Festivals

Lightning in a Bottle drops 2017 lineup with Bassnectar, Bonobo, RÜFÜS DU SOL & Kaytranada booked to headline

January 23, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 24th-29th, 2017 //

Lightning in a Bottle regularly serves as the perfect hangover cure for those suffering from a bad case of post-Coachella blues, and once again, the famed boutique festival has delivered another strong lineup for its 14th year this Memorial Day weekend.

Headlining The Do LaB’s signature event will be Bassnectar, who last performed at LIB in 2012, along with Bonobo, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Kaytranada. Other notable acts include Bob Moses, Jhené Aiko, Bomba Estéreo, Big Wild, Weval, NoMBe, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Richie Hawtin, Paper Diamond, Machinedrum and The California Honeydrops.

It’s also worth mentioning that Lucent Dossier Experience and William Close & The Earth Harp Collective, which both have become LIB mainstays over the past few years, will not be performing for the first time in a while. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

Weekend passes to LIB can be purchased here for $280 starting this Tuesday, January 24th at 10 a.m. And with the “transformational festival” reaching capacity in 2015 and 2016, we won’t be surprised if the 2017 edition yields the same result. As usual, The Do LaB will also offer its unique collection of art, yoga, workshops and speakers in a continuing effort to promote the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression.

Excited for LIB now? Make sure to revisit our best and worst from last year’s fest.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Bassnectar, Big Wild, Bomba Estéreo, Bonobo, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Jhené Aiko, LIB, LIB 2017, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2017, Machinedrum, NoMBe, Paper Diamond, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Richie Hawtin, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, The California Honeydrops, The Do LaB, Weval

Coachella announces 2017 lineup with Radiohead, Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar serving as headliners

January 3, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2017 //

The wait is over, and the rumors are finally true. After it was reported several weeks ago that Radiohead, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar would headline Coachella’s 18th edition, that news has now been confirmed.

The three-day, two-weekend festival revealed its 2017 lineup on Tuesday, and all three acts are scheduled to headline the Goldenvoice event. The announcement comes just a few hours after BottleRock Napa Valley unveiled its own bill with Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Maroon 5 leading the way.

UPDATE (February 23rd): Coachella has announced that Beyoncé, who is currently pregnant with twins, will not perform this year due to doctor’s orders but instead will headline the fest in 2018. Goldenvoice has yet to name a replacement for the 22-time Grammy winner.

UPDATE (February 28th): Hours after Billboard first reported the news, Coachella has named Lady Gaga as Beyoncé’s replacement. It’s another first-time headliner for Goldenvoice’s crown jewel, which hasn’t had a female top the bill since 2007.

Other notable acts performing in Indio later this year include The xx, Travis Scott, Father John Misty, Empire of the Sun, Dillon Francis, Bon Iver, Future, DJ Snake, Martin Garrix, ScHoolboy Q, Gucci Mane, Lorde, Justice, New Order, Porter Robinson & Madeon and Future Islands. The undercard, meanwhile, looks particularly tasty with such electronic acts as Bonobo, Nicolaas Jarr, Tycho, Röyksopp, Four Tet, Moderat and The Avalanches, who will be making their first U.S. appearance in roughly 15 years.

It’s also worth mentioning that there’s seemingly been an added emphasis placed on hip-hop while EDM surprisingly has taken a backseat to some of the more alternative-electronic artists mentioned above (yes, we did notice that DJ Snake and Martin Garrix are listed on the poster).

Coachella’s first weekend is scheduled for April 14th-16th, with its second weekend slated for April 21st-23rd. All tickets will go on sale for both weekends on Wednesday, January 4th at 11 a.m. PT here.

Ready to hit the desert this April? Relive last year’s festival with our 10 favorite moments, from Run the Jewels and Vince Staples to LCD Soundsystem and Guns N’ Roses.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Beyonce, Bon Iver, Bonobo, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Dillon Francis, DJ Snake, Empire of the Sun, Father John Misty, Four Tet, Future, Future Islands, Gucci Mane, Justice, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Madeon, Martin Garrix, Moderat, New Order, Nicolaas Jarr, Porter Robinson, Radiohead, Royksopp, Schoolboy Q, The Avalanches, The xx, Travis Scott, Tycho

BottleRock unveils 2017 bill, topped by Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Maroon 5

January 3, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

BottleRock Napa Valley //
Napa Valley Expo – Napa, CA
May 26th-28th, 2017 //

The New Year is here, and festival organizers aren’t waiting long to unveil their 2017 lineups.

After CRSSD kicked things off two weeks ago by revealing their own bill, BottleRock Napa Valley has made it official with Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Maroon 5 booked as headliners for its fifth edition this Memorial Day weekend.

The three-day festival in downtown Napa will feature more than 80 artists and bands across four stages. Notable artists include Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Modest Mouse, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, The Roots, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, Fitz and The Tantrums, Dirty Heads, Live, The Naked & Famous, The Devil Makes Three, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Gavin DeGraw, St. Lucia, House of Pain, Bob Moses, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Saint Motel, The Strumbellas, AlunaGeorge, Frightened Rabbit, Andra Day, Galactic, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Mavis Staples and many more.

Like it did last year with classic stoner-comedy duo Cheech & Chong as well as former “Hell’s Kitchen” star Gordon Ramsay, BottleRock’s Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage will be back on the grounds to pair celebrity chefs with some of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, January 4th at 10 a.m. here and start at $309 before going up to $349 for a three-day GA pass. VIP passes will be sold for as low as $659 (and as high as $709), and a three-day platinum pass is as much as $3,500.

In the meantime, make sure to take a peek at our 2016 coverage of BottleRock, which saw Stevie Wonder, Florence & the Machine and the Red Hot Chili Peppers serve as headliners.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AlunaGeorge, Andra Day, Band of Horses, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Bob Moses, BottleRock, BottleRock 2017, Bottlerock Festival, BottleRock Napa, BottleRock Napa 2017, BottleRock Napa Valley, BottleRock Napa Valley 2017, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires, Dirty Heads, Fitz and the Tantrums, Foo Fighters, Frightened Rabbit, Galactic, Gavin DeGraw, House of Pain, Live, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Maroon 5, Mavis Staples, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Modest Mouse, Saint Motel, Silversun Pickups, St. Lucia, The Devil Makes Three, The Naked & Famous, The Roots, The Strumbellas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

CRSSD reveals Spring 2017 lineup

December 20, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 4th-5th, 2017 //

Back for a third straight year, CRSSD Festival has announced the lineup for its Spring 2017 edition that should once again appeal to electronic music fans throughout California.

The bi-annual music festival will return to San Diego’s Waterfront Park for the first weekend in March boasting Flume and Duke Dumont as headliners. This will mark the first time either artist has been scheduled to perform at CRSSD, which made a big splash in its inaugural year and then kicked off festival season on the West Coast in 2016 with ODESZA and Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker) earning top billing.

Meanwhile, the undercard at CRSSD this spring looks particularly enticing between Blood Orange, Bob Moses, AlunaGeorge and Snakehips. Other notable names on the bill include Dusky (Live), Giraffage, Lost Frequencies, HVOB, Billie Eilish, Elderbrook, Kasbo, Rad Cat, Justin Martin, 2ManyDJs, Lane 8, Jackmaster, Skream, Horse Meat Disco, Cut Snake, Darius, Amtrac, Jerry Folk, Louis Futon, Wax Motif, Yotto, Seth Troxler and Eats Everything (B2B), Âme (Live), Recondite (Live), Damian Lazarus, RØDHÅD, Tensnake and Josh Wink.

See the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, December 27th.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 2ManyDJs, AlunaGeorge, Amtrac, Âme, Billie Eilish, Blood Orange, Bob Moses, CRSSD, CRSSD 2017, CRSSD Festival, CRSSD Festival 2017, Cut Snake, Damian Lazarus, Darius, Duke Dumont, Dusky, Eats Everything, Elderbrook, Flume, FNGRS CRSSD, Giraffage, Horse Meat Disco, HVOB, Jackmaster, Jerry Folk, Josh Wink, Justin Martin, Lane 8, Lost Frequencies, Louis Futon, Rad Cat, RØDHÅD, Recondite, Seth Troxler, Skream, snakehips, Tensnake, Wax Motif, Yotto

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016: The Good, The Bad & The Muddy

October 25, 2016 by Molly Kish 2 Comments

Photos by Josh Herwitt & Lisette Worster // Written by Molly Kish //

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 15th-16th, 2016 //

Treasure Island Music Festival “raged the island” one last year and went out in a weekend of epic highs and tempestuous lows. Experiencing 2016’s most chaotic storm so far, festivalgoers and organizers were faced with some of the harshest conditions the boutique festival has ever faced. Beyond the obstacles Another Planet Entertainment and Noise Pop had going into the weekend with a new location, “no parking” restrictions and a few lineup changes, the added surprise element that Mother Nature tossed into the mix made for an experience to remember.

Here are the best, worst and most muddied (good ideas that ultimately went wrong) moments of TIMF 2016.

THE GOOD

Ice Cube

The Headliners

Battling against the unfavorable conditions, both of the weekend’s headliners reclaimed the festival in the eye of the storm each night by delivering unforgettable performances for their dedicated fans. Accompanied by original members of NWA on Saturday night, Cube gave a career-spanning set that gave the most weather-weary attendees the energy to participate in his aggressive call-and-response classics. Bay Area hip-hop fans danced through what was some light drizzle, screaming “Fuck Ice Cube” while getting down with family, friends and fellow hardcore rap enthusiasts. Generations of Cube fans could be witnessed sharing in a truly memorable moment, where despite the ridiculousness of the entire day leading up to that set, all inconveniences were briefly forgotten while the crowd’s collective love for the Westside reigned supreme. Icelandic post rockers Sigur Rós, meanwhile, closed things out Sunday night in epic fashion with a rare SF performance, wrapping up two wet and muddy days on the island.

