I was at an amazing music fest this past weekend... Amazing for a few reasons to say the least. First off, beautiful sunshine all weekend, while being staged on a river island. Uplifting in a way. The people present were of such a diverse demographic, all there to enjoy the beauty and the music. Food that was served was absolutely delicious, and the prices weren't complete rip offs unlike other festivals or concerts. And then of course, there was the music. I guess you can say it opened my eyes. I really didn't know what to expect, because I was unfamiliar with the majority of the acts that were there. However by the end of the weekend, I had purchased several CD's and grown to love, and appreciate, so many different genres of music that I can honestly say, I probably wouldn't have given a chance prior to this fest. A few mind blowers were The Decemberists... a very eerie sounding band that bring together sounds of classical music and opera to rock, if that makes any sense. Also Emily Wells - who reminded me somewhat of Kaki King in how she utilizes the loop. However in her case, she uses the violin, piano, and xylophone, among others, and crashes it together with a hip hop drum beat. Throw on her mesmerizing vocals, and you get a sound that just fits so well together. Even a Rastafarian poet from Jamaica was there to blow peoples minds! MutaBaruka touched on everything from issues with religion, to current day American consumption, and struggles of his youth. His poem called 'Dis Poem' was with out a doubt one of my favs that he performed from the weekend. Check it out here from his performance on Def Poetry Jam.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Weekend Music Fest
I was at an amazing music fest this past weekend... Amazing for a few reasons to say the least. First off, beautiful sunshine all weekend, while being staged on a river island. Uplifting in a way. The people present were of such a diverse demographic, all there to enjoy the beauty and the music. Food that was served was absolutely delicious, and the prices weren't complete rip offs unlike other festivals or concerts. And then of course, there was the music. I guess you can say it opened my eyes. I really didn't know what to expect, because I was unfamiliar with the majority of the acts that were there. However by the end of the weekend, I had purchased several CD's and grown to love, and appreciate, so many different genres of music that I can honestly say, I probably wouldn't have given a chance prior to this fest. A few mind blowers were The Decemberists... a very eerie sounding band that bring together sounds of classical music and opera to rock, if that makes any sense. Also Emily Wells - who reminded me somewhat of Kaki King in how she utilizes the loop. However in her case, she uses the violin, piano, and xylophone, among others, and crashes it together with a hip hop drum beat. Throw on her mesmerizing vocals, and you get a sound that just fits so well together. Even a Rastafarian poet from Jamaica was there to blow peoples minds! MutaBaruka touched on everything from issues with religion, to current day American consumption, and struggles of his youth. His poem called 'Dis Poem' was with out a doubt one of my favs that he performed from the weekend. Check it out here from his performance on Def Poetry Jam.