IF YOU HAVEN’T READ PART ONE CLICK HERE.
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ PART TWO CLICK HERE.
Part Three of Four.
Saturday: Day Three – Officially Day Two
“What fucking time is it? OH MY GOD!!! IT’S FUCKING 12:15. Fuck Jackie fuck!. I have to get to fuckin’ media tent I have an interview. I didn’t mean to sleep this late.”
I spend the next five minutes putting my clothes on to go out.
I rush…and I mean, ruussh like a madman over to the media tent. I meet up with Leigh…talk to him for just a quick minute…
“I’m here to meet the guys from Monkey C Interactive…have you seen them?” I ask.
“Yeah…they just left…” Leigh replies.
Fuuuuuuuuck…I’ve never missed an interview. “God dammit mother fucker!”I say to myself. Well…I take this time in the media tent to speak to couple of other media outlets, check some emails and get a few things taken care. A half an hour passes and I decide to head down to towards the Registroid Installment in an attempt to meet up with Scott to reschedule. Nada…he is not there, neither of them are here….“So unprofessional,” I say to myself. Fuck. Well…hopefully I run into them again…
I head back to the RV to talk with Jackie for a minute so we can map out our day. We bullshit with the Shenanigan Trio and thank them for letting us crash. We head back to camp.
Saturday 2:30 PM – Camp Smiley
It’s not raining anymore but it’s still a little over cast. At camp there are lot of people hanging out in the Onion enjoying each other’s company. Everybody’s having a good time. I opt not to shower today. Jackie and I get dressed and work our way back into the Illuminated Forest. On our way down Jackie stops to play the Registroid and I head down to the 7 Chakras art installation. I’m a pretty spiritual person who believes that life is energy and aligning the Chakras is a must from time to time. The installation exhibits a book that I can jaught down some thoughts. I Do. I say a little prayer and return back to Jackie rocking out on the Registriod. The rain starts again…a constant drizzle…not to bad.
Near the Groove Cube we run into Ash, Richard and their friend Dave (I think). Richard is a long haired ginger and stands a bit taller than me. His mentality and speech very hippie chill, he smiles a lot and says “right on” as we chat about music and other shit. Ash has dark hair and piercing blue green eyes with a face that is warm yet inquisitive. She is short, maybe 5’ 3” but kind of has that “I can hold my own” energy about her. Dave is pretty quiet and to be honest…he doesn’t say much. All three seem to really enjoy music and going to festivals, which makes sense to me as we are currently at a festival. We talk about it for a minute and exchange numbers with our new friends. Jackie and I plot our next move.
“I’m cold,” Jackie says.
That is the cue to head back to camp so she can put on additional layers. We head up the hill that puts us back to the top of the festival grounds. I’m left my phone and camera battery charging at the media tent so I head over there to retrieve them. Jackie heads back to camp. The media tent is located in the middle of the festival grounds near the food carts and opposite the Splash Pool Stage.
As I exit the media tent, Sacramento Hip Hop / Future Trap Duo Hippie Sabotage is throwing down a fairly ruckus set. The crowd is massive despite the chillier temperature but the sky has cleared up some and the sun is starting to shine. As their set ends there seems to be some commotion coming from the stage. I can’t make it out over the crowd chants. From what it looks like, one of the guys wants to jump from the stage but ends up throwing a microphone into the pool. Not cool. A fight breaks out…I head back to camp.
Personal side note after the fact: Hippie Sabotage threw down a pretty sick set. I will give them that. I will also state that I didn’t see the fight as it happened, but to me it’s crazy when stuff like fights happen at music festivals or events, especially when it involves an artist. A fight is so counter-productive to what this type of festival is about. I can assume what Hippie Sabotage did was part of their act…( I mean they have “Sabotage” in their name), but throwing an electrical device into a fuckin’ swimming pool full of people because their set is cut short? I’ll go ahead and call them out. Choking out security guards, getting in people’s faces, yelling “fuck you” into the microphone and endangering lives is probably a pretty quick way to end a career. I’m not one to talk trash, but after seeing the video these guys are dicks. But I don’t know them or what actually happened, I do know that no matter what, It probably could have had a better outcome.
