A Journey Through Boredomfest

Photo by AlarmDesigns Photography

Morning til well.. morning we experience the warmth provided from Boredomfest and it's attendants. The one day festival went above and beyond to exterminate negativity and stress among hundreds of others. Although some names didn't stand out at first, their talent did. With impressive sets from just about every performer, we can't wait to see what next year is to bring!

Our day started with a metal band that goes by SALIGIA. The energy behind this set was beyond belief and the crowd was sure to let that be known! The never ending load in revealed a 5 person band with 2 guitarist, a bassist, a drummer and a lead vocalist. After quickly organizing themselves, they were ready to go. Starting off with a mesmerizing guitar rift, there was no questioning the avid attention presented. As any following act would, A good friend known as ZACH scurried to put together a ground breaking performance to bring people back to stable ground.

While only some could bare the heat, we traveled to the main stage to see what we could find and turns out sexy pinatas are what's in. What at first appeared to be a metal structure, it was later discovered that this structure is wooden and very permeant! Providing the perfect summer day music was upcoming artist GDLK and the setting was perfect. Watching festival goers roll through the gate as early birds took in all there was to offer was surely a site to see. 

Heading back to the Ikonic Stage it was a nice change to hear some more relaxing music from the great list of bands provided. Once the Anarchrist Funk Brothers came to the stage, it was time for the vibes to set in! With a great flow of musical energy, these four were able to pack the barn with the echoes of the jazz sax.

Calvin Hobbes set was filled with tension and energy.  While it's hard to create a unique set, Calvin left the audience baffled with a bone chilling selection of songs and creative transitions that illuminated the farm.  His originals became overwhelmingly climactic as he laced them perfectly with complementary songs in this surprising set.  Every song was unexpected, yet welcomed with open arms by an audience that couldn't get enough.  

Photo by AlarmDesigns Photography

Being our first Run DMT show, it was time to release some built up energy. Jumping from song to song, the intensity rose with every change and the crowd made sure to make that known. It was pleasing to hear tracks come from all eras of his career as well as some to come. Most artists just blare the same tracks, but this set was personalized for the party goers of the night.

Stepping into the barn after his headlining set, Run DMT brought out his alter ego PPLPRSN and let me tell you.. Some of the tracks coming of out that set we're straight out of a spaceship. While looking forward to new music from both personas, they both sit in very different places. 

With another year in sight, we hope to be apart of everything Boredomfest! Although we wish we could have explored a few days longer, this one day festival was beyond belief and brought new aspects to camping festivals throughout the nation. We'd like to thank our friends at Forward Momentum Productions, Prolux Entertainment, Elderberry Farms & those we have yet to meet.   

See you next year Boredomfest :)

Boredomfest Michigan 2016 Official Aftermovie

Boredomfest Michigan 2016 OFFICIAL AFTERMOVIE We are all one big family. One big family of all the kids who never fit into a certain clique that loves and welcomes anyone to come join us <3 Thank you so much to everyone who played a role in the entire Boredomfest experience: Performers: RUN DMT / Siren / Calvin Hobbes / Crowd Cntrl / THE TRAP HOUSE / N0wACkATTaCK / M.O.B. / Noize Complaint / B-3PØ / D.j. Bighouse / Exxc!tement / GDLK / Massacremuzik / Jëvi / Tclyde / ALLisONE / Infalieve / Jsquared / Dj Uno / Red Dangit / PPLPRSN / NateInHD / Opal-Ite / IsMoon / Anarchist Funk Brothers / The Omniscient / Saligia / Sound Violation / 2nd Star on the Right / Ascentient / Unexotic / The Body Rockers Vendors: Eazy Eats / BajaGringo Taco Truck / A Tutu For You Tu / Nodugonoko / FlowerChild Revolution / Radd / Knee Deep in Glass / Henna Forte & Forte Face & Body Painting / Asiyeh's Hands of Henna / Boredomfighters Skateboards / Paint Brush Ashley Affiliates: Ravers Unite / Autumn Awesum / Andrew Kirschman Audio / Colby Event Services / Ikonic Sound / CHOFF Entertainment / Elderberry Farms Videography and editing by: Dimitri Sofias of 93 Productions Event photography, logo, and graphic design by: alarmdesigns.co Track ID: Siren - Revelation We are #boredomfighters. We are Forward Momentum Prod. Keep up with ForMo: @formopromoyo formoproductions.com #dancingisimportant #boredomfest #boredomfest2016 #bfest2016 #boredomfestmichigan #forwardmomentum #formo #dancingisimportanttour2016

Posted by Forward Momentum Prod. on Tuesday, May 31, 2016

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The Way Down Wanderers: Soaring to new highs while remembering their roots - 3/17/15 @ Peoria Pizza Works - Peoria, IL (Review)

A Review By: Kyle Sutton

While most of the country spent their St. Paddy’s Day slamming Jameson and killing brain cells with an Irish fury, a small group of us shared a very special night in Peoria, Ill. with The Way Down Wanderers, an up and coming Alt-folk/Americana group based out of Chicago.

