Thunderdome 2020: Headbanging to Bass and Lasers

The Pacific Northwest scene’s love for dubstep is no secret. We love getting weird to bass music, and have been blessed with Bass Canyon and amazing bass shows year round. When Excision announced that he was bringing back Thunderdome for a second year and making Washington his first stop for his Evolution Tour, everyone was excited. Thunderdome came back bigger and better at the Tacoma Dome from January 31st-February 1st with two days of bass, lasers, and headbanging.

Photo by: Rukes

I only got to go to Thunderdome for the second day, and even though I was a little sad that I missed Day 1, I still had a blast. I got to the Tacoma Dome around 6 so that I could catch Trivecta, who was playing at 6:30 when doors opened. Trivecta was one of my favorite sets that night since I'm a sucker for melodic dub step, followed by an amazing set by Lucii, G Rex B2B Champagne Drip, Kai Wachi B2B PhaseOne, Wooli B2B Spag Heddy, Liquid Stranger, and ending the night with Excision himself. I really enjoyed all sets from the opener, especially since artist specific graphics were used from the first set, so it was really cool to see every artist utilize the amount of space they had for stage production. Because the venue was so big, they were able to really utilize their sound and bass as well, and by the time I was enjoying Liquid Stranger's set it felt like my soul was leaving my body. 

Model: Loana

If you loved Excision's Paradox set, you will definitely think his Evolution set is phenomenal. His new set included new visuals, more bass, and SO MANY lasers!! I usually struggle at shows and festivals because I'm short and have a hard time seeing stages (I end up re-watching sets later since my s/o, Orion is 6'8" and is a pro at taking videos) but with how the lasers were set up I was able to see everything very clearly. The new visuals very really cool too, even if you’ve seen Excision’s Paradox set I recommend seeing his Evolution set as well, since there were so many new and amazing things that were happening with this set.

Overall, I’m always amazed by how Excision’s sets are always growing and improving. I remember first seeing him in 2016 at Paradiso playing an early night set, so it’s really cool to see how he has grown as an artist in the last 4 years. I had an amazing time seeing my headbanger friends and getting to witness the first stop in the Evolution Tour, if he has a tour stop in your city, I really recommend going to see it!