Accessible Ride-Share Options

While parking on the island was a no-go this year — festivalgoers were given the looming “you’ll be ticketed/towed” warning — TIMF was sure to ramp up their shuttle services and even have a ride-share loading zone available for commuter’s utmost convenience. In past years, tracking down Uber, Lyft or a taxi on the island was a real nightmare. With little to no signage, mystery addresses and a street grid, even local residents find the island confusing. However, in the midst of the Bay Area’s largest storm so far this year, TIMF made sure that what used to be the most aggravating part was a breeze.

The Crowd

Throughout the years, TIMF has cultivated a fan base whose attitude, interests and diversity truly elevates the festival experience. Becoming more of a congregation of friends over the past decade, the intimate setting and impeccably curated lineup has solidified an audience that returns to the island equally as excited for each and every installment. Even with rough weather conditions, a new location and a number of other things to gripe or complain about, the crowd remained hilariously positive. Groups bonded, friendships were formed and the relationships between artists and fans reached new levels of understanding due to their love for the festival and the absurdity of the circumstances.

Kamaiyah

Artists Stepping Up

Rain delays were rampant, and to the dismay of many, quite a few artists weren’t even able to perform. Weather issues beyond the festival’s control caused stages to flood and equipment to malfunction, but amidst the torrential downpour, a few notable MVPs came through big time.

On Saturday, during what will forever be remembered as the “Young Thugg Rain Delay,” Bay Area emcee Kamaiyah Johnson, who goes by her first name when performing, went head to head with Mother Nature for one of the most electrifying sets of the weekend. Spitting bars in between 40 mile-per-hour winds and drenched head to toe in a neon-green poncho, her flow was flawless even as she was being pelted in the face by heavy rain. Doing the Bay proud, she definitely earned some street cred in keeping the rain-soaked crowd happy and hyphy during the delay.

Tycho

Bailing out Another Planet twice, Bay Area superstar/TIMF lifesaver Tycho lessened one of the weekend’s harshest blows when he filled in for James Blak after Blake’s set was abruptly canceled on Sunday evening. Coming off a surprise show at The Independent the night before the fest officially kicked off, which in turn, was making up for Pantha du Prince’s last-minute cancellation, Scott Hansen was called upon again after his band’s live set on Sunday — this time to DJ during another set-debilitating downpour. The defeated crowd, even more upset by the unfortunate news that Blake would not be performing, looked as though it had suffered one final blow and could be overheard discussing whether or not to stick around for Sigur Rós’ headlining performance.

It looked like a gloomy surrender until out of nowhere, TIMF started sending out alerts via its social media channels that a surprise DJ set from Tycho would promptly start in Blake’s place. Probably the only artist who could alleviate the crushing blow of hearing that Blake’s set was canceled took the stage and quickly reinvigorated the crowd, motivating spectators to weather the storm with his ethereal beats.

James Blake’s “Redemption” Show

Monday morning hit like a ton of bricks, especially for anyone returning to work after the emotional rollercoaster that was TIMF. Still feeling the effects of the festival, many started off their week with a serious case of post-festival stress disorder. But just when we finally were ready to turn off any push notifications from the TIMF app, an alert delivered what easily was the best news of the entire weekend.

As a consolation for Blake’s canceled set, festival organizers announced he would be playing a makeup concert free to ticket holders that night at The Fox Theater Oakland. Sending social media into a flurry, Another Planet confirmed the news and even made tickets available for purchase to those who didn’t attend TIMF. Although many were skeptical about whether or not they’d be able to get in, those who made the effort were treated to a magical performance with a comfortably sized crowd.

Playing every song you would have hoped to hear at TIMF while being able to explain and subsequently show the crowd why his amazing new stage show would not have been able to survive the storm, Blake gave the crowd a performance to remember and extinguished any sedimentary frustrations left over from the mishaps that took place. The 28-year-old British singer-songwriter cleansed the crowd with a set full of beautiful, serene love songs as well as deep-house/1-800-Dinosaur cuts, making the show feel near-sacrosanct and giving us some serious festival redemption. He spoke candidly about the previous weekend’s circumstances, wooed the crowd with humorous antecdotes and even stopped the show at one point to make sure even the rowdiest audience members didn’t ruin the occasion.

THE BAD

• The unrelenting mayhem of Mother Nature’s first official storm of 2016

• The inability to bring an umbrella to comfortably handle the weather

• Artists being unable to perform (and their social media meltdowns that followed)

• Gripes and backlash from ticket buyers that spawned the hashtag #refundTIMF10

• A shortage of water at the festival’s refill stations

• The lack of cellphone reception and timely communication from TIMF organizers during Saturday’s storm

THE MUDDY

• Laying down a beautiful lawn that turned into a mud field by the end of the weekend

• The beautiful location of the pier for the Silent Disco and various vendors, yet due to high winds, was not accessible on Saturday and only available on Sunday

• The awesome bar and tent available for VIP ticket holders, which turned out to be the only cover from the storm throughout the festival grounds

• Selling disposable ponchos at the festival’s merchandise tent, only for them to sell out almost immediately

• The promise of a “rain or shine” festival without anticipating that the island would get consumed by a white squall

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Neon Indian

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Purity Ring

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Sylvan Esso

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - How to Dress Well

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Ice Cube

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - ZHU

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Sigur Rós

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016 - Glass Animals

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Glass Animals, How to Dress Well, Ice Cube, Kamaiyah, Neon Indian, Purity Ring, Sigur Ros, Sylvan Esso, TIMF, TIMF 2016, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2016, Tycho, zhu

Treasure Island Music Festival 2016: 10 pro tips for ‘raging the Bay’ one last time

October 13, 2016 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 15th-16th, 2016 //

Setting its inaugural sail way back in 2006, Treasure Island Music Festival has earned its spot as one of the top boutique music festivals in the country. The two-day festival that takes place in the middle of the bay has assembled some impressive lineups over the years that has made it a gale force to be reckoned with.

With this weekend marking the fest’s 10-year anniversary, it faces some aesthetic changes, looming weather forecasts and lineup reconfiguration. Though some may view these factors as an unfavorable hindrance, festivalgoers shouldn’t fret.

Taking it all into consideration, including our previous years of experience covering what easily can be touted as one of our favorite events of the year, we have compiled a list of “pro tips” for you to navigate one final celebratory storm that marks TIMF’s final anchor on the island.

10. Complimentary Festival Transportation

Whether you’re commuting from east or west of the Bay Bridge, FREE shuttles will be picking and dropping off at convenient locations on both sides of the Bay.

There is absolutely NO PARKING options on the island, so avoid paying huge ride-share fares with massive surcharge rates and hop on one of these shuttles:

San Francisco: Located on Fulton St. between Larkin St. and Polk St., one block from Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Oakland: Located next to the West Oakland Bart station on 5th St., between Chester St. and Mandela Parkway.

There will also be a bike valet service at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for anyone wanting to store their chariot safely while visiting the island. For those coming from out of town, TIMF has partnered with Breez to make carpooling to the aforementioned shuttle stops hassle-free. If you’re looking for the VIP treatment, round-trip water taxi service from SF is also available via Tideline Marine Group with single-day passes starting at $45 per person and weekend rates at $85 here.

9. Embrace the Eastside

While it seems like most of the Bay Area “indie” culture has been relocating east, it was only a matter of time before our favorite boutique festival made the natural transition. Getting edged out by the massive construction efforts simultaneously happening on the “Great Lawn,” TIMF has a new location on the Oakland/East Bay side of the island, which also happens to be 20 percent larger than the festival’s previous site.

Though the iconic views of SF will certainly be missed, festivalgoers will be pleasantly surprised by the beautiful, sweeping views of the Port of Oakland, Berkeley Hills and the majestically illuminated eastern expansion of the Bay Bridge.

For those still longing for their “mandatory SF skyline” photo, views to the west will still be accessible from the Century Ferris Wheel, which will be located alongside the Silent Disco on the pier (one of the festival’s new layout additions).

8. Organize Your Schedule/Stay Connected

One of the best parts about TIMF is that it truly is a festival that puts the emphasis on music. Curated by Noise Pop and produced by Another Planet Entertainment, it truly is a FUBU (“For us, by us”) festival experience for the unabashed audiophiles of the world.

TIMF remains one of the only festivals recognized on a national circuit that refuses to have overlapping set times. Even in its new location, the fairgrounds remain intimate enough to allow you ample time between sets to shift your location back and forth between both stages without missing a beat.

Still, with the insane lineup of talent this year, we encourage you to create your custom lineup and sync it with your friends’ schedule on social media here.

Be sure to let everyone know you’re attending here. Lastly, download the FREE DoStuff app to find out about everything in real time.

7. Bundle Up in Weatherproof Gear

Any local resident and TIMF veteran knows that Mother Nature has a flare for the eccentric when dealing with the weather patterns on the island. While the eastern side usually does boast higher temperatures and sun-soaked shores, the forecast for this upcoming weekend has hinted otherwise and everyone should be prepared for inclement weather.

Be conscious of the regional microclimates, anticipate some moisture and take a moment to realize the fact that you ARE in the middle of the Bay. Once that and the impending forecast sinks in, add layer upon layer upon layer.

Just think of this as a debut weekend for all your fun new autumn wear and allow yourself to succumb to the fact that this year’s lineup may actually be that much more enjoyable with a few storm clouds heightening the experience.

6. Deprivate Your Senses

If you need a break from the continuous back and forth between stages or have some open time slots in your schedule, be sure to stop by the Silent Disco at its new location on the pier.

A favorite feature among TIMF attendees, the incredibly entertaining Silent Disco has become a mainstay at festivals across the globe. Growing into somewhat of a mini stage within itself, this year’s lineup serves up talent across the TIMF’s 10-year legacy and showcases some of the best local and nationally recognized electronic artists on the bill. See the lineup here.

5. Store That “Booty”

Preparing for a weekend-long festival on an island is no easy feat. And especially when you consider all of the changes that TIMF is going through this year, you’re going to want to be prepared. But this can become a cumbersome task and even more so when extra layers of clothing, accessories and footwear may be part of the equation.