The WDWs are a rising young band with roots in Peoria that have been on an absolute tear as of late. In 2014, they released their first E.P. “Path to Follow,” which catapulted them into extensive touring or wandering as they like to call it. As their following continues to increase rapidly, the band has gone from little known to now being a staple of the Illinois music scene in just a little over a year’s time.

It was around 9 p.m. when the five-piece band took the stage at Peoria Pizza Works – a small restaurant/bar that played homage to the band’s very first show back in 2013. The room, which could only hold maybe 90-100 people max, provided an extremely intimate setting for a hometown crowd. Opening with two songs off of the debut E.P., “The Robin” and “Path to Follow,” the band, which is made up Collin Krause (mandolin, fiddle, vocals), Ben Montalbano (banjo, vocals), Austin Thompson (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), John Williams (upright bass, vocals), and John Merikoski (drums), quickly set the mood for what would become a unforgettable evening.

As the set progressed, it became apparent to me that these guys really have something special going for them. Their sound is somewhat comparable to Mumford & Sons when it comes to their powerful vocal harmonies and high-energy instrumentation but there is also a sense of their own style which is much more homegrown and organic. Not only are they incredibly talented, they are also extremely humble, taking a moment several times during the show to thank their hometown for all the support and explain why they chose Pizza Works over a bigger venue.

Everyone in the band had a chance to show their talents throughout the set, whether it was Thompson’s vocals on “The Way I Love You Now,” or Montalbano’s banjo on “Your Will is a Wildflower.” Merikoski and Williams kept the beat and rhythm just right to keep everyone swaying and tapping their feet all night. And who could forget Krause’s awesome fiddle/mando presence on “Truth Son” and “Path to Follow.”

Their stage presence is sound and they really enjoyed talking and interacting with the crowd, which is a quality not all bands have. This was most apparent during the encore. After playing a bluegrass-influenced version of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” the band removed themselves from the amps and microphones to move forward to the middle of the crowd, playing an acoustic version of an old Christian hymn “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Getting the crowd involved in the song was a really cool way to end the show and solidified my thoughts about these guys.

Expect to hear a lot more from WDW in 2015. Montalbano said the band plans to record a live E.P., which will be released in May. He also said that the band would be getting back into the studio in July/August/September and hopes to have a full-length album released sometime around October.

When it comes to bands, I’ve seen a lot of them and judging whether a group will succeed is really difficult to be sure of but in this case…mark my words, The Way Down Wanderers are not only going to make a splash in the ocean that is the music scene, they are bringing the hurricane with them.

Website: http://thewaydownwanderers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waydownwanderers?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/waydownwanderer

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STS9 @ House of Blues Chicago - 3/5-7/2015 (Review)

Review & Photography By: Troy Manley

Sound Tribe Sector Nine, aka Sector Nine, aka Sound Tribe, aka STS9, aka one of the best touring bands at the moment. In January 2014 it was announced that David Murphy, a founding member of the band that had been with them for 15 years of face-melting, would be leaving the band due to personal and musical differences. It was unknown what was to come of the all mighty rocky gods of the Sound Tribe after this. Speculation was flying all over the place, until McDowell Mountain Music Festival. Once they hit the stage David Murphy's replacement was confirmed.

Who was it that was set to take hold of the reigns and lead a new era of funky get downs? None other than Alana Rocklin. This rock goddess came into the tribe and elevated them to a new level of cohesion and musical prowess. Her presence has been known since joining STS9. In Chicago it was no different.

While every night at this intimate venue in Chicago was filled with delicious sound bytes, there are always some all-stars in the group that stand out more than others. Some of my favorites from Thursday night were "Kabuki," "Breathe In," "The Rabble," and their stellar encore, "Satori" - which was last played on 2013.12.30 in Atlanta, GA, an awesome show in its own right. Friday night they treated the crowd with a "Kamuy," "Circus," and "Glogli" during the first set. Following up a killer first set, the tribe destroyed a version of "Ramone & Emiglio" that lasted for almost thirteen minutes. Not to mention the great "Abcees" to close out the 2nd set only to be followed by a "We'll Meet in Our Dreams" encore. Yea, Friday was pretty fun.

Saturday night started off pretty good with a "Shock Doctrine," "Monkey Music," "Golden Gate" combo right off the bat. Throw "Blu Mood" and "When the Dust Settles" in there and you've got yourself a hell of a setlist going. With so much for the 2nd set to live up they had to pull out the big guns to keep things going. The second set of Friday night opened up with a killer improv session followed by "Frequencies Peace 2 > 3." Somewhat controversially they whipped out "Awesome feat Cool Kids (STS9 Remix)." I liked this though because it's almost always followed by "The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature," which is a favorite of mine. To top it off they played a ten minute version of "Water Song" right after.

All in all it was a great weekend spent with great friends listening to great music surrounded by a ton of great people in a great venue in one of the greatest cities in the world. STS9 already has a good amount of festivals lined up for the summer, so chances are they're coming somewhere near you. Check out their tour dates: HERE.

