DJ SALINGER — a personal itinerary for Hopscotch 2014
Thursday:
The kick off night for Hopscotch is going to be incredible to say the least. To start with, the first highlight of the night will occur at Slim’s at 9:30 PM when Southport, NC’s own Museum Mouth takes the stage (or shall I say rocks the stage) with all of their wonderfully emotional songs off their latest album Alex I Am Nothing. Then from there, you will want to make sure to grab a portion of The Till’s set at Pour House Music Hall before making your way over to Deep South to catch my most anticipated performance of the evening by Reptar who are making their way to Raleigh from their hometown Athens, Georgia…which is coincidentally from the deep south.
Friday:
Alright, it’s already a given that all of Friday’s City Plaza’s shows will be a must see with Lonnie Walker starting at 5:45, St. Vincent at 6:50, and Spoon at 8:30 PM. Now the big question arises: Where do I go from here? Well let me just tell ya, I am really looking forward to starting the post City Plaza extravaganza with Raleigh’s own Ghostt Bllonde who will be playing at CAM Raleigh starting at 9:30 PM. After this set, I will definitely stop by to catch Loamlands at Lincoln Theater, then a little bit of the Nervous Ticks at The Hive before heading over to my most anticipated performance of Friday—Mapei. Coming all the way from Stockholm, Sweden, Mapei’s infectious songs are sure to be a must see at midnight in Tir Na Nog.
Saturday:
If I learned anything from last year’s festival, it’s that by the last night I am WORN OUT. Having a blast running around downtown Raleigh can really take a toll on one’s body, so come Saturday night I will be staying put in one spot to see all of my most anticipated performances for the evening; and that spot is the Fletcher Opera Theater. Starting out at 10:00 PM with the talented Asheville based folk singer Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, as part of the group Mountain Man, Alexandra’s beautiful vocals are surely not to be missed. The night only gets better with Chicago’s Ryley Walker taking the stage at 11:00 PM and then perhaps my most anticipated show of the whole festival, a solo performance by Phosphorescent at midnight. The level of intimacy Saturday night in the Fletcher Opera Theater will without a doubt be through the roof; and for that reason alone, overall, I am anticipating Saturday the most out of all the days.
I had high hopes for the Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival this past weekend, and it most definitely did not disappoint. Right from the get go, the music was solid. Starting off running with Modern Primitives on Friday afternoon, and ending with Dom Flemmons Sunday night, everyone’s musical pallets should have been whetted. From indie to bluegrass to electronic and nearly everything in between, Drumstrong definitely covered their bases with this lineup. The shortest setlist award goes to The Mantras, whose 30+ minute jam on Saturday definitely got the crowd’s interest. HRVRD’s creative use of looping and vocal effects was a crowd favorite on Friday night, and Railroad Earth blew the non-existent roof off the festival during their Saturday night headline slot. There were plenty of bands local to the triangle that showed up as well. Lost in the Trees, American Aquarium, Chatham County Line, and The Love Language just to name a few.
Not only was the music fantastic, but the artists and vendors had something to offer people of every taste. Including talented painters like Sarah Goodyear, and even handmade drum vendors, the amount and quality of local crafts was extremely high. Sponsorship from PBR and Starr Hill Brewery in addition to multiple food trucks from the Charlotte area meant that refreshments were of quality and in high supply. All of these elements, along with the pleasant location of Misty Meadows farm set a great backdrop to a great festival that offered much more than great music.
Then there was the drum circle. Starting off at about 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, a huge crowd gathered underneath the tent with drums, tambourines, cowbells, and five gallon buckets in hand. For the next 24 hours, everyone drummed non-stop while the entire event was broadcast worldwide. As people got tired, and as hands got blistered, people would switch off and take breaks. However, there were always a few people always willing to drum through the night, and into the early morning. Catching up on Sunday afternoon, we were able to witness the culmination of this year’s efforts, into an almost deafening roar of percussion as the clock counted down to zero. When the 24 hour mark was reached everyone stopped in unison, which left a strange silence after the constant pulse that had been present. I think that it’s safe to say that this year’s Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival was a big success, and here’s hoping to an even bigger weekend next year.
