Category: Electronic

Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Out-of-State Festivals

While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.

Best Small Festival: Arise Music Festival, East Coast Tsunami Festival, Grand Point North Festival and The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival

With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.

Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”

Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”

And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”

Best Midsize Festival: Green River Festival
Honorable Mention: Aura Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling, Camp Bisco, DelFest, McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:

Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”

Best Large Festival: Gathering of the Vibes and Summer Camp
Honorable Mention: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest, Lockn’ Music Festival, Peach Festival, Rock Allegiance, Rock On the Range

Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:

As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”

With more than 100 bands over four days on seven stages, this year’s installment of Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL, saw a stacked lineup of bands like moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Miller Band, Widespread Panic, STS9, Big Gigantic, John Butler Trio, Krewella, Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and Grateful Grass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Violent Femmes and many, many more. Festivalgoers also had access to on-site camping, the infamous late night Red Barn Shows, musician workshops, a nonprofit village, arts and crafts and unique food vendors, plus some impressive improvements. In Pete Mason’s review of the festival’s final day, he detailed what made the perfect ending to the much celebrated event:

The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”

Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

December 28, 2015
Hearing Aide: Space Jesus ‘Close Encounters’

November 20 marked the release date of the much anticipated album by EDM artist Space Jesus. The album Close Encounters is okay with a few redeeming songs on the album and as a whole it did not stand out as unique. “HydraBadMan” is one of the better songs on the compilation as Jasha Tull was able to manipulate bass that felt eerie and all encompassing. However dissecting the rest the “HydraBadMan” minus the bass, it felt unauthentic – a feeling reflected in the whole album. The song “The Sultan” felt easily calculated and lacking personal voice. The album does not stand up with the multitudes of other compellingly abstract music that tries to merge Middle Eastern influences into contemporary music of America. Consider the Source for example is a band that does a stunning job of that. Some characteristics of sounds were hinted at but not well represented.

Space Jesus, Close Encounters

The album does demonstrate that the artist has knowledge of this hip-hop style where the bass in smoothed out and slowed down to create what we know as dubstep. The frequencies in the track “Sycamore” are nice and I think that is one of the songs where the whole sound came together. Each entity in “Sycamore” relies on the other for strength and pivot point. This could be a fascinating album if you are looking into electronic music and wanted an album that features a variety of different sounds. However what is lacking here in the Close Encounters album is connection from track to track. There is no story being told or any sort of desire to transcend the confines of four minutes. The concept of the album is using it as a means of birthing a beast, creating an entity or exploring flow. The experience of listening to a good album for the first, second and third time should be like bearing witness to an inspiration that the musician had a genuine interest in serving out. Yet no relationship could be found between the music and the feelings that were supposed to be alluded by Space Jesus.

Key Tracks: HydraBadMan, Sycamore

December 27, 2015
Hearing Aide: lespecial “Omnisquid”

Boston-based death-funk trio lespecial released their first, full-length studio album titled Omnisquid on November 20. It invites listeners to follow on a sonic voyage of nautical proportions. lespecial is Luke Bemand (bass, vocals, synth) Rory Dolan (drums, percussion, sampler) and Jonathan Grusauskas (guitar, vocals, sampler, synth).

The album tells a story of extra-terrestrial beings commandeering the minds of giant squids which rise from the ocean to wreak havoc and destruction upon the populace. This storyline plays out through a heavy soundscape with, at times, playful, nautical inspired riffs and beats that make the listener feel like they’re in an underwater dancehall. lespecial has created a world with this album and it’s oceanic inspirations are evident.

The first track on the album, “Fruit Wolf Dance,” opens with a haunting, aquatic groove building into a driving onslaught of the trio’s instrumental talents. This driving force has moments of respite allowing for each instrument to shine yet remain cohesive. Halfway through, the track takes a turn showcasing their electronic sample proficiency with bubble-like pops and the live-trap drumming lespecial has become known for. The live-trap and sample sounds coalesce into the heavier tone found earlier in the song making for a seamless display of the genre bending this band is capable of. Bemand has stated previously that this album is a return to their musical roots, showcasing “a heavier vibe throughout.”