All 3 shows are available for download on 1320 Records' website, just click the name of the day you want to check out: Thursday, Friday, & Saturday.

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The Floozies @ Magic Stick Detroit with Russ Liquid, Filibusta & Special Guest GRiZ (3-1-15) [Review]

Reviewed by Hippy Flipped

This past Sunday, The Magic Stick of Detroit had the pleasure of hosting two Kansas soul brothers, Mark (Drums) and Matt (Guitar and Production) Hill, more commonly known as The Floozies. Doors opened at 8pm and the music promptly began with Filibusta’s live band, which included Troy Probst, Max Pohlmann a.k.a Kaisah (Trumpet) and Mike Fitz a.k.a Goodness Gracious (Guitar). One of the first things that I noticed upon my arrival, was tons of people dancing, which I almost never see so close to doors opening at a show. Not just a handful here and there, but a full floor of dancing shoes the entire night! I went up to the super friendly bar staff to get a drink and met tons of good vibin’ people on their way into the venue. So much energy and love was in the air.

Filibusta kept the music flowing while the melodic harmonies of the horn and guitar danced over top of his grooves. As the set was nearing the end I began to hear excited chatter amongst the crowd about Russ Liquid. This was my first time hearing any of Russ Liquid’s music and, after the set he played, I’m not sure how that is even possible! He had some of the saxiest feels and smoothest transitions I have ever heard, especially while continuously going back and forth between the controls and the horn; a most excellent execution. Russ Liquid connected with the crowd like separated friends at a music festival who reconnected hours later at the most bumpin’ set of the night. His energy never let up and he put the crowd in just the right place for The Floozies to take the stage.

The last time I saw The Floozies perform was during their funkalicious set at the Sherwood Stage of Electric Forest 2014, but hearing them in such an intimate setting was a whole new musical experience. Every note that they played was personal, every smile seemed aimed at you and every dance move that they busted was always right in step with the crowd. This show was one of the most connected shows I have been to.

Speaking of connections, towards the end of the evening The Floozies brought two folks consecutively to the stage. First, they brought back Russ Liquid and his horns to jam it out for a bit longer. The versatility of all of these musicians was definitely both an audibly and visually entertaining performance with Russ Liquid bouncing between saxophone and trumpet and Matt Hill bouncing between controls, guitar and bass. Once Russ Liquid had left the stage after a riveting encore performance, the moment that everyone in the crowd had been talking about happened… Home grown, Detroit favorite GRiZ took the stage with the first band to be signed to his label All Good Records (formerly Liberated Music), The Floozies. The feet seemed to pound harder than the subwoofers as the crowd roared with praise! If you can imagine George Clinton mixed with Prince mixed with the sweet sound of sizzling bacon, that is how magnificent this sound was. That Purple Rain mash-up was particularly dank.

After a long night of grooving, the once strange crowd fizzled out with five times as many friends as they walked in with. I left with new mates, tired feet, a smiling face and a camera full of memories. I would like to thank The Floozies for having me out to cover such a wonderful event. Kaisah’s manager AudisBliss was nice enough to invite me on stage to grab some snaps during the Filibusta set, so a big thanks to him as well. It’s always soul warming to attend such a positively energized show when it’s so cold in the D. You can catch The Floozies March 4 at Cosmic Charlie’s in Lexington, KY next!

For more festival and event coverage “Like” and “Follow” Hippy Flipped on the following pages:

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Doctor P with Mayhem and Fury @ Beta Nightclub (1-2-15) [Review]

Review By: Justin D'Amico


Friday night was a big one at Beta Nightclub with a killer line-up showcasing three popular electronic producers. Each of them perform a different genre making for a superb variety. Fury representing the Denver area strong with his fast paced drum and bass beats, Mayhem with the illest trap bangers, and Doctor P the dubstep mastermind and co-founder of Circus Records. Beta Nightclub is known for bringing huge names together and Friday was no exception, the place was bouncing all night.

Beta Nightclub is a world renowned venue having been mentioned as one of the best clubs in the country by multiple outlets. It has a capacity of about 950 people and almost every weekend it's sold out. The club is set up with a main floor surrounded by private bottle service areas and a special VIP booth located right beside the DJ booth. Upstairs the balcony surrounds the dance floor with one side for standing room and the other with more private VIP booths. Also a separate room with a second stage is always bumping house music upstairs. The rear of the balcony also has an elevated VIP lounge spot right above the bar. One thing that I love about Beta Nightclub is how they can cool the whole place down with a huge co2 cloud that completely whites out the room. When it gets too hot they shoot out a massive spray of carbon dioxide, it's an exciting and refreshing way to quickly chill out the room.

Fury got things going with a two hour set kicking out the drum and bass jams. He started off with more chill and simple beats, but by the end of his set he had the place fired up. Fury is a Denver junglist with a keen ear for the best drum and bass music. Having Fury set the tone was a perfect way to get the night going.

