Escape From Wonderland

+ Nice variety of stages
+ Great music/​DJ lineup
+ Awesome vibes
+ Awesome visuals and atmosphere
+ Very friendly staff (this includes the LEO’s that were out there with us during those two nights)
+ Just AWESOME overall
For my 101^st review, I’m going to review an event that I attended during Halloween this year (15′).
Escape, a 2 day music event hosted by Insomniac. If you’re into electronic dance music, there’s no better place to be than here at Escape during Halloween weekend. You can express yourself freely and no one judges you. You can be like me, a dark skinned bald guy dressed in a bacon costume dancing my ass off, and no one would judge. I received high-​fives, people yelling «Bacon!!!» as I walk past them, people that would just come up and dance with me as well as ask for photos with me.
It’s an amazing feat, really.
Even the most introverted person can come here and have a great time. No matter the skin color, the size, race or gender. you’re welcomed here. It’s really hard to find something similar to this in the ‘real’ world. But in the world of Escape, anything is possible. I was able to meet and make new friends, as well as bond with my current friends. And then have my new friends meet my old friends, and enjoy the night together as one!
People ask why I come back time and time again… And I say, it’s to enjoy the amazing visuals that Insomniac puts together, the amazing vibe and atmosphere. You have the staff keeping us safe, you have the San Bernardino County Officers being as open minded as possible and having fun with us as well. You have the music that electrifies the night alongside the amazing lighting that is provided. You have every walk of life just escaping and being free from reality.
You put all of this together and you’re presented with an amazing event that is memorable for life.
Of course, there will be a time when I won’t be attending these events anymore. But I wouldn’t be sad the slightest. I’d be happy to know, I was apart of something amazing and spectacular as Escape. Only some few would understand. for those that do, rave on and enjoy.
See you at EDC Las Vegas 2016.

Had an absolutely amazing time! Better than the very first Escape From Wonderland!
The new venue Hard Events is using is absolutely terrible. I missed the NOS Center! I’m from the Coachella Valley and have been going to these types of events since 2006 and this weekend was one of the best weekends I’ve ever had in my life.
The lineup was off the charts, set times were very reasonable and I got a chance to see big chunks of my favorite artists.
Security/​Staff: Friendly, calm, and they were all dancing!
Audio: I didn’t notice any technical difficulties, it sounded great!
Visuals: TRIPPY! Glad to see so much of my ticket $ going to the experience.
I have nothing bad to say about the event. Absolutely amazing. Too bad the haunted house lines were crazy long.
Highlight of the weekend? Everything.
My next event: Movement Festival in Detroit. TECHNO!
Here’s a recording of a set I missed at Escape. I was watching Claude Von Stroke and Green Velvet as «Get Real». Don’t regret it though, as watching Green Velvet talk into a radio for his live rendition of «La La Land» was sick!
Side note: There was a cabaret show to Jay Hawkins’ «I Put A Spell On You» right before Justin Martin. It wiped my mental slate clean to calm down for Moby and prepare for the tech vibes that were to follow.

PSYCHO CIRCUS 2015: More like escape from reality! In a good way. My second insomniac event, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had one of the best weekends ever. Even though I only went one day. :P
Surprisingly, the crowd spirit (see what I did there?) was SO much better than edc! So much PLUR spirit it was hard to contain being in love with everyone here. Staff were so adorable and sweet you’ll just want to hug them.
I went on the second day– actual Halloween day and it was crowded like a mofo but believe it or not, most people controlled themselves and were polite enough to apologize for bumping or say «excuse me» for passing by, offer each other water, or express their concern for others who were sick lol. I mean, if only real life was like this, right?
Venue was hauntingly (ha) beautiful. The stages were so mesmerizing you’ll think you died and went to heaven. Very easy to dance and move through the crowd! Unlike edc, you won’t have to bribe people to let you through. Be sure to check the schedule and plan your night out in terms of which djs to see at which stage!
Bring/​buy water! It’s like a desert inside the stages. Try to hold it in because the porta-​potties are GROSS. No reception (have meeting spots).
The two mazes were pretty fun! This is a great way to spend Halloween with some amazing people in your life. Insomniac did a great job with this one.