– Ben Goodson
The Main Stage at Drumstrong
I spent this past weekend at the Drumstrong Rhythm and Arts Festival. Upon arriving at the festival grounds, I was surprised at how big the stage setup was. There were huge banners in front of the speaker stacks, ample stage lights, and huge soundboards. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect music-wise, having only heard a few songs by the artists on the bill, but I heard a lot of good music that weekend. Here’s a rundown of some of my favorite acts that played.
Jesse Clasen of HRVRD
The first band that threw me for a loop was the Friday night headliner, HRVRD. They’re a Charlotte-based band that plays a darker style of indie rock and alludes to post-hardcore at times (thinking of Circa Survive). The bassist and drummer did a fantastic job of holding down the mood of their songs. Meanwhile, the lead guitarist laid down some gloomy-sounding chords. Awesome set from these guys.
Miami Dice throwing it down
Miami Dice is an electro-pop group that makes reference to the 80’s in both style and sound. They somewhat remind me of CFCF, a band I remember enjoying quite a lot in past years. Miami Dice’s slightly odd stage act is worth mentioning. They come fully equipped with blazers, Ray-bans, and backup dancers. They played a very danceable set on Friday night, and I’m interested in seeing what they’ll do in the future.
The Futurebirds
Futurebirds are a laid-back country rock band off of Fat Possum Records. Their extended song lengths give ample time for vibing out, and it’s hard for me to not imagine their practice space being a big barn somewhere in rural Georgia.
Dave Wilson of Chatham County Line
Chatham County Line are a renowned bluegrass outfit from the Triangle region. Their set Saturday did not disappoint, and it’s clear that they were some of the most skilled musicians at the whole festival. They just released their sixth album this week, entitled “Tightrope”, off of Yep Roc Records.
Joe Pug Trio
Joe Pug is a singer-songwriter currently based out of Austin, TX, and the guy knows his way around a folk song. The first song he played Sunday was “Hymn #35”, a contemplative tune that comes off like a riddle. From that moment I knew I was going to enjoy his set. His music has themes of vagrancy and regret, and his narrative lyric style is reminiscent of Bob Dylan. Pug has also stated literary influences of John Steinbeck and Walt Witman. Definitely check this guy out if you’re looking for some good folk.
I look forward to seeing what the guys over at Drumstrong have in store for next year!
Shakori Hills, a festival only 40 minutes away from Raleigh, located on a beautiful farm in the heart of the Piedmont, just outside Pittsboro, a region close enough to Jordan Lake and Durham but just outside the hectic commercial grasp of Cary.
The festival celebrates it’s geographic relevance. Americana, bluegrass, folk, blues, with some worldly music sprinkled in; Shakori hills is the music festival for any true North Carolinian.
I attended the festival with the best Shakori guide: WKNC’s DJCJ. Standing next to him at our tent I watched the other side, the unknown side of the signal become clear. North Carolinian’s of all genders, ages, races, and sizes would boast their loyalty to our station and many to CJ’s American Blues shift. These people listened to WKNC.
To watch the glowing faces of people talk to CJ and myself about Shakori gave me hope as a DJ. I was proud to watch Ben Sollee, Indigo girls, Del McCoury, and Morning Brigade with my fellow DJs: GRZA, Kataclysm, and CJDJ.
