Beachside Magic at FNGRS CRSSD Spring 2023 Edition

Since its debut in 2015, FNGRS CRSSD has been one of the most captivating and exciting EDM festivals in the country, and one of the first notable recurring events to take over San Diego’s Waterfront Park. This year’s Spring 2023 edition just wrapped up from March 4-5, with a star-studded lineup featuring some of the hottest artists and acts in the business.  

CRSSD is a major festival, with over 15,000 people per day mingling in the beautiful park, just feet from the Pacific Ocean. CRSSD features three different stages, plenty of food and drinks, craft beer, and a sunny vibe that exemplifies the laid-back Southern California atmosphere. 

Tickets for CRSSD start at around $250 for a 2-day pass, which is an excellent deal for the kind of world-class talent they are able to attract. However, they sell out extremely fast and prices rise quickly, so be sure to buy yours for their fall event as soon as possible. CRSSD is a 21 and older event, so keep that in mind and be prepared to get your drink on!

CRSSD features three stages, known as The Palms, City Steps, and Ocean View. Directly across Harbor Drive is the beautiful Pacific Ocean, lending this festival a unique beachfront atmosphere that simply can’t be beaten.  

Top Artists at CRSSD

FNGRS CRSSD is renowned in the EDM scene for being able to attract a wide range of diverse and unique artists to their events. When they first started, San Diego didn’t have much to offer in the way of major techno and dance festivals. Raves and parties were mostly underground, and CRSSD was the first major player on the scene to host a festival this size that rivals any of the other major events.

CRSSD prides itself on presenting a more diverse set of artists than the usual techno/EDM lineup. While you’ll definitely still find major names on their setlists, you can also expect to find a new favorite artist or sounds that you haven’t heard before. Some of the best acts from their Spring 2023 lineup were:

ODESZA

ODESZA is an American electronica duo made up of dance music superstars Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, who have been nominated for three Grammys and the Electronic Music Awards Producer of the Year award. ODESZA is a regular at major shows like Bonnaroo, and continues to enthrall audiences around the world with their danceable techno tracks, featuring interesting sounds from genres like “indietronica”, “electropop”, and “chillstep”.  

Polo and Pan

Another musical duo, this time from France, Polo and Pan have had widespread success with their unique brand of house music, featuring tropical and ethnic inspiration mixed with traditional techno grooves. One of their biggest hits is Ani Kuni, based on a Native American ballad lamenting a dependent and tragic state of being. Their introspective and indigenously diverse music contains powerful messages that encourage audiences to contemplate what it means to be human and how to relate to one another more empathetically.  

Lane 8

Daniel Goldstein, known by his stage name Lane 8, is one of the biggest upcoming performers on the scene. Focusing on deep house, progressive house, and trance music, Lane 8 is the founder of This Never Happened, a production company with the unique gimmick of not allowing phones out at shows. This serves to create a more intimate atmosphere that harkens back to the days when cameras were not ubiquitous at public events, which crowds always find inspiring and interesting.  

Purple Disco Machine

Purple Disco Machine is a one-man band from Germany, featuring nu-disco house producer and DJ Tino Piontek. He’s worked on remixes from major artists like Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue, and won a Grammy award for a remix he did of a hit song by Lizzo. While you might not hear much about nu-disco these days, his pounding 4×4 rhythms and trance bass synths will have you jumping to your feet.

Some other major names that played this edition of CRSSD were:

• Channel Tres
• Bedouin
• Kavinsky
• Mall Grab
• Chaos in the CBD
• Maya Jane Coles
• Sama’ Abdulhadi
• Deborah De Luca

FNGRS CRSSD has big things in store for the future. They’ve certainly made a lasting impression on San Diego, and plan on continuing to return to their home base of Waterfront Park as long as possible.  

One of the most exciting things about CRSSD is the plethora of nighttime events scattered throughout the city that attendees can purchase tickets for. Be sure to check out the afterparties listed on their website if you feel up to keeping the party going once the main stages wrap up their performances. These give you a great chance to get closer to the artists and mingle more intimately with your friends and others.

FNGRS CRSSD puts on a show to remember. You’ll definitely want to catch their Fall 2023 edition, so keep an eye out for tickets and be sure to grab them fast!