Fear not, TIMF has got you covered! For those who act fast, the festival is renting overnight lockers that even come equipped with a universal cellphone charger. Stay warm, happy and connected with you crew all weekend long. Exponentially heighten your overall experience with the convenience of a clean, dry, safe and fully charged phone by reserving a locker here.

4. Do Your Research

Whether you’re going to TIMF to catch your favorite band or are excited to jump right into discovering “the next big thing,” the 2016 lineup really has something for everyone. Known for its groundbreaking performances over the last decade, the festival has become a circuit staple for exposing talent on a local and national level.

While opinions vary on how much immersive preparation one should engage in, we always suggest perusing some festival previews (besides this one you’re reading right now, of course) and listening to the most current material from the artists listed on the lineup.

Following suit, here’s a TIMF 2016 playlist that samples the best of the fest and will get you hyped for the big weekend ahead.

3. Navigate the Fairgrounds

TIMF calls itself a “boutique” music festival not just because of its picturesque setting (which is hard to beat), smaller crowd capacity and meticulously curated bill, but also due to the fact that aside from the music, the festival highlights vendors, artists and independent craftsmen who are still on the up and up.

Between sets, you can visit the 60-foot Century Ferris Wheel or get down at the Silent Disco. Plus, this year includes a brand-new, iron installation called “Fire Triangle” and a 10-year retrospective “Memory Gallery” that will be on display.

From teriyaki and tamales to paella and raw/vegan food, the cultural influence of the Bay Area will be represented throughout the festival. With full bars and plenty of food trucks, there will be no lack of culinary delights to satiate even the most finicky foodie.

2. Go to a Night Show

If you can’t make it out for the full weekend of festivities or are among the dedicated few who want to continue dancing into the early-morning hours after the festival wraps up, the party doesn’t have to stop once the flood lights turn on!

For those who may be feeling a little deterred by the weather, TIMF has an amazing lineup for their “Night Show” series and you can win free tickets on us here.

1. Have Fun!

Most important, just remember: YOU’RE AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL! There can be far worse places and much less exciting things you could be doing than creating memories and taking in some incredible live music at TIMF’s 10th edition.

Music festivals are really all about what you make of them, and if you follow our 10 pro tips to maximize your experience, we guarantee you will have an unforgettable time participating in TIMF’s final docking on the island!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: TIMF, TIMF 2016, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2016

MainFest Alhambra throws an all-out dance party with Capital Cities, Miami Horror & !!! on the bill

September 23, 2016 by Jansen Granflor Leave a Comment

By Jansen Granflor //

MainFest Alhambra //
Downtown Alhambra – Alhambra, CA
September 10th, 2016 //

For its inaugural event this year, MainFest Alhambra shut down several blocks in downtown Alhambra, a city of less than 100,000 residents whose only affiliation with music before was being the hometown of Kenny Loggins and the scene of some sketchy Phil Spector behavior. That all changed when the initial teasers for MainFest dropped in July boasting Capital Cities, Miami Horror, and !!! (Chk Chk Chk) as headliners.

The MainFest lineup was subsequently finalized toward the end of August, with Nite-Jewel’s and Dam-Funk’s collaborative side project Nite-Funk added to the roster as well as a slew of local talent and DJ’s.

As maiden voyages go, getting around and into MainFest was a chore, with several security staff members sending festivalgoers in circles trying to find their way in. Once inside, guests were treated to free rock climbing, a live graffiti installation (with the back side serving as an open space for anyone to spraypaint) and an assortment of food/drink options, including food trucks and all the restaurants along Main Street.

Nite-Funk’s set was comprised of several tracks from their eponymous studio effort as well as singles from Nite-Jewel’s and Dam-Funk’s solo projects, making it easy to see why these two underground electronic artists have been teasing an EP since 2009.

!!!

Next up on the main stage was !!! (Chk Chk Chk), who have been creating their unique brand of upbeat dance-funk for almost two decades and without a doubt brought more energy than anyone else at MainFest. But if you have ever seen them live, you probably already knew that. Lead singer Nic Offer worked the crowd with his trademark aerobic gyrations, spending most of his time on top of the speaker cabinets and even wandering into the crowd for a song. Even though !!! have never reached the success of the acts who would follow them on the festival’s main stage, let’s hope they never slow down because they are just too much fun to watch live.

While the sun set, Australian indietronica band Miami Horror got the crowd moving and grooving with their nu-disco stylings. Lead singer Josh Moriarty shared vocal duties with Aaron Shanahan, each providing a contrasting style for the songs they fronted. Though a number of Miami Horror’s songs are somewhat slow for a dance act (in fact, one of their tracks is titled “Real Slow”), some of them (“Sometimes”, “Holidays”) can make the most introverted wallflowers cut up the dance floor.

Closing out the debut of MainFest was LA’s own Capital Cities, whose breakout single “Safe and Sound” has kept them busy touring ever since it was released, leaving Ryan Merchant’s and Sebu Simonian’s days of writing commercials and jingles together a thing of the past. Their debut album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery lived up to the hype that “Safe and Sound” promised, and at MainFest, they announced that their sophomore studio effort was near completion.

Capital Cities breezed through crowd favorites, from the bass-thumping “Origami” to the singalong-inducing “Kangaroo Court”, before performing the first of what appeared to be multiple renditions of “Safe and Sound”, culminating in an EDM club-ready version to close out the night. All in all, the City of Alhambra had to be pleased with what they accomplished for the very first MainFest, and considering Los Angeles has nearly 100 suburbs, you can’t help but imagine others will soon follow suit.

MainFest Alhambra - Capital Cities-18-capital-cities

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Capital Cities, CHK CHK CHK, MainFest, MainFest Alhambra, MainFest Alhambra 2016, MainFest Los Angeles 2016, Miami Horror, Nite-Funk

Splash House 2016: One wet & wild weekend

August 19, 2016 by Jansen Granflor 1 Comment

Photos by Anastasia Velicescu, Jesse Fulton, Jose Negrete & Quinn Tucket for Goldenvoice // Written by Jansen Granflor //

Splash House //
The Saguaro & The Riviera – Palm Springs, CA
August 12th-14th, 2016 //

Now in its third year and hosting its fifth overall event, Splash House combines the pools of The Saguaro and The Riviera for two weekends each summer. We drove from Orange County to Palm Springs last weekend to watch it all go down at the festival’s second edition in 2016.

There were also official after parties on Friday and Saturday night at the Palm Springs Air Museum, which trade pools and bare skin for shorts and shoes with laces for an intimate “dancing under the stars” experience. We spoke with festivalgoers as far north as the Bay Area, as far south as San Diego and as far east as Arizona who all made the journey for two days and three nights of excruciating heat, refreshing pools and unquestionably one of the most talented lineups of underground electronic artists.

Our weekend began at the Palm Springs Air Museum last Friday night with the weather just below 100 degrees and the excitement building for Australian alternative dance group RÜFÜS DU SOL, who performed at the Santa Monica Pier (read our review of the show here) the night before. It was also the only “live band” set we caught all weekend. A constant breeze provided a comfortable atmosphere we would not experience again until the following evening, as DJ duo Hotel Garuda played warmed up the crowd with remixes of “Ultraviolence” by Lana Del Rey and “Begging for Thread” by Banks, before the night culminated with the Sydney group doling out a number of hits, including “Like An Animal” & “Say a Prayer for Me”. However, for those who used Uber to get to the party, the night inevitably ended on a sour note (see what we mean below).

Turning to Saturday, festivalgoers slowly trickled into the Saguaro’s pool area before 3 p.m., and two hours later, the place was jam-packed and it was close to being a fire hazard an hour later. Unofficial Splash House resident DJ Viceroy treated those present to the same poolside, “summertime-all-the-time” tunes he normally plays, although one could argue they worked better at Splash House than anywhere else in the world. From there, UK “hypnodance” duo Psychemagik kept the vibe going and transitioned into their remix/rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, which proved to be the first of numerous iconic moments that could be attributed to an oldie-but-goodie.

We subsequently made the trek to The Riviera, which had a much larger capacity and created a raw atmosphere with a soundtrack that featured EDM-infused trap, dubstep and hip-hop through the late afternoon and early evening. If the Saguaro was supposed to be the fest’s underground house music stage, The Riviera was the main stage with thumping, big-room bass, as the artists performed right beside the deep end (go figure) of The Riviera’s massive, expansive pool .

Scottish producer extraordinaire Hudson Mohawke had the ratchets grinding to “Pony” by Ginuwine at the end of his sundown set (just another iconic moment of the weekend set to a timeless masterpiece), while British duo Snakehips gave the party new life with a remix of The Weeknd’s “Wanderlust” early on in their headlining slot. Right before 9 p.m., Snakehips played their smash hit “All My Friends” feat. Tinashe and Chance the Rapper, which was a bit of life-imitating art considering the song is about wasting another night with all your friends by getting, well, wasted of course, which was clearly what the crowd at The Riviera had been up to all night.

Saturday night’s action at the Palm Springs Air Museum featured music from two very busy deep-house artists — Germany’s Claptone and North London’s Chris Lake — playing for what felt like a much smaller audience than the previous night. The 100-degree heat at midnight could have been a significant factor, or it could have simply been the lineup, as one overseer for the venue told us how she loved RÜFÜS DU SOL the night before but could care less about the “techno” that was blaring in the background. As the evening progressed, Lake inevitably dropped his deep-house remix of Calvin Harris’ “How Deep is Your Love”, an absolute banger and an anthem for a sub-genre that has withstood the EDM boom-and-bust over the last few years. As the hottest Saturday in recent memory finally came to an end, Claptone closed with a flawless set that included his Beatport-topping remixes of “Liquid Spirit” by Gregory Porter and “Omen” by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith before finishing with his original track “No Eyes” that foreshadowed a night of much-needed sleep.

