Mamby Returns to Chicago for Beachside Blowout

View published article here.

It takes a certain bold brilliance to compile a collection of shining indie rockers, top Hip-Hop artists and an impressive collection of House and Techno DJ’s on a Southside Chicago beach. However, organizers of Mamby on the Beach seized an opportunity to create this completely unique experience. Now, in its 4^th year, Mamby continues to be one of the city’s most sought after boutique music festivals.

With such a saturation of festivals during the sunny seasons in Chi, Mamby has been able to set itself apart by offering consistently stacked musical talent in a fun and serene environment. Mamby on the Beach is also the only major sand-filled music fest offered on Chicago’s lakeshore. This late June beachside bonanza offers much more than just great tunes in the sun and sand. Here are 5 reasons why Mamby is a Midwest music festival must:

The VIP Perks

Mamby’s location on Oakwood Beach provides lush grassy fields and a clean sprawling beach for attendees to roam. Go VIP and enjoy an experience like no other Chicago festival offers: water access. While VIP ticket holders will enjoy the industry standard express entry, preferred viewing and private bars, VIP will also grant you a special section of Lake Michigan to splash around in next to the main stage. After jumping in a few waves, head over to a brand-new VIP-specific Mamby addition: A VIP tiki bar. This area will include one-of-a-kind, custom built tiki lounges with shade and a cocktail bar. A truly overall one of a kind VIP experience.

Diverse Headliners

Knowing how to set the tune to a perfect summer beachside weekend is somewhat of an art. Mamby has perfected this art while staying true to its musical formula year after year. First, they take one-part brilliant indie rock in the vein of Spoon, Grizzly Bear, Cold War Kids and St. Lucia. Second, they add one-part Hip-Hop flavor with Russ, Roy Wood$, and hometown hero Common. Lastly, a healthy serving of top names in bumping electronic are added. Techno superstars Richie Hawtin and Dixon accompany House heavy-hitters Duke Dumont and Jai Wolf among others in the Mixmag/Beatport Tent. Take those three parts and bake them under a Chicago sun-laden skyline and you will end up with a truly utopic weekend.

Beyond the Stage

Since breaking ground, Mamby has listened to its patrons and has continued to upgrade the event every year. As a result, Mamby has grown into a well-rounded festival with many fun activities outside of the sound stages. One example is that attendees can partake in a few matches of beach volleyball while waiting for their favorite artist. The annual mid-fest water balloon fight is another example and is certain to bring overwhelming hints of nostalgia. Mamby continues to broaden its range of art installations and wellness workshops since its fruition. Yoga, tarot card and palm readings, poetry slams, henna tattoos, and local food options are all included with your general admission pass. Get to the festival early to partake in some of these awesome additions.

Community Program

Mamby has always attempted to give back to the community and city that has given the them such quick and widespread success. In years past, Mamby has donated to various nonprofit organizations and other progressive missions. This year they take it one step further by adding a brand-new Community Village. This special portion of the grounds will be dedicated to showcasing talent from Young Chicago Authors and other surrounding neighborhoods. Just another reason why Mamby has continued to gain prevalent credibility and respect.

Local Talent Showcase

Chicago’s music community is mighty and has provided a plethora of young stars and prodigies in recent years. The amount of raw talent flowing from the busy city streets is undeniable. A hefty amount of local Rap and Hip-Hop will be represented this year with the unique lyricism of the Towkio, the relaxed avant-garde flow of Joseph Chilliams, the raunchy raps provided by Cupcakke and Chance the Rapper protégé, Kami of the Savemoney Crew. The Second City breeds much more than Hip-Hop lyricists. It has been known to create its share of singers and electronic up-and-comers. Don’t miss the soulful sounds of Jamila Woods and the widely respected gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds who will be providing a range of vocal feels. Behind the decks repping Chi-Town will be the young and tropical Whethan, Showyousuck, vinyl crate diggers Windy City Soul Club, and the dance club mainstay DJ Hyperactive. Mamby makes it a point every year to shine a light on the strong collection of local rappers, singers and musicians this Midwest mecca has to offer.

For those looking for a fresh type of festival look no further than Mamby on the Beach this year. This unique two-day event boasts a lineup that feels exceptionally attuned to some of the hottest stars, rising locals and good vibes prevalent today. Visit the Bronzeville neighborhood this June 23rd and 24th for a fun environment geared toward community and wellness. Kick up some sand, splash in some waves and experience something different this year at Mamby on the Beach.

Riot Fest Reaffirms Its Stand As Chicago’s Favorite Rock Festival

Riot Fest stomped its way through Chicago’s Douglas Park on September 15-17th and reaffirmed its stand as one of the country’s most original and sought after music festivals. Bringing Punk, Industrial, Rap and Rock heads together to mosh in one place at one time in a Carnival-style atmosphere with a skylined backdrop certainly made for a memorable experience. But with the festival bubble bursting and fly-by-night events here one year and disappearing the next, what makes Riot Fest a powerful, seemingly unbreakable force that continues to draw attendees worldwide for over a decade? This year’s event shined a light on what sets Riot Fest apart from the other wannabes:

The Punk Carnival

Walking around the sprawling festival grounds one could look in any direction and be surrounded by an abundance of leather or jean studded jackets, black knee high boots and wild hairstyles including some mohawks over a foot tall. Look through that and find some independently delicious food vendors including a Riot Feast food truck. Gaze to the other side of the greens and see an assortment of Carnival rides including a Ferris Wheel, the Zipper, Swings and some extreme varieties of the classic Tilt-A-Whirl.

