The special celebration of the 15th annual Voodoo Music Experience was held at historic City Park in the middle of New Orleans over the post-Halloween weekend. This festival has been a staple in NOLA tradition for the last 15 years, and a “must-attend” for those that reside in the area. Voodoo Music Experience is known for its “come as you are” atmosphere, and the wide variety of artists and genres it offers. With such a large and diverse mixture of people, it was a different experience engaging with this melting pot of music lovers.
Although the Le PLUR stage was the most bass-powered, it was not the most crowded. Most attendees went to see the infamous and classic acts that adorned the line-up such as The Cure, Pearl Jam, New Found Glory, and Nine Inch Nails. However, for EDM-lovers we had our own legends to see like Boys Noize and Basssnectar, and they did not disappoint. This year’s Voodoo Music Experience was one to go down in the books, and a festival that should be on everyone’s bucket list. And not just for the incredible line-up, but for the culture and variety that New Orleans offers.
Overall Vibes
The grounds of City Park had plenty of room for attendees to roam. The weather was borderline perfect, a bit chilly but light jacket weather. There were over 100 different vendors and you could find the best of the best at this festival. New Orleans brought their most well-known names out to host booths in which concert-goers could get a sample of that down-home Southern cooking that New Orleans is so famous for. There were also ecological-awareness booths and retail vendors throughout the grounds.
Besides the Le PLUR stage where I camped out, there were three other stages, two of which catered to rock and punk bands and then a smaller stage that featured eclectic and lesser known acts. I stumbled upon this small stage a few times during my experience at Voodoo and I was never disappointed.
Friday: Funky Electro House
Photo Credit: John Kurc
It’s wild because on every day except Friday, I can easily name my favorite artist of the night. All three acts that I saw on the Le PLUR stage that night were comparably amazing, but in such different ways. Destructo introduced a new sound to the grounds that he calls G-House, which combines hip hop elements and house beats for an incredible blend of funk and bass.
Then, Boys Noize destroyed with his electro-house waves that just flowed into a blend of wild imagination unlike anything I had ever heard before. He opened up his set with the dirtiest mix of “XTC”, and by the end of that first track the crowd was already hyped. Boys Noize is truly a master and a champion of the game. His prowess and technique shows fully in his live performance, and I could not believe the way he blended the different elements together. He played several tracks off of his new EP, “Go Hard”, including my absolute favorite “Starwin”.
Calvin Harris came on last to close out the first evening of Voodoo Music Experience, and I was very interested to see what kind of set he was going to play. The thing to note about Calvin Harris when you see him at a festival is that the quality of his sets has much to do with the size of the crowd and who he follows. He is an artist that is very aware of the energy of the crowd, and will plan his set accordingly. Since he was right after Boys Noize, who played an extraordinary electro set, he followed with a set that was high energy with lots of dutch house. He played a few of his original hits including his extended mix of “We Found Love”, and R3hab’s remix of “Need Your Love”. He also dropped one of my new favorites, his remix of The Killer’s “When You Were Young”, and some house dynamos like Showtek’s “Booyah”. Listening to his set was a blast, and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen out of Calvin Harris.
Saturday: The Night the Saxophone Stole My Soul
Photo Credit: Andrew Goetz
My major highlight from Saturday night was watching Big Gigantic mesmerize and terrorize the hearts of everyone in attendance. I guarantee that most watching that performance said it was one of their favorite moments of the weekend. I’ve seen Big Gigantic before, and it was nothing like this. It was as if they showcased an entire array of electronic genres, but with the soulful saxophone to add more flavor. It was so beautiful to see Dominic Lalli belt out such long, powerful notes with Jeremy Salkan ripping the drums behind him, then with a dirty dubstep beat to follow. They played every genre, even trap, but incorporated their own style and flavor into the sound. They are truly a fantastic experience to enjoy live.
After followed Afrojack, and while I’ll give him a C+ for his set at Voodoo, he did play all of his songs. And for someone who hasn’t seen Afrojack in a while, it was like taking a walk down memory lane to when I first got into the scene and heard some old favorites like “No Beef” and “Take Over Control”. Once I got over my nostalgia, I started to realize his set kind of slacked. As I was about to lose faith completely, he played Martin Garrix’s “Animals” (most played song of 2013, check) and as I walked away, the wild beat rushed over the crowd. You could almost hear a collective “WTF?!” over the entire grounds, as everyone moved and raged as one. Definitely one of my top moments of the night and the only reason his set gets a “slightly above average” rating.
Sunday: We Needed the Bass God to Save Us
Photo Credit: Josh Brasted
There was a different atmosphere the last day of Voodoo Music Experience as fans gathered to the stages for their final goodbye to a weekend full of incredible memories not soon forgotten. The Le PLUR stage was geared up for the massive amount of bass that was soon to come. The groups that preceded Bassnectar were much more eclectic and instrument oriented rather than the DJs and turntables that had set the groove for the days before.
It was if we had #turntup and now it was time to open our minds and embrace more eclectic genres. As Beats Antique hit the stage, most of the crowd was sitting down, saving their last bit of energy for the one we all waited to see. Watching their live performance was a refreshing experience, I had never seen nor heard of them before and was anxious to hear their sound. The best way to describe them is experimental with a heavy middle eastern influence. They played a variety of eclectic instruments and complimented their middle eastern sound with the belly dancing talents of Zoe Jakes. It was a perfect way to set the tone for the incredible act that was to follow.
Bassnectar is an artist that plays such a diverse range of sounds that you never quite know what he is going to play. He came out the gate blazing hot, mixing intricate winding sounds until he knew he had everyone entirely mesmerized. Then he decided to wake everyone out of this trance with wild hip-hop beats that cascaded into some heavy metal, then transitioned into an imaginative Beach Boys remix. If his sounds weren’t enough to completely destroy our minds, his screens complimented perfectly with the mind-churning waves that blasted through the crowd.
He dropped one of my personal favorites “Pink Elephants”, then to close he played his remix of the Beatles’ classic and a song so fitting for Voodoo Music Experience: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.The screens were so visually potent, and paired with the incredible sound you didn’t even need any kind of “supplement” to feel the power of the music. When the lights turned down and we came out of the bass-induced hypnosis, it was surprising to see the trees in City Park still had leaves on them after such a massive explosion of sound.
Voodoo Music Experience is a festival that should be on everyone’s bucket list to attend at least once. Not only is there a stellar line-up that highlights the best of each respective genre, but the culture that New Orleans brings is unmatched by any other city. We can’t wait for Voodoo 2014!
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