Next up was Atlanta's own Mayhem, one of the best in the business at producing trap music. Mayhem turned up early in his set with hard hitting beats, and he went hard for the whole hour and a half. Later in the mix Mayhem brought out a friend to rap over the beat for a couple songs adding a little bonus flavor. I am usually very skeptical when it comes to trap producers, but Mayhem continues to amaze me. He is always mixing in new tracks I have never heard before, constantly morphing his set to include the latest and best new music.

Doctor P would close out the night with a naughty dubstep set including all the finest music in the genre. He dropped songs from Datsik, MUST DIE!, Flux Pavilion, and a number of his own bad ass tracks. Doctor P has a clever way of mixing live, he builds up one song while setting up another in his headphones, then right at the drop he switches it up. He rarely plays a song out to the second drop, where the second drop would usually go is exactly when he surprises you with a new one.

Doctor P created a live VIP version of his remix of the Scroobis Pip song "The Struggle" adding extra bass yawns and giving it a new feel using different sounds in the melody. At the end of his set Doctor P made a point to stop about 5 minutes early, this was perfectly planned to get the crowd screaming "One more song!" He knew exactly what he was doing, and he came back out with a perfect encore, "Flying Spaghetti Monster." Just an incredible set from one of the best producers in the industry.





Beta Nightclub is always a destination for big name producers to come and get it poppin off. If you are in the Denver area and haven't been to a show there then you are slacking. They have a massive sound system including four huge Function One speaker towers that pound out the bass proper. Tickets are never too pricey, typically 15-30$, and with some of the big names they bring in it's definitely worth it. Big ups to Fury, Mayhem, and Doctor P for all putting together sicko sets for the people to groove out to.

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Parade of Lasers @ City Hall in Denver, Colorado (12-20-14) [Review]

Review By:
Justin D'Amico


Crowdsurf Concerts came through huge again with the 2nd annual Parade of Lasers. This year the show was sold out before the doors even opened. Once again Parade of Lasers was held at City Hall in downtown Denver, Colorado.


The line-up was changed at the last minute, but it turned out to be just as hype with Kayzo filling in for Tincup. Going into this show I was not all that familiar with many of the artists, but after hearing their live sets I became a fan of each of them.

PawS got it popping with a nice trap flavor, dropping that grimey bass and snare music. PawS represents Denver, a.k.a. the glitch-hop Mecca, rather well. PawS has played at Beta, The Church, and Vinyl showing off his skills all over town. Next up was Decadon, and he went all out mixing into trap, dubstep, breakbeat, and more. His set was a lot of fun and he represents the more versatile side of Denver. Decadon would debut new music at Parade of Lasers, with a single he calls "Bury The Ratchet."

Kayzo was next and he slayed with a hybrid set. He blended tracks from a number of different sub-genres of electronic music keeping everyone on their toes. LooKas was a new name to me, but he was rather impressive. I noticed when researching LooKas that he is often pictured with a cloud of smoke coming out of his mouth. A perfect fit for the mile high city, and city in the clouds. It was also during the LooKas' set that the lasers started to really get warmed up. Going from simple single color patterns into more elaborate combinations.

For the second annual Parade of Lasers it was crucial to keep an impeccable high standard for lasers. So no one other than Laser Hands would do, and that's who they got. Formerly touring with Flux Pavilion, and behind the scenes at hundreds of huge shows, he is one of the most impressive laser technicians out there. There is no one else who can so eloquently make the lasers dance to the music, while at the same time keeping it interesting with a steady stream of new cues and sequences. There was no pre-programming done for Parade of Lasers, everything was done live with careful timing and a superior knowledge of the craft. Kudos to Laser Hands for another breathtaking live laser show. You can see Laser Hands' next performance on New Years Eve at the Colorado Convention Center for Decadence.

Sound Remedy would close out the night with a monster set. He started off with a more mellow glitch-hop feel, but after a while he got naughty mixing into a lot of different styles including some Zomboy, and more rowdy music. Sound Remedy did a good job with keeping his set unpredictable, each drop was a mystery and often very different from the previous. That's the type of set I really enjoy, having a full hour of trap or glitch-hop can get rather foreseeable and redundant.

Next year don't slack on this special Crowdsurf Concert, get tickets early before they sell out! The Parade of Lasers is a one of a kind visual experience, and a place for top notch producers to show off their skills. City Hall is a killer venue where a couple thousand friends can get together for the annual face melting. Big thanks to everyone who made this show so beautiful, especially Au Hai Hau the mastermind behind the extravagant themed events at Crowdsurf Concerts. Up next for the company is the very popular Trapfest in March, check out the website for early bird tickets. I hope to see you all next year at the 3rd annual Parade of Lasers.

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Gov't Mule - "Dark Side of the Mule" (Review)

Gov't Mule recently released their newest album, Dark Side of the Mule, which has been years-in-the-making. All the selections off this new LP were recorded live in Boston at The Orpheum Theatre on Halloween 2008. Including some of my favorite Pink Floyd selections like: "One of These Days," "Fearless," "Have a Cigar," and "Wish You Were Here," this album is surely not to disappoint the avid Pink Floyd fan. Mule maintains the feel the original track all while effortlessly infusing their well-known improv. style jams. The Mule is Kickin'. Once "Comfortably Numb" comes around, if you were impressed yet, this is the final stop on that negative train. They absolutely murder this song with shredding guitars and on point vocals. Overall this is a great effort I think most fans of Pink Floyd will appreciate, kudos to the guys of the band for this stellar performance. Streaming free through Spotify below.