On Sunday at The Saguaro’s pool, French record label Partyfine’s funk ambassador Jean Tonique made his appearance, with London’s Marcus Marr following in what ultimately became my personal favorite set of the weekend. Marr brought the funk early and then worked in some dark bass lines before ending with an extended piano-intro version of Prince’s 1979 single “I Wanna Be Your Lover”, which had 99.98 percent of the crowd thoroughly enjoying the last few hours that were left of Splash House.

Over at The Riviera, an absolutely bonkers DJ roster of DFA Records’ The Juan Maclean, LA hometown heroes DJ Dodger Stadium (aka DJDS, who recently worked on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo), up-and-coming DJ/producer Jesse Rose (who has blessed the LA underground scene throughout 2016), Australian remix champ Cassian (who was a last-minute sub for a sick Chris Malinchak) and festival headliner Gorgon City (who has seemingly played every continent in the world this past year) all took the stage at one point.

The dedicated partygoers at The Riviera’s pool on Sunday night were not ready to stop when the music was cut off shortly after 9 p.m., which might have been why a $10 impromptu after party was announced by Splash House’s promoters earlier in the day. Coincidentally enough, Sabastion, one-half of LA-based DJ duo Strange Club, told me late on Friday night, “I don’t do the day parties, just the (night parties at the Air Museum) and house parties in the area.” In a way then, it was only fitting that an artist whom Splash House handpicked was the last to hit the decks when it was all said and done.

We also ventured over to “All Day Disco” at The Riviera’s Tiki Pool on Sunday afternoon to catch Alex Harrington, a local DJ who moved to the Coachella Valley area 11 years ago after living in Northern California and was recently recognized as the “Best Club DJ” by Coachella Valley Weekly. Since relocating to the desert, Harrington has seen Splash House grow from a “one-weekend, regionally-known event to a festival that reaches people around the world,” and mentioned that artists are allowed to play whatever style suits them, so he made sure to keep reading the people in the pool to figure out what would keep them moving.

Harrington ended our interview with his own personal hopes that events like Splash House could raise the profile of the area and attract bigger artists in the future, and considering the festival sold out at 5,000 guests per day, all of whom lodged, ate, drank and partied in Palm Springs, we wouldn’t expect anything less than a bigger and better edition in 2017.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Alex Harrington, Cassian, Chris Lake, Chris Malinchak, Claptone, DJ Dodger Stadium, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, Jean Tonique, Jesse Rose, Marcus Marr, Psychemagik, RÜFÜS, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Sabastion, snakehips, Splash House, Splash House 2016, Strange Club, The Juan Maclean, Viceroy

Dirtybird BBQ bumps the bass on Treasure Island

August 17, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photos by Lisette Worster // Written by EJ Bernardo //

Dirtybird BBQ //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
August 13th, 2016 //

It was that time of the year again last weekend as BBQ season was in full effect on Treasure Island — and it definitely got dirty.

A tradition for SF’s native DJ’s since 2002, the Dirtybird BBQ never fails to deliver. Venturing to the east side of the island where the event was being held proved to be quite a trek for those who drove, as only Lyft and Uber drivers were allowed to drop off passengers directly in front. With this venue well-known for hosting the annual Treasure Island Music Festival, it was a bit of a homecoming of sorts for the legendary BBQ party.

The crowd, meanwhile, was diverse to say the least. A crowd full of weirdos. A crowd full of ratchets. A crowd full of hungry mouths and hungry ears. And everyone ate it up!

Slaying on the decks was a cast of Dirtybird All-Stars that included Ardalan, Worthy, Christian Martin, J.Phlip, Claude VonStroke and lastly Justin Martin, who closed out the festivities with hot fire. With no disrespect to the prior performances, the bass really got the crowd bumping during J.Phlip’s set. Some may recall people getting down so low that people were literally on the ground wiggling to the beat. A man was also seen earlier in the day patiently dancing with a large birthday cake that he was ready throw in the air as soon as VonStroke’s track “Make a Cake” came through the speakers. It was a memorable thing to do to get others as dirty as the tunes that were being dropped onstage.

Claude VonStroke

As Justin Martin finished up a day full of music, the sun slowly faded in and out behind the evening fog. The Dirtybird co-founder’s signature style, which mixes trap beats with more traditional house music, brought the crowd closer together for warmth as well as an epic dance experience.

Being that this was the second year attendees couldn’t bring their own coolers filled with booze into the venue, there were plenty of food and beverage options to satisfy the masses. And though the lines may have been a bit long as expected, they were organized enough to keep things moving along at a decent pace. Plus, the ability to socialize with strangers was something one may not get the chance to do as easily at a club or concert. Whether you were waiting for the ever-crowded porta potties or hitting the jam-packed dance floor, the Dirtybird BBQ once again brought friends and family together.

Along with the familiar sounds from the Dirtybird crew, this year’s BBQ took on the theme of a county fair with old-fashioned activities that included ring tosses, balloon tossing and various opportunities to score a blue ribbon. As many did their best to occupy their inner child for the day, the continuous bump of the bass kept the crowd’s energy level high.

On the whole, the party consisted of reuniting with familiar faces, connecting with new souls, booty shaking to bass music, cake dodging, reminiscing with Jesus Christ in the flesh and the constant search for the lost pink-haired princess named Olive.

Filed Under: Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Ardalan, Christian Martin, Claude VonStroke, Dirtybird, Dirtybird BBQ, Dirtybird BBQ 2016, Dirtybird BBQ SF, Dirtybird BBQ SF 2016, Dirtybird Records, J. Phlip, Justin Martin, Treasure Island, Worthy

Outside Lands 2016: Top sets, awards & what we overheard at Golden Gate Park

August 11, 2016 by Molly Kish 4 Comments

Photos by Norm de Veyra & James Pawlish // Written by Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 5th-7th, 2016 //

Celebrating its ninth annual year as Northern California’s premier music, comedy, food and arts festival, Outside Lands took over Golden Gate Park last weekend and entertained crowds of more than 60,000 attendees each day with a massive roster of world-renowned talent. This year’s highlights surmounted all previous editions and exceeded the expectations of the most veteran festivalgoers.

Beyond the daily artist lineups, mouth-watering fare and unparalleled comedy showcases, Outside Lands kicked it up a notch in 2016, playing to what seemed like a more refined crowd on a local and national level. The festival’s organizers created an environment that appealed to both novices and seasoned attendees, with convenience being the key factor and a running theme that helped establish a flow to the fairgrounds that was unattainable in past years.

The fest also worked with PayPal to set up an option for cashless transactions by uploading “Bison Bucks” to your wristband, creating a seamless navigation of all the food/beverage and merchandise options. Furthermore, the debut of additional boutique concessions at Oyster Lands and Cocktail Lands provided a reprieve from the long lines at food trucks, booths and beer stands for the mature palette.

Even the structure and pace of this year’s Outside Lands schedule felt more conducive to less park-length traversing, with each stage focusing more on specific genres and demographics. There are still certain aspects that could use improvement, such as an increased availability of trash receptacles, bathroom options and crowd control at the festival’s entrance, but the issues that Outside Lands faced this year were no different or more overbearing than any other large-scale production.

Now nine years on the circuit, the Bay Area’s premiere destination for festival revelers has definitely matured to an impressive standard in the live music business. As Outside Lands continues to set the bar high thanks to its innovative features, top-notch billing and overall experience, here are our favorite moments from 2016.

LCD Soundsystem

TOP SETS:

Headliner: LCD Soundsystem

Hip-Hop: Anderson .Paak

Pop: Grimes

Singer-Songwriter: Lana Del Rey

Rock: FOALS

EDM: Zedd

Jazz: Kamasi Washington

Experimental: Air

Breakthrough artist: Jidenna

Local act: Down and Outlaws

Heineken Dome: Warren G & E-40 (pop-up performance)

Chance the Rapper

OUTSIDE LANDS 2016 AWARDS:

Biggest Crowd: Chance the Rapper

In one of the few transcendent moments of the weekend, a set that had everyone throughout the fairgrounds hyped into an anticipatory frenzy, Chance the Rapper performed at the Lands End stage on Sunday afternoon for easily the largest crowd of the entire weekend. Even those who stood their ground through Third Eye Blind’s preceding set felt the drastic change in both crowd size and personal space as the polo fields flooded and temperatures rose. Even though Chance could have used this to his advantage and conducted an explosive show, igniting the tightly configured crowd into a combustive state, he instead took his fans “to church” with a spiritually centered gospel set, making sure everyone was attentive and of course, that “his part” resonated among the masses.

Honorable Mention: Lana Del Rey, J. Cole

Most Magical Outside Lands Moment: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem

One of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind coming into Outside Lands was, “Who were Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem?” For those who knew, it was, “How in the hell were the Muppets going to fill a Sunday slot on the main stage?” Because the band had never played a show of such magnitude or outside the context of a TV/film studio, no one had any clue what to expect during this early-afternoon slot. Though some festivalgoers (mistakenly) decided to forego the experience altogether, those present will not forget the incredible feat that Another Planet Entertainment and Jim Henson Enterprises were able to pull off for what was one of the most emotionally nostalgic, blissfully complex and once-in-a-lifetime festival performances maybe ever. The Muppet house band both effortlessly managed to pluck the heartstrings of multiple generations of fans while delivering the most conceptually beautiful “love letter” to the city of SF, blanketing the grounds in a sea of love and collective euphoria for a brief, yet unforgettable moment. Relive the full performance here.

Honorable Mention: Big Boi’s set at Heineken Dome (pop-up performance), Jason Isabel performing with Ryan Adams

Funniest Stage Banter: Ryan Adams and The Shining

Known to be quite the comedian with his sassy stage banter and on-the-spot ad libs, Ryan Adams and his backing band, The Shining, catered to the Bay Area audience by revisiting a moment from his 2014 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass set with a rousing reprise of “3 Balloons”. He not only called out his attending family’s and audience members’ concert etiquette faux pas, but he also mentioned his annoyance with the bass of Major Lazer’s simultaneous set as well as referenced the standout beacon of this year’s festival, which was hoisted up by a group of super fans watching from the crowd. Check out it here.

