Niteharts Turned Into Rainharts in its Unforgettable Second Year

Tropical Storm Rachel crashed the party at Niteharts, but sets from ISOxo, Knock2, Porter Robinson, and RL Grime made it worth getting soaked. Niteharts has wrapped up its second official year, taking over the parking lots at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. ISOxo, Knock2, and many of their friends in the trap and hyperpop genres treated fans to raucous DJ sets from October 9-11. Many of last year’s Niteharts attendees reported a rocky experience, which comes with the territory for a first-time festival. Expectations were high heading into this year around aspects like merch lines, food wait times, and how the lineup would play out. As a longtime fan of ISOKNOCK and Porter Robinson, I was counting down the days to when I’d finally catch them in a festival setting rather than the club shows I’d seen before. Forecasts indicated Sunday morning would be the heaviest day for rain, but Tropical Storm Rachel clearly had other plans. The storm slammed into the gathering as one of the weekend’s biggest sets was about to start. It was a competitive weekend for festivals, with Head Trip, EDC Columbia, and Seven Stars all on the same weekend. But if you love trap, hardstyle, or bas...