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Light Blue Laboratory, Uncle Bob & Darko - Boston Local DJs Review

            If you ever find yourself in the greater Boston area and are looking to get your groove on, the Wonder Bar in Allston never seems to fail. It has been host to countless producers and DJs, both popular and local. This past week, I had the pleasure of heading down that way and seeing a few of Beantown's finest local DJs do their thing. If you haven't already noticed, some of the best music is spun in underground settings. I am never disappointed with the new, delicious beats that are thrown down by these dudes who seriously know their stuff, and it is always nice for the crowd and the performer to have a shared appreciation of great music at one of these shows. This show in particular was put on by Beandream Productions, a Boston nightlife event planner, which established the monthly dance party known as Binary that the Wonder Bar hosts for us Boston boogiers.
              Opening was a dude who went by Light Blue Laboratory. After the initial confusion in attempting to get his name correct (Blue Light Factory?"), I took a seat by the bar to get a better listen. At this point in the night, it was too early for a lot of people to be there, but there were still a few bobbing their heads and getting into his set. It was super chill and melodic, with a future, dreamlike flow and cloud rap influence. He impressively mixed in a nice heavy bass with some slow dub in and out of the set as well. Clams Casino's "I'm God" was one of the last songs he chose, so that right there was the cherry on top of a Light Blue cake.
              Next was another popular Boston local Uncle Bob, who is definitely not your average uncle. As more people came through the door to join in on the Binary experience, Uncle Bob was just revving up. He began his set with bassline house, which was a refreshing surprise. But what got people going was his clean transition into trap, which just never fails to get old for me, if done right, which Uncle Bob certainly did. As I've said, the best music is found in the underground. You will rarely, and most likely never, be hearing "Love Sosa" at a local show. Uncle Bob did, however, screw around with my emotions (in the best way) by integrating such a diverse array of genres, (bassline house, electro house, trap, heavy dub, liquid dub) that never sounded forced or unnatural, which can be hard to come by and is pretty impressive. To sum up, Uncle Bob was the catalyst in transforming the Wonder Bar that night into a seriously wild party.
                 By the time Darko, the headliner, came on the 1's and 2's, the crowd was sweating and dancing with amazing and positive energy. And to out it bluntly, Darko was nastier and tighter than you're grandmother's vagina, integrating heavy bass, deep house, trap and future dub. He wrapped up the night beautifully heavy, having the crowd going absolutely crazy. Darko not only DJs but produces as well. You can check out his new deep house tune "Deep Dish" here, along with Uncle Bob's "Electric Blue Peggy Sue" mix.
                  These local guys are doing big things in small places, proving that Beantown knows good music and that the underground scene is still alive and kickin'.

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mikeyDUBS feat. DANWAK - "Fandango" - Song Of The Day - 12/8/2014 [Free Download]

With electronic music on a constant rise, it's about time other artists start taking advantage of this within their genre of music. Today's song of the day comes from an up and coming rapper from Chicago, mikeyDUBS alongside his partner in crime DANWAK(formerly known as Jordan Harrison Spiwak). This song is the first single off of his most recent mix tape, Normal. For those who dabble in the realm of "EDM", much like myself, then you might notice that catchy sample playing in the background. It is also what instantly draws my attention towards this song. For those unaware, the sample comes from "Booyah" by Showtek and is one of the hottest electronic music songs that can still be heard across festivals today. On top of that "Fandango" has one of the catchiest hooks that will have you singing along after you hear it the first time. While there's only so much I can say to give this song of the day justice, I would like to direct you to the video below. 

And if you liked that you can even check out a blooper video here. Be sure to follow mikeyDUBS on soundcloud for his newest releases, FOR FREE.

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Tipper - "Dreamsters" - Song of the Day - 12/7/14

Dave Tipper is a genius. Today's song of the day is off his 2014 release, Forward Escape. If this album isn't on the radar yet, you really need to reconsider what you're doing with your life. Arguably one of the best electronic albums of the year, this effort is set to impress through it's entirety. Pick it up from his bandcamp page and support his vision. :)

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Tycho - "Awake World Tour" (Review)

Tycho in Bologna, Italy

A Review By: Troy Manley

Tycho, an ambient instrumental outfit based out of San Francisco, started as the brainchild of Scott Hansen. With a number of albums under his belt - Sunrise Projector (2004) and Past in Prologue (2006) - Scott released his third wildly successful album, Dive, in 2011 with the help of guitarist, Zac Brown. Scott and Zac began touring as a live band with backing from Rory O'Connor on Drums and Joe Davancens on bass guitar, keyboards, and synthesizers. (Check out Rory's side-project, Nitemoves) During live performances, Scott utilizes synthesizers, and rocks out on the guitar and bass, all while managing the visual programming of the performance; with Zac rounding things out on bass guitar and electric guitar.