INITIAL 2014 HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP: SPOON, MASTODON, ST. VINCENT, AND MORE! 40+ BANDS WILL BE ADDED IN JUNE. TICKETS ON SALE NOW
“Hopscotch is now the premiere experimental and underground music festival in America.”—Ad Hoc
Hopscotch Music Festival, recently called “America’s (Secretly) Best Festival” and “the premiere experimental and underground festival in America,” celebrates its fifth anniversary in downtown Raleigh, N.C., this Sept. 4-6, 2014. The festival, noted for its diversity and selective programming, features nearly 160 bands in a wide range of genres. With today’s initial lineup announcement of 115 acts, Hopscotch reaffirms its commitment to showcasing North Carolina’s thriving scene alongside notable artists from around the world. For the fifth year in a row, approximately 40% of the festival’s artists hail from in-state—a figure few, if any, nationally recognized music events can claim. An additional 40 bands will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“While most of our bigger slots are programmed and now public, we chose to break up the lineup to limit information overload,” notes Hopscotch’s founding director, Greg Lowenhagen. “We’ve presented everyone at once in the past, and because the festival is still five months away, we thought it made sense to pull back and reveal artists in two stages. We hope this approach is more welcoming and makes the lineup easier to digest.”
Hopscotch 2014 will be highlighted by two nights in Raleigh City Plaza, the city’s most inviting downtown space. On Friday, Sept. 5, Spoon—prolific pop experimentalists and one of indie rock’s most commercially and critically acclaimed bands—will headline the festival’s main stage. Friday’s bill also features St. Vincent, creator of one of 2014’s best records and most captivating live shows. Lonnie Walker will open. On Saturday, Sept. 6, Mastodon—Atlanta’s perpetually evolving and consistently enthralling hard rock nonconformists—will top a bill with Detroit’s punk pioneers Death and local favorites Valient Thorr.
Some 150 other bands will perform in various clubs during Hopscotch’s three days. A sampler of these acts so far includes: Sun Kil Moon, High on Fire, Thurston Moore, Jamie xx, How To Dress Well, Tony Conrad, Deniro Farrar, Lunice, Power Trip, American Aquarium, Obnox, Lee Noble, The Haxan Cloak, White Lung, Palehound, Ava Luna, Reigning Sound, Sun Araw, Open Mike Eagle, Mapei, Phosphorescent playing solo, and one of former Ween frontman Aaron Freeman’s first performances with his new band FREEMAN.
This year, Hopscotch’s former day party coordinator, Nathan Price, was promoted to talent coordinator to help Lowenhagen book the festival. “My job was to maintain Hopscotch’s established identity and credibility while offering my take on what I thought would attract fans in 2014,” says Price. “We wanted to highlight artists—both established and emerging—who are making incredible music right now, while also presenting Hopscotch’s usual roster of unorthodox and less obvious festival choices. I think we’ve found that balance so far.”
INITIAL LINEUP IIII, 6 String Drag, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, American Aquarium, Artificial Brain, Author & Punisher, Axxa/Abbraxas, Ava Luna, Avers, Bedowyn, Blanko Basnet, Blursome, Body Games, Canine Heart Sounds, Coke Weed, Cousins, Dark Rooms, Davidians, Dead Gaze, Demon Eye, Deniro Farrar, Dent May, Diarrhea Planet, Drag Sounds, Death, Eagulls, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Enemy Waves, First Person Plural, FREEMAN, Free Clinic, GEMS, Ghostt Bllonde, Guerilla Toss, Helm, High On Fire, Holygrailers, How To Dress Well, Jacuzzi Boys, Jamie XX, Joe Scudda, KEN mode, Krill, Last Year’s Men, Landlady, Lee Noble, Loamlands, Lonnie Walker, Lunice, Mark McGuire, Marley Carroll, Mapei, Mastodon, Matt Kivel, Matt Northrup, Mas Ysa, Museum Mouth, Mutual Benefit, Nest Egg, New Music Raleigh Presents: Future Shock, Nik Turner’s Hawkwind, No Eyes, No Love, Obnox, Octopus Jones, Open Mike Eagle, Potty Mouth, Power Trip, Palehound, Paperhaus, Phosphorescent Solo, Prince Rama, Reigning Sound, Ryley Walker, Saint Rich, Screature, See Gulls, Soft Cat, Solar Halos, Spoon, Strange Faces, St. Vincent, SubRosa, Sun Araw, Sun Club, Sun Kil Moon, The Haxan Cloak, The Nervous Ticks, The Tills, The Range, The White Octave, Thurston Moore, Tony Conrad, T0W3RS, Valient Thorr, Virgins Family Band, Walin’ Storms, Well$, White Lung, White Laces, Wild Fur, Wing Dam, Winston Facials, Witch Mountain, Wowolfol, Y’ALL, Young Cardinals, YVETTE, Zack Mexico
TICKETS VIP and 3-Day passes are on sale now at www.hopscotchmusicfest.com/tickets. Each of these passes allows entry into all festival clubs and both City Plaza headlining shows.