Saturday 8:45 PM – Effin Stage
Jackie and I manage to make it out of camp and back to the grounds. The sun is gone beyond Mt. Hood and the night chill is setting in. Vancouver Canada based Ekali sends me reeling with the massive anthem trap sound he is known for…Jackie is not having it, but manages to let me listen to a few tunes of this talented young producer. In actuality, we are on our way to the WTF Stage to listen to Lido, so I don’t mind cutting Ekali a bit short.
Oh…What can I say about Lido?
Fuck Music…that’s a good start…not like, fuck his music…I’m saying, Lido makes music that makes you want to fuck…like…your girl…your guy…your homies girl…your boyfriend’s brother…animals…whatever you’re into. Lido makes straight up fuck music. Hip-hop, R&B, House, Electronic, Groove, Trip Hop…you name it. He is from Norway originally. A king of multiple genres with a gift of knowing how to blend them all together. His repertoire of music is interweaved with names like The Weeknd, Halsey, alt-j and Bastille.
Tonight, his music programming is effortless, yet precise…it’s as if each track he plays represents a child that is birthed from the same womb as the one before it, and then put up for adoption…As each child grows and matures, it learns to play a different genre of music. Then after years of searching for one another, the siblings are reunited on stage to play a concerto that delivers so many emotions that all you can do is…
Remember to breath…
There is so much more…Lido does all of this live. He plays the piano, he plays the drums, he programs the beats and sings…Yeah…he fucking sings…and raps. His voice is gold as he serenades the crowd and they love every second of it.
“He is fucking hot!” Jackie says smiling, while she bobs her head.
“Yeah, every chick here is probably soaking wet…and I don’t mean from the rain.” I reply half joking.
“I believe that’s probably true.” She says…
We both laugh…
I pull out my camera and let the shutter fly…“I’m glad I am able to see him live,” I think to myself.
He wraps his set with an ad-lib…watch and listen…
Perfect.
(Text sent.)
Alex 10:08 PM: Where R U
Jessica 10:12 PM: RV Regroup
Alex 10:17 PM: On our way
We convene with the Shenanigan Trio at the RV for a brief regroup and refuel. Seriously, these three ladies are non-stop with the outrageousness that is the 30 something female humor vocabulary. They joke and say shit that I could easily imagine coming out of the mouths of college fraternity dudes during a gang bang on Pornhub and it’s fucking hilarious and Jackie fits right in making the trio…a quartet.
For your pleasure, some words and phrases you may hear while enjoying some time with the Shenanigan Quartet. In no particular order.
- I lead with my vagina.
- Crotch berries – (Just so we are clear this is a fruit snack that has fallen into a lap, most often next to a vagina.)
- I’d fuck him until he doesn’t remember his name.
- He came so much, by the time he blew his last load his dick was like Pouuuugh! (Tutorial: In order to say the word “Pouuuugh!” correctly, one must start to say the word pussy, but drop the “ssy” and make the “u” sound a lot more airy. At the same time one must motion like there is a firecracker in their hand that explodes and is thrown away from the body at the same time. Example Below)
- I’m the Boat! (Hahaha, that’s for you Jessica.)
- Never Raw (This is said like “Never More” in The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe…Millennials, Look it up.)
So as you can see…they’re awesome and I love that I get to call them friends.
Saturday 10:30 PM – WTF Stage
Our crew works our way back to the WTF Stage about a song into Thievery Corporation’s set. I love Thievery Corporation, I listen to them at least twice a week, especially when I write, but tonight I just can’t get into their groove which I am honestly a little bummed about. It’s just too mellow for me right now and where I’m at mentally.
“Are you feeling this right now?” I ask the ladies.