Honorable Mention: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, Lionel Richie

Most Jaw-Dropping Performance: Peaches

For those familiar with the raunchy revelry that a Peaches show entails, we were front and center when the pro-sex powerhouse took the Panhandle stage on Saturday. As for novice audience members or anyone really within the general vicinity during the set, this festival performance was one that frontwoman Merrill Nisker was determined to make sure would be burned into our Outside Lands memories for life. Somewhat of a crossbreed between live sex show and avant-garde performance art, Peaches paired hard-hitting bass lines with spitfire lyrics and a stage show of elaborately X-rated costumes and choreography that left the crowd on one hand speechless and on the other frantically screaming for more.

Honorable Mention: Grimes, The Claypool Lennon Delirium

Best GastroMagic Moment: Skew It on the Bar B with Big Boi, Animal’s Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo and State Bird’s Stuart Brioza

On the third and final day of Outside Lands, most attendees were camped out at their favorite stage, decompressing from the first two days of excitement and settling in to watch the final performances of the weekend. But if you happened to be one of the few wandering through the Choco Lands overpass or happened to remember Big Boi’s scheduled performance at the GastroMagic stage, you were in for a treat. Those present in the intimate crowd not only got a mini set of both Outkast and solo hits from the vivacious emcee, but they also got samples of some of the most sought-after BBQ shrimp in the Bay Area while listening to remixed versions of each song that incorporated the word “shrimp” into every chorus. Hilariously ridiculous and insanely delicious, those present may never hear those songs performed the same way again. In fact, we’re still giggling and singing “I like the way you shrimp” days later.

Honorable Mention: Beignets and Bounce Brunch (with Big Freedia and Brenda’s Soul Food), Shark Bites (with Jauz, Mother of Pearl and Guittard Chocolate Company)

Sarah Barthel of Big Grams

Most “Thirst-Inducing” Performers of the Weekend: Big Gram’s Sarah Barthel, Miguel

Worst Decisions of the Weekend: The girl who climbed the windmill during J. Cole’s set and fell (watch here), deciding to bring a bag with you to the festival

Best Totems: The Red Balloon

Honorable Mention: Rick & Morty, Stranger Things Dustin

Biggest Festival Wear Trend of 2016: Hipster Bandito

Honorable Mention: Animal-themed onesies, flower crowns/bedazzled body parts

Best “Taste of the Bay” Menu Item: Bacon Bacon CA BBQ Bacon Burritos

Best Adult Beverage: Elixir’s Whatamelon Cocktail

Best Non-Alcoholic Nectar of the Gods: Straw’s Basil Strawberry Lemonade

Best Festival Feature: Cocktail Lands

Best Way to Waste Time Between Sets: PayPal Video Game Arcade

Radiohead

OVERHEARD AT OUTSIDE LANDS 2016:

The best directly stated and heard in passing at the festival.

“An empty bag is still a bag!” – crowd members policing the “no-bag” entry lines to the festival

“Is this the Trail of Tears section of Outside Lands?” – crowd members while passing through Choco Lands

“I’m in the Upside Down …” – Day 3 entry ways to the festival

“Hurry up, run! The flower crowns are coming, the flower crowns are coming!” – crowd members exiting the Twin Peaks stage area before Lana Del Rey

“I must’ve missed the goth/bandito appropriation memo …” – in reference to this year’s style trends

“Meet me at the Red Balloon!” – various lost attendees throughout the grounds

“Tits out for Radiohead!” – an ambitious crowd member on Saturday night

“Jesus, Rachel!” – in reference to “basic bitch” behavior/clothing choices throughout the weekend

“I be on that shrimp tonight, straight up on that shrimp tonight, I be on that straight up on that, I be on that shrimp tonight.” – Big Boi during his GastroMagic performance

“Mmmm, porcini doughnuts …” (Homer Simpson voice) – mimicking nearby food vendors

“Who even is Lionel Richie … oh, Nicole Richies’ dad?!” – mortifyingly clueless audience member

“We’re all Diana Ross!” – Lionel Richie in reference to his “special guest”

“We’re all gonna die, whatcha’ gonna do about it?” – Sufjan Stevens contemplating life on stage

“This is the best moment of my life, can I live in an LCD set?” – enthused crowd member

“I’d follow you to hell …” – a member of a large group attempting to traverse the grounds

“But my mom and dad are in there …” – festivalgoers attempting to jump the line entering the festival

“You know San Francisco has totally changed, like I went back to my place on the pier and it was taken over by sea lions, like totally gentrified!” – Janus during Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem’s set

Outside Lands 2016 - The Last Shadow Puppets

Outside Lands 2016 - Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Air, Amen Dunes, Anderson .Paak, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Aquilo, Bahamas, Beach House, Beck, Big Freedia, Big Grams, Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram), Brandi Carlile, Broken Social Scene, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chance The Rapper, Chicano Batman, Chromeo, Chvrches, Claptone, Cuco, Daniel Caesar, DIIV, DJ Snake, Down and Outlaws, Duran Duran, Fantastic Negrito, Father John Misty, Florence & the Machine, FOALS, Future, GastroMagic, Goldlink, Grimes, GRIZ, Gryffin, Halsey, Hiatus Kaiyote, Hobo Johnson, Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers, Ibeyi, Illenium, J. Cole, Jack Garratt, James Blake, Jamie xx, Janet Jackson, Jason Isbell, JAUZ, Jessie Reyez, Jidenna, Julien Baker, Kamasi Washington, Kehlani, Kelela, Lana Del Rey, Lapsley, Lauv, LCD Soundsystem, Lettuce, Lionel Richie, Lizzo, Lord Huron, LP, Major Lazer, Margo Price, Marian Hill, Methyl Ethel, Miguel, Miike Snow, Moon Taxi, N.E.R.D., Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Odesza, Oh Wonder, Outside Clams, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2016, Outside Lands Castland, Outside Lands Forest Feast, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2016, Outside Lands Music Festival 2018, Outside Lands night shows, Peaches, Perfume Genius, Poliça, Poolside, Quinn XCII, Ra Ra Riot, Radiohead, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Rogue Wave, Ryan Adams, Sabrina Claudio, Shannon and the Clams, Smokepurpp, snakehips, St. Lucia, Sufjan Stevens, Tash Sultana, The Back Wine, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Growlers, The Internet, The Knocks, The Last Shadow Puppets, The Mountain Goats, The Weeknd, The West Coast Get Down, Third Eye Blind, Thomas Jack, Tokimonsta, Tortoise & The Pimps, Tycho, Vince Staples, Washington and The West Coast Get Down, Whethan, Years & Years, Zedd

Get ready for Splash House with our Spotify playlist

August 9, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Splash House //
The Saguaro & The Riviera – Palm Springs, CA
August 12th-14th, 2016 //

Splash House returned to Palm Springs in June for the first of two weekends this summer, boasting DJ sets from the likes of ODESZA, Jai Wolf, Guy Gerber, Justin Martin and Lee Foss.

Now, the boutique music festival that’s more or less one giant pool party in the desert hosts its second installment this weekend with a roster that features performances by Gorgon City, Snakehips, MK, Hudson Mohawke, Bondax and many more. See the poster below for the full August lineup.

In the meantime, prepare yourself for plenty of sun, fun and music with our curated playlist before the festivities kick off at The Saguaro and The Riviera.

Now in its fourth year, Splash House will also host after-parties on Friday and Saturday night at the Palm Springs Air Museum, where RÜFÜS DU SOL and Claptone are set to perform.

Tickets for the 21-and-over event are sold out and only hotel packages at The Riviera remain, but passes for the festival’s after-parties are still available for $40 and can be purchased here.

And for those going, have a splashin’ good time!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Bondax, Gorgon City, Hudson Mohawke, MK, snakehips, Splash House, Splash House 2016

Outside Lands 2016: Our 10 favorite festival features

July 26, 2016 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 5th-7th, 2016 //

Outside Lands is a little more than a week away (can you believe it?!?!), and as the final details emerge before next weekend, the anticipation remains at an all-time high for the music festival’s ninth edition.

Besides gaining traction for its diverse roster of musicians, an all-star comedy lineup and its extensive culinary showcases, the three-day affair invading Golden Gate Park every August also continues to raise standards across the festival circuit with its innovative features both on and off the fairgrounds.

As we start crafting our schedules and await any final details, here are our 10 favorite festival features for Outside Lands 2016.

10. GastroMagic

Inhabiting a stage nestled within the tree section of Hellman Hollow, GastroMagic is a place where food, music, mischief and magic come together. Continually providing some of Outside Lands’ most underrated performances each year, it is the perfect combination of chaos and cross-lineup configurations you’d never be able to catch at any other music festival. See the full schedule here.

9. Outsider Art

Artist, curator and former Google executive Jeben Berg has teamed up with SF’s own Juxtapoz Magazine to bring a stellar roster of talent that highlights the work of incredible scrim artists, live painting, curated installations and performance pieces throughout the entire weekend. See the full roster here.

8. Outside Clams

For the love of seafood, Woodhouse Fish Co. has sourced fresh, local shellfish from Tomales Bay to enjoy either raw or barbecued and paired with the best wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma. Serving up these delicacies along with bowls of chowder, lobster rolls and much more, this new Outside Lands feature located outside of Wine Lands is a must stop for any seafood connoisseur.

7. Night Shows

Didn’t get enough live music at the festival? Well, fear not! Another Planet Entertainment has partnered with several historic venues in SF to offer a full gamut of late-night entertainment and keep you rocking all weekend long. A couple of them have already sold out, so make sure to buy your tickets now. See who is playing and more details here.

6. Bike Party

Departing from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium everyday at noon, the festival’s bike party arrives at the Log Cabin Meadow before taking off at 10:30 p.m. each night. Join the fun on America’s only music festival group bike ride!

5. Greening Initiatives

• Refillable Water Program: There will be free refillable water stations located in the polo fields and Eco Lands.

• Farmers Market: Full Belly Farm will be selling organic and fresh-picked melon slices, peaches, tomatoes, corn, green beans and bell peppers at the festival’s farmers market.

