A Look Into The Tropical Paradise Of The Inaugural Winter Wake Up Hotel Takeover [Event Review]

February 24th and 25th, Sturbridge Host Hotel was home to the craziest resort festival Massachusetts has ever seen. Over the course of two days, over fifty acts took the stages at Winter Wake Up Hotel Takeover, bringing fans across New England together for music immersed in a laser-filled resort turned rainforest.

Upon walking in, I was transported from the wintery weather of the northeast to a tropical paradise laden with vines and greenery. Among the rainforest was a vast selection of some of the most incredibly unique vendors I’ve seen at festivals, from Bearly Bothered Boards‘ custom skateboard decks carved and painted into insane works of art to the Naughty Hautey adult boutique with custom lingerie and accessories.

The stages at Winter Wake Up were some of the most stunning I’ve ever seen (and heard). Each one was craftily designed to be unlike any stage seen before. Powered with an ungodly amount of bass, especially the DOOM rig at the EDM 4 LIFE stage, these stages were ready to rattle attendees to their core! V.Kash brought each to life with his masterful visuals all day and night. The visual artist has really honed his craft. His artwork took the stages to the next level and there couldn’t have been a better person for the job.

On Friday, the vibes were spot-on from five pm til the wee hours of the morning. With performances from JAMiAM, Homemade Spaceship, Shanghai Doom, Soohan, and a headlining set from Maddy O’Neal, the day was a non-stop dance party. On Saturday, Winter Wake Up put the rigs to the test with explosive performances from The Apothecary, NotLø, Govinda, Wreckno, Glass Arrowhead, and Tsimba.

We even had the opportunity to sit down with the superstar bass duo Shanghai Doom. Here’s what they have in store for their fans in the near future!

HIHF: Thank you guys for sitting down with us! Can you tell us about any exciting things in the near future for Shanghai Doom?

Shanghai Doom: We are really excited about a couple massive remixes coming up! As well as our upcoming Doomsday Mix! We have a headline show in Toledo with Josh Teed. We have been ecstatic to return to Ohio to throw down for our Lost Lands fam!

HIHF: Any upcoming new releases?

Shanghai Doom: We have a new EP coming out on a label that we have worked with before! We also have a couple awesome remixes coming up. We can’t share that info with you just yet, but just know that they’re gonna be dope!

HIHF: I’ve always considered Shanghai Doom to be one of the most unique artists out there, with a sound unlike anything any artist puts out. What do y’all do to make sure you stand out amongst the sea of talented producers in the bass industry?

Shanghai Doom: We not only try to be unique, but we try to make sure not to copy other people. It’s always been about creating something that is us. When going to a live show, I want to hear something I’ve never heard before that blows my mind, so that’s always our goal. We love entering that realm of creating that wow factor for our fans. When someone comes up to us after a show and says that their mind was blown, I know we did a job well done.

Undoubtedly, Winter Wake Up brought the heat, booking a killer lineup of some of the biggest rising stars and then some! Check out some of our favorite sets of the weekend and relive the magic!

Homemade Spaceship

The extraterrestrial guitar-playin’ bass producer Homemade Spaceship delivered a ridiculously filthy set to the pool stage Friday night right before Maddy O’Neal. His dynamite performance was a brilliant segue into the bass queen, packed with funky jams, masterful guitar riffs, and plenty of heavy bass.

Govinda

Expert violinist Govinda took to the Rain Forest Pool Stage Saturday night with his jaw-dropping headlining set. In Govinda fashion, he was accompanied by some of the most incredible performers I’ve seen at a show. The vibes were on point; the crowd undoubtedly felt it as everyone swayed to the violin-fueled bass. The first half of the set consisted of much of his older material and transitioned throughout into his new discography. I don’t think there was a single moment he wasn’t smiling ear to ear, seeing the crowd’s reaction to his new EP “Convergence.”

JAMiAM B2B Shanghai Doom

For the VIP attendees keeping the party going well into the early morning, JAMiAM and Shanghai Doom had a momentous b2b set. This was undeniably a special show as they performed some of their most iconic tracks and unreleased bangers. Even at five in the morning, I was left craving more!

BLK Widow

This young producer brought all the dark and spooky vibes to the EDM 4 Life stage Friday night. Her hypnotic soundwaves bounced across the walls as the room filled thick with a heavy crowd. Her style is reminiscent of Rezz, with an ominous sound hypnotizing the audience.

Wreckno

Wreckno’s set Saturday night was a booty-shaking get-down, to say the least. After several tour dates with NotLö, having them one after another was an obvious decision. NotLö ended her set with her remix of Wreckno’s “Delusional,” setting them up for a perfect transition. Wreckno started their set with about twenty minutes of deep dub, continuing NotLö’s signature style before diving into a crowd-pumping dance party. This set had it all, deep dub, trap, DnB, and house music. This was undoubtedly a massive crowd favorite of the weekend.

Maddy O’Neal

Headlining at the Rain Forest Pool Stage Friday evening was the ever-talented Maddy O’Neal. As fans flocked to the stage and the room filled with lasers and the pool with bass heads in their swimsuits, she threw down a high-octane performance accompanied by her masterful drumming skills. The energy in the room was positively electric, and fans were kept on their toes as she bounced back and forth between funk, hip-hop, liquid DnB, house, and experimental bass.

To say the least, Winter Wake Up was a massive success, and the team at Art Life Studios and The Homie Collective, as well as everyone else involved, threw an incredible event. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the professionalism of the staff and the warm welcome received from everyone including the attendees. The HIHF team can’t wait to return next year for another weekend of fun by the pool!