Even if the rides, food and non-stop music from noon to night weren’t enough, Riot Fest added something a bit different to the lineup. Three times daily attendees could stroll under the small tent tucked in the corner for Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow. Here crowds were stunned all weekend by an assortment of acts including a magician who swallowed razor blades and a body modification artist who swung bowling balls suspended from his eyelids. Simply put, Riot Fest provided stimulation for inner youth nostalgia and underground attitudes alike.

Diversity and Nostalgia

Speaking of nostalgia, this year Riot Fest provided enough of it to give Generations X and Y musical wet dreams. Riot Fest compiled Warped Tour Alum such as A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong, New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, Paramore and Pennywise who provided high-energy sets and proved they’re still relevant while Golden Age Lollapalooza Headliners like Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Queens of the Stone Age and Wu-Tang Clan reminded everyone why they continue to be a huge influence on the underground music community.

As if grouping these diverse veterans of rap, rock and punk wasn’t enough, Riot Fest has been known to reunite bands that haven’t played, or even spoken to each other in years. Who could forget the epic reformation of the Original Misfits last year? This year the jaw-dropping reunions continued with the return of Chicago-based emo outfit Cap’n Jazz and underappreciated punk pioneers Jawbreaker, both of whom absolutely blew the audience away with electrifying sets. No other festival couples such sound diversity with deep musical roots quite like Riot Fest.

The Riot Community

Many of the bands listed on this year’s lineup have been around for decades. Some of the bands have been maturing in the scene together, often times having shared the stage in years past. Most draw influence from one another to this day. This fact was ever present and vocalized at this year’s festival. A number of musicians gave thanks and positive shout-outs to other bands playing throughout the weekend. This displayed a strong sense of appreciation and comradery one doesn’t often see at other events.

Whether it was the Mighty Mighty Bosstones taking a moment near the end of their set to give a shout to punk rock contemporaries Hot Water Music who played earlier that day, or a GWAR member coming out side-stage during an evening Pennywise set, or even legendary Reggae/Punk fusion outfit Bad Brains bringing Lamb of God vocalist, Randy Blythe, out to fill in on a few songs: it was clear the Riot Fest community was strong. This obvious respect shown among the artists ultimately heightened the crowds respect for the bands playing and the festival overall.

Despite having to cut back dates over the last couple years due to internal organizational issues but if Riot Fest can keep up this rocking recipe, there is no doubt the festival will continue to grow and be featured in more cities nationwide. For those who like their music raw with a splash of fun and a whole lot of history, Riot Fest is the perfect place. Looking forward to the wild surprises and epic talent Riot Fest has in store next year.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival Shined Brightly Under Arizona Sun

By Joshua Krol – View published article here.

During three sun-glazed days in late March, Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix was transformed from a little grassy knoll in the middle of a big city to a massive live production for an intentionally small festival.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival was held in Arizona’s capital city on March 28-30^th and featured a stacked lineup that included STS9, The Disco Biscuits, and many other musical acts who entertained thousands to raise money for local non-profits: Phoenix Children’s Hospital and UMOM New Day Center.

Ever since its conception eleven years ago, a main priority for the organizers was to deliver an eclectic mix of music with everything from folk, blues, to electronic that aimed to keep attendees of all ages satisfied, and this year was no different. A wide array of musical genres with no overlapping sets was played between its two stages.

These stages consisted of a large main stage and a smaller local stage that was only about a stone’s throw away from each other. They were separated by varying vendors that sold items like hula hoops, rocks and minerals, hand-made clothing, organic medicines and other festy gear.

The festival kicked off late Friday afternoon with local folk act Decker followed by the blues-rock outfit Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special. As the sun started to set, new-age funk favorites, Lettuce, started to raise the mellow crowd to their feet from their lawn chairs. The funk took a more electronic approach as Gramatik took the main stage next.

Gramatik is the first electronic producer featured on an MMMF lineup and certainly did not disappoint. He started out with his brand of old-school soul mixed with deep bass grooves and gradually moved toward his newer, dub-heavy arrangements. As an added bonus, Russ Liquid, who was scheduled to open for the Exmag after party later that night, joined Gramatik on stage for the whole set adding his own brand of trumpet infused wobble.

While some trotted over to the local stage to catch a quick set by the local band, Spafford, many stayed and inched closer to the main stage for what might have been the most talked about act leading up to this weekend for many in the festival scene.

Underneath a starlit sky, STS9 was due to take the stage for the first time since New Year’s Eve. Founding member and bass player, David Murphy, exited the band earlier this year leaving many fans wondering how the band would rebound. Suddenly, at about 9:30 the crowd started to cheer as the quintet walked on stage led by their new bass player Alana Rocklin.