2014’s All Hallow’s Eve was the third of Insomniac’s «Escape» Halloween events that I’ve attended (having visited in both 2011 and 2012). This year’s iteration was especially exciting in that it marked the festival’s return to the NOS Center — which holds a special place in the hearts of many of the SoCal rave faithful.
— While it may not be the cleanest/​newest/​most glamorous concert venue out there, the NOS has this quirky charm that few other concert venues can replicate. Maybe it’s a combination of the venue’s excellent acoustics, spaciousness, and the abundance of colorful lighting & themed décor that keeps ‘em coming back for more… In any case, upon entering Escape, you immediately get the feeling that you’re getting what you’ve paid for.
— Per the Insomniac standard, the production at Escape was certainly professional-​grade; the guys at Insomniac Events really do have a knack for theatrics and for stage design that blends the whimsical with the jaw-​dropping! This year’s main stage — affectionately named the «Slaughterhouse» — featured a massive clown face façade positioned above the DJs — complete with moving parts that allowed it to display a range of facial expressions! Similarly, the Chopping Block stage had a DJ booth positioned above the crowd for all to see — and this large, rectangular booth glowed all sorts of colors, in tandem with the kickdrums & melodies.
Needless to say, if the music wasn’t getting you in the partying sort of mood, the continuous «oohs» and «ahhs» from the various stage setups will do more than enough to pick up the slack.
(And I can’t say enough good things about the nightly fireworks shows — or at least Saturday night’s show! For more on that, check out my Unilocal profile pic…)
Of course, there really shouldn’t be any reason as to why the music wouldn’t be the first element of Escape to blow your mind. From the controlled-​chaos big room sounds of Sander Van Doorn, Henry Fong, and W&W, to the tribal-​inspired rhythms of Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, to the groovier, more Ibiza-​styled beats of Steve Angello and Sander Van Doorn, there’s enough offered to satisfy all types of dance music fans, from the casual to the committed.
In spite of all this praise that Escape so rightfully deserves, there are some shortcomings, much like any other music festival out there:
— There wasn’t as much to see or do as I would’ve liked at the typical Insomniac festival. Being the festival junkie that I am, I enjoy being able to wander around a given venue and take in some of the non-​musical attractions (art installations, crazy performers) scattered throughout. Aside from a pair of scare mazes (think Knott’s Scary Farm) that my girlfriend was too scared to wander through, Escape didn’t have a whole lot for attendees to see & explore. If you’re looking to disengage from the music, you’ll find little else in terms of entertainment alternatives.
— Escape’s biggest letdown, however, certainly had to be the utterly piss-​poor format used to operate the booths assisting Will Call ticket holders. Although different lines were used to help divide an otherwise-​massive crowd of ticket-​holders into more organized, alphabetized lines (A-​D, E-​H, etc.), there weren’t any barriers/​velvet ropes/​security staff used to ensure that people remained in their corresponding lines.
Thus, lines blended into one another, people cut from one line into the next, tensions began to flare up, and. Having made the trek over to Escape all the way from LA, I can say that it was quite a bummer to have seen the first night’s fireworks show from the very same Will Call that I had been waiting in for over an hour. (Thankfully I purchased a two-​day ticket!!) Coupled with the horrific traffic coming from the LA area made for nothing short of a nightmare. Truthfully, I’ll probably never try go raving on a Friday again, simply because the weekday work commute traffic makes driving on the highways into a brief glimpse into Hell.
All drawbacks aside, the party atmosphere & next-​level production at Escape make it very much worthy of being placed on your festival calendar.
Next Halloween, make your way over to San Bernadino and give Escape a visit. It’s a loud, spooktacular good time!

Escape All Hallows Eve, just to say it correctly! The 2 day event from Insomniac was held here at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino on Halloween Night and November 1^st. Lets just say that this was my first rave, EVER! And it had to be an Insomniac event too! I can say that this was quite a memorable experience I will not forget!
Don’t get me started with the road trip there itself. Due to the fact that it was raining slightly, there were many accidents on the 60, 10, 91 and 15 freeways. It took me 5 hours approximately to get from South Gate to San Bernardino! Let out a sigh of relief as soon as I arrived. I only went for the Friday show in which Afrojack headlined. I saw sets from Dash Berlin, Sander Van Doorn, DJ Moby and a little bit of Afrojack’s set as well. Tiesto was playing too, but myself thinking it was at the main tent, The Slaughterhouse, I missed it! They had a few locations playing different kinds of music, including trance, trap, and some electronica. The Bayou Voodoo Mansion was by far my favorite area to be as they played an eclectic mix of dark trance!
Yes this was quite a packed event. Was it worth it? Hell to the yes! People got craziest when Dash Berlin played! Best set I saw that night! I really wish I would have had more time to venture throughout the event and see more but didn’t do so. They had booths where food and drinks were being sold throughout the venue, as well as port o pottys and merchandise booths. The food, I never got to try! The beer gardens, well, didn’t get to try those either, since I pregamed! Parking was free at whichever big empty lots you could find. There was quite a line getting in, but since I had my ticket in hand, I had no issue with the security or entrance at all! All in all, it was quite a memorable event. Long live Pasquale Rotella! You rock, my man! #rageitup #plur

