Day for Night Fest Unites Musicians and Visual Artists Like Never Before
Fashion killers and photographers all gathered in an old post office in downtown Houston this weekend to experience something very unique.
In a world where music festivals are more prevalent than ever, production companies need to work even harder to set themselves apart from one another. I often find that the most awe-inspiring festivals are camping ones in naturesque environments with art installations throughout, while urban festivals are generally more simplistic, consisting of stages and little to no art.
This is why Day for Night Fest is pushing festival boundaries.
With an equal emphasis on music and art, Day for Night created an experience I have yet to encounter at any other urban festival.
Dark, eerie, and smokey. An abandoned warehouse. An underground rave in the 90s. This is what I felt upon entering the post office building. Stimulating, visually captivating art scattered throughout the building. Björk Digital and United Visual Artists attracted extensive lines of people waiting to experience the interactive art.
NONOTAK, Shoplifter, Tundra, and the many other artists engaged people with their creative use of light, sound, and texture.
In between sets, instead of waiting for another artist to take the stage, Day for Night provided experiences to perfectly fill these gaps. Walking from one stage to another wasn’t your average walk. It was a journey through light and sound. You could stand and observe, or lay down beside your friends, taking in the present moment.
Up to par with the visual art, Day for Night brought in a diverse group of musicians and producers, catering to all ears.
A look at Day 1
Clams Casino brought psychedelic sounds, fused with hip-hop beats. Chet Faker performed with a full band, evoking emotion in all of his fans with his soft voice and mellow sounds. ODESZA deviated from their usual (still amazing) set and played TWO new beautiful tracks, as well as a track from Clayton’s solo project, BeachesBeaches. The boys brought the magic, as always. And Aphex Twin put everyone in a trance with his seamless melding of sounds.
A look at Day 2
RZA feat. Stone Mecca kicked off with a reminiscent Wu-Tang and rock collaboration. Sticking with rock, Unknown Mortal Orchestra played sweet tunes with Ruban Nielsan’s enchanting vocals. Meanwhile, indoors, Björk played a DJ set filled with dark, entrancing sounds. And finally, Kaskade closed the night with an energizing, blissful set that made me want to dance.
If I had one complaint about this festival:
The lineup was so good I wanted to see almost every artist, resulting in conflicting schedules and choosing one over the other.
Till next year, Day for Night.
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