The stage lights started to dim and their patented pyramid visualizer began to glow as the band wasted no time introducing their reformation. The first track was a brand new song appropriately named “New Dawn, New Day.” The grooves were tight, the sound was familiar and funky, and with that, Tribe 2.0 was off and running.

After whizzing through the DnB inspired new song, the opening chords of “Rent” were played which got the crowd to really move. Shifting from something familiar to something original is nothing new for STS9 and that held true as they broke into another new tune. “World Go Round” was an opportunity for Rocklin to showcase her skills as the lights illuminated green behind her for the low-end jam. Throbbing bass lines accompanied by a smacking snare, soaring synths sounds and an upstroke guitar line sounded like a brand of their old-school space-funk.

After STS9 got the new songs out of the way, they pushed on through a twelve song set with career spanning songs such as “Wiki Chikana” and “Circus” before closing the night off with the electronica filled favorite, “When the Dust Settles,” leaving those who stayed for the entire set in a sweat and with a smile.

Saturday saw more families come out for the community driven affair.  Walking in just before noon, people lined up in front of the small collection of food trucks. MMMF added more food vendors this year where you could find everything from turkey legs to gourmet grilled cheese. Sponsor Deschutes Brewery had craft beer stations scattered throughout the festival, providing a nice break from the overpriced domestic beer that you will find at most music festivals.

Between sets festival organizers would man the microphone to remind attendees that that all beer sales are for charity and to “drink for a good cause.” The festival also tried to take a more eco-friendly approach as they announced it would be aiming for a “Zero Trash Event” and pointed out numerous compost and recycle bins.

Most of the day was filled with folk sets from bands such as Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Jared and the Mill, and Carol Pacey and the Honey Shakers. There was even time slotted for a drum circle where the younger kids in attendance smiled as they banged on whatever object they could find as they kept rhythm with their parents and peers.

Fresh-faced R&B singer, Allen Stone brought a high energy and soulful set that brought a level of hotness of its own to the steamy Saturday afternoon. However, during the day, the festival took a chiller vibe where you would see most on-lookers relaxing in lounge chairs and beach balls flying frequently.

Dispatch took the stage at about 5 o clock to play their first Arizona show in over 15 years. Their assorted harmonies rang out over the park. They played popular tracks such as “Open Up,” “Passerby,” “The General” and “Flying Horses.” Near the end of the their set they got the crowd excited when they played covers of “Friend of the Devil” and “Mrs. Robinson” which had the whole festival singing along.

As the sun began to set, the packed crowd waited patiently for reggae/rock outfit Slightly Stoopid. Due to some sound check issues, the band was delayed for over a half hour. When they finally were able to play they made the most of their time ripping through as many songs as they could in the shortened set. The smooth reggae sound fit the hot southwestern atmosphere as more people began to fill in for the headlining act of the night.

Marc Brownstein led The Disco Biscuits on stage to close out the evening with a long set full of instrumental jams starting with the upbeat track “Strobelights.” The band continued that tempo throughout the set blasting through six additional songs including “Story,” “Shimmy” and a playful rendition of “Safety Dance” before closing out with fan favorite “Save the Robots.”

Yes, all of the songs The Disco Biscuits played that night started with the letter “S.” The band claims it happened on accident. While the Biscuits did not bring their patented army of lasers to the festival, their light production was the most impressive live aspect of the weekend.

By Sunday the crowd had thinned a bit but the music was still in full force. After a solid folk set by seasoned festival vets, “Donna the Buffalo,” the blues inspired hip-hop stylings of G. Love and Special Sauce came on next under the mild weathered late afternoon.

Coming out with a bright electric blue guitar hanging at his fingertips, G. Love and his band greeted the crowd. After plugging in, G. Love played his entire first album from start to finish. Much of the crowd sang along during the set as kids played ball through the dancing crowd. Near the end of his time, G. Love played his new single “Nothing Quite Like Home” before closeing with a stripped down cover of Cream’s “Strange Brew.”

While he initially seemed out of place on the festival lineup, country legend Dwight Yoakam proved to be a crowd favorite. Yoakam was dressed in all blue denim while his band was decked out in sequined cowboy suits. Yoakam offered up his outlaw country style into the Sunday sunset in what many locals considered the highlight of day.

Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite came out to close out the event. This supergroup duo won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album for their release “Get Up” which was released in 2013. With Harper’s powerful vocal range and Musslewhite’s legendary harmonica skills, this group really brought some raw blues power to the MMMF stage.

“Got the blues out tonight and I ain’t lying!” Harper yelled out mid-set to a roaring crowd. The duo played the award winning album in full before a solid version of “When the Levee Breaks.” A few bright white lights shined on stage after the band exited, setting the prelude for what would be an epic and intimate encore that ended the festival in style.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival was an all around wonderful experience. The size of the festival made the experience more comfortable and familiar. The fact that all proceeds went to charity was a nice touch. This year’s lineup was stellar and diverse. Whatever the reason for its success, one would have to agree with one ReyJing ticket holder who described his weekend as an “adventure of awesomeness.”