The second number, “Squid Rising,” introduces the listener to the story of the giant squids with noticeable seafaring compositions and Bemand’s thick basslines amidst the recordings of news reports of the squid’s destruction. Following up the tale’s intro is the title track, “Omnisquid,” a frenetic serenade of layered guitar riffs and polyrhythmic drumming. “Optimus Prime Slot” features some industrial-heavy drum programming by fellow Boston-based music-maker, Rob Uslan aka Supersillyus, and make for an excellent juxtapose to Grusauskas’ pinching guitar riffs and eerie vocals.

“Sugaboi” is a jamtronica laden track, again displaying the bands diverse and ample capability of playing different styles which they seem to be poking fun at with the overlay of a recording stating “see there’s some question about my identity/ let me put it to ya this way/ I’m not sure who I am.” Possibly answering that question is the following, “Leaps Evil,” where Dolan’s drumming keeps an excellent, relentless pace amongst Grusauskas’ soaring vocals and Bemand’s standout bass riffs. “Ships in the Night” feels like a reprieve from the repetitive build and crash that previous tracks include, giving way to the album’s first pre-release single, “New Fish.” Sliding bass and a wonky guitar vibe swell to a powerful, double-bass filled barrage fading out unrelenting. Like “Leaps Evil,” “Pressed for Time” conveys lespecial’s distinct command of differentiating time signatures and penchant for high-pitched vocal harmonies.

Closing out the journey is the track “Absolutely Stunning,” recounting a fisherman’s tale of what he may or may not have seen. There’s a very cinematic, “end-of-times” vibe to this track with the addition of a cello arrangement by Julian Lenz. The cello amplifies another build and release to the heaviness that lespecial has been touting the whole album. Whilst weaving a tale of cephalopods taken over by aliens, Omnisquid most definitely exemplifies a return to form of contrasting time signatures and dark, heavy grooves. If you’re in need of a cinematic auditory experience, lespecial’s first full length has it.

All songs on the album were written and performed by lespecial and all tracks recorded and mixed by Andrew Greacen at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY except “Ships in the Night,” recorded and mixed at the Music Cellar in Millerton NY, and the Morrison Gallery in Kent, CT. All of the tracks were mastered by Jocko at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY.

Omnisquid is available for direct download at lespecial.bandcamp.com/album/omnisquid and also on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and CD Baby.

December 14, 2015
Photo Gallery: Dominican Holidaze 2015

The “Holidaze” series of festivals has become an annual event that is coveted by both the artists and fans alike. Hosted by the Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee, Dominican Holidaze 2015 took place in the Dominican Republic at the Breathless Resort and Spa in Punta Cana. For those uninitiated, this is THE premier luxury festival, treating attendees to baller rooms with private jacuzzis, all inclusive food and drinks across multiple restaurants and bars, and an ocean front stage that rages from sunset to 3am for four nights proper. Supporting tDB and UM this year were STS9, Lettuce, Nightmares on Wax, Break Science, Papadosio, Gigamesh, and Lee Foss. In one’s “downtime,” there is still plenty to do: excursions, pool parties, late night dj’s, the sand, sun, and surf. Resort staff genuinely seemed happy to have us there, and as a result, the overall experience was definitely “MAGNIFICO.”

This was my second time attending Holidaze, the last being in 2012 when it was in Cancun and considered “Mayan.” Both were excellent experiences, but it is clear that as time goes on, the Cloud 9 team continues to refine the series. Check-in/out was a breeze, customer service was excellent, and you can tell they want you to get safely from and to your home base. It’s an easy recommendation to make that if the lineup falls within your musical tastes and you don’t hate luxury beach vacations, you have to go at least once. Should these humble words fail to convince, perhaps this photo gallery will do the trick. Enjoy!

December 14, 2015
Hearing Aide: Kimberly Schad “Mystic Kingdom”

Kimberly Schad debuted her new self-produced, four-song EP, Mystic Kingdom, Friday evening at The Palace Theater, bookending her eighteen song set with the tracks from the new release. In this case I saw the concert before listening to the EP, it gave insight to the formal version and how Kimberly sees the music in a bigger picture.

Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

She is an artist who has complete control over her music and how it’s presented. In the studio she handles all facets of the project, from vocals, piano, keys, to programming, mixing and producing, besides one tasty guitar track on “Secret” from Kevin Farrell (Hard Promises, The Hurricanes). Live, the lush stage production and instrumental ensemble represent her complete vision.

Her backing band consisted of her long-time partner Will Masiclat – keyboards, sampling and video, Travis Reed – piano, Andrew Greacen – guitar, Jim Lucas – drums and Gary Lucas – percussion. All of this tied together with her father, Tim Schad, mixing F.O.H. and her uncle, Steve Schad, as L.D.. The stage was set with flowing white drapes, an elevated, spinning riser at the center with an antique chaise lounge and access ramps on each side dressed in white. Dozens of moving light fixtures cast their colors in dramatic scenes accentuating the setting combined with a rich, full mix of ear candy for the highly receptive crowd that assembled. All of the songs performed were Kimberly’s compositions with the exception of four covers that will be noted along the way.

Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

The show and EP opener, “Secret” has a Spanish note and feel, brought to bear through the acoustic performed by Andrew Greacen and the drums/percussion/sampling. Her vocal reading gives many hints at what was to come from her in both the concert and the EP. She has a tremendous grasp on what she feels, believes and practices. “After Midnight” is deep and proggy, while flexing her R&B and trip-hop chops. The breadth of Kimberly’s lyrical content becomes evident even more here, as she often does, speaking from her soul, deeply.

“Dirty/Money” features the piano of Travis Reed, a voice we’d hear from often through the show, a brilliant young talent who played as if he wrote the material. A deft touch with ease and a knack for the open spaces. Kimberly mixes in a taste of Drake’s “Star 67”, the code on your phone used to block your number when dialing someone. Stalker? Joker? You decide. The next song is one I’ve been told the background story for and it has twisted my listening a bit since. “Nothing But a Bitch” is a biting send-off to emotional attachment delivered with an appropriate bitch-slap. “Where R U Now?” was the first cover of the evening, the Skrillex/Diplo collab. featuring Justin Bieber is given a fittingly electro-pop read and hits right in her sweet spot.

Following a costume change, Kimberly took to the piano, solo, where her art truly comes from. Hitting on yet another mark of professionalism, that being the whole picture, the aesthetic, were well looked after. “Afterglow Confessions” is a post-show expression of love and emotion toward her muse. These moments directly after baring your soul to an audience can be some of the most reflective to an artist. One of the highlights of a show filled with them, this one stands out clearly. Travis took the stage again for Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece, “All Is Fair In Love” with more than a hint of Jennifer Hudson’s take on it. Immaculately executed, Kimberly’s voice and Travis’ piano brought the crowd to a height of exuberance, it was simply brilliant. “Look Outside” and “Twice,” a Little Dragon cover, stayed in the piano/voice form, lending clarity to the vocals and space to the piano, both flourishing within it.

“When I Think Of You,” “Might As Well Be Magic,” and “Solid Ground,” all being from Kimberly’s deep repertoire, grow and develop with time and perspective. They’re reflective of her maturing as an artist and a person, it’s remarkable to behold. “Two Weeks,” the final cover of the night, this time by FKA twigs, is emblematic of where she is now. Dream Pop, Trip-Hop, Prog R&B, Trap Nouveau, way too many different influences to pin-point, which is probably thee point.

“Fly” and “See Your Face” lead us to the final two songs of the night expressing more themes from her life. She exhibits her behind the scenes skills in tracking, sampling and triggers that become pillars of her compositions. It shows in every note. “One More Time” marks Greacen’s chance to bring his electric guitar to the ensemble, he does it well, perhaps a bit under the mix, but layering textures is what it’s all about. I’d like to hear more of him. The closer, “Mystic Kingdom”, is a signature piece that is perfect in its placement and character. It sums up much of what the performance was about and what we have to look forward to from Ms. Schad.