In June, along with the release of the 2014 Hopscotch schedule, 1-Day passes will be made available. These passes will allow entry into every Hopscotch show on a specific day and will range from $65–$85.
Individual tickets for shows in Raleigh City Plaza will be made available soon. The Friday, Sept. 5, show featuring Spoon, St. Vincent, and Lonnie Walker costs $40. The Saturday, Sept. 6, show featuring Mastodon, Death, and Valient Thorr also costs $40.
IMPROVISER-IN-RESIDENCE Continuing a festival tradition established in 2012 with multifaceted drummer Chris Corsano and carried on by Japanese noise pioneer Merzbow in 2013, Thurston Moore will take over the role of Hopscotch’s Improviser-in-Residence. Moore’s volume of work—from his time in Glenn Branca’s ensemble to Sonic Youth’s legendary catalog to his collaborations with Mats Gustafsson, Jim O’Rourke, Nels Cline, and countless others—makes him one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his generation. No stranger to Hopscotch, Moore visited Raleigh with John Moloney last year to play a day party produced by Three Lobed Recordings and WXDU, and afterwards, they were joined by Merzbow for a special performance. Carrying the improvisational torch to this year’s festival, he will play a full set of his own on Thursday, Sept. 4, and join other bands onstage for impromptu appearances.
MORE TO COME In the coming months, Hopscotch will add 40 more bands to its official lineup. The festival will also bring a bevy of day parties to downtown Raleigh in September, as well as the second annual SiteWork art exhibition, a photography exhibit, and the inaugural Hopscotch Design Festival.
HOPSCOTCH DESIGN FESTIVAL Hopscotch Music Festival and New Kind, the Raleigh-based design and community-building firm, are thrilled to announce the inaugural Hopscotch Design Festival. The first event of its kind to emerge from an acclaimed music event, Hopscotch Design Festival will gather distinguished national talent and notable local contributors to share ideas and foster conversation about how design is shaping the future. Scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 3 and Thursday, Sept. 4, in various downtown Raleigh venues, Hopscotch Design features more than 25 sessions from presenters who work across the disciplines of graphic design, user experience design, urban planning, technology, architecture, music, food, film, and more. With interactive sessions, workshops, and parties, the two-day event will blend seamlessly into Hopscotch Music Festival beginning Thursday evening.
“Like most who know of its perfection, I’m almost afraid to gush too much at the risk of jinxing or ruining the best three days of music experiences one can be given. It’s SXSW without the stress, corporate overwhelming smack across the face, and dare I say Raleigh, NC becomes the most special town in the world for this one weekend.Perfectly curated with a blind ear to any buzz, specific genre, or anything else…Hopscotch Festival can turn the biggest music snob cynic into a carefree music lover once again. The word perfect is thrown around lightly all over the place (I misuse it all the time), but that’s the only word to describe this dream of a music festival…PERFECT.”—We Listen For You, Louisville
“Hopscotch Music Festival is one of the best and most eclectic music festivals in America.” —Spin
“In Raleigh Thursday through Saturday, it was all about an extraordinarily cool roster of bands. With streets cordoned off throughout the downtown area, thousands of people … wandered among ten participating music venues, creating a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere.” —Rolling Stone
“Hopscotch Music Festival is fast becoming Raleigh’s cultural center of gravity.” —Raleigh Public Record
Moogfest began back in 2004 as a way to honor the ingenuity of Dr. Robert Moog. The festival began in New York City and has since moved to Asheville where Moog spent the last 30 years of his life. The performing artists are all people who pioneer in their respective fields and have embodied the innovative spirit of Moog. In addition to the great music, the festival also offers panels, workshops, a film festival, art installations and much more.
