Another Secret Dreams is in the books, and the first one at The Cardinal Center in Marengo, OH gave us a lot to talk about. With a new venue comes new question marks, and the Midwest summer weather as we know it tests any festival’s resolve. Here’s what resulted: the good, areas to sharpen, and all else in between.
The Good
Let us start where it all counts the most: the music was brilliant. The caliber of artists this crew books, and how those artists show up, continues to set this festival apart. The night Detox Unit, Mr. Bill, Herbalistek, crawdad sniper, Chef Boyarbeatz, Mickman, and Of The Trees all threw down was a blasphemous gauntlet of performances. The storytelling, the sound design, the visuals. Every single one of those artists smashed it. The pre-party with Mickman, Yoko, and CloZee, also kicked off the weekend superbly.
Beauty of the Bill
I’d also like to take a moment to give the flowers to the Dreams crew for how versatile the lineup was. The cross-pollination was maybe the best I’ve ever seen. Hell, godsdamned EarthGang played. Just think about the range that weekend: the jam heads who came out for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lettuce, and Pretty Lights got exposed to some DANK experimental bass and left-field bass they might have never sought out. The more commercial bass crowd that pulled up for Tape B and Of The Trees got pulled into wonkier and weirder territory and some awesome band sets. And for the Tipper sphere heads like myself, we got treated to the rest of it, in some cases, music we don’t always make time for. The two festivals that are the best at this exact diversity are, in my opinion, Secret Dreams and Hulaween.
Case in point, exhibit A: I really enjoyed The Of The Trees’s set. I actually listened to a ton of his music years ago, before I drifted deeper into the Tipper-sphere over the years. But catching him again at Dreams scratched an itch of nostalgia. It’s also awesome to see how he’s progressed his project over the years, and now he can fit right in on different types of festivals. A well-curated bill reminds us why we fell in love with this stuff in the first place, and it nudges people like me a little outside their lane. Dreams absolutely smashed the curation and lineup this year!
Sounds & Stages
The sound itself deserves a shout, particularly to the One Source team. The Funktion-One Vero arrays on main stage sounded phenomenal all weekend. Crisp and powerful without earfucking my poor drums. My only curiosity… is there a world where those arrays could be deployed in front of the stage curtain/graphics/flags rather than behind them? Would be curious whether that placement affects the acoustics at all, or whether the current setup is exactly how it should be.
The Phantasmagoria stage was another highlight. Gorgeous design, excellent sound, and these awesome smoke guns that shot smoke O’s. I got to fire them off during Duffrey and Humandala, which was a blast. Tucked into the woods with tree cover for shade and gorgeous murals posted up on the perimeter, it had fantastic character.
The Creme de la Creme: Wonky Llama
I need to touch on the Wonky Llama debut, because it took the cake as the best performance in my opinion. That was the one set everyone was whispering about beforehand, and it more than lived up to the hype. ZiP on visuals, insane music, and it rumbled the earth exactly like I said it would. Jesus Christmas. I had friends texting me afterwards saying how jealous they were that they missed it. It’s the set people will be talking about from this festival for a long time. Schmoop and Jade Cicada delivered and silenced any doubters, and hopefully they perform as Wonky Llama again soon. They also looked adorable with the ears sticking out from their llama hats.
Weather the Storm
If you’ve done a Midwest summer festival, you know the drill. Thunderstorms, rain, mud, and the elephant that comes with it: uncertainty. Regardless of all that, and despite the additional unknown of a brand new venue, the Secret Dreams crew found a way to overcome it, just like they always do. Thankfully, a lot of the severe weather that could have really fucked everything up ended up passing over the grounds. Most of the big sets happened, and they put caution signage over the gnarly parts of mud pits. They also kept us informed whenever severe weather was rolling in, and when weather affected a set, they rescheduled acts like Parkbreezy, pheel. , Skysia, and Two Guys into other slots instead of saying “well… too bad.”