While Mystic Kingdom is Kimberly’s first officially released EP, it’s apparent that there is much more to be heard from her. She has plenty of material for two full length albums and her skills as a writer, performer, producer and engineer are growing in giant steps. Her consciousness toward the larger picture and vision are strengths many will never enjoy. At twenty-six, she has a very long way to go and all of the faculties to get her there. Congratulations on the magnificent work and we cannot wait to hear and see what comes next.

The EP is available for purchase on iTunes and CDbaby and can be streamed on Spotify.

Setlist: Secret, After Midnight, Dirty/ Money, Nothing But A Bitch, Where R U Now? (Skrillex/Diplo), Afterglow Confessions, All Is Fair In Love (Wonder), Look Outside, Twice (Little Dragon), When I Think Of You, Might As Well Be Magic, Solid Ground, Two Weeks (FKA twigs), Fly, See Your Face, One More Time, Mystic Kingdom

You can see many videos of the songs performed in earlier concerts on Kimberly’s Youtube page, and keep up with her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

December 7, 2015
Catskill Chill to Move to Lake George

Catskill Chill may soon become “Adirondack Chill” with plans to move the festival to Lake George.

The Post-Star of Glens Falls reported today that Chill promoter Dave Marzollo met with the Warren County committee that allocates money raised through the county’s bed tax and told them, “We really think this is the perfect home for our festival.”

The festival is set to be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Charles Wood Park in Lake George, and will receive $15,000 for marketing from Warren County via the county’s occupancy tax. If it moves to Lake George, Marzollo told county officials that “Catskill” will be removed from the festival’s name.

Marzollo told the county that he sold 5,000 tickets to this year’s Chill, the sixth annual edition, which was held at Camp Minglewood in Hancock. Marzollo didn’t want the festival to leave Camp Minglewood, but he announced last year that he had to move it for reasons beyond his control.

This year’s Chill was headlined by moe. and included bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle and The Motet, among many others.

https://youtu.be/jOMlLBDgUHE

December 4, 2015
Space Jesus Touches Down at Slake

At Slake on Friday, November 20, Space Jesus threw quite the party for the release of his brand new album, Close Encounters. The highly anticipated album drew a crowd that was teeming with energy. Even the line waiting to get in was buzzing with electricity. That element of infectious excitement seemed to flow through the whole evening to the very last beat.

The lineup was fire, with the ultra danceable sounds of producer/DJs Esseks, Brightside, and Soohan, the world debut of super far out rapper Pipus, and the staggering beat-boxing talents of the show’s host, Honeycomb. The venue was absolutely packed with fans who created a genuine family-like community. The amount of smiles, fist bumps, hugs, and high fives going around engendered a feeling of old friends coming together to celebrate the new creations of their leader, Jasha Tull, better known to them as Space Jesus.

By the time Tull took the stage everyone was in full party mode and surrendered to his presence as he completely took over. The performance was visually captivating with an absolutely stunning light show (by Drew Suto of Dutch Masterson Design) filled with the juiciest neon and primary colors. The whole stage was packed with raging fans and friends. Up high there were cages filled with gorgeous women moving effortlessly to every sounds pouring off the stage as smoke and screams of euphoria filled the air and the warm buzz of powerful bass passed through every being present.

“Close Encounters” has a heavy hip hop influence, which has been evident in his earlier albums but perhaps not quite to this extent. With a span of diverse multicultural genre samples and at times a haunting, almost eerie feel the record displays lyrics with raw truth, beats with just the right amount of sex appeal, and bass that won’t quit. His entire performance was undeniably evocative and left everyone in the room satisfied and dripping with sweat. The future seems bright for this up and coming artist. Or in the words of the DJ himself, “everything’s cake.” Killer party, Space Jesus. Can’t wait till the next one.

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November 25, 2015
Hearing Aide: Vaporeyes ‘Swell’

Syracuse experimental group Vaporeyes released their fifth studio album titled Swell on November 11, offering listeners a reservoir of jazz-infused jams to meditatively contemplate.