The first night heading to the venue from LA was terrible. I got off work 2 hours early and was stuck in traffic for over 4.5 hours. I felt like I just drove to Vegas. I was so happy to get out of the car. It was torture. Mad traffic and major accidents. It was red pretty much all the way on my GPS map.
Anyway, I went to the 2-​day ticketed event for Escape this year with different groups of friends. On our way there, the traffic was terrible, of course. My friends and I used Über the first night. Our driver was the best driver ever! He held up traffic so he could bust a U-​turn and the traffic was bumper to bumper on both sides. He was a crazy, down driver. Hilarious too. Anyway, we got out of the vehicle and made our way to the event. The venue was nice as usual. Pretty lights and all. My friends and I didn’t really go back and forth to the different tents. It wasn’t that crowded the first night. Music was good. We got there kind of late but still have a grand olé time.
Next night, I came with a bigger group. We came dressed up in super villain/​heros/​cartoon costumes. Music wasn’t as great the 2^nd night. But I still had a good time with my friends. We had random people take pics with us. It was more crowded in the tent the 2^nd night, but I was pretty amazed how the crowd was tamed and not pushy. At one point we tried to go to the other indoor building but that place was jam packed. They weren’t letting people in. We heard that it wasn’t that great in there anyway. Good thing we didn’t go in. The night was long the 2^nd night but time flew by quick. It was definitely a good leg workout kind of night. Can’t wait for the next rave!

The will call line really sucked. They really need to get people who can work much faster or alphabetized. Once we got in everything was great. I really enjoyed the production and the venue brought back some old memories of raging here. It was fun just to be back at this venue. The stages were great and after actually getting our ticket and being stuck in that will-​call line, everything else went great. Had an amazing time and it was a wonderful trance line up.

I was in love!
This was my very first rave, everyone was so friendly and outgoing.
The DJ’s were amazing! I cannot wait to go to the next event! :D
I walked in not knowing what to expect, my babe surprised me with the tickets. Once we walked into the first stage, we knew it was over! My friends and I were jumping the whole time…

I’ve missed events at the NOS center I was so happy to be able to attend Escape!!! I love Insomniac events. They’re always well put together and have alot of visual effects and lights. A major plus is I also know the area and just parked at the mall so parking was free! Amazing night.

All Hallows Eve actually.
Another outstanding Insomniac event. Wasn’t a fan of Slaughterhouse at all but Ghoul’s Graveyard and Bayou Voodoo Mansion were insane Friday! As usual the production and the visuals were just amazing.
I only took away one star because now that this is a mainstream event, the vibes are kind of off. Just ran into a lot of really rude ppl. This is out of Insomniac’s control of course but still. I personally can’t wait for another genre of music to take over pop culture so the rest of us can get back to our normal rave events. It wasn’t so bad though that I wouldn’t go again and I still found many wonderful people to dance with.

I’ve been to a handful of insomniac events and hands down, I would say this was the best one! EDC Vegas is amazing but Escape just provides sooo much life! Having everyone dressed up in Halloween costumes makes this event really special. All the stages are dome like structures so every body can get the effects of the lights coming from the stage. They provided two haunted mazes which was pretty entertaining and pretty scary as well. I would definitely come back next year!

The worst staff I have ever seen. I waited it role call for three hours, when I got to the front they would not give me my ticket. Do not get role call! Then I got a email giving me a ticket because of their mistake. Thoughtfull… but I live 3 hours away, can rave everyday…

my first time. it was amazing. but i felt like there was not enough time to do everything. great experience but when i got home and looked in the mirror. my face was shades darker! so gross. nice set up. it was good that they had buses take us from the parking lot to the venue. long ride but everyone was fun.

