Now that the sun has set on yet another weird and wondrous SDCC, let us take stock of our collective silliness, our serious dedication to providing the the best Con coverage, and our continued efforts to throw the most exciting boat parties this side of land lovin’ geekdom.
Seemingly infinite cosplay galleries? Check.
Exclusive interviews with Hollywood elite coupled with breaking comics and gaming news? Check.
Massively successful concert aboard historic battleship? Check.
Let’s unpack that latter accomplishment, shall we?
Crave teamed up with our friends at Alienware and Mirrored Media to present an exciting array of performances, cosplay fun, and VIP swagger on the decks of the historic USS Midway. The event was led by actor-songstress, and star of Orange Is The New Black, Taryn Manning, who graciously hosted the evening, awesomely embodying the combination of mild fangirl and masterful hypeman.
Our Escape plans began to really take shape as our first band, Bay Area-based Cathedrals took the stage. Like a sonorous siren of the sea, lead singer Brodie Jenkin’s especially sultry vocals floated over Johnny Hwin’s soulful instrumentation, providing a warm, melodic groove that proved the perfect accompaniment for the slowly darkening skies.
Next up was one of L.A.’s finest, Bad Suns, whose combination of wistful lyricism and alt-pop-punk explosiveness brought some much needed adrenaline, and set the stage for some raucous drinking and dancing. Running through crowd favorites like “Salt” and “Cardiac Arrest,” the boys turned up the emotional intensity just in time for some impromptu fireworks across the harbor.
Our friends at Alienware made sure we filled our weird-and-wacky quota, hosting a gaming cosplay contest judged by cosplay queen Jessica Nigri and UFC fighter Felice Herrig.
Finally, nighttime festivities took an especially powerful turn as Cold War Kids took to the stage and played an awesomely extended set that featured hits from across the group’s five albums. Darkness had dawned, the crowd was packed with fans armed with glowing batons, and nearly everyone lost their shit as the boys from Long Beach belted “First,” the single from their most recent album, “Hold My Home.”
Once the singing and dancing was done, serious party-goers doubled down on their drinking, filled their pockets with delicious VIP cookies, and finally spirited off into the windy San Diego night, looking for trouble in all the right places. See you next year friends!!
All photos by Emily Jane Matthews, unless otherwise cited.
Crave Escape 2015
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Actress Taryn Manning
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Image
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Actress Lyndie Greenwood
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cathedrals
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Team Alienware with guest judge, Felice Herrig.
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cathedrals
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Jessica Nigri, judge of Alienware's cosplay contest.
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cathedrals
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Bad Suns
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Bad Suns
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Bad Suns
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 10: A general view of the atmosphere at the Crave Escape at Comic-Con International 2015 onboard the USS Midway on July 10, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for CraveOnline)
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cosplay contestant.
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cosplay contestant.
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cosplay contestant.
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Winner of Alienware's cosplay contest.
Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cold War Kids
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cold War Kids
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Cold War Kids
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Taryn Manning stokes the crowd.
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
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Crave Escape - San Diego Comic-Con 2015
Photo by Emily Jane Matthews.