“Well not really… I want to dance and this is not very dancey right now,” Jessica says in her very sarcastic yet, typical tone. Alexis, Amy and Jackie agree the statement so we head across the field to catch Australian Duo Hermitude.
I discovered Hermitude back in 2006 or so after the Rare Sightings EP release and then again more recently when I heard their remix for Flume in 2014. I’ve never heard them live until I saw them a couple months back while they were on tour with Keys and Krates. The venue they played at in Eugene was packed but, the sound during their set was off a bit and the high synth lines in their music was overpowering, so I couldn’t handle most of their set. My redemption is tonight. They lay down their hip-hop influenced sound of big drop beats, some would say they are future bass, I say whatever. A little trip hop, a little trap, a little house. Nothing is off limits. One of the things I find amusing tonight is when Luke Dubs (I think it’s Dubs) talks on the mic to hype the crowd, he speaks in his actual voice…It’s not the hand over the mic super low growl yelling, “Make some fucking noise.” It is an Australian accent normal in tone talking into the mic. I know you can hear it…say this in your best Australian Accent…”Alright now…everybody put your hands up…come on…put you hands up with me… and everybody shake your ass.” Yeah…now you hear it, if you didn’t before.
The Shenanigan Trio disappears or Jackie and I lose them…Doesn’t matter really, they are grown ups (I think?) they will be fine. Anyways, Jackie mentions that she wants to head back Thievery Corporation.
“Okay, meet me at the entrance gate at 12:15 AM, My phone is gonna die,” I tell her.
She splits off on her own, as soon as she leaves out of the darkness come the Shenanigan Trio.
Hermitude is finishes at 11:00 PM…”solid set”…I say to myself.
Lunice takes over at the Effin’ Stage and instantly I feel the mood change. The Montreal based producer cuts in with the dirtiest beats I’ve heard so far this weekend. He navigates the bleeps and bloops of his intelligent but grimey trap sound like a hot knife navigates through butter. He is just what I need right now…
“Where is Jackie?” Alexis asks.
“She went back to Thievery Corporation, she is gonna meet me after.” I tell her.
“Okay…cool,” Alexis says. Bass Face dance off ensues. Epic.
It’s 11:30 and I mention to Alexis that I want to head back to Thievery Corporation, She agrees and we get Jessica and Amy to follow. Thievery Corporation’s energy has most definitely picked up and they are jamming like they always do. I manage to take only one picture, my camera won’t focus…Fuck…I shut it down, lift my head and just listen…Amazeballs. I love Thievery Corporation.
Saturday 11:55 PM
I’m tripping on my camera…I power it back on and adjust a few settings. A couple test shots and I’m back up. Jessica, Alexis and Amy strike up a convo with a random guy, which is pretty usual for them. He introduces himself to me, I don’t pay attention to his name but I do snap some pictures. His face is painted and he is carrying a long foam sword which seems odd but it’s not…we crack a couple jokes, have a good laugh…nice guy, for sure.
(Text sent.)
Alex 12:05 PM: We are heading to the RV meet me…
My Phone dies.
The Shenanigan Trio and I head back to the RV to warm up. They mention making it just a quick stop before PhuturePrimitive at the Dragon Stage. I coordinate to meet them at G Jones at 1:30 AM. We are locked and set in stone. I head back to camp to add a layer.
Jackie is at camp (Thank…God), she is bundled into a ball shivering in our tent under a couple of small blankets. Our non-existent sleeping bags are in the RV…and it’s cold. I grab a couple more layers and lay down next to her. She tells me about meeting a guy in the Shinto-A-GoGo while drinking tea. The most epic part of this story is…of all the people she has meet this weekend, she finds the one person from just outside her home town…Typical Jackie…attracting energy.
It’s been a great day…and I’m gonna stay right here for the night…
Sorry, G Jones.
(Text received.)
Jessica 2:58 AM: Back at the RV?
Jessica 3:11 AM: ???
Jessica 3:48 AM: Yo.
