After two years at Stratton Mountain, Minus Zero Festival decided to up its game and move locations to accommodate for the growth and popularity of this unique festival. Mount Snow is located in Dover, Vermont, a quiet town that for one weekend came alive with music and avid electronic music fans. Not many festivals give guests the chance to ski during the day, romp around in the snow, and dress up in furs and 80’s ski gear. However that’s what you would find if you were lucky enough to attend Minus Zero.
The mountain was entertaining from top to bottom with stages at the base and the summit. Main stage was at the base and so was the Barn stage which housed techno music throughout the weekend. It was easy to navigate to different points of interest and utilizing the chair lift was a huge plus. During the day attendees could ski and snowboard at discounted rate and then spend the nights dancing to their favorite artists. And if you weren’t already tired from skiing all day and dancing all night you could party at one of the afterparties that were free with your purchase of a festival pass.
Friday
The weather wasn’t ideal Friday, the snow was coming down hard all throughout New England making driving from any area problematic. But once guests were at the festival and in the crowd they loved the way the snow intercepted the laser beams. With this being the first year at the new location and with a much larger crowd than pervious years, Friday was a good way for the organizers to do a trial round.
The headliner that night was Tipper, who brought in a huge crowd to his uptempo set as he is a rare find on a festival lineup. Fans were mesmerized by his trippy visuals created by the famous Johnathan Singer which shared the screen with pictures of the elaborate and spiritual inspired glass from the artist BanjO. He peppered in some unreleased track and frequent unexpected scratches over his known bangers. The set was made extra special by Mother Nature who provided the best snow of the weekend. Thick snow came down throughout the entire set and lit up the lasers creating the illusion of glitter raining down on the crowd. The dance floor was froze making it hard for people to pick up their feet without falling. So we were all sliding, wiggling, and wobbling around to one of the best sets of Minus Zero.
Photo Credit to DED AGENCY and Azita Lotfi
Saturday
Day two of Minus Zero Festival didn’t hold anything back. Since it had snowed the night before the conditions on the mountain were much better than Friday. This made for perfect skiing conditioning and thousands of people were on the mountain. Everyone on the mountain was dressed in costumes and onesies whether they were enjoying a drink and food at the lodge or skiing. From the base to the summit you could find music flowing and people dancing. As the day turned to night the experience amplified.
Big names such as Pierce Fulton and Jai Wolf came out to the main stage and did not disappoint. The crowd was excitedly to see Pierce Fulton play since he is a Vermont native and has played at all three Minus Zero Festivals. The Barn was also alive with Claude VonStroke entertaining everyone who entered. The night culminated with Odesza mixing in songs from all their albums and sending everyone home with a salvo of fire works and a light show to remember.
Photo Credit to DED AGENCY and Azita Lotfi
Sunday
Waking up early on Sunday to catch the morning Summit Stage sets was worth it. I had such a great time dancing to music stylings of After Touch while taking in the view from the top of the mountain. With his underground feel he has a way of transforming the space with his playa vibes and beautiful sets. After my morning on the mountain I headed back to my Airbnb to get ready for the rest of the day. Sunday was my favorite day by far, partly cause I finally figured out how to keep myself warm.
Minus Zero 2017 was the first time I was introduced to Yookie and I was really looking forward to seeing them again this. These two brothers from New York always seem to steal the show with their lively performances. Liquid Stranger followed them with his signature dubstep style that had attendees living for every moment of it. Minus Zero was blessed by an epic set from Space Mom herself, Rezz. I can’t recommend seeing her live enough, she has an ability to enchant those lucky enough to see her. Her distinct sound, visuals, and look are not easily forgotten or replicated. To close out the weekend Zeds Dead lit up the mountain. Sadly DC wasn’t able to join because of flight issues but Hooks was able to remedy the situation by playing fan favorites like Collapse. It was the perfect ending to the magical winter wonderland that was Minus Zero Festival.
Photo Credit to DED AGENCY and Azita Lotfi
Minus Zero Festival is truly a special experience that gives guests the opportunity to enjoy so much more than your average festival ever could. Frolicking in the snow while listening to your favorite DJ’s is what elevates this festival to another level. If you haven’t been before then you should put Minus Zero 2019 at the top of your list of festivals to attend. At the rate this festival is growing you won’t want to miss out on the party next year.
Thank you Minus Zero for an incredible weekend and thank you to festival staff and the staff of Mt. Snow for making it all possible!
FestPop Staff Writer, Azita Lotfi
