Bassnectar‘s fan base is one of the most passionate in electronic music. While this can make for some incredibly communal live shows, it also has led to some aggression and bitterness. At last year’s Camp Bisco, Disco Biscuits’ bassist Marc Brownstein lamented the actions of about 250 Bassnectar fans who rudely barricaded others from accessing the front rail. This same issue resurfaced again this year at Okeechobee, prompting Bassnectar to implore his fans not to camp out at the rails. While these types of incidents have tarnished the Basshead reputation, they only represent a minuscule percentage of the community at large.
Recently, Bassheads have been revamping their public image with a streak of positive news. Back in May, Bassnectar introduced a program called Bass It Forward that incentivizes good deeds and random acts of kindness. Just last week, Bassnectar fans at Electric Forest organized a massive clean up, leaving the area completely spotless just 45 minutes after his set. This feat was impressively one-upped this past weekend at Digital Dreams, as the Bacardi Tent was totally immaculate less than 20 minutes after Bassnectar’s set. Hopefully this exciting new trend continues in the future, as fans increasingly realize that they are responsible for preserving their beloved festival grounds.