Tycho in Hamburg, Germany

While performing, all the guitars are played live by either Scott or Zac, and the bass is also played live with the exception of the song Hours. Drums are played live by Rory, and the lead synths are also produced live on stage. Often times, Scott triggers samples with foot pedals while rocking out on his guitar. At every show they strive to maintain the intricate balance between the fluidity of a live show and loyalty to the sound of the album.

 In 2014, Tycho released their 4th full length album, Awake, and went on a world tour to support it, playing 33 shows in 13 countries. Lucky enough to catch 3 of those shows in 3 different countries - Hamburg, Germany; Warsaw, Poland; and Bologna, Italy - Tycho has solidified themselves on my list of top groups currently touring. Working their way through some of their best stuff, they casually busted out Adrift, Apogee, L, Dye, Hours, See, Elegy, Past is Prologue, PBS, A Walk, and Spectre before calling it a night and heading off stage. After the roaring crowds convinced them to return, Scott came up alone and played a bass heavy remix of Awake by Com Truise - included below - before the rest of the gang would rejoin him onstage and nonchalantly go flawlessly into the original cut of the track. They would then finish up the encore with a favorite off their newest album, Montana. 

Tycho in Warsaw, Poland

The crowd at all three shows were very receptive to what these guys were doing on stage, and rightfully so. They played with precision and tact every time while maintaining a high level of energy (well, as high as you can while playing ambient downtempo music) and did an awesome job switching up the flow of the tracks to keep the crowds engaged. After seeing these guys 5 times total - Red Rocks 2013 w/STS9 & Electric Forest 2014 being the 2 other shows - it's easy to say that anytime these guys come around again, a certain someone will be in attendance.


If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and check out their newest album - included below - and if you dig it, support the band by picking it up HERE and going to a show when they come near you. All in all, I give this tour an A++ rating. 10/10, would attend again.

Check out a video of "See" from their show in Hamburg, Germany below.

Here's the remix mentioned earlier.

Here's their newest album, Awake.

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Jantsen & Dirt Monkey @ Mac's Bar In East Lansing, MI (10/19/14) [Review]

Things got a bit nutty at Mac's Bar this past Sunday! With news of the Bounce City Tour stopping in town, I wouldn't have expected it any other way. A killer lineup of artists I had never seen before continuously swept me off my feet with their unique ways of presenting some of their favorite tracks.  Fusion Shows - Based out of Michigan - seems to have developed a good idea for what artists people are wanting to see in these parts.

While this was my first show at Mac's Bar, I was very surprised by it's atmosphere. I wouldn't say it wasn't what I expected, but it had defined itself as a place of it's own. Providing myself, as well as the rest of the crowd, a very personal set from the artists.

Although I was unable to make it in time to catch The Bass Choir, I hope to catch them sometime soon in the area. As I walked in, the duo ANVBiS were setting up and ready to give us a show! Blasting us with their trap and bass music, the crowd was quick to catch on. Backed with a decent light show setup, it was a great way to start the night off.

Midway through their set Jantsen and Dirt Monkey showed up! I spotted Jantsen right away and introduced myself. Not knowing Dirt Monkey was standing right beside him, He introduced himself. The shaved head through me off for sure! 

For those of you unaware of Jantsen, What are you waiting for? The veteran electronic artist clears paths others didn't know existed, yet remains unheard by the ears of so many. With his one of a kind sounds and style, there's no telling what you might get when you cross his path! Coming out of Boulder, Colorado, he continues to spread his music worldwide. After hearing about the recent collaborations with Bassnectar, it makes me wonder what is next?

Keep an eye out for LOCOJA. A newly announced side project created by Jantsen as well as Lorin himself. I asked Jantsen, "What is to come?" and he dropped Bassnectar's name. There could be a possible album coming from the two! When it will be released is still in up the air, but planning seems to have begun.



Dirt Monkey has built a strong very fan base! He has branched off from Sub.Mission and now he is building his own label Kairos Audio. Expressing his expansive combination of sounds, he made it look easy to put together. With my eyes glued, I noticed his style of mixing stands alone. Creating new sounds with songs already created by fusing them together at different speeds and times. I later noticed a stack of Dirt Monkey stickers that needed some love! Passing them out and tatting up the already decently inked venue with pink and black stickers was a job well fit.

Upon realization that the end was near, the crowd stood together expecting only a couple more tracks. Song after song we continued to jam out without hesitation for another half hour! With an energy level that couldn't be diminished, the two artists kept going at it! Including Dirt Monkey's "Tap Ho" remix as well as an unreleased Bassnectar track, it was safe to say they saved some of the best for last. All in all the show was awesome and a night to be remembered. I can't wait for them to return in early 2015! :)

Check out the Bounce City Tour feat. Jantsen and Dirt Monkey in a city near you.  

