As we kick in 2016 already ready to embark into a whole new year of festival adventures, lets take a minute to recall the best moments we experienced of 2015 in music. From Texas to Arkansas and the Bay Area, these are the best music festivals we attended last year! Enjoy!
1. NAKID DOES SXSW! OUR BEST OF THE BEST HIGHLIGHTS {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
SXSW
It is almost unfair to rate SXSW as a part of the competition, it is nothing like the other festivals on the list. But it is what makes it so unique and consequently the cheapest of them all. SXSW wristbands can be purchased, but they are not necessary. You can compensate the money with time spent browsing for all the shows you want to go to yourself and hustle your way there. Every attendee will have a one off a kind experience, every show its its own little festival, and every artist and brand is only looking to out do each other. And every year the headlines read odder and odder titles. This year Miley Cyrus made a surprise appearance at the Fader Fort, SXSW Takeover owned Hip Hop and Jimmy Kimmel partnered up with local Matthew McConaughey to troll hipsters and local business. SXSW seems to be unstoppable and approaching soon.
Highlights: Partying with Portugal the Man, ASAP Rocky and Danger Mouse at the Applause mansion. Kali Uchis singing Selena and the SXSW Takeover.
2.LEVITATION PSYCH FEST HIGHLIGHTS {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
Levitation
This is where the real countdown begins, previously known as Psych Fest. Levitation is one of the only music festivals dedicated solely to Psych Rock. Although the line up was absolutely outstanding. Headliners like The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala to newcomers like LA Witch and The Mystery Braves, the distinction between the multitude sub genres of Psych Rock was represented.
Highlights: Tame Impala dissing Coachela, marking Psych Fest as the first set of their festival tour.
3.WE FUCKED WITH FUCK YEAH FEST 2015 {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
Fuck Yeah Fest!
Well it was indeed a big fuck yeah in terms of all the accommodations and the map this year. FYF did a great job at listening to everyone’s response from last year and made all the proper changes. On top of that, they brought an amazing lineup, and despite the fact that Frank Ocean dropped out (I had a feeling that either him or Morrissey would). It was a good change bringing in Kanye. I have seen him three times now and this time was definitely the best! No rants, plus Travis Scott plus Queen Bee! Yeah it was fucking amazing.It was the perfect size, the perfect vibes it was the festival you didn’t expect to fall in love with so much but it all just felt so right.
Highlights: Kanye!!! Morrisey!!! And Savages and BRONCHO showing up as the best new comers.
4.THE DISAMBIGUATION OF FUN {FESTIVAL / EVENTS}
Fun Fun Fun Fest
Breaking down the formula behind this festival is like breaking down the formula for Austin itself. Every genre, every scene and every local music fan is strictly represented. It is the most diverse music festival we encountered. . For locals, Fun Fun could be described as something more of an institution. People have been sneaking in for years trying to catch those great acts that the average basic Austin community would not really be interested in. At the end of the day, Austin is weird, right, so why not have a festival embracing just that? Fun Fun has Photo Booths inside portal potties, midget wrestling matches, a taco cannon, and this year you can add Eric Andre’s dick to the equation.
Highlights: The Comebacks of Lauren Hill, Wu Tang and American Football to Austin. Grimes Dance moves and the Drunk dude that pissed inside the portal potty photobooth
5.BURNING MAN 2015 PHOTO DIARY – CHASE STANLEY {FESTIVALS}
Burning Man
Well it’s Burning Man and of course it was majestic. But this year we got to know a lot of the artist and sculptors and it was fucking awesome.
6.HARD SUMMER 2015 {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
Hard Fest LA
It was a big giant party. Although Skrillex, Bieber and the Weeknd made an appearance.. Champagne and cocaine were the main attractions of the fest. HARD Fest goes absolutely hard. This year the festival stepped away from the EDM prominent line ups, and added much funk and Hip Hop to the fest.Highlights: The Weeknd showing off why he owned the year and Jack Black joining Die Antwood on stage. Why? We never new but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
7.WAKARUSA 2015 {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
Wakarusa
This year Nakid invaded the festival and it was nothing short of amazing! With performances by Major Lazer, Theivery Corporation, STS9, Chance The Rapper, Glass Animals, Destructo, Young The Giant and so many more! The weekend was day after day of sun and heat, but worth every second of sweating our butts off. Some might say four days of a festival and camping is too much, but we say it’s just right. With the festival starting on Thursday and carrying on to Sunday, each day was jammed with some of the best music out right now. If you didn’t have a chance to check it out this year then we advise you grab some beers and friends and start planning an epic road trip there next year because if there is one thing above all we can tell you about Wakarusa, it’s that this year may have been awesome, but next year is sure to blow it out of the water!