• Urban Gardening Workshops: Garden for the Environment will be offering workshops on worm composting twice daily at their booth in Eco Lands.

4. Forest Feast with Trestle Restaurant

Offering an intimate dining experience that features an upscale tasting menu from Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Trestle in SF, Forest Feast is nestled in a secluded forest area of the festival grounds and features performances from a New Orleans brass band (still TBA) and real-life magician Jon Armstrong. Seatings are available all three days of the festival (Friday-Sunday) at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

3. Castland

Meet and greet the artists of Outside Lands 2016 at this interactive mecca amidst the festival fairgrounds. Filled with the latest innovations in music and festival technology, you can host your own group disco in the Chromecast private gif booth with the chance to get broadcasted, score festival flare and more.

2. The Back Wine: Mini Golf Course

Located directly behind Wine Lands, The Back Wine is Outside Lands’ three-hole mini golf course that playfully incorporates the scenery of SF in each of its holes. A welcome reprieve from the bustle of the fairgrounds, one can putt putt their way through the sites of the city while sampling the sweet nectar from our Napa Valley neighbors.

1. Summer Pairings Series

Previewing the lineup over 80 restaurants, 40 wineries and 28 breweries, Outside Lands’ Summer Pairing Series teams up with those in charge of curating the festival’s culinary experience to craft special sneak-peaks of what this year’s menu has to offer.

• Cheeseland Preview @ Long Meadow Ranch: July 5th-31th (4-8 p.m. daily)

Visit the stunning St. Helena location for pairings of Nicasio Valley San Geronimo Raclette and the 2015 Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc.

• Bluegrass, BBQ and Blues @ Southpaw: July 26th (7-10 p.m.)

Take part in a Southern-inspired party hosted by Southpaw and Anchor Brewing where you can sample Southpaw BBQ and special release beers (flights and drafts) while enjoying a live set from local bluegrass outfit The Bowties. Tickets can be purchased here.

• Pinot, Pizza and Funk @ Bluxome Street Winery: July 30th (5-9 p.m.)

Newcomers to the lineup, Mozzeria bring their creative take on Neapolitan pizzas to Bluxome Street Winery for wine pairings during a live performance by local funk outfit Tortoise & The Pimps. Tickets can be purchased here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Air, Anderson .Paak, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Beach House, Big Freedia, Big Grams, Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram), Brandi Carlile, Chance The Rapper, DIIV, Down and Outlaws, Duran Duran, Fantastic Negrito, FOALS, GastroMagic, Grimes, GRIZ, Halsey, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ibeyi, J. Cole, Jack Garratt, Jason Isbell, JAUZ, Jidenna, Julien Baker, Kamasi Washington, Kehlani, Lana Del Rey, Lapsley, LCD Soundsystem, Lettuce, Lionel Richie, Lord Huron, Major Lazer, Marian Hill, Methyl Ethel, Miguel, Miike Snow, Moon Taxi, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Oh Wonder, Outside Clams, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2016, Outside Lands Castland, Outside Lands Forest Feast, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2016, Outside Lands night shows, Peaches, Poliça, Ra Ra Riot, Radiohead, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Rogue Wave, Ryan Adams, snakehips, St. Lucia, Sufjan Stevens, The Back Wine, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Knocks, The Last Shadow Puppets, The West Coast Get Down, Third Eye Blind, Thomas Jack, Tokimonsta, Tortoise & The Pimps, Vince Staples, Washington and The West Coast Get Down, Years & Years, Zedd

Taste of Chaos closes out its 2016 tour in SoCal offering a sweaty, giddy blast through the past

July 20, 2016 by Zach Bourque Leave a Comment

Saosin

By Zach Bourque //

Taste of Chaos //
San Manuel Amphitheater – San Bernardino, CA
July 16th, 2016 //

Fans of all walks of life packed into San Bernardino’s San Manual Amphitheater last Saturday for the final date on Rockstar’s 2016 Taste of Chaos Tour. For the uninitiated, Taste of Chaos is an internationally recognized brand that garnered huge popularity throughout much of the late 2000’s, making a name for itself with live tours that spanned the globe from Australia to America. With lineups featuring some of the biggest names in emo, hardcore and punk, the festivals quickly gained a reputation as something of an alternative Warped Tour, giving fans across the globe a chance to see acts they’d otherwise never get the chance to experience.

Though the tour called it quits in 2010, Taste of Chaos returned in 2015 for a one-off, sold-out festival date at San Manual featuring genre stalwarts like Thrice and The Used among others. It was a resounding success. One year later, the tour has now grown into a gargantuan, 37-city trek for 2016. The exponential growth speaks volumes to the rekindled interest in the genre, not to mention the prospect for some serious cash money for all parties involved.

Last Saturday was a special date on the tour. Not only did it close out Taste of Chaos for 2016, but it gave organizers the chance to expand the tour into a proper festival, much like the year before. Half a dozen additional acts were added, all keeping in line with the brand’s ambition. The end result was a sweaty, giddy blast through the past celebrating all the music we’re still ashamed to appreciate.

Taking Back Sunday

This year’s touring lineup of Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Saosin and The Early November was joined by a variety of acts that ranged from 90’s post-hardcore pioneers Quicksand to pop-punk poster boys The Starting Line. Despite only having one stage for the entire roster of artists, festival organizers virtually eliminated changeover time with a unique lazy Susan-type setup that allowed the stage to rotate 180 degrees between sets, ensuring that a band was primed and ready to rock at all times.

Anytime you get a bunch of has-been bands together for a reunion show or tour, the results can be a bit unpredictable. Fortunately, nearly all of them sounded tight and well-rehearsed, with some bands like Saosin sounding the best they’ve ever had. Featuring its original singer Anthony Green of Circa Survive fame and fresh off the release of its latest studio album Along the Shadows, the post-hardcore outfit hailing from Newport Beach were incredible live, with Green possessing a manic energy onstage that other bands on the festival bill simply couldn’t compete with. Other notable highlights included a fan-favorite set from Taking Back Sunday and a refreshingly gritty performance from founding fathers Quicksand, who gained many new fans on this particular day.

While we’ll argue that charging $5 for a bottle of water is nothing short of appalling and that San Bernardino itself is a bit of a sweaty cesspool, the 2016 edition of Taste of Chaos was an undisputed success. You may not dig all the bands — and here’s looking at you Dashboard Confessional — but for fans of the genre, it’s tough to beat the total package that Taste of Chaos puts together. Here’s looking forward to 2017.

Taste of Chaos 2016 - Taking Back Sunday

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Dashboard Confessional, Early November, Quicksand, Saosin, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, Taste of Chaos, Taste of Chaos 2016, The Starting Line

Bay Area talent shines at Phono del Sol in 2016

July 15, 2016 by Norm de Veyra Leave a Comment

Born Ruffians

By Norm de Veyra //

Phono del Sol Music Festival //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
July 9th, 2016 //

It was all chill vibes and good tunes last Saturday as The Bay Bridged held their sixth annual Phono del Sol Music Festival in SF.

Brooklyn synthpop duo Chairlift headlined the event with an energetic, golden-hour set that produced a synchronized-swaying dance party from the crowd. Equally as impressive were Canadian indie rockers Alvvays, who may have provided far fewer dance moves with their tunes but still delivered an engaging show.

Yet, the real notables from the fest were the more homegrown acts like Dick Stusso, Adam Vida, Hot Flash Heat Wave, The Seshen and The She’s. Highlighting up-and-coming local talent has always been part of the Phono del Sol mission statement from the start, and last weekend proved yet again you don’t have to venture far to find great music in the Bay Area.

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Dick Stusso

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Alvvays

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Adam Vida

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Hot Flash Heat Wave

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - The She's

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - The Seshen

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Chairlift

2016 Phono del Sol Music Festival - Mr. Little Jeans

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Adam Vida, Alvvays, Chairlift, Dick Stusso, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Mr. Little Jeans, Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2016, Phono del Sol Music Festival, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2016, The Seshen, The SHE'S

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016: A colorful palette to feed the soul

July 14, 2016 by tom dellinger 1 Comment

By Tom Dellinger //

Waterfront Blues Festival //
Tom McCall Waterfront Park – Portland, OR
July 1st-4th, 2016 //

Portland is a remarkable city. It’s a city I’ve found to be one of the most hospitable I’ve ever encountered, and it was once again a great pleasure to cover their annual Waterfront Blues Festival over the Fourth of July weekend.

Now in its 29th year running, the Waterfront Blues Festival remains an anomaly in the world of modern music festivals. With a daily entrance cost of only $10 per day, though other levels are available like patron and benefactor which offer more perks, they continue sell out at all levels and annually raise surprisingly large amounts to donate to the Oregon Food Bank. This year they once again raised a stunning $1 million dollars! Represented in the musical lineup were artists ranging from the Portland area to California, Louisiana, Brazil and Nigeria with several of the higher-profile artists — JJ Grey & Mofro, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Samantha Fish, The California Honeydrops and Femi Kuti — also appearing at High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, Calif., over the weekend.

Over the course of four days, there was a lot to take in. The festival featured two large stages at opposite ends of the main field, and beyond that, there were also a couple of smaller intimate stages — one offering a one-on-one opportunity with festivalgoers and the other with a dance floor. Both Portland and the Northwest in general have a wealth of excellent musicians to pull from, and every year I see a few new faces in addition to some I’ve witnessed a few times over the years. Local guitarists Ty Curtis and Ben Rice have become a couple of my favorites, and the soulful vocals of Andy Stokes and LaRhonda Steele never fail me. They always seem to provide memorable performances.

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Christone Ingram

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

There were many memorable moments over the holiday weekend, but one in particular came late in the day on July 4th as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Ty Curtis sat in with Samantha Fish. At just the age of 17, Ingram already has a few years of touring and recording behind him and has always been considered to be one with great potential. During his set on Saturday, it was obvious he was making good on that. He had a stronger stage presence, his voice more matured and the guitar work more expansive. It was a solid set that was well-received.

