The largest of the summer festivals kicked off yesterday like a stereotypical Dubstep song, where the eruption only occurs after a slow, drawn-out start. Around 9:30 p.m., when Bassnectar, the shaggy California-based EDM-maestro, paced onto the stage, Kaleidoscope formally kicked off.

While the previous performer, Schoolboy Q, rapped over a half-interested and tight lipped crowd, Bassnectar drew the attention of nearly all in attendance. They swarmed from the dark corners of Emerald Meadows and packed into a mosh hundreds of yards long from the front of the stage. With a brief wave to the big dayglo crowd, Bassnectar kicked off his evening set; and it ran like a marathon, pausing only to the sound of whistles, claps and a simple “thank you” from the artist.

Adrian Luchs, a biochemistry major at the University of Oregon, who also deejays locally as DJ ADREON, was impressed with the turnout. “It was really sick,” Luchs told the Emerald. “Mostly the same set as Coachella, super dubby. It was fantastic.”

Near the front, the bass could unseat a tooth filling. From a distance, the sea of people threw their hands and bodies in mesmerizing unison. The people met most drops by catapulting glowsticks and inflatable objects – a beach ball and a giant penguin – high into the air, while the set pieced together like an erector set — except with a jumbotron and spotlights.

“The lights were amazing,” said Ned Lyon, an attendee and current University of Oregon student. “And more people showed up at night, I think. When there’s people there the vibe is just sick. It was out of control.”

The crowd drifted back so far it skimmed the sorbet-looking bus Further, made famous by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, which was a football field’s distance away. It was an immense turnout compared to any of the other shows on day one of the festival.

“It was the perfect amount of people,” said Luchs. “Not too pushy. The ground was so wobbly.”