psychadelic pimp-daddy land

by

Blasting out of Kansas City early Friday morning on a non-stop 13.5 hour drive, I could barely contain my excitement at covering this year's Freakfest. This annual tradition of Pimpness, presented by Disco Productions is held at the State Palace Theater in New Orleans. Hosting some of the best acts in the World, there is never a disappointing beat for the thousands in attendance.

The night of the party I got there just about the time the doors were opening and was not shocked at all to see lines stretching out in both directions As is typical of events in New Orleans, the lines of those waiting to get in were a melting pot of culture and the feeling in the air that something really exciting was about to happen.

Filtering through the doors, through the entryway and into the main room, the first that struck me was the enormity of the stage setup. Rising probably 15-20 feet above stage level, it dominated the room with video screens on and around it. Dominating the rest of the room, was the familiar pulse of bass that can only be found in places like the State Palace Theater (or the Uptown & Madrid in Kansas City).

People were still slowly filtering in through the pat-downs and there really wasn't much happening at the main stage, so I decided to go upstairs and check that out.

Up on the balcony, locals / regionals were spinning it up for the lobby area. I didn't catch who was playin, but I really liked everything I heard every time I passed through there.
Upstairs, Jungle & Drum & Bass found a perfect home for the night and a charged crowd. For all of the rooms, I couldn't find any lineups posted anywhere, so I couldn't tell you who played where and when, but it was awesome... on all levels.

Donald Glaude did his usual fantastic job of whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy, but the highlight of the evening for me, Uberzone took the stage at 1:30 am. From the first beat, they turned the place upside down. Raw Power through CDs & Drum Machine, moving a thousand or more to that pulse.

Having no less of an impact, I think Photek was playing about the same time as well, or a little before/after. That was another I hadn't seen since WMC a few years ago and was glad to get the opportunity to see tearin it up again.

Unfortunately, having been there since doors, I ran out of memory at the end of Uberzone and was unable to take any more photos. And the best I can do is you shoulda seen it by the time Jackly & Hyde were through, as well as George Acosta and Concord Dawn. The energy was there from the start to the end at the State's first party to go all night again. I think it was 7 am... or something like that?



Comments

Post a Comment

popular now

running through color

by
Image
A couple of folks from our crew participated in a run out at a local elementary school.  The entire schools showed for this one, lined up and ready to be splashed with some colored powder or another. The more they ran the more colorful they became.  Beats all around set a festive tone for everyone. Those of us participating chilled on the playground after a few laps, then joined back in for another lap or two to close out the day.    Free drinks and snacks refreshed those otherwise banned from enjoying the ice cream truck.  
read more »

heptalogy honors eclipse

by
Image
A random encounter found us in downtown Little Rock, anticipating a performance of Holst's "The Planets" by the  Arkansas Symphony Orchestra .  The much-anticipated event included a vocal cameo from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock Women's Choir.  An evening of colorful sound began with "Night Ferry" by Anna Clyne , exploring the extremes of manic depression.   The chaotic range of emotional intensities seemed to leave the audience in a state of bewildered fascination. After an intermission wide enough to refresh mind and body, "The Planets" by Gustav Holst exploded in the mind's eye next.  This particular space heptalogy is likely one of the most recognizable symphonies, enjoyed through a variety of inspirations like the score from Star Wars.  The choir entered near the end, perhaps at Neptune, blending in imperceptibly with the violins and their accompaniment.   Their voices appeared as if by magic from behind the sc
read more »

another pomerol round with rieger

by
Image
  An afternoon focused on technology down at J. Rieger & Co. broke up the week nicely, offering a unique learning experience from Pomerol Partners.  Lunch and presentations associated with machine learning and data stack modernization were followed by a discussion around large language models with a few Kansas City IT leaders.   Immediately following that, Abstract Technologies talked about LATAM opportunities through nearshoring staffing services, followed by Black Khaki Brand Communicators discussing maintenance of organization cultural wellness.  Topping things off like a cherry on top, we learned of a new podcast worth listening in on, entitled " Drinks and Data ," hosted by KC technology leaders Kanon Cozad and Shawn Helwig.
read more »