Keeping in the spirit of innovation, Moogfest will also host it’s 4th Annual Moog Circuit Bending Challenge. So what is circuit bending? Circuit bending is the art of creating unique instruments by tinkering with various electronic devices such as keyboards, children’s toys, drum machines, and basically any other electrical device that generates some type of noise. It is a very experimental and chance-based art form that is the perfect hybrid between music and electronics that so perfectly embodies Moogfest.
Each year the festival receives lots of different entries from people of all walks of life. They select a few finalists who receive a pair of passes to the festival and the chance to showcase their work. This year, they received so many great submissions that they had to choose five finalists. The winners will be chosen on the last day of the festival and the top 3 finalists will win a Moog synth. To see the finalists, check out the YouTube playlist here.
The circuit bending challenge entrants are tasked with making an instrument that creates new and unique sounds through circuit bending with a total cost $70 or less. By confining the cost, Moog keeps the competition close to its humble beginnings while forcing entrants to create truly innovative instruments with limited resources. Be sure to check out the circuit bending finalists as well as all of the other amazing innovations at Moogfest!
There’s only 6 days to go before the Spring Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival kicks off and using excited to describe how I feel wouldn’t do my feelings justice. If you’ve never take the trip to Silk Hope for Shakori Hills, it’s hard to describe the atmosphere as it’s truly one of a kind. It’s a family festival yet the community of returning festival-goers that’s developed has grown deep roots, making it a tight knit festival that’s always welcoming new members in. The lineups the folks at Shakori book (in both spring and fall) bring together an eclectic mix of music from North Carolina and the world that fit together like a seamless coat of many colors. Many of the bands return festival after festival, such as Donna the Buffalo and Driftwood, while others are performing for the first time at Shakori like Rising Appalachia and Ben Sollee. Some of the other major acts of this spring’s festival include the Indigo Girls, the Del McCoury Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Baloji & L’Orchestra de la Katuba.
You’ll be sure to find a number of WKNC DJs out at Shakori Hills next weekend. We’ll have a table with the other non-profit booths; stop by to say hey and to check out the other non-profit tables! Along with plenty of music, Shakori Hills showcases a plethora of crafts, food, kids’ activities, and workshops in sustainability and music. More information is available at http://shakorihillsgrassroots.org/.
Tucked away in a little strip behindKrankie’s Coffee lies Reanimator, a self-proclaimed record, beer, book and game shop. But Reanimator is more than it claims to be. Founded in the fall of 2012, the small shop has quickly become one of the main hubs of the music scene in Winston-Salem.
Most days at Reanimator, you can find people out drinking on the front porch in folding chairs, playing the arcade machine, and perusing the various items that found a home in the store. The best comparison that comes to mind is the Island of Misfit Toys with their random collections of old and new records, books, nostalgia-inducing video games, t-shirts, custom skate decks, and many other odds and ends. While everything in the store may seem odd and disconnected, there is no doubt that all of these things belong at Reanimator.
Reanimator has served as the “Wristband City” ofPhuzz Phest the past couple years, welcoming both bands and participants of the festival to Winston-Salem. Within the past year, it has also started developing a name as an art gallery and intimate show space. This past weekend alone, the shop hosted 10 different day shows for Phuzz Phest. During this time, owner Shawn and Anthony could be seen running around helping bands set up and making sure everyone was happy. They brought out a keg and Anthony even wheeled out the grill and started cooking hot dogs for everyone as the bands played. In no time at all, people fell in love with Reanimator as it quickly became the official hangout of Phuzz Phest.