But on the festival’s final day as he, Curtis and Fish were taking things “out there,” Ingram let loose with some blistering hot runs, which in turn drove Curtis and Fish all that much harder. And the fans were loving it as if they were on a wild ride with no limits. Once the dust settled, everybody knew this was one of the great moments of the weekend with smiles all around.

Another standout performance came from Portland-based vocalist Liv Warield, a member of The New Power Generation who performed alongside Prince for several years. She reached out to members of TNPG as well as other locals to put together a tribute for Prince in a way she said he would want to be remembered. In addition to some Prince songs, there were also some of her own (Prince co-wrote songs with her) as well as from other artists whom Prince liked to play or cover. It was a riveting and powerful performance.

Igor Prado Band

I always appreciate an international element at music festivals, and we had a few overseas acts again this year. The great Femi Kuti & The Positive Force played a stunning set with a large band that was heavy on horns, percussion and dancers as they worked a passionate performance in the Afrobeat style of his late father, Fela Kuti.

Hailing from Brazil was the Igor Prado Band, whose passion and understanding of this very American music form is undeniable. Prado is riveting on guitar, both for his playing and for his stage presence. The man knows how to work a crowd. They were also joined by keyboard ace Jim Pugh (who was in on many sets over the weekend) and Portland-based Curtis Salgado on harp and vocals.

Another big surprise came from Bay Area artist Aki Kumar. With a strong backing band at the singer’s side that featured Christoffer “Kid” Andersen on guitar, Derrick “D’mar” Martin on drums, Vance Ehlers on bass and Jim Pugh on keyboards, they played a wildly fun set that featured blues mashed up with Bollywood. It worked very well, and the crowd loved them.

Royal Jelly Jive

There were artists who stretch what we might expect at a blues festival. Few embody that idea more than Los Straightjackets. Sure. Why not? We all need surf music from time to time, and these guys are fun to watch as well.

Bay Area collective Royal Jelly Jive defy categorization. With strong elements of swing, they nevertheless have a very modern sound with smart, well-crafted songs that both swing and rock a crowd, which is exactly what they did. In addition to being a fun band to watch, their unique sound and style made them a standout.

Ayron Jones and the Way were interesting. Though they are heavily blues-based, at times it felt like head-banging metal. What a kick that was!

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Few bands seem to be so universally loved and admired more than Tedeschi Trucks Band, and on the festival’s opening night, they gave us one of their sublime sets. It was a perfect night in Portland with the Willamette River in the background and the band running through another one of its flawless, tasty performances, marking an elegant start to the festival.

Over the weekend, many names we’ve come to know and love made an appearance. Maceo Parker, Dr. John, Jimmie Vaughan, ZZ Ward, JJ Grey & Mofro and The California Honeydrops were all exciting sets to see. It was a festival that was rich in many ways. The diversity. The quality. The vibe. Even the weather was about perfect (last year it was in the 90’s).

Portland remains an impressive city that knows how to throw one hell of a party. I continue to be impressed with all they are able to accomplish, and this festival is at the top of the list. Big props to the city, the artists, the staff and the volunteers who make it all possible. I can’t wait for next year.

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Aki Kumar

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Christoffer Andersen

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Tedeschi Trucks Band

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - The California Honeydrops

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Bruno Speight with Maceo Parker

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - ZZ Ward

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Ty Curtis

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Lloyd Jones

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Samantha Fish

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Femi Kuti

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Polyrhythmics

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Liv Warfield

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Ayron Jones and the Way

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Los Straightjackets

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Karen Lovely

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Dr. John

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Jimmie Vaughan

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Derrick "D'mar" Martin

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Ken DeRouchie Band

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - LaRhonda Steele

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Maceo Parker

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - JJ Grey & Mofro

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Jody Carroll

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Christone Ingram with Samantha Fish

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Billy Horton with Jimmy Vaughn

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - Mike Rinta with Jimmy Vaughn

Waterfront Blues Festival 2016 - California Honeydrops

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Aki Kumar, Ayron Jones and the Way, Bruno Speight, Christoffer Andersen, D'mar, Dr. John, Femi Kuti, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Igor Prado Band, Jimmie Vaughan, JJ Grey, JJ Grey & Mofro, Jody Carroll, Karen Lovely, Ken DeRouchie Band, LaRhonda Steele, Liv Warield, Lloyd Jones, Los Straightjackets, Maceo Parker, Polyrhythmics, Royal Jelly Jive, Samantha Fish, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The California Honeydrops, The New Power Generation, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Ty Curtis, Waterfront Blues Festival, ZZ Ward

CRSSD unveils first phase of Fall 2016 lineup

July 6, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
October 1st-2nd, 2016 //

For its second year on the circuit, CRSSD Festival returned to San Diego’s Waterfront Park this past spring and kicked off festival season on the West Coast in style with headliners ODESZA and Chet Faker.

After turning its attention toward more rock-centric acts like The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio for its first fall edition last year, the bi-annual SoCal fest went back to curating a mostly electronic-focused lineup in March and has continued that trend with its latest bill of artists for the first weekend of October.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/160503743

Leading the way as headliners will be Swedish indie-pop band Miike Snow and Chinese-American electronic musician ZHU (born Steven Zhu), while Cashmere Cat, Lido, Flight Facilities, Ta-Ku, Big Wild, MNEK and more will also hit CRSSD’s main stage.

Other notable names who are scheduled to perform at the two-day music festival include Thomas Jack, Trippy Turtle, MALAA, Lee Burridge, Lee Foss and Felix Da Housecat (B2B), Destructo and Busy P (B2B), DJ Harvey, Brodinski, Shiba San, FJK, Sam Feldt, Bakermat, M.A.N.D.Y., AC Slater and Wave Racer, among others. Better yet, fans can expect to hear two-hour extended DJ sets from Bonobo, Maya Jane Coles and Claptone at the City Steps stage, which even boasts Dubfire as a special guest.

Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, July 12th.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AC Slater, Bakermat, Bonobo, Boys Don't Disco, Brodinski, Busy P, Charles Murdoch, Claptone, CRSSD 2016, CRSSD Fest, CRSSD Fest 2016, CRSSD Festival 2016, Destructo, DJ Harvey, Dubfire, Felix Da Housecat, FNGRS CRSSD, Kungs, Landis LaPace, Lee Burridge, Lee Foss, M.A.N.D.Y., Malaa, Maya Jane Coles, Metroplane, Miike Snow, Nora En Pure, Sam Feldt, Shiba San, Sophie, Thomas Jack, Trippy Turtle, Waterfront Park, Wave Racer, zhu

Wild Kingdom offers a slice of Burning Man in SF

June 15, 2016 by Laura Tsu Leave a Comment

By Laura Tsu //

Wild Kingdom: An Art Car & Fire Festival //
The Midway – San Francisco
June 11th, 2016 //

The Midway and The Dusty Rhino presented Wild Kingdom: An Art Car & Fire Festival on an alluring Saturday last weekend. The weather was sunny, numerous art cars made the trek to SF, participants donned their playa gear and the music didn’t stop all day. When the evening set, fire was certainly in no short supply.

The Dusty Rhino, a community camp at Burning Man, aims to unite people together through fire, electronic music and art. Their signature art car, a 29-feet rhino that projects fire from its horn, not only makes annual Burning Man appearances, but also makes stops at SF’s Burning Man Decompression, How Weird Street Festival, Opulent Temple Massive and more.

With two blocks of road roped off for the festival, the art cars had more than enough room to fill in the gaps and invite people on board. Along with The Dusty Rhino, other notable art cars included the bumblebee vehicle Apis Inlusio, the fire-breathing squirrel car Bassnut, the Air Pusher, the steel-horse car Chester (with plenty of combustion) and the Janky Barge.

The 14-hour party featured five stages of nonstop beats with headliners such as DJ Dan, The Scumfrog, Worthy and Tara Brooks, as well as a special guest appearance by Tycho.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Burning Man, DJ Dan, Galen, Shiny Objects, Tara Brooks, The Dusty Rhino, The Scumfrog, Tycho, Wild Kingdom, Wild Kingdom 2016, Wild Kingdom: An Art Car & Fire Festival, Wild Kingdom: An Art Car & Fire Festival 2016, Worthy

Treasure Island Music Festival releases 2016 lineup with headliners Sigur Rós, Ice Cube

June 14, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
October 15th-16th, 2016 //

Treasure Island Music Festival is back for its 10th anniversary this fall, and after months of speculation, we now know who will be performing in 2016.

Headlining the two-day event in mid-October will be Icelandic post-rock outfit Sigur Rós and legendary rapper Ice Cube, who has been making the rounds on the festival circuit this year. The rest of the TIMF bill leans heavily on electronic music — as just another sign of times — with English singer-songwriter James Blake leading the way after the release of his critically acclaimed LP The Colour in Anything last month.

Other acts on the 2016 TIMF lineup worth noting include Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring, Chinese-American electronic musician ZHU, Oxford indie-rock quartet Glass Animals, English deep-house DJ Duke Dumont, slacker-rock king Mac DeMarco, 23-year-old emcee Young Thug, Australian electronic duo Flight Facilities, North Carolina indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso, French singer-songwriter Héloïse Letissier’s band Christine and the Queens, UK grime ambassador Stormzy, Texas chillwave group Neon Indian, Jack Tatum’s dream-pop quintet Wild Nothing and the experimental sounds of Tom Krell’s How to Dress Well.

The Bay Area music scene will also be well-represented at TIMF in 2016 with Scott Hansen’s ambient-techno project Tycho, black-metal enthusiasts Deafheaven and Oakland’s Day Wave all set to perform.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 16th starting at 10 a.m. and include two-day GA passes for an early-bird price of $159.50 (before increasing to $179.50) as well as two-day VIP passes for $315. All GA and VIP tickets will include a complimentary shuttle to and from the festival at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in SF.