8.DIRTYBIRD CAMPOUT {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
Dirty Bird Camp Out
The festival’s roots date back to the early 2000’s when Dirtybird Records founder, Claude VonStroke (real name: Barclay Crenshaw) relocated from Detroit to San Francisco, and started hosting the Dirtybird BBQ; a free outdoor BBQ / day-party in Golden Gate Park … fast-forward a decade later: Dirtybird has since moved to Los Angeles, the BBQ Party is touring to cities around the U.S. and Dirtybird following has grown enough to team up with Do LaB, and nearly’ sellout this roughly 5,000 attendee, 3 day festival!
It was more like your own personal ‘Wet Hot American Summer Camp’, no one is really taking the fest too serious, it was more about the crazy costumes and the excessive beer drinking. The vibes were absolutely captivating, and everywhere you looked people were just making fools out of themselves in the best way possible.
9.OUTSIDE LANDS 2015 {FESTIVAL/EVENTS}
Outside Land
It has become a tradition and a must in the bay area. Every year, the acts are hand picked by the best talent buyers in the area that know exactly what we want to hear. It in the crowd, its in the vibes and we will gladly be back next year.
10. ‘NEVER TRUST A NIGGA WITH CORNROWS’ / DAY FOR NIGHT FEST {FESTIVAL/EVENTS}
Day for Night
Not only did we fall in love with the side project of FRSF, but attending Day for Night encouraged us to fall in love with the city of Houston as a whole. The Tex-Mex culture, their music and museum districts, the fashion and the chill vibes. For being the first year in existence, what Day for Night accomplished in 2015 people will be talking all 2016. Booking Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae and Death Grips, amazing light and sound related installations through out the fest grounds and crowd so relaxed and mature. Only a few factors we know this fest will make big headlines in the future.
Highlights: Kendrick inviting a white rapper into stage to rap over “maD cITY” and he absolutely killed it with a freestyle. Bun B dabbing in an ugly X-Mas sweater for our cameras.
Coverage coming soon.
11.YOU COULD HAVE BEEN AT OAKTOPIA BUT YOU WERE PLAYING {FESTIVALS \ EVENTS}
Oaktopia Music Fest
Oaktopia Music Fest felt more like a giant backyard party then a festival. Denton, Tx is the home to one of the most unique underground music scenes in the country and the entire city breaths psych rock. The energy was unifying, the attendees all felt as if they were all sibling and the festival smooth as it can be. It was a communal effort to make this festival successful and Denton absolutely achieved just that.
Highlights: The really sweet engagement at the end of Edward Sharpe’s set and the Polyphonic Spree covering Nirvana. Picnictyme and Sam Lao performing together at Nakid’s after party.
Rageville
13.TREASURE ISLAND MUSIC 2015 {FESTIVAL/EVENTS}
Treasure Island Fest
14.ISSUE III RELEASE PARTY: FALL 2015 {ART BASEL EDITION}
Miami Art Basel
In early December each year something magical happens in Miami, something other than beautiful weather in Winter, Art Basel! The fashion week of art, artists from cities around the world come to showcase their latest works, galleries come to show their aesthetics and artists they feature, and the entire city turns in one large exhibit of badass art. Now one year old and on our third issue, we wanted to do something special for our fans and readers of Miami, we wanted to come throw one of biggest parties we have ever undertaken to celebrate our ISSUE III: FALL 2015 release as well as our cover artist Jen Stark! We invaded Art Basel with a furry and teamed up with Supermarket Creative as well as Libertine Miami to host our Art Basel Party and showcase featuring friend and fellow artist Crywolf to headline the event and hosted by our boss man Dustin Hollywood.
15.JMBLYA FEST 2015 – DALLAS, TX {FESTIVALS/EVENTS}
JYMBLYA