Now it seems that Reanimator has expanded past where they had ever dreamed it would be. With a simple message shown below, Reanimator asks for your help to be able to better support the thriving music scene in Winston-Salem and help foster a budding art community. Not even two years old yet, Reanimator has some big dreams of making the events of this past weekend at Phuzz Phest a reality all the time. If you are interested in contributing or learning more, you can check out their crowdfunding campaignhere.
“We’ve come a long way with no bank loans or investors but now we need your help to equip Reanimator to become the community space for live music, art and of course vinyl records that we know it can be. And after all, there’s nothing more punk than asking people for money. Thanks for your support!”
I didn’t know what to expect coming into this year’s Phuzz Phest. I had never spent much time in Winston-Salem and I had little to no idea of what the local music scene was like, but I was excited for the opportunity to explore it over the course of a music festival. Overall, I would say the festival was fairly successful, but I had my gripes.
Phuzz Phest utilized three venues for the festival: Krankie’s Coffee, The Garage, and Ziggy’s. Krankie’s and The Garage each appeared to have capacities hovering around 200-300, while Ziggy’s was at an astounding 1,000-person capacity, an incredible difference. This could have been really useful for the festival to put their larger names at but, instead, the decision making in that area seemed flimsy. Putting a band as large as Mount Moriah at The Garage irked many people because they weren’t able to get inside the over-packed venue. This was occurring on the same night that I saw Woodsman perform at Ziggy’s to a total crowd of around 25 people. Headliners White Fence, No Age, and The Love Language, all played at Krankie’s Coffee. I was simply left questioning these decisions. It also did not help that Krankie’s Coffee is a solid 15-minute walk from both The Garage and Ziggy’s, making it very difficult to transfer from show to show without missing anything. It was also difficult, as an out-of-towner, to stay all the way through Sunday night in Winston-Salem when Diarrhea Planet, the final band, didn’t start playing until 11:40 PM.
Despite my gripes, Phuzz Phest was a really fun time! The Tills, Body Games, T0W3RS, Mount Moriah, and Loamlands all put on amazing sets and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see them in addition to some great Winston-Salem acts. The day parties at Reanimator were a blast. Krankie’s: thank you for the delicious coffee that kept me alive throughout it all.
Final thought: Winston-Salem, you’re pretty cool. Just don’t try so hard to be Portland.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Phuzz Phest. It was incredible! I got to see a lot of my favorite acts, and there was not a set I didn’t enjoy. Here are a few standouts:
Loamlands played a bunch of material I hadn’t heard since the last time I saw them (February 14th for DBB11 Night 2). This new material has Will Hackney playing the most technically complicated parts I’ve seen from the band. There’s more grit everywhere, including on his acoustic guitar. Each note (both vocally and guitar-wise) from Kym Register feels more confident and deliberate. And of course, the four rotating members of the rhythm section are all some of the triangle’s best (Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and Nicolas Sanborn (Sylvan Esso, Megafaun) were in tonight, Terry Lonegan (Hiss Golden Messenger, Mount Moriah) and Brad Cook (Megafaun) have killed it on others). It has been amazing seeing their material grow from the first show they played together 363 days ago, and I see the band continually reaching into territory that no other local band, or any band for that matter, can claim.
Whatever Brains is another band I keep seeing, and after their performance on Sunday, that won’t change. It was very odd to see them in the context of Ziggy’s, which has the most massive stage of any rock club I’ve seen. Rich’s and Will’s vocals felt extremely high in the mix, which gave a very different quality compared to my usual experience of getting soaked up in droning noise. I’m really digging the two bass set up backed by Matt Northrup and Anthony of Winston Facials, Primovanhalen, and local “space” Reanimator. Check out their set on April 17th at Slim’s with the equally amazing Protomartyr.