Remaining dates below:

10/24 - Boston, MA - Wonder Bar

10/25 - Philadelphia, PA - The Draught Horse

10/26 - New York, NY - The Studio @ Webster Hall

11/6 - Denver, CO - Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom

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Flux Pavilion, with Juicy J, Paper Diamond, Ookay, and Fox Stevenson @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre (9-12-14) [Review]

Review By: Justin D'Amico


If you weren't at Red Rocks Amphitheatre last Friday you missed one of the best shows in recent memory. The line up included a smorgasbord of talent - Fox Stevenson, Ookay, Paper Diamond, Juicy J, and the incomparable Flux Pavilion. All at the one of a kind Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where the wubs are extra wubby bouncing off of the massive rock walls! It was an incredible night.

I knew Fox Stevenson was going to get the honor of opening the show, so I made a point to arrive as early as I could make it to Red Rocks. There was no way I was going to miss Fox Stevenson's performance. The rest of the people also had this realization to arrive early and for the opening set nearly half of the amphitheatre was already full. I didn't know what to expect for a Fox Stevenson performance, having never seen him perform before and with a lot of his music involving his own vocals. Would he sing live, and DJ? For what I saw of this performance he did not sing, but who knows? Maybe he will incorporate singing into his live performances in the future on stage, because he is absolutely amazing in the studio as a vocalist.

Ookay would tag in next on the decks runnin' the trap and keeping it purple as fuck. His set was fresh with some trap remixes and dope hip-hop bangers. By the time Ookay went on the place was packed, the show didn't officially sell out but it must have been very close. No one was slacking off out in the parking lots, it was all business, bumping music off the rocks business.

This was my third time seeing Paper Diamond live, and he is always awesome. Every time I see him he mixes into a song that gets stuck in my head for days. Last time I figured out it was Protohype's "Jelly Roll." Also watching how Paper Diamond mixes his sets is interesting too. He uses a tablet as a mixer, and for a number of other sick bleeps and bloops.

Juicy J was a curve ball in the line up, a straight up old school rap legend in the middle of a rave. He brought a full band with him and they went hard as fuck. Juicy J took us back through time highlighting all the huge songs he has been a part of over the last 20 years. It was pretty cool to go on the trip back into the past with the Three 6 Mafia stuff and all the way up to now with his award winning "Dark Horse" featuring Katy Perry. The set concluded with Juicy J taunting the crowd with a gold chain that he got from Wiz Khalifa. Juicy J was acting like he was going to throw the chain into the crowd. It's probably a good thing he didn't actually do it, but nevertheless it made for a cliffhanger ending to an awesome set.

The crowd pushed together hard and the lights went dim for the entrance of Flux Pavilion. Then boosh! Graphics glowed a giant FP and the people raised their fingers to represent the dub-step mastermind. Always a showman, Flux Pavilion is brilliant in constructing a set. He slowly builds it up and drops the most astounding sounds, probably the illest ever bounced off of the red rocks. There were a number of moments during the set where I was overwhelmed with happiness. One notable moment like this was during the song "Daydreamer" featuring the vocals of Example. The whole crowd sang along, it gave me a chill, so much love in the air. The lyrics are also very inspiring, it was a surreal unifying theme and a great feeling to be amongst so many friends.

Above we see the famous Flux Pavilion smirk, by far my favorite photograph captured at the show. This was taken as Flux Pavilion came back on for an encore where he dropped his superb remix of the DJ Fresh song "Gold Dust." The crowd went insane and some who had headed for the exits came running back to dance to one last song. Like I said, the guy is a true showman, it's always a pleasure to observe his genius.

I will never miss a Flux Pavilion show, he is too good to not see perform live. I want to always be on top of the best new music, and Flux Pavilion has either created it, or he will incorporate it into his set, therefore it's vital to see him perform whenever he comes through town. Big ups to everyone who made this such a memorable night. Especially the artists - Fox Stevenson, Ookay, Paper Diamond, Juicy J, and Flux Pavilion. Red Rocks Amphitheatre is quickly becoming my favorite place for concerts. It very well may be one of the best places to be on the planet. If you have never been there, go peep it for yourself, concert season is almost over!

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Arise Music Festival @ Sunrise Ranch (Review) [8/8/14 - 8/10/14]

Review By: Justin D'Amico

This past weekend was the 2nd annual Arise Music Festival in Loveland, Colorado. The event is held at the stunningly beautiful Sunrise Ranch. The weekend was full of love and spirituality, along with a strong message to keep Mother Earth healthy. The line-up brought together a huge variety of awesome musicians on four stages. Arise Music Festival was full of once in a lifetime musical moments, workshops, and presentations.

Sunrise Ranch is located just a bit west of downtown Loveland in a serine valley. On each side of the ranch there are rocky top mountains and a deep blue lake to the south. Sunrise Ranch was decorated with a number of artistically painted totems, often with abstract faces. The sights were intense just with the natural beauty of the valley alone, but especially on the final night as the super moon illuminated the entire night sky. The Sunrise Ranch was one of the most captivating places I have ever visited in my life.