This was the first edm festival I have ever been to in my life. I honestly don’t know what I have been doing with my life up until now. I have never had so much fun EVER (and this one has been around the ballpark a while). It was totally worth every bit of the $ 100 I spent on my ticket. I don’t know how else to describe this event other than «adult Disneyland.» There were so many stages to go to that my friends and I NEVER became bored for one second. The location is definitely in the middle of nowhere but there is so much land area that multiple stages can be set up. As for the music/​performances, the artists were definitely awesome but the lighting and effects… no words. And the service is SO PHENOMENAL!!! There are PLENTY of bathrooms and vendors handing out water bottles, BUT SAVE YOUR EMPTY BOTTLES, because there are stations with people filling up your water bottles FOR FREE. I will definitely be going (or at least, trying really REALLY hard) to come here again next year for SURE!
TIPS:
GET THERE EARLY. You don’t have to arrive at 4:00 sharp but 5:00 — 5:30 is a good time frame. You will get good parking and have an easy time getting both IN and OUT of the festival.
EXPLORE EARLY. There are so many different stages that you will want to have seen them BEFORE you start picking your favorite as nighttime comes around. I would also recommend doing this before you start pregaming… which brings me to my next point.
PREGAME NOT TOO EARLY, NOT TOO LATE. My friends and I didn’t start pregaming until nighttime came around, and it was great. I wouldn’t start earlier especially when you are first entering the venue and getting everything sorted out. However, start RIGHT when the sun sets. As I mentioned, I wish this festival lasted till 7:00 AM, but such is not the case, so I had to make sure that I cut myself off at midnight so that I could drive by the time the event ended at 2:00 AM.
SAFETY FIRST. Please be smart. I would highly HIGHLY recommend going with people who have gone to an edm festival before and who are responsible… no seriously… I did just that and had I not, I probably would not have had as much fun. If you are the DD, PLEASE pace yourself and know what you are doing. Two hours before the event ends, stop and just enjoy the music. The funny thing is that you won’t have any less fun, I promise you.
ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE!!!

SUPER fun but wish it lasted to the 7am!!!

EPIC!
This is a very well put together and managed event, safe and fun. It was just as huge as huge could be. There were a total of 6 stages with spinning going on, and enough bathrooms and water stations, and visible security every where. It was decorated very well, Even though there were alot of people, it was for the most part realativly easy to move about. I would highly suggest anyone who is into electronica type of music go to this.
Dress up have fun and be part of the entertainment!

This is the second of three of these Insomniac «Wonderland» events here in SoCal this year: Nocturnal, Escape, and White Wonderland. After experiencing Nocturnal Wonderland a couple months ago, I figured I’d make my way back to the NOS Event Center if I could get a ticket for the right price.
Another Craigslist ad and $ 70 less later, I had my ticket.
LOCATION & PARKING
If you’re going to park close by, anything less than $ 20 is a good deal. As the night gets busier you will see swarms of people walking towards the NOS Event Center, so even if you’re far away there’s a good chance you won’t be walking alone to the festival.
Another note: Everything at the event is CASH ONLY.
Final note: Bottles of AQUAhydrate water given out as we exited after the final set? AWESOME.
EVENT LAYOUT
Five stages was gave you plenty of opportunities to check out not only different artists, but different genres of EDM. The main stages, Slaughter House and Ghoul’s Graveyard, were primarily devoted to electro & progressive house, but in the Mad Hatter’s Hospital you could take in trance; the Cannibal’s Tea Party was tech & minimal house, and the Chopping Block was D&B and dubstep. This is a great way to educate yourself on the various sub-​genres within electronic music; it’s NOT all the same, folks!
Here’s all I needed during my time there: a printed map, a keychain flashlight, cell phone, ID/​debit card (or some cash), and my car key. If you have enough storage for that, everything else is optional.
CROWD
As always, fun and friendly. Being so close to Halloween there were lots of cool costumes and a lot of different takes on the sick & twisted Alice in Wonderland theme. The people-​watching here could be its own sport.
MUSIC
This event’s lineup had the good fortune to include Armin Van Buuren, who the previous week nabbed the top spot of the annual DJ Mag poll. Whether or not that’s more than a mere popularity contest, it definitely added to the hype of this Escape. Calvin Harris had a massive closing set, and other big names like Steve Angello and Laidback Luke made the $ 70 price tag completely worth it. I even took the time to write down all of the artists I saw, and 13 names later I discovered some «new» artists and was reminded of how much I liked the ones I’d already seen.
This is a fantastic festival, incredibly well-​run by the folks at Insomniac, and I can’t wait to do another one!