On September 4, 2025, I performed at Welcome to the Oasis — my second festival slot ever, and my first time stepping onto the Mountain Home music festival stage. When I applied, I told the organizers I could only play on Thursday or Friday because I had Gem State in Idaho Falls on September 6. They booked me for Thursday, the early-bird day, and I was stoked to kick things off.
The Venue: A Festival on Captain Harry’s Land
The festival grounds are one-of-a-kind. Welcome to the Oasis takes place on private land owned by Captain Harry from Deadliest Catch. After retiring from crab fishing and TV fame, he moved his house — an old Alaskan boathouse — to Idaho and set it up on a natural amphitheater. That house became the backdrop for the main stage. Looking down from the hill into the dance area, you could tell this was a special venue.
My wife Christy and I drove out Thursday afternoon, just the two of us. We didn’t camp fully — no tents or setups — just a blow-up mattress in the car for a few hours of sleep before heading back Friday morning to prep for Gem State.
My Set at Welcome to the Oasis Festival
I hit the main stage at 6 PM, playing on Pioneer CDJ-3000s and a DJM-V10 mixer — my first time on a V10, which was a fun learning curve. The DJ before me, Love & Pain, threw down a great house set, and then it was my turn.
The vibe was exactly what I expected for an early day: people setting up camp, settling in, grabbing drinks. I wasn’t there to throw down peak-time energy — instead, I leaned into what I do best as an Idaho progressive house DJ. I played a groovy, deep set with some of my originals mixed in. A few people came by, tapped their feet, danced a little, and I knew I was soundtracking their arrival and setup. Honestly? I loved it.
I even had a funny accident — I left my phone recording at the end of my set and accidentally filmed the entirety of Dose Amigos’ set. Guess I owe them a high-quality live video now.
KNNY, Darqness, and a Sunset Moment
One of the best parts of Thursday was watching KNNY get his first festival slot. He played during sunset, and his drum and bass set lit up the valley as the sky went dark and the lasers and visuals kicked in. It was magic.
Then came Darqness from Boise, who I’d booked for The Awakening earlier this year. He threw down a bass-heavy set and ended up extending when the next DJ ran late. That gave KNNY the chance to jump back on stage for an impromptu back-to-back. Seeing him get a second shot on the same night was unreal. The joy on his face said it all.
The Community and Shoutouts
The real strength of Welcome to the Oasis Festival was the community. I got to connect with:
- Dustin Osborne & Danielle — incredible hosts, promoters, and artists. Genuinely great first impression of this great team.
- Ravage the Trove (Victor) — always a good hang. Good to see Elle, as well!
- Sensei the Beast — I missed his Friday set but caught him later at Gem State. Still loved seeing ya!
- Partnerz in Grime, Weird Science, Hailz to the Yes, Ryker, OG Prophet — other south Idaho artists holding it down all weekend long. I love my community!
- Paul & V — our neighbors at the festival, who were welcoming right from the start.
- Skyler — thanks for the posters and social help.
- Katie — my bad for not recognizing you right away. Won’t happen again.
- Captain Harry himself — who asked me to sneak Johnny Cash into my set next time. Challenge accepted.
- And of course, my wife Christy, who’s always by my side, keeping me grounded and cheering me on.
Final Thoughts on Welcome to the Oasis Festival
I didn’t get the full multi-day experience — I had to bounce Friday morning to get ready for Gem State — but my first Welcome to the Oasis festival was unforgettable. The setting, the people, the promoters, and the chance to play progressive house on a big stage made it all worth it.
Huge respect to Dustin and the whole team for putting on a magical Mountain Home music festival. I’d love to come back again and spend more time connecting with everyone.
AI Editing Disclaimer:
This blog post was edited with the assistance of AI for grammar, structure, and clarity. The ideas, experiences, and words are 100% my own.