Debussy & Beyond
A lot of those makeup sets ended up being at the Debussy stage, the smaller bus stage with Funktion-Ones that’s been at Dreams for years, but historically more as a renegade spot than an official stage. Given how clutch it was this year, they should consider making Debussy an official stage going forward. In my opinion, it earned its keep, and if they do, it’d probably be worth situating it closer to the action.
A couple more W’s in the chat: the crew set up vendors of all kinds, food and otherwise, right next to the main stage so you never had to hodge across the grounds or miss music to handle whatever you needed. And Dreams being BYOB is always a plus; being able to bring your own drinks and coolers right up to the stages is a nice perk.
Areas of Improvement
No festival is perfect, and a new venue always comes with a learning curve, so let’s grant some grace upfront. That said, a few things stood out.
First, the visuals were inconsistent. Some sets had gorgeous VJ work (Fractaled Visions, Focal Point, and ZiP all get special shoutouts here), while others, especially earlier in the weekend, ran on generic-looking visuals that didn’t match the caliber of music. Tightening that up so that the great sets get the visual treatment they deserve would go a LONG way.
I also have a crowd-flow note worth raising: at one point, Wook Telephone convinced a very large chunk of people that Derek from Pretty Lights was doing a surprise set at Debussy on the last night. He wasn’t, and a ton of folks trekked over there and ended up missing the final main stage sets, including an incredible closing performance from Bread Winner (exactly like I predicted). Not the festival’s fault, but a reminder of how a little more clarity in official communication can save patrons from chasing ghosts.
Third, the lineup dropped late this year, later than in years past. By the time it dropped, a lot of folks had already committed to competing September festivals (Nocturnal Valley, Infrasound, Yahn Dawn). When you announce late, you’re basically surrendering those attendees before you made your pitch. An earlier reveal could help Dreams stay in the boxing ring longer while people are still making plans. Let that fight go to decision.
And finally, a plea on behalf of everyone trying to move through a crowd: please, for the love of god, stop setting up full-ass living rooms on the dance floor. Hauling in furniture and roping off your own little territory, especially right in front of the sound booth, makes it really tough for people to move in and out of the crowd and in and out of FOH. Set that shit up behind the booth, and don’t block off the perimeter of a patch of grass you don’t pay rent on. A no-furniture rule past the sound booth (if it doesn’t already exist, and if it does, it needs to be enforced) would keep the dance floor flowing for the people that came to dance.
A Word on the Headliner
I’ll be honest, Pretty Lights was a bit of a letdown this year. There were great stretches, and moments that shined: the Dolly Parton tribute with the “Jolene” swirl was a cool touch. But there were also stretches that were disappointing. You’d hear Alvin Ford Jr. drop into a sick drum configuration, or Borahm Lee lay down some beautiful chords, and then an effect or transition would come in that felt out of key, or out of tune.
The reshaped band is missing a few key pieces from its 2024 setup, and it felt like it’s still finding its footing. For an act billed at the very top and handed multiple sets that weekend, that consistency (or lack thereof) was a miss in my eyes. Though I have spoken to folks that went to both Yahn Dawn and their new tour, who said that they’ve gotten some really good sets. Maybe they were just experimenting with a few things with their new setup, the Soundship Space Bus, just like they did at the Hampden Coliseum a couple of years ago.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it was a fantastic experience. It’s evident that these folks have been doing this a long time, whether at Resonate or Secret Dreams. The institutional knowledge to pull it off shows every time I attend Dreams. First years at new venues are always a little dicey, but Dreams cleared the bar. A couple of venue tweaks, an earlier lineup drop, and this festival only gets better. If you’re into the realm of music discussed in our coverage with Secret Dreams this year, you need to go and experience it yourself. With all due respect to Lost Lands, it’s the best festival in that pocket of the Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia) in my eyes. I really hope to see them return next year. Like I said: Trust Dreams, they more than earned it at this point.