Vaporeyes is composed of Jonas Reddy-Nicholson (Warp Drive Operator), Shannon Zory (Groovemaster), Sean “Chid Law” Cadley (Keeper of the Beats) and Jamie “Jyms” Tynan (Facemelter). Two songs feature Stephanie Donato on saxophone. Swell was recorded and mastered by William Nicholson at JoBop Records in Syracuse. Released in combination with the new album is a live recording titled An Evening with Vaporeyes from their July 8, 2015, show at Funk ‘N’ Waffles Downtown. Included with the recording are extra downloads displaying video footage from a September 5 performance at the same venue shot by Jason Vincent.

Swell unfurls the opening song, “Precipice,” with a short spoken word quandary uttered by album cover artist Yegor Mikushkin. The final line feeds into the dreamlike opening of “Precipice,” postulating, “This tense suspense has driven me insane/This glance, this trance, must all just be a dream.” The tense suspense of the first half of the song mirrors that sensation some feel in anticipation of large family gatherings before flutes of champagne and goblets of wine douse the initial discomfort in an avalanche of warm fuzzies. Midway through, “Precipice” serenely eases into a savory instrumental jazz piece. It’s ambient qualities could melt into the background of an indulgent holiday party as drunken family members adorned in matching knit sweaters lounge lazily around a fire guzzling mulled wine and gorging on an array of delicate cheeses.

If “Precipice” is the anthem for that all-too-familiar holiday party progression, then “Exo Robot” could thematically epitomize the angsty mission-driven mischievousness of the dreaded holiday shopping season. It calls to mind scenes similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bloodthirsty hunt to locate a Turbo Man action figure for his beloved son in the 1996 thriller, Jingle All the Way.

“Spirutine’s” mid-album playfulness embodies that happy-go-lucky sense of wonder coursing through young spirits on Christmas morning. “Retrograde” imparts a cathartic effect, winding down the sequence of energetic jams with a melody fit to doze off under the comfort of cozy blankets, sheltered from winter’s chill.

Key Tracks: Precipice, Spirutine, Retrograde

November 24, 2015
An Interview with Incendia Founder Cory Glenn

Making its debut at Hulaween was Atlanta based Incendia. Built by Cory Glenn, Incendia started as a backyard project that has blossomed into a tour de force of fire, music, and performance art and has been on a tour of music festivals, Burning Man, and regional burns all over the U.S., including festivals such as Mysteryland and Creatures of the Night. NYSMusic was able to get an exclusive interview with Cory regarding Incendia, it’s origins and future.

Mysteryland

Chris McMullen: How long have you been a burner/going to Burning Man?

Cory Glenn: I’ve been attending burns since 2009, when I stumbled across the incredibly passionate, creative, and resourceful community that is the Georgia burn scene, which is centered around an annual event called Alchemy.

CM: How many Burns have you been to, both main and regional?

CG: I lost count of how many burns I’ve been after around a dozen, but I can definitely remember that I’ve been to Burning Man twice.

CM: What inspired you to start making domes? And add fire to them?

CG: This is definitely a case of the chicken coming before the egg; I discovered our awesome flame effect whilst fooling around with fire in my backyard. Geodesic domes are just a simple, safe, and ultimately aesthetically sound way of framing this fire effect we’ve grown to call ‘fire inversion’. The more I began to work with, and learn about geodesic structures, the more amazed I became at their elegance, symmetry, and geometric majesty. They’re just so damn beautiful to me in their simplicity, and the more I studied them the more layers I found, and potential possibilities to expand and complement their inherent grace kept becoming apparent.

CM: Did you plan on taking Incendia to music festivals? Had you attended music festivals previously?

CG: I definitely expanded Incendia from a small prototype ‘proof of concept’ dome into the larger, more logistically challenging, and time-consuming behemoth it is today with the intention of turning it into a business. Music festivals were, and continue to be, the primary source of revenue for us. We are however endeavoring to expand our services into different markets such as private events, corporate showcases, pop-up restaurants, and the like. I had never really attended for-profit and musically-motivated festivals before, being too focused on large-scale projects within the burn scene. However in 2015 we’ve done close to 15 festivals, ranging from small mom-and-pop bluegrass jams to internationally-renowned events such as Mysteryland and Hulaween, and I’ve lead the build on all but two of them.

