Summer camp will never be viewed the same after experiencing the wonders of Dirtybird Campout. Bringing together music, friends, camping, and outdoor activities, Dirtybird Campout has created one of the best music festivals we’ve ever attended. Over last weekend, the third annual Dirtybird Campout took place at its new location in Bradley, California at the San Antonio Campgrounds. Having attended Dirtybird Campout in the past, I can say this new venue was much larger and held room for two stages, more activities, and more space for new and returning campers. Whether you camped at the back of the campgrounds or right near the festival entrance, the positive energy from all the campers made the experience that more amazing.
This year’s festival expanded by adding a brand new stage called the Bass Lodge in addition to its favorited main stage, The Birdhouse. Head Camp Counselor Claude VonStroke, founder of Dirtybird Records, recruited an incredible lineup of artists to drop the beatz all weekend long. Dirtybird favorites Kill Frenzy, Will Clarke, Justin Martin, Eats Everything, Shiba San, and Claude VonStroke himself dropped amazing sets at the Birdhouse, while Madlib, Bleep Bloop, Ardalan, Worthy, Christian Martin, Martin Brothers, and Mija, killed it at the Bass Lodge. Every artist threw down but some of our favorite sets came from Sacha Robotti, Coyu, Eats Everything, Walker & Royce, Claude Vonstroke, Will Clarke b2b Kill Frenzy, and Justin Martin. Check out Walker & Royce’s new music video for “Rub Anotha Dub” featuring Green Velvet.
With its adult summer camp vibe, Dirtybird also had a bunch of fun activities campers could participate in. From a pajama karaoke party to craftopia, scavenger hunts, dodgeball, and tug-of-war, campers got down and dirty competing in some really awesome games. It was super cool to see some of the artists, including Claude VonStoke, participate in all of the activities. One of my favorite parts was being able to watch all the games go down while hearing my favorite DJs throw down those funky Dirtybird beatz in the background.
Dirtybird Campout is a really unique and special music festival in that all the artists mingle around and genuinely enjoy meeting and greeting all their fans. From participating in activities to having dance off’s with fans, campers are guaranteed to interact with some of their favorite DJs. Campers even had the option to purchase backstage passes to have access to the backstage lounge where they could get up close and personal VIP style. With all of the amazing memories I made over the weekend I have to say one of my favorite moments was hanging out with Claude VonStroke and Will Clarke, and gifting them a couple cold craft beers. The whole Dirtybird community is like one big family and once you join in on the campout, you become a part of the family. Thank you Dirtybird for an amazing time! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the first Dirtybird Campout East Coast in February 2018.
By Kevin Archila
Photos by Katie Laskowska