The theme for Arise Festival is to continue on a path to purity and enlightenment. After one has awakened they must then arise and move forward with the day. There were messages of unity, and a goal of achieving a one consciousness, where all people know the truth - building a sustainable place for subsequent generations to thrive. This is why it is so important to get together with friends and family to plan how we can make the Earth even better for ages to come.

Breathtaking art was all around Sunrise Ranch, some of which was created live. The setting and the music inspired a massive array of creativity. Along with certain performances; aerialists, and fire dancers choreographed routines to enhance the show. The Arise Music Festival artists, aerialists, and fire dancers were instrumental making an amazing visual display everywhere you could wander at Sunrise Ranch.  


A strong statement for keeping the Earth clean and pure came in the form of a documentary by Josh Fox, called "Gasland." Josh Fox was at Arise Music Festival spreading knowledge about the dangers of fracking, and also to perform with Peter Yarrow, Bethany Yarrow, and Rufus Cappadocia. The anti-fracking movement stands on a simple platform, they want hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas to stop now. Acquiring these fuels using hydraulic fracturing is damaging important natural resources. Many would argue that hydraulic fracturing is contaminating the natural fresh water supplies found in underground aquifers. The only beneficiary to using these techniques is the big oil companies who profit from the sale of fuels. Fracking is a major topic in Colorado right now, recently a massive grassroots campaign was shot down by state representatives. Three hundred-thousand signatures of residents asking to stop fracking were thrown away by Governor Hickenlooper, and activists like Josh Fox and Peter Yarrow are making it known.

At Arise Music Festival there were many activities going on other than the musical performances. There was a tent dedicated to yoga, a number of workshops, an elder village, a children's village, presentations, and film screenings all throughout each day. Yoga sessions were usually done in the morning to help attendees awaken with a good stretch, and at night the yoga tent served as a fifth stage for special performances.



Favorite Performances at Arise Music Festival


Peter Yarrow

On Sunday night Peter Yarrow, along with his daughter, Bethany Yarrow, Rufus Cappadocia, and Josh Fox brought us back to our roots playing some vintage Peter, Paul and Mary songs. The performance was preceded by a special sound check conducted by Peter Yarrow. He made a point to go to each microphone and he instructed the sound engineer to do exactly what needed to be done to get a proper level. The crowd loved it, they cheered loudly as the sound check was completed. The first song they would play was "Blowing in the Wind" and it was so beautiful I was in tears. They would also perform "This Land is Your Land," and again it was absolutely moving. The scope and the message of the music was so overwhelming and wonderful I can't even properly describe the magical moment.


Galactic with Chali 2na

For this special performance at Arise Music Festival, Galactic came together with one of the most recognizable voices in hip-hop Chali 2na of the band Jurassic 5. They went through a bunch of classic Jurassic 5 songs, and everyone including myself sang along with Chali 2na trying to sound as cool as he does rapping. Galactic kept it funky and light making the crowd feel comfortable dancing to the rhythm of their awesome music.



Unlimited Aspect

Unlimited Gravity and Project Aspect are two of the most talented producers in Denver, and together they really get it popping. Saturday night was intense and the best performance on the Souls Rising stage was without a doubt Unlimited Aspect. For their performance at Arise Music Festival they brought Steve Kuzma on drums and also had live saxophone in the mix for an extra bad ass show. When you see Unlimited Aspect be ready for a bunch of hard glitch hop drops and killer guitar riffs. I can't wait to see what's next from Unlimited Gravity and Project Aspect, they are always on the cutting edge of electronic music.


Late Night Radio

Late Night Radio is one of the many talented artists representing Super Best Records. He was one of only a few electronic artists that played on the B-Well Stage and not on the Souls Rising Stage. Late Night Radio did two short sets before and after Beats Antique and he ripped it up. For his second short set after Beats Antique he gave a big birthday shout out to Donnie of Krooked Drivers another awesome group on Super Best Records. Late Night Radio has a smooth funky hip hop style and he showed us all some of his finest beats at Arise Music Festival.


Skydyed

This was my first time seeing Skydyed and I was really impressed. It's a three man band made up of Max Doucette on guitar and DJ, Andrew Slattery on bass guitar, keyboards, and DJ, and Shane Eagen on drums. Skydyed plays the type of music I like to jam out to on my guitar. They are super funky with a sound sort of like early Incubus. They have a different formation than most bands, with both the guitarist and bassist doubling as DJs too. The drummer Shane Eagen is really good, he is able to pound out some banging beats with his own funk flavor. I was getting down to this set hard, I hope to see Skydyed again soon.

Events like Arise Music Festival are very important in shaping the future world. Yes, it is a big party and many people were indulging in psychedelics and whatnot, but the main thing that we must take away from Arise Music Festival is how we can all come together to get things done. Gathering brilliant minds to come up with positive solutions that will enhance the Earth for the next era, that's what it's all about. Let us all arise and share knowledge, let us all work as one and together we can accomplish anything. I would like to thank everyone who played a part in making the 2nd annual Arise Music Festival so perfect. I hope to be a part of the Arise Music Festival community for many years to come.

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