Another Secret Dreams is in the books, and the first one at The Cardinal Center in Marengo, OH gave us a lot to talk about. With a new venue comes new question marks, and the Midwest summer weather as we know it tests any festival’s resolve. Here’s what resulted: the good, areas to sharpen, and all else in between.
The Good
Let us start where it all counts the most: the music was brilliant. The caliber of artists this crew books, and how those artists show up, continues to set this festival apart. The night Detox Unit, Mr. Bill, Herbalistek, crawdad sniper, Chef Boyarbeatz, Mickman, and Of The Trees all threw down was a blasphemous gauntlet of performances. The storytelling, the sound design, the visuals. Every single one of those artists smashed it. The pre-party with Mickman, Yoko, and CloZee, also kicked off the weekend superbly.
Beauty of the Bill
I’d also like to take a moment to give the flowers to the Dreams crew for how versatile the lineup was. The cross-pollination was maybe the best I’ve ever seen. Hell, godsdamned EarthGang played. Just think about the range that weekend: the jam heads who came out for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lettuce, and Pretty Lights got exposed to some DANK experimental bass and left-field bass they might have never sought out. The more commercial bass crowd that pulled up for Tape B and Of The Trees got pulled into wonkier and weirder territory and some awesome band sets. And for the Tipper sphere heads like myself, we got treated to the rest of it, in some cases, music we don’t always make time for. The two festivals that are the best at this exact diversity are, in my opinion, Secret Dreams and Hulaween.
Case in point, exhibit A: I really enjoyed The Of The Trees’s set. I actually listened to a ton of his music years ago, before I drifted deeper into the Tipper-sphere over the years. But catching him again at Dreams scratched an itch of nostalgia. It’s also awesome to see how he’s progressed his project over the years, and now he can fit right in on different types of festivals. A well-curated bill reminds us why we fell in love with this stuff in the first place, and it nudges people like me a little outside their lane. Dreams absolutely smashed the curation and lineup this year!
Sounds & Stages
The sound itself deserves a shout, particularly to the One Source team. The Funktion-One Vero arrays on main stage sounded phenomenal all weekend. Crisp and powerful without earfucking my poor drums. My only curiosity… is there a world where those arrays could be deployed in front of the stage curtain/graphics/flags rather than behind them? Would be curious whether that placement affects the acoustics at all, or whether the current setup is exactly how it should be.
The Phantasmagoria stage was another highlight. Gorgeous design, excellent sound, and these awesome smoke guns that shot smoke O’s. I got to fire them off during Duffrey and Humandala, which was a blast. Tucked into the woods with tree cover for shade and gorgeous murals posted up on the perimeter, it had fantastic character.
The Creme de la Creme: Wonky Llama
I need to touch on the Wonky Llama debut, because it took the cake as the best performance in my opinion. That was the one set everyone was whispering about beforehand, and it more than lived up to the hype. ZiP on visuals, insane music, and it rumbled the earth exactly like I said it would. Jesus Christmas. I had friends texting me afterwards saying how jealous they were that they missed it. It’s the set people will be talking about from this festival for a long time. Schmoop and Jade Cicada delivered and silenced any doubters, and hopefully they perform as Wonky Llama again soon. They also looked adorable with the ears sticking out from their llama hats.
Weather the Storm
If you’ve done a Midwest summer festival, you know the drill. Thunderstorms, rain, mud, and the elephant that comes with it: uncertainty. Regardless of all that, and despite the additional unknown of a brand new venue, the Secret Dreams crew found a way to overcome it, just like they always do. Thankfully, a lot of the severe weather that could have really fucked everything up ended up passing over the grounds. Most of the big sets happened, and they put caution signage over the gnarly parts of mud pits. They also kept us informed whenever severe weather was rolling in, and when weather affected a set, they rescheduled acts like Parkbreezy, pheel. , Skysia, and Two Guys into other slots instead of saying “well… too bad.”
