With 2014 coming to an end we wrapped up our year with one last event…actually 2 last events & 4 separate projects all on the same night… NYE! The First being a stand alone Installation named “the Mirage Mahal” which stood tall at the lakes edge within the NOS event center in San Bernardino for Insomniacs “Countdown” Festival. Coming full circle the Mirage Mahal happened to be the first build we did in 2014 and was now also the last.

While the Mirage Mahal was reflecting SoCals warm rays off of its many mural mirrors the rest of our team was bundled up to the nine’s building and prepping in the snow for a New Years celebration in the Heart of South Lake Tahoe. SnowGlobe Music Festival is a rapidly growing event with a killer lineup. They had heard about our shennanery (is that a word? Let’s make it one!) at Electric Forest, and wanted to giving us the opportunity to create our own stage within their forested grounds. Not fully knowing what they would receive when handing us a project like this.. We went full board and not only created a stage, but an entire log cabin! Complete with skis, sleds, antlers, and fireplace mantle DJ booth!

The Mirage Mahal at Insomniac's Countdown NYE. All reclaimed wood. First and last project of the season.

Just as pleasantly surprised as the SG production team, was the event attendees. Stepping through the doors was like entering a time machine to the 80’s, the room was filled with onesies, hot cocoa, and jazzercize routines on stage. Our stage hosted the incredibly talented Robbie Fitzsimmons (aka The Steaz) Kim Manning, Klove, XO+∆ (Prescott McCarthy), & many more to set the musical vibes each day… And they didn’t disappoint.

As soon as the doors opened The Steaz was entertaining everyone with his funky brand of beatbox/synth looping and high falsetto singing, known as ODM (Organic Dance Music)… Manning was next up, blasting people off to space with songs from her new album Space Queen. During one of her songs, “Little Sailor”, performers would get on stage, reenacting a scene of a ship’s crew struggling to get through a storm…this, in turn, would tire everyone out. And what way to get your blood pumping better than a little 80’s jazz-ercise warm-up routine, am I right? So, that’s exactly what we did. Going into the crowd and teaching people the moves, getting them to stretch and limber up those sore, cold bodies.

It's cold outside. Come in and join the Imagine Nation.

It didn’t end just there, oh no. Prescott packed with his new turntables, put on those housey beats for everyone to get their feet moving inside the tent, before Kelly (aka KLove3000) would turn up the hyphy just a little bit, dropping the bass, and making everyone get out their seats and on to the dance floor.

When we weren’t entertaining the crowd, we let the crowd entertain itself. Letting them hop on stage to dance, take pictures, and one time even letting them show off their rap free-styling skills in an impromptu beatbox session ran by our very own Clarky, Mr. Bentley, and myself.

Getting in a little jazzercise to warm up the body. Thanks, Kim.

The highlight of the weekend was our 80’s ski onesie competition. A crowd of over 20 people were on stage getting their onesie judged by our panel of fine experts on categories ranging from tightness, neonness, impracticality, and several others…we twindled it down to 5 competitors before we let the crowd gauge who the winner was by round of applause. All winners received official SnowGlobe gear, and a special place in our hearts.

The competitors were getting wild up there, trying to prove who is the ultimate one-sie! — The competitors were getting wild up there, trying to prove who is the ultimate one-sie!

Thank you for ringing in the New Year with us, as 2014 was one for the record books. We look forward to bringing you amazing new spaces in the coming year. Imaginator out.

-Kirill Simenchik