Richmond’s Nervous Ticks was an extremely interesting find. Singer, percussionist, and noise wizard Liza Jane is spastic and loud, yet with a very amazing flow to her on-stage persona. Killa K beats a Floor Tom and Metal pale with an urgency that matches. And finally, Guitarist and frontman Chaz Tick plays with a harmoniously disorienting energy and speed that you have to check out.
I wrote about The Tills in anticipation of Phuzz Phest here, and their two sets met my expectations 100%.
Favorite set of the fest goes to Greensboro’s Drag Sounds. Drag Sounds have the perfect combination of all of my favorite things going on. The guitar parts are weavy, the bass lines fun, and the drums hit HARD. By the second song I was completely spaced out. Drag Sounds have an excess of good vibes. I can’t remember if this was taken during their set or the proceeding (and also great) band R. Father, but it pretty much sums it up. After that set, I think I mentioned to my friends that “Drag Sounds are great” something like 20 times. Note: their bandcamp releases do not represent what they sound like (yet). See this band live.
As absolutely incredible as my time at the festival was, I think it’s appropriate to mention my own personal feelings of what I’ve been seeing go on in the triangle these past few days. Without getting into details that have been arising through various social media outlets, I just want to say that I live for local music. Ever since I was a senior in high school in Durham, I’ve been going to as many shows as I can. I’ve made some of my best friends, had my best experiences, and met some of the best mentors I’ve had through the shows that many of you reading this have also attended. But all of these things should come second to our responsibility to make sure that the kind of content and events we all attend, promote, support and play so readily are safe for everyone. Do not be afraid to ask people for their support in this goal, do not be afraid to speak out if you feel uncomfortable, and do not be afraid to take a stance against things that might hurt others. It’s one thing to support only those musicians that don’t fall below your own personal threshold or intuition regarding the safety of people, but it’s much more important to actively assist in improving the quality of experiences through your own actions. What this means for me is that I will try to make sure that I am more diligent in making sure that the types of events I attend, talk about, play and get my friends to come to do not have the possibility of being hurtful to others. I’ll try to ask questions and seek responses when situations that feel uncomfortable to me do arise. And most importantly, I will try to make sure that you, whoever you are, know that I’m a person who has made the safety of people within our local music community a core value through my actions and words. We’ll all fuck up and make mistakes, but growing from those mistakes is how we will all actually keep this amazing community amazing for everyone. I also want to sincerely thank those that have come forward and shared their own views and actions including Aimée Argote, Ryan Martin, Philip Pledger, Kym Register, and many more.
My final thoughts on Phuzz Phest 2014 is a quality tip of the hat. Growing up from around the area, I never considered Winston-Salem to be the most hopping place in the triad. However, after experiencing Phuzz for the first time, I can rightfully say that I am impressed with the music scene and efforts that everyone is working towards in this old tobacco town. While there, it was not hard to believe that I was partaking in what could be the beginning stages of something similar to a SXSW. With places like Krankies Coffee, The Garage, Ziggy’s, Reanimator, and top quality restaurants, Winston-Salem is a hot spot that is full of potential.
Not only are wonderful things happening in Winston, but there is so much room for expansion. Be it abandoned warehouses, or the large piece of land that separates Krankies from the highway, I am eager to see the growth of Winston-Salem as a city and music scene over the next few years.
I should not dare forget to mention though that this year’s festival included top performers and was very well organized. One aspect that impressed me was how on schedule most of the acts seemed to be and how professional all the venues were run and organized. Additionally, Phuzz Phest provided a lot more events that were separate from just the lineup. With a coffee conference, brunch, and multiple day parties, Phuzz Phest was an unrelenting outlet of entertainment. Although I enjoyed all of the music acts that I came into contact with; I would say that at the end of the week it is the quality, growth, and potential of Phuzz Phest that ultimately puts the biggest smile on my face.