Debussy & Beyond
A lot of those makeup sets ended up being at the Debussy stage, the smaller bus stage with Funktion-Ones that’s been at Dreams for years, but historically more as a renegade spot than an official stage. Given how clutch it was this year, they should consider making Debussy an official stage going forward. In my opinion, it earned its keep, and if they do, it’d probably be worth situating it closer to the action.
A couple more W’s in the chat: the crew set up vendors of all kinds, food and otherwise, right next to the main stage so you never had to hodge across the grounds or miss music to handle whatever you needed. And Dreams being BYOB is always a plus; being able to bring your own drinks and coolers right up to the stages is a nice perk.
Areas of Improvement
No festival is perfect, and a new venue always comes with a learning curve, so let’s grant some grace upfront. That said, a few things stood out.
First, the visuals were inconsistent. Some sets had gorgeous VJ work (Fractaled Visions, Focal Point, and ZiP all get special shoutouts here), while others, especially earlier in the weekend, ran on generic-looking visuals that didn’t match the caliber of music. Tightening that up so that the great sets get the visual treatment they deserve would go a LONG way.
I also have a crowd-flow note worth raising: at one point, Wook Telephone convinced a very large chunk of people that Derek from Pretty Lights was doing a surprise set at Debussy on the last night. He wasn’t, and a ton of folks trekked over there and ended up missing the final main stage sets, including an incredible closing performance from Bread Winner (exactly like I predicted). Not the festival’s fault, but a reminder of how a little more clarity in official communication can save patrons from chasing ghosts.
Third, the lineup dropped late this year, later than in years past. By the time it dropped, a lot of folks had already committed to competing September festivals (Nocturnal Valley, Infrasound, Yahn Dawn). When you announce late, you’re basically surrendering those attendees before you made your pitch. An earlier reveal could help Dreams stay in the boxing ring longer while people are still making plans. Let that fight go to decision.
And finally, a plea on behalf of everyone trying to move through a crowd: please, for the love of god, stop setting up full-ass living rooms on the dance floor. Hauling in furniture and roping off your own little territory, especially right in front of the sound booth, makes it really tough for people to move in and out of the crowd and in and out of FOH. Set that shit up behind the booth, and don’t block off the perimeter of a patch of grass you don’t pay rent on. A no-furniture rule past the sound booth (if it doesn’t already exist, and if it does, it needs to be enforced) would keep the dance floor flowing for the people that came to dance.
A Word on the Headliner
I’ll be honest, Pretty Lights was a bit of a letdown this year. There were great stretches, and moments that shined: the Dolly Parton tribute with the “Jolene” swirl was a cool touch. But there were also stretches that were disappointing. You’d hear Alvin Ford Jr. drop into a sick drum configuration, or Borahm Lee lay down some beautiful chords, and then an effect or transition would come in that felt out of key, or out of tune.
The reshaped band is missing a few key pieces from its 2024 setup, and it felt like it’s still finding its footing. For an act billed at the very top and handed multiple sets that weekend, that consistency (or lack thereof) was a miss in my eyes. Though I have spoken to folks that went to both Yahn Dawn and their new tour, who said that they’ve gotten some really good sets. Maybe they were just experimenting with a few things with their new setup, the Soundship Space Bus, just like they did at the Hampden Coliseum a couple of years ago.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it was a fantastic experience. It’s evident that these folks have been doing this a long time, whether at Resonate or Secret Dreams. The institutional knowledge to pull it off shows every time I attend Dreams. First years at new venues are always a little dicey, but Dreams cleared the bar. A couple of venue tweaks, an earlier lineup drop, and this festival only gets better. If you’re into the realm of music discussed in our coverage with Secret Dreams this year, you need to go and experience it yourself. With all due respect to Lost Lands, it’s the best festival in that pocket of the Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia) in my eyes. I really hope to see them return next year. Like I said: Trust Dreams, they more than earned it at this point.
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