Shows This Weekend

A month ago, I woke up after attending the Full Moon Festival and told my wife it was like a mini-Coachella. This in my mind wasn’t an exaggeration. As a 15 year veteran of the Indio, CA festival, I know a little something about it. My wife, who is a 10-year veteran, was very skeptical as you probably are now. But I’m serious, the feeling and vibes induced at the Full Moon Festival are very similar to what I’ve felt at Coachella.

First, it’s not that it matches the scale or scope or musical offerings Coachella has. From what I saw and heard, you got EDM and hip hop at the Full Moon festival - dope EDM and Hip Hop. The outdoor stage had DJs playing all night in front of a 2 story tall scaffolding being used to create a mural. Aesthetically, the setup made the small table with DJ equipment in front of a dance area look dope. The hip hop and beat maker stage inside a emptied house was tucked into a small side room of a living room. The space was small. I like small spaces because it forces people to huddle together. The result is a much more energetic audience. When people literally right next to you are dancing, it is difficult to remain still. The music on both stages was nonstop and went until early in the morning - around 4 or so.

The backyard of the house was massive. Set up around the festival was around 10 tents with people selling various items and offering services. I’m fairly positive I saw someone getting a tattoo but I may have been drunk with excitement and not seeing clear. A big yellow school bus was there. Inside the bus there were people chilling with music playing. I didn’t go in to see exactly what was going on but it looked like a nice place to kick it. Behind the bus was a 15 foot high teepee big enough for 15 people or so. Inside people sat on soft plush pillows and listened to someone play calming, chill music. And then there was a bounce house giving off happy energy like a 6-year olds birthday party.

So how was it like Coachella, you still wonder. It was like Coachella because it had the festival vibes. There was so much going on. People were watching a show. People were walking around the vendor tents. People were chilling with their friends having a drink. People were chilling in the tent or in the bus. Any time I was in any one spot, I knew there were 10 other things I could be missing. At festivals, that is often times a frustrating feeling. Whether I was watching a show or chilling to have a drink talking with someone, I had to stop myself from wondering about those other exciting happenings and be confident I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment. Only a festival with a plethora of options could make me feel like there was somewhere else I needed to be.

And being at the Full Moon fest felt like the only place to be. The real world was no longer a concern or even thought about. The Full Moon fest, like a Coachella, felt like an escape. It was the type of environment where breaths of air free from worry and stress were taken. The only commitments were to having a good time. It didn’t feel somewhat dangerous like being at a typical house party would feel. There was to much good stuff to do. There were too many good people focused on having the time of their life to worry about anything else.

The next Full Moon Festival is Friday July 7th. The lineup includes Cruise & Loh, Slator Blacc, StoneyPie, and Benjamin Fly among other dope local artists.

If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then join us for a our monthly First Friday show called New Grand at Thirdspace. The environment there is more chill and like an episode of MTV’s Unplugged. We bring out a diverse selection of local talent. This month we have Cuzn’ It headlining. He’ll hopefully, fingers crossed perform tracks off his dope new release, Fly. The rapper/singer Emmitt Dupree, who can be soulful and kick raw raps, will be there. UPRHND’s Leel, who has dropped cut after cut after cut will be kicking off the night and will be followed by Br33zy the Kid, who raps like a young Meek Mill. Finally, the veteran duo of Fated are gonna rap faces off. I personally can’t wait to hear Hard, which might be the dopest trap song I’ve heard this year. Then OG Bobby Ne’Gro will be dropping gruff rhymes galore from First in Flight, his 2017 release produced by ATM.

Finally, the Return of the Lyrical Beat Down is something else I'm hoping to check this weekend. With so much good stuff going on, attend a show please. It just might save your life.