Awesome People We Met on Day 2 of Escape: Psycho Circus

The fabulously dressed denizens on day two of Escape: Psycho Circus cranked up the energy full-bore. The vibes were as good they come, and it had everything to do with Headliners like these. Here are a few standout folks we got to talking to that made a big impression on us. Until next year…

Name: Montana
Age: 29
Hometown: Heavener, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
I like to dance. It makes me feel free.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
A moment ago in the 3D haunted house. I got chased with a chainsaw.

Name: Sarah
Age: 24
Hometown: San Diego, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
I go to festivals. I know it sounds cliché, but I’m a huge fan and supporter of PLUR. I think that at festivals like this, and especially festivals where you get to camp, everybody is super welcoming and nice and accepting. I think that’s really cool.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
I avoid scary things. I don’t watch scary movies. I just can’t handle scary stuff.

Name: Dasha
Age: 19
Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
Definitely hang out with my friends, and just talk about whatever, and dancing. When you close your eyes, everything pretty much disappears.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
About a summer and a half ago, when I was visiting another country, I got scared they wouldn’t let us out of the country and throw us in jail. Our passports from that country were expired, and we were renewing them—that’s why we came to the country in the first place. The lady in the hotel called the police on us. It was pretty scary.

Name: Sebastian (Bride), Lisa (Groom)
Age: Sebastian (22), Lisa (21)
Hometown: Sebastian (Sweden) and Lisa (Germany)
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
Sebastian: Running, walking and listening to music. Taking coffee with some friends.
Lisa: I like listening to music while lying down under the sun and just relaxing.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Sebastian: When my two-year-old sister fell to the floor. That was really scary!
Lisa: I waited in the dark because I forgot my house key. I needed to wait two hours in the driveway until my host came home to give me the key.

Name: Malcolm, Teresa
Age: Malcolm (29), Teresa (30)
Hometown: Malcolm (Australia), Teresa (Miami, FL)
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
Malcolm: I travel. Anywhere new and tropical. I’m living in New Zealand at the moment, which isn’t tropical, but it’s still good.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Malcolm: A shark bit me, and I almost lost my arm.

Name: Randy, Andy
Age: Randy (25), Andy (29)
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? Since it began, approximately five times.
How do you escape?
Randy: Every time I’m here, baby! That’s how we do it! Every year until it’s done. It’s the biggest Halloween party in Southern California, so who wouldn’t want to be here? It’s the greatest place ever.
Andy: I love getting dressed up; I like costumes, the atmosphere. My birthday is in October, so this is my birthday rave. I have to go all out! Escape is the place. No matter what, I will be here at Escape.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Andy: I was at home, and Randy was hiding around the corner. He jumped out at me, full mask and everything, scared me out of my socks. Laid my ass flat on the ground. Couldn’t get up for a cool minute.
Randy: I’m not a big fan of The Ring movies, and they know this. They’ll dress up Randy’s daughter, full hair and everything, and she’ll come in saying, “Uncle Randy, what’s going on?” I can’t handle it. It scares me!

Name: Sarah, Shawn
Age: Sarah (30), Shawn (30)
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? Sarah (2), Shawn (2)
How do you escape?
Shawn: Music, of course. Music is everything for anybody. It’s that moment where you let it go, and it’s juvenile, and it’s perfect.
Sarah: I escape into every moment, and I try to make every moment a beautiful experience. I don’t need to escape; I’m escaping in the moment.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Shawn: At Universal Studios Hollywood. They are crazy there. The Halloween movie maze, there was just a thickness to the air. It’s just like the movie.
Sarah: Sometimes, I get scared in my dreams. I can’t even tell you about it, it’s too scary.

Name: Victor, Vanessa
Age: Victor (21), Vanessa (22)
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
Victor: I would say I mostly isolate myself. I think the best person to understand you fully is yourself.
Vanessa: Going in my backyard or in nature, like under a tree, and put on my iPod, and just listen to awesome music. Lying on the grass, making it feel like I’m in a dream in paradise.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Victor: About a month ago, something slammed my door and woke me up. It kept me up all night.
Vanessa: In my dreams. I know some people experience sleep paralysis, and I’ve experience this. It’s the feeling of somebody on top of you or taking your soul. It feels so real, but it’s just a dream. It’s one of the scariest experiences.

Name: Monica, Kirby
Age: Monica (23), Kirby (23)
Hometown: Monica (Claremont, CA), Kirby (Glendora, CA)
How many times have you been to Escape? Monica (1), Kirby (1)
How do you escape?
Monica: Music. Closing your eyes, just listening to the music, and knowing that you’re somewhere else. That’s the best escape, because you’re not you. You’re someone else.
Kirby: I escape through hula hooping. When I get in my flow, everything disappears. Nothing is around me, and the only thing that exists is me.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
Monica: This was this year. I went to a Halloween party on a really old street. It was very haunted. Kirby and I were taking pictures outside, and a black cat comes by. I picked it up to take pictures with it, and suddenly, as I’m taking her picture, my iPhone starts glitching in a way I’ve never seen before. Both of us hear a demonic laugh, and it seemed super close to our ears. We looked in all directions, and nothing was around us. No one! We started freaking out, we ran, and we went home. This was last week!

Name: Alan
Age: 28
Hometown: Japan
How many times have you been to Escape? One
How do you escape?
Mostly, I go to the box and just start dancing to super DJs from all across the world. So I just go for a dance and just go absolutely crazy.
Tell us a story of a time when you were really scared.
I was studying at UC Berkeley, and when I was there I tried to go around the campus by myself. I went into a building and walked around in the darkness. I heard steps from behind me, which I never expected, and I tried to hide in a classroom. But it was just a security guard. I… almost got knocked out. It was not a good time.

All photots by Skyler Greene.