Above and Beyond Group Therapy Weekender

2019-02-20T16:07:00-08:00

Calling all trance lovers! Above & Beyond and other Anjunabeats artists are back again at the Gorge! Back in the fall of 2017, they made a stop at the Gorge for ABGT250 as part of their annual Above & Beyond Group Therapy festival. Everyone who went (and listened to the live stream) loved it, so they’re bringing it back again this summer, for Group Therapy Weekender at the Gorge Amphitheater, Washington on July 27 and 28th!

Here's why I'm looking forward to attending:

Lineup

This will be a weekend full of the best Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep artists. Above & Beyond will be playing two sets that weekend, including a special yoga set. Other artists include Spencer Brown, ALPHA 9, Andrew Bayer, Audien, Ian Bluestone, Yotto, Gabriel & Dresden and many more! It’ll be a weekend full of amazing trance artists that will bring uplifting music combined with the best vibes from the trance fam! Saturday features many of the artists from A&B’s record label, Anjunabeats, while Sunday has more of the deeper and chill trance artists from their Anjunadeep label! I’m super excited for the yoga set myself as I heard that they bring out actual yoga mats out in the venue. Trance + yoga = best combo ever! Another name I’m excited for on the lineup is Andrew Bayer; I absolutely loved his recent album release and have listened to his live sets and they all blow me away.

Photo credit: Above & Beyond Official Facebook

Venue

There’s something so unique and different about the Gorge. The views of the river and mountains are absolutely incredible and I recommend that every raver experiences a festival there! ABGT250 took place at the mainstage of the Gorge, which allowed for breathtaking views of the stage as well as the beautiful Columbia gorge behind it.

Above and Beyond and many other artists that played at ABGT250 posted their sets up. Here are some of my personal favorites:

Camping

The Gorge is one of the best outdoor venues in the U.S. Part of the experience is definitely the camping part! For Group Therapy Weekender, there are many camping options, from Standard Camping to Glamping. Each option has a variety of accommodations that can fit your needs. I had the chance to camp at the Gorge myself and it was such a fun experience being surrounded by tons of ravers. Check out this site to see all the options!

Photo credit: Above & Beyond Official Website

Above & Beyond: Group Therapy Weekender is a festival you definitely don’t want to miss this summer! For those who were lucky enough to make it to ABGT250, this is the chance to relive that experience with a completely different lineup! And for those that missed it, like me, this is the perfect chance to finally experience it! The trip to the Gorge alone is such a fun adventure and finally getting there and being with a bunch of other ravers is the best part. Bring your rave fam and plan out a trip to the Gorge! It’ll be a festival experience unlike any other featuring some of the best trance artists out there. Tickets for the festival and camping are still available here.

All The Feels At Above & Beyond Group Therapy 250

2017-10-06T08:30:00-07:00

Ever since Trance Around The World and now Group Therapy, I had always dreamed of attending one of Above & Beyond’s iconic shows. From New York, Australia, and Amsterdam, I followed news of each upcoming show, hoping for a destination near me. So when the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington was announced, I was ecstatic for the chance to see ABGT and check off the Gorge on my list of venues I’ve been dying to explore. Once tickets came out, I secured a hotel package, flights, outfits, and a solid group (aka my rave family) and I was off to the Gorge!

The night before my flight I couldn’t contain my excitement for the amazingness that was coming up and only got four hours of sleep; let's just say that the journey to the Gorge was exhausting. We started our journey to the Gorge by waking up at 4:30 AM and headed to catch a 7 AM flight to Seattle. From Seattle we took the shuttle from the airport another 3 hours to our hotel, leaving us with only an hour to get ready before we had to catch the shuttle (again) to the Gorge.

Once we got to the Gorge, everything was a breeze from there. I somehow ran into many of my Bay Area rave fam I had not planned on seeing, met new friends, and shared the love of music and rave culture with everyone who came to experience a Group Therapy. Luttrell, Yotto, Oliver Smith, and Genix b2b Sunny Lax warmed up the cold night with melodic trancey beats and set the tone, giving us peace of mind. As night fell, we finally heard the epic phrase we hear at every live Group Therapy broadcast:

“Live from the Gorge Amphitheater this is Group Therapy 250. This is Above & Beyond.”

Just hearing that simple phrase brought so much happiness and awe. I could not believe that I was finally there, witnessing a live broadcast of Group Therapy. Being on the beautiful hills on the Gorge with my rave family brought back memories of us when we used to go out and rage every weekend, but now we’re growing up and have to take care of responsibilities. This Group Therapy was a reminder that we’ll always love the music, the vibes, and the culture despite all of the hate going on in our world.

Above & Beyond threw down a beautiful and moving set with new singles and even announced their new album and tour at the very end, Common Ground. Throughout the whole night, we danced constantly trying to keep our balance on the hills of the Gorge and kept one another warm when Seven Lions and Jason Ross took over until we sadly had to part with our friends to take the shuttle to go back to the hotel. Although I missed out on the experience of camping, I was happy that I did not have to walk 30 minutes in the cold back to the campsite and to have a warm bed and shower waiting for me.

As soon as it hit 9 AM, my boyfriend and I were forced to wake up and get ready to take the shuttle back to the Gorge to make it to the yoga set. As I expected, no yoga was done by my group as we immediately bought food, sat by the ABGT 250 sign, and ate as we watched others do yoga. Since the Gorge was closed, the Anjunadeep stage was held at a smaller stage, creating an intimate setting for those alive enough to power through the day. Although I was one of those who was laying in the back relaxing, I used that day to meet up with friends, meet new friends, and explore the Anjunadeep vibes.

Above & Beyond Group Therapy 250 was definitely one of my favorite festivals. After being absent from the scene for a couple months, ABGT 250 reminded me that there are still festivals where people go for the music and don’t just go to get messed up. There’s nothing like a little trance to bring out the love. Thank you to everyone who made the weekend memorable and I can’t wait until the next Group Therapy reunion!

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Above and Beyond Group Therapy Weekender

All The Feels At Above & Beyond Group Therapy 250