Written by Mia Nissen
It was the day of Vertex, and my 3 ½ hour drive to Buena Vista, CO was looming. With no idea what to expect for my first solo festival adventure, and my only companion being the Vertex Spotify playlist I had been incessantly listening to for the last month- I was off! Excitement filled my body as I got on the road and realized I was slowly reaching the destination where Odesza and Lettuce would greet me. Rüfüs Du Sol was also on the lineup for that day, but I had no idea that they were going to be the ones that, well, changed my life.
Standing in the middle of the forest and hearing Brighter reverberate through the trees with 3 amazing women who I only met hours beforehand, felt more like church than a festival. Tears filled my eyes and my body felt light and free as I instantly connected with words and beats that my heart had felt forever, but not known quite how to express. It was a beautiful set comprised of equal parts longing, contentment and hope- three feelings that had been simultaneously swirling throughout my being for a while. I was hooked, and felt as though I had just participated in an hour of deep guided meditation.
Fast forward a year, and I found myself at Rüfüs’ 2AM surprise DJ set kicking off the start of Lightning in a Bottle. I was freezing, due to the fact I stupidly forgot a coat (for the 3rd year), but anticipation and Sunset Blush were slowly warming me up. Before I knew it, Desert Night was fading in, and those same feelings from a year ago rushed back. Naturally, I started crying, as only my most beloved artists can make me do, and I don’t believe I stopped until the end of the song. Yes, that was about 10 minutes of tears. Whatever. However, this DJ set brought the party and quickly showed the other side of Rüfüs Du Sol that I had yet to get acquainted with. Some dope house tracks, funky throwbacks, and stellar remixes transformed the nostalgia into pure joy. My favorite moment had to be the transition from Brighter to Marian Hill’s Down. It was hypnotizing. I was liberated.
Now here I am, counting down the days til CRSSD so that I can be submerged in Rüfüs’ soul-touching music yet again. Bloom has been the album to get me through much of “Life” this year, and I am incredibly grateful for its existence. The trio’s duality is to be respected, as their DJ sets are just as captivating as their live sets. Getting to dance with them in sunny San Diego between the palm trees is all that I can think about these days.
If you live in Southern California, or the United States for that matter, CRSSD (September 30th-October 1st) will be one of your last opportunities to catch Rüfüs Du Sol this year, so don’t miss out. Grab your tickets here.
