Since I started going to shows, I've been an on and off again Illenium fan. I don't love listening to him on the radio, but his live performances always delight. And going to an impromptu festival with my best friends last weekend in Charlotte reminded me to never write him off.

Here's my Illenium love story.

I started listening to Illenium right around the time I started going to EDM shows with a group that has become my best friends in the world. In 2021 he came to Minneapolis for two nights. Our group was really excited for it, and my life partner Erin and I started listening to him on the radio to get ready. We didn't immediately like him the way we do with some artists.

His music is, unique. It's like 80s pop ballads meets electronic-ish sound. That's the best way a novice like me can explain it. Erin and I planned on going to the show on Friday only. There were a bunch of people going Saturday only as well, but Friday was our night.

Friday evening and the show, blew us away. Illenium's music sounds completely different live than it does on the radio. It's hardly the same music. His mixing gets really hard and headbangy, and dance-y, and everything in between. It was an unbelievable experience for our group. We pre-partied and connected together, and we after-partied together. It was a 10/10 night for our group.

Erin and I are really busy people. But this weekend was a freak where we didn't have any obligations or events.

So at brunch with our friends Josh and Kelly we started talking about the show. We all couldn't think of a reason not to go to the show again, so we got tickets.

The Saturday show was the same set as Friday. But it was DIFFERENT. The energy was different, it felt harder and more raw. It was just as amazing as Friday for all of us. We were, once again, blown away.

On Sunday Erin and I relaxed most of the day. We were tired but our hearts were full. AND ILLENIUM WAS PLAYING A THIRD NIGHT. He had announced an additional throwback set a few weeks prior.

We called Josh and Kelly to see how they were feeling. They were open to going a third night. Me and Erin were open. We bought tickets.

Night three blew us away too. We did the three-peat. The Illenium festival weekend. We were transformed forever.

Three months later Erin and I saw Illenium at our first big festival, Ultra. That was also a tranformataional experience for us, where we found a new rave group and made it to the rail at the main stage.

It's been over a year since I've seen Illenium live. So I've only heard his stuff occasionally on the radio. It's really not my “type” of music, so over the past year I've listened to him less and less. To the point that leading up to this past weekend, I probably haven't listened to Illenium more than 3-4 times in the past 6 months.

The time apart from Illenium allowed me to think I wasn't excited to see him live. Because I knew we'd see him multiple times this year, I even said to my friends going to Breakaway “I'm ok not seeing Illenium this weekend”.

The Breakaway Music Festival was a last minute booking by five guys in our group. Our friend Matt lives in Charlotte, and my brother also lives there. A few months ago I was looking for shows around weekends to visit, and saw the festival lineup - John Summit, Tiesto, Illenium. I messaged Matt and my friends Chad and Jesse and said “you all want to go to this?”

They responded with a simple “yes”, and we were in. Eric and Josh joined closer to the trip, and we had our first 5 bros festival weekend.

We all wore our Onesiegasm's for the first time as a group, plus our tails. We were a very popular attraction there.

The lineup that first night was killer. John Summit warmed up the crowd during sundown. Tiesto rocked the house. We were hitting peak experiences with a great vibe in the crowd, new friendships that can only be made on the dance floor, and shoulder rides for everyone.

We were ready for Illenium.

But I wasn't ready for how much he was going to blow me away. Again. His whole experience, from the sound, lighting, timing, songs, had gotten so much better in the year since I'd seen him. He literally blew me away again.

We shared a transcendent experience as a group. It was the kickoff we all needed, to have an unforgettable weekend together as chosen brothers.

Now, almost two years after our first Illenium Festival Weekend, another big Illenium weekend is coming to our group. It's timed out with Erin's birthday, my best twin friends' Dave and Karl's 40th birthday, and a bunch of out of town people I love to party with are coming to town.

I'm positive it's going to be one of the most special shows we've all seen. I'll never think to myself “maybe I don't need to see Illenium” again. I've learned my lesson.

I've also learned though, it pays to temper expectations and excitement before big events. Get too excited and the nervous energy can wreak havoc on the group. It's difficult, but better to keep expectations even for big events.

When Illenium comes to town, keep your expectations as low as possible. And be prepared to have your socks knocked off.

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Mike Jones is co-founder of Onesiegasm.

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