In January of 2016, I was in Montreal for a Canadian University Software Engineering Conference. It was a Friday night, and Karun was taking us to his friend Shashwat’s apartment — me, Peng, Aakash, and Temi. This was the first time I met Shashwat.
We all were watching TV in Shashwat’s living room when Peng, being the very enthusiastic person he is, couldn’t stop talking about Tomorrowland (this was going to be a theme for a few years but this is where I first heard it). He showed us Tomorrowland’s aftermovie and told us about Timmy Trumpet.
Tomorrowland felt like another world that night. Timmy Trumpet, with his music and energy, felt like a whole new phenomenon. Timmy Trumpet would play his songs, dance on the stage, and play his trumpet. You could hear the crowd trying to mimic his trumpet’s sound in unison.
That night, I knew I was in love with this guy’s craft and I hoped that I would see him one day.
Throughout the years, my friends introduced me to more EDM music. Peng kept hyping electronic music festivals. In 2019, Narada gifted me a ticket to see Armin Van Buuren, marking my first festival experience — a night I spent dancing to my heart’s content. With every passing year, my desire to see Timmy Trumpet live at Tomorrowland only grew stronger.
Finally, in 2022, I made it to Tomorrowland. Timmy Trumpet was going to perform at the main stage. Karun, Aakash, Pranay, and I were heading to the main stage. Karun was running late as usual. I was yelling at him that I was not going to miss Timmy Trumpet because of him. I don’t remember if I waited for him or not — all I remember is being in the middle of the crowd, dancing to Timmy Trumpet’s set and seeing him woo the crowd with his tunes and his presence on that stage.
Anytime I listen to the song “Freaks” and close my eyes, I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.
And talking about yesterday, the ultimate moment arrived this Halloween, at New City Gas. I rarely miss a Timmy Trumpet show. That night I was with Karun, Jeffry, Tyler, Mehak, and Laura, and the energy was was electric. Listening to Timmy Trumpet never gets old for me and my friends. His beats and crowd work never let you down.
At the end of the show, something incredible happened. As the crowd dispersed, by some incredible stroke of luck, I found myself right at the barricade as Timmy Trumpet himself came off stage to meet fans. It felt completely surreal. He took pictures with his fans. I got mine.
To someone else it is just a picture but to me it tells a story. It’s the story of me, my love for raves, and the man who started it for me.
Update: OMG! OMG! Timmy Trumpet commented on my instagram post. I am going to remember this moment forever.
