
- 1 million square feet of event space including beach front and harbor space
- 1,600 authentic costumes provided, including 700 tuxes, brought in to outfit guests at Saturday night’s Roaring 20’s Turn Of An Era Dinner and Dance Party
- 55 unique #UpForWhatever events, classes, and experiences for guests to participate in throughout the weekend
- 40 amateur DJs mentored by DJ/Producer Jack Novak during the Breaking beats beat-making Ableton workshop
- Over 21 hotels, houses, and condos hosting Bud Light Whatever, USA guests and staff
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We Partied For A Purpose. We Partied Responsibly.
- $500,000 donation made to the city of Avalon to help replace water used
- 6 barges carrying loads of Whatever across the water to Catalina, and 6 barges taking everything back to create a zero waste event
- 1 Uber driving mile donated for each active mile measured on Whatever, USA attendees’ pedometers to ensure everyone makes it home safely from a future Bud Light event
From the moment I stepped off the plane and into LAX Bud Light made every Whatever, USA attendee unable to have a bad time. Every moment of your trip there was something fun to do or a celebrity to see. Snoop Dogg drove around a pimped out hot dog cart and handed out “Snoop’s dogs” a.k.a. hot dog lunches, Lil Jon would rent you a “whatever” and party with you on the pier, and the live shows were always on point. Diplo destroyed the dance floor to close out day 1 on Friday night in the beautiful beachfront casino.
The World Is Your Playground
It’s hard to put into words what it is like to be #UpForWhatever and allow Bud Light to usher you into some of the best times of your life. The best part of it is how you don’t even know what the best part of it is–it’s that amazing. The entire Bud Light team went above and beyond to make sure every guest had the most epic weekend possible. We can’t wait to see everything you have in store for us at the House of Whatever at EDC Vegas this July 19-21!