CM: What are your thoughts on Hulaween in particular in regards to the crossover of burns and music festivals?

CG: I wouldn’t consider Hulaween to be a crossover between a burn and a music festival in too many ways, as Hulaween does not uphold nor espouse the Ten Principles of Burning Man, which are tenets that play an integral role in creating the unique environment of a burn versus a commercial festival. However, I will say that Hulaween was excellently curated art-wise. Spirit Lake contained a greater density of incredible art projects than I’ve seen at any non-burn event, and definitely reminded me of the experience of wandering the open desert at Burning Man in search of art with which to interact. Furthermore, many of the experiences I witnessed people sharing in and creating together were very reminiscent of those at a burn. Oh, and radical self-expression. Hulaween’s attendees had that in spades, bunch of goofballs… the ultimate campsite contest too, to me that was a great way to encourage teamwork á la the burner principal of communal effort. I guess Hula’s doing more than I realized, I hope they keep it up!

CM: Is this a good thing for the future of Burning Man?

CG: It is no secret that American pop culture and mainstream commercial festivals have seen a greater influence from ‘burner’ culture. Unfortunately I think this is most apparent in the things that these separate entities previously shared; love of music, style and fashion, and technology. Whilst now I see a subtle permeation of burner fashions, musical sub-genres, and gadgetry and art into the greater American consumption machine, what would make me far happier to witness is the adoption of some of the tenets such as leave no trace, decommodification, and civic responsibility.

Is this ‘good’ for Burning Man? Depends on who you ask! Depends on how you define ‘good’! Whom exactly is influencing whom? One of the most striking things that has kept me going back to burns is this intangible and ethereal experience of human connection and personal fulfillment that I get. Imagine summiting Mt. Everest, only instead you’re summiting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. THAT feeling. Can people reach this state at a commercial music festival? Undoubtedly so, given the right circumstances. Can this euphoric state be recreated in the day-to-day? It’s been a goal of burners everywhere since we started tracking playa dust back into our living rooms years ago. So if the permeation of burner culture into greater society results in this positive influence, then yes, I’d say it’s ‘good’ for Burning Man. If it results in the commercialization, dilution, and bastardization of our culture and it’s values, then no, I’d say it’s not good. Only time will tell.

November 14, 2015
Photo Gallery: Beats Antique at Boulder Theater, October 16-17, 2015

“There are three things to remember about Beats Antique shows,” said a young woman wearing hand drawn cat whiskers and ears to her friend wearing a red raccoon mask as the musicians began their recent Boulder performance.

“What?” the raccoon-masked woman asked breathlessly.
“Wild, Weird, wacky!” she exclaimed. “Oh, and also wonderful!”
“That’s four things!” her friend yelled back.

Four things by which to remember the Bay-area-based band performance indeed. Towards the end of a two-year “Creature Carnival” tour, there was plenty of the aforementioned wild and weird qualities. But before it got weird, Beats Antique got Old World in what would become a two-day vaudeville/carnie/sci-fi/ adventure. David Satori and Capel began leading a musical caravan of live musicians across the wagon-rutted dirt trails of the ancient Silk Road complete with percussive Middle Eastern rhythms, electronic mixes, and a group of belly dancers wearing animal masks.

Main dancer, Zoe Jakes, decked in an embellished belly dancer costume and jeweled head-piece, channeled famed dancer, Badia Masabni, born in Lebanon around 1892, to begin a series of differently-themed routines that included a burlesque number with over-sized green feathers.

Things, as it were, got weird later during a dance number in which several dancers dressed in Tron-like LED costumes with cheerleader pom poms and black kabuki masks. It was as if high cheerleaders had been sent 2,000 years in the future to perform the halftime show of some science fiction tribal fertility rite under the eerie, blue glow of a black-lit, post-apocalyptic universe. Near the shows end both night, members of Beats Antique called an audience member on stage to help battle a towering one-eyed inflatable monster.

Weird? Yes. Wacky? You bet. But all of it was wild and wonderful.

November 10, 2015