Thursday

Jugglers, Frisbee, festively familiar faces—residents of past fests never forgotten—all staying cool in the river Thursday afternoon as campers arrived and set up for the 5th annual Resonate at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (May 15–17).

Global Mountain Shindig was missed in the heat—river-bound priorities took over.

Danitza — Synth-funk grooves and jazzy, soulful vocals bloomed under the high sun and scarce shade. As more arrived, dozens danced in unison with the bass and beats. Her vocals soared alongside the Latin-tempoed passion pulsing through the crowd. A lovely Lauryn Hill homage, wedged between two killer singles, brought a nostalgic wave. The Chapelle Roan cover closed her set with dancers leaping skyward in joy.

Dionysus — Took off with beautifully ballistic breakbeats. Trippy trumpet, gooey keys, and hypnotic percussion drew us into the shade like moths to a mystic flame. “Who loves this place?” they asked. Who doesn’t? With a vibe straight from a Marrakesh market and a Mothership Connection detour, Dionysus funked us into space. “Just the Two of Us” slipped into our DMs (that’s deep memories, you degenerates). Their tight, trippy set broke out like felons dodging searchlights.

Sneezy — Their fun jams broke with the heat, late afternoon breeze licking sweat from dancers spilling out of the auditorium. “I need to get alcohol and food into me NOW,” one said, fanning herself to the grooves. They put the funk in our boogie.

Deca — Downtempo rap vibes soundtracked the steady arrival of campers. Between bites and setting up tents, we heard hip-hop rhythms bounce across Spirit Lake, casting long shadows as the sun dipped low.

Balkan Bump — Chopped and screwed straight outta the Balkans, his brass brought Baltic pops and first-time-on-this-stage gratitude. His set bled into the next artist’s, but not before dropping some serious bangers toward the end.

Beats Antique — Beauty and debauchery in one hypnotic swirl. As shadows grew longer, Zoe J stormed the stage with warrior priestess energy—like she wanted to lead us into battle or seduce us into surrender. Belly dancing and carnival sounds led us straight into sunset.

Lotus — Night descended and so did tempo ascension. Lasers and moonlight glinted off radiant dancers. Despite some audio hiccups, Lotus didn’t flinch. Sharp Americana grooves persisted, emerging from the tech chaos with tight, soaring harmonies and a disco finish laced with Talking Heads flavor.

STS9 — Locked and loaded for their first set of the weekend, the crowd swelled to near-capacity. With mesmerizing coordination, STS9 wove thick waves of sound. After 40 minutes of celestial lifts and swamp-funky drops, we were pulled in every direction—mind, body, and soul—by their sonic sorcery.

Friday

Hive Mind — At the Porch Stage, they scorched the noon crowd. Wicked drums and manic bass cracked the day wide open.

Alchemy Selects — Jazzy breakbeats post-breakfast were a welcome contrast to the impromptu 9 a.m. camp DJ. Caribbean heat met island dub grooves, mixed drinks in hand. D&B, baby! A world tour of sounds, seamlessly unified into a phenomenal midday set.

(Saved energy by drifting down the river during sets by Skiz, The Yeah Babys, Josh Teed, Strictly Liquid.)

Somatoast — Closed with gusts of heat, sparking wild cheers.

Papadosio — Lit up the night with jammy keys and fiery drums. Hypnotic reverberations colored the dusk. Melting into the sunset never felt so good.

Desert Dwellers — As the sun bowed out, out came the elves. First of four extra-weird sets Friday night. Mystical weirdness achieved.

STS9 — Returned for round two. Dancers shed their bodies, existing only as light and rhythm. Their grandeur matched our elation.

Ott — The Queen of All Everything. Despite equipment issues, Ott transcended. “Prehistoric music,” someone whispered as the bass shook our bones. She nailed it—finger guns right back at ya.

Shpongle — Before we knew it, we were Shpongled. Warped across dimensions by sounds we didn’t know existed. Disco heirlooms and lost harmonies tangled us in a space-time web of delight.

Saturday

Sauce Pocket — Stirred up the morning with luxurious keys, heavy bass, and sizzling horns. As we caffeinated and cured hangovers, Sauce Pocket poured soul into the early crowd.

(River detour for Glow Up and 3420.)

Algorhythm — Dubby bass for ganja clouds and reggae river vibes. Funky mashups—“Must Be the Money,” “Superstition,” and “Whole Lotta Love”—rocked.

Duffrey — Shredded with ripping guitar, thunderous drums, and skull-rattling bass.

(Ott’s afternoon set missed to survive 90+°F for the third day straight.)

5AM Trio — Instrumental dub-steppin’ breakbeats lit the golden hour. Anticipation met execution.

Cimafunk — Turned the heat higher than it had been all weekend. LED lights flashed, hips swayed, and smiles beamed. Tempo shifts hinted at a storm brewing, but Cimafunk’s fury powered the crowd into motion.

Thought Process (Live Band) — Smooth glitchy blends of instruments and DJ sounds. From “Sabotage” to Fresh Prince grooves, the crowd got jiggy with it.

Papadosio — Returned with hypnotic beauty, their keys and drums elevating the crowd into a LED-lit sea of hammock-swaying bliss and jugglers lighting the night.

Opiuo (New Live Experience) — Synth-drum sacred rituals and dirty dub drops. Brass and strings pulled taut before snapping wide.

Detox Unit — Final scheduled set of Resonate. Glitchy, grimy, glorious. Feet filthy, hearts full, Detox Unit drew us into one last delicious dancefloor trap. We broke it down, piece by piece.

Sunday

Packing up. Bittersweet goodbyes. Joy still buzzing through tired bones. We didn’t learn about Kinna’s assault until Monday.

It goes without saying—Kinna’s assault Friday stands in stark contrast to everything Resonate and SOSMP represent. It cast a shadow over an otherwise magical weekend. Our thoughts are with Kinna and the community rallying around her. You can support her recovery via this GoFundMe link.