Ready to hit the island this October? Relive last year’s fest with our 20 favorite moments here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Car Seat Headrest, Day Wave, Deafheaven, Duke Dumont, Flight Facilities, Glass Animals, Hinds, HONNE, How to Dress Well, Ice Cube, James Blake, Kamaiyah, Mac Demarco, Mura Masa, Neon Indian, Purity Ring, Sigur Ros, Stormzy, TIMF, TIMF 2016, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2016, Tycho, Wild Nothing, Young Thug, zhu

The best & worst of Lightning in a Bottle 2016

June 10, 2016 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

Photos by Josh Herwitt & Melissa Herwitt // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 25th-30th, 2016 //

Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) returned to San Antonio Recreation Area for a third straight year over Memorial Day weekend, serving as that perfect hangover cure for those still suffering from their post-Coachella blues.

Last year, we asked whether the “transformational” festival was undergoing a transformation of its own by shedding its boutique label to go mainstream (read the review here). Now, after paying another visit to Bradley, Calif., the answer to that question appears to be even clearer than before with LIB selling out once again, this time more than a week in advance. Vanessa Hudgens, no less, showed up!

But for as strong as this year’s artist lineup was, not everything went off without a hitch. In fact, there were enough logistical nightmares and bad vibes — believe it or not — to keep us from coming back next year.

So, with another edition of LIB in the books, here are our best and worst moments from 2016:

Best: Emancipator Ensemble

Portland-based musician Douglas Appling, better known by his stage name Emancipator, has been fusing hip-hop-flavored beats with downtempo electronica ever since he started writing his debut LP Soon It Will Be Cold Enough while attending the College of William & Mary. And in many ways, he’s still cooking up that same sonic recipe that borders on post-trip-hop with violinist Ilya Goldberg by his side, although it’s with his ensemble members that we get to see Appling serve as more than just an electronic music producer. At his Friday evening set on the festival’s main stage, Emancipator set the tone for the rest of the weekend, grooving to tracks from his latest studio album Seven Seas with a guitar in hand and a full band at his disposal, much like we saw at The Regency Ballroom last fall (see more photos from that show here).

Worst: The weather

Sitting more than 200 miles north of Los Angeles, San Antonio Recreation Area once again proved to bring hot days and cold nights to LIB. With temperatures peaking in the mid-80’s during the day and dipping into the low 50’s at night, adjusting to such a drastic change in climate is never easy, especially when you’re forced to brave the outdoors by camping in a dried-up lakebed. Whether you were sweating profusely or shivering in your sleep, it was nearly impossible to ever feel comfortable with the weather at LIB.

Best: Rubblebucket

LIB has always leaned heavily on electronic music while assembling its lineup, but in more recent years, the festival has also found room to include eclectic, female-fronted indie bands. Last year’s example was Poliça, the Minneapolis five-piece led by vocalist Channy Leaneagh. This year’s case in point was Rubblebucket, the more obscure, yet upbeat Brooklyn alt-dance outfit fronted by Annakalmia Traver. Playing very close to the same time slot on the Lightning Stage as Poliça did the year before, Rubblebucket, nevertheless, got festivalgoers moving after a scorchingly hot day in the sun, setting the bar for the rest of Saturday’s lineup as day turned to night. What makes Rubblebucket such a catch is their horns section that’s made up by Alex Toth (trumpet), Adam Dotson (trombone) and Traver (saxophone), who knows how to charm a crowd with her quirky stage banter.

Best: The Russ Liquid Test

Russ Liquid (born Russell Scott) broke onto the scene back in 2013 with his debut LP Foreign Frequency on STS9’s 1320 Records, fusing jazzy saxophone lines over dance beats much like Colorado livetronica duo Big Gigantic, who also performed at LIB this year, do for a living. But his “Test” set on Sunday at LIB was particularly special, as he stepped on the main stage with guitarist Andrew Block and drummer Nick Mercadel flanked on either side of him. The New Orleans trio laid down one funky groove after another for an hour and a half, at times sounding reminiscent of GRiZ, another electronic producer now based in Colorado who has featured Russ Liquid on his record label’s mix series titled “All Good Radio.” We weren’t all that familiar with Russ Liquid’s work prior to arriving at LIB, but his performance certainly intrigued us enough to want to hear more.

Worst: Crowds

With another sellout bringing more than 20,000 people to Bradley, LIB felt just as crowded as last year — something we never experienced at previous locations like Oak Canyon Park and Lake Skinner Recreational Area. After all, it’s no secret that part of the reason why The Do LaB settled on San Antonio Recreation Area was the fact that it could accommodate more “festies” and therefore, could sell more tickets as a result. But from a consumer’s standpoint, there are obvious drawbacks to that philosophy. Waiting for a shower, for instance, took as long as 2-3 hours depending on what time you got in line. Many of the food vendors had significant lines, taking as long as 15 minutes just to place your order. No one likes waiting in line in 85-degree heat, especially when your phone can’t get service. Part of what made LIB such a nice change-of-pace from Coachella was the sheer lack of crowds, but it was only a matter of time before big business won out, right?

Best: Moderat

Easily the most anticipated set of the weekend from this spectator’s vantage point, Moderat hadn’t toured since dropping a pair of EPs in 2014. But with the release of its third full-length album, aptly titled III, the Berlin-based supergroup comprised of Apparat’s Sascha Ring and Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary were primed to make their mark on the final day of LIB — and that they did. Beginning with “Ghostmother” off their latest LP, Moderat ran through a good chunk of new material, but nothing ignited the crowd more than their new single “Reminder”, which remains one of our favorite songs of the year so far. As we witnessed a few days earlier in Los Angeles at The Fonda Theatre (read our show review here), the group’s dark, minimalist stage setup with psychedelic flourishes paired nicely with Ring’s ethereal vocals. Of all the other performances throughout the weekend, Moderat’s 90-minute set undoubtedly stood as one of the brightest moments of LIB 2016.

Worst: Trash

LIB has been tabbed as the “Greenest Festival in America” over the last five years, though you might not have known it while looking at the grounds this year. With the festival’s attendance numbers reaching an all-time high, trash has increasingly become a bigger issue at LIB. Sure, it’s easy to blame a bunch of inconsiderate festivalgoers for littering and not picking up after themselves, but a big part of the problem is simply a lack of trash cans and dumpsters near the stages and in the camping areas. Furthermore, LIB’s “pack it in, pack it out” motto just isn’t realistic at this point with the amount of attendees. Maybe that’s the reason why after leaving the festival, trash was spewed all over the street. We’re glad The Do LaB tried their best as they told us on the way out, but sometimes trying your best, especially after you’ve been running the same festival for more than a decade, just isn’t good enough.

Best: Chet Faker

I remember first learning of Chet Faker more than a couple years ago while researching the 2014 LIB lineup for this preview. At the time, the electronic-leaning singer-songwriter from Australia had yet to release a full-length album, which makes it all the more crazy to think that he has already reached festival headliner status in a little more than 24 months since then. But over that stretch, from his two-night run in LA at The Roxy Theatre to last year’s performance at FYF Fest, Nicholas James Murphy has grown his live show tremendously. There’s no question the full band setup has been the right call, affording the 27-year-old Melbourne native the opportunity to breathe new life into songs from his lone LP Built on Glass (read our review here), such as “Melt” and “Gold”. Yet, with only one studio album under his belt and a few festival headlining spots in 2016, including the spring edition of CRSSD Fest back in March, it’s just amazing to think where Murphy could go from here.

Worst: Leaving LIB

If the crowds and trash at LIB weren’t enough to leave a sour taste in your mouth by the end of the weekend, the disaster that ensued in the parking lot after the festival definitely was. Since I started attending concerts and music festivals years ago, I have never seen a bigger shitshow than the LIB parking lot by 9 a.m. on Monday. Taking five hours (yes, you read that right) just to leave San Antonio Recreation Area proved to be the ultimate test in patience for me as well as thousands of other festivalgoers. Of all the worst moments at LIB, this easily took the cake, so much so that after five times attending, this very well could have been my last.

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Emancipator Ensemble

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Big Gigantic

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - The Polish Ambassador

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Hunter Leggitt

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Rubblebucket

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Hundred Waters

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Lucient Dossier Experience

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Lafa Taylor

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Vokab Company

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - The Russ Liquid Test

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 - Nahko & Medicine for the People

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Big Gigantic, Chet Faker, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Emancipator, Emancipator Ensemble, Grimes, Hundred Waters, Jamie xx, Lake Skinner Recreational Area, LIB, LIB 2016, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2016, Lucent Dossier Experience, Moderat, Oak Canyon Park, Rubblebucket, San Antonio Recreation Area, The Do LaB, The Polish Ambassador, The Russ Liquid Test, Tourist

BottleRock Napa Valley makes more strides in 2016

June 6, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Mike Rosati & Norm de Veyra //

BottleRock Napa Valley //
Napa Valley Expo – Napa, CA
May 27th-29th, 2016 //

BottleRock Napa Valley once again returned to downtown Napa over Memorial Day weekend for its fourth edition, boasting an improved fan experience and an eclectic bill of music over a three-day stretch.

Serving as this year’s headliners were Stevie Wonder, Florence & the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers, while other notable acts included The Lumineers, Death Cab for Cutie, Lenny Kravitz, Walk the Moon, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ziggy Marley, Grouplove and more.

But some of the best performances of the weekend came from artists playing on the festival’s smaller stages, from Long Beach’s Cold War Kids to Welsh alt-rockers The Joy Formidable. The Suffers, a 10-piece soul band from Texas, made one of the biggest impressions on the final day of BottleRock, along with San Francisco indie-pop outfit Dangermaker and singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim.

Florence & the Machine

Among all of the music being played, one of the highlights was undoubtedly the festival’s Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage, which welcomed appearances by classic stoner-comedy duo Cheech & Chong (who kicked things off with a special show at The Uptown Theater in Napa the night before BottleRock) and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Even “American Pie” actor Thomas Ian Nicholas joined in on the fun during a set dedicated to the 1999 film.

We were on hand for all three days of BottleRock, noting an upgraded layout, more food/beverage options and better VIP accommodations than in past years. And though the festival still has room to grow, it has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.