This year Thunderdome took place at the same time as the Super Bowl, and lucky for us PNW natives, the Seahawks won it! This coincided with one of the best winter electronic music festivals; Excision presents Thunderdome: Year 7. Known for a jaw-dropping amount of lasers and a screen bigger than anything you’ve ever seen with your own eyes, Excision and Tacoma Dome once again delivered for an amazing weekend.
Day 1
Box Office: We had a smooth experience at the box office picking up our wristbands before day 1 started. The line was short, the workers at the box office were very accommodating and polite, and it felt like the vibes were on point for a dope weekend ahead.
When we arrived later to enter the Thunderdome, we noticed a huge line of people waiting at the box office to pick up their wristbands, and were thankful that we arrived earlier to deal with that. Pro Tip for any Tacoma Dome shows, arrive early to get your wristbands. Security was thorough but chill all three days, no vibe-killing before entering the door. We didn’t experience any vape snatching that we’ve heard many stories about, and the staff seemed focused on safety. Shout-out to the Care Crew as well for keeping us all safe and accounted for!
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Layz absolutely made dubstep heavy again. She threw down some of the heaviest, head banging-est set of the whole weekend. ATLiens played an incredibly eerie and heavy set that felt perfect for the mid-night transition. They played their signature One Last Breath remix, which we first witnessed at last year’s Bass Canyon, one of our absolute favorite songs. Of course, the big daddy himself, Jeff Abel, totally killed it once again with an amazing set to end day 1. Excision’s solo day 1 set which featured the most insane laser arrays we’ve seen yet.
Day 2
We were the most excited for day 2 because of the lineup, and it did end up being our favorite day! There were rumors of Griz showing up due to a cryptic/vague post on his Instagram story. While this would have been sick, it wasn’t needed for day 2 to totally kick ass.
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Brainrack b2b Wiley, Tisoki, Cyclops, Trivecta, HOL!, Sullivan King, and the maestro himself Excision.
All DJs were great, but Sullivan King definitely stole the show day 2, while rocking a white Seahawks jersey. Sullivan King has become known for curating highly entertaining headbanging sets. Fans have grown to expect a custom intro for each set along with guitar solos, guitar throwing, and funny/mind bending visuals. Hol! chopped it up with his riddim showcase of new songs, along with a Chopper Dub VIP and remix. Trivecta brought the melodic dubstep along with a funky set filled with a bunch of impressive guitar solos.
Cyclops was our favorite set of the night, showing that he is continuing to rise and will soon cement his place as one of the current dubstep greats. Tisoki and Brainrack b2b Wiley set the tone perfectly for the evening, bringing a high-energy variety that kept the rail riders moving early on.
We waited a bit too long to check out merch, and was greeted with a long line near the end of the night. We decided to check it out earlier on day 3, and were pleased to see that all of the items we wanted were still up for grabs.
Day 3
Day 3 took place on Super Bowl Sunday. Luckily for the football fans, Excision teams played the game on the big screen for a few hours after doors opened, accompanied with green lasers.
Another great lineup for day 3 included Austeria, Codd Dubz, jkl & hyde, Bonefire (Samplifire b2b Calcium), Jessica Audiffred, Ganja White Night, and Excision b2b Kai Wachi. During the final set of the weekend, Black Tiger Sex Machine was brought out as a special guest. Over the past several years it’s been tradition to expect a surprise special guest.
Excision b2b Kai Wachi was an incredibly way to end the weekend. Bringing out BTSM was the cherry on top. Some weren’t ready for the part techno set they brought, but we vibed out. We were so happy to see our favorite masked tiger DJs visit from the Land of Maple Syrup.
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We are incredibly grateful for the production quality that Jeff and his team brings to the PNW every February. The design and acoustics in Tacoma Dome are perfect for the heavy bass! Check out our reviews from previous Thunderdomes here.
The only suggestion for improvement at Tacoma Dome is the bathroom situation. The back hallway where the food vendors are located becomes insanely crowded, but is part of the Tacoma Dome experience. Plan your bathroom trips accordingly. Or say f*ck it and hold it in as you hold your spot at the rail. Headbangers, throw your X up!
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