BUMBLEFEST
By Andrew McGranahan CLICK TO ENLARGE
One of the beautiful things about SoFla is the fact that we’ve been mostly ignored by the music community at large. So, we do it ourselves, our community is self-made and a generational melting pot of weirdness. So…
Bumblefest 2017 is here again and it’s better than ever this year with an interesting and eclectic line-up of psych, folk and noise acts that, beyond that loose description, defy any other explanation. Bumblefest is a festival spotlighting acts that probably most accurately display our scattered musical tastes in the lower three counties of the state. This year one of the hosts is Voltaire, a new venue that’s cutting its teeth just in time to be a stop on the fest. Fest sponsors, however, are a who’s who of people keeping the tri-county area moving: JMB Records, Limited Fanfare, Fuzz Baby, Cheap Miami, Jolt Radio, Tuff Gnarl, Independent Ethos, Radio-Active, Houndstooth Cottage and Sweat Records, to name a very select few.
HOLY WAVE
This year, Bumblefest is being headlined by Austin’s own: Holy Wave. The band is a mélange of sun drenched, surfy, garage, psych-rock that twists and turns like strands of DNA under a microscope, but, you know, way more laid back and less science-y. This band of multi-instrumentalists blend their influences into an amalgamation of the 13th Floor Elevators and My Bloody Valentine, so succinctly that you’ll be nodding out to the sounds of bummer summer all night.
Following Holy Wave is, PLEASURES from St. Pete; PLEASURES are more fever dream than band. An eclectic mix of robotic overtures and howling sounds swirling through your ear holes and scrambling your brains with beautifully violent thoughts. A perfect book end to the very human sounds of Holy Wave.
PLEASURES | Dion Larson
The event is reminiscent of many different festivals that take place across the country, but close proximity of everything in downtown West Palm lends itself to a good time where revelers trek from one spot to the next in a musical pub crawl. It keeps the crowd fresh, the acts on their toes and the bars constantly in flux with new people to imbibe in the festivities. Last year was a blast with hip hop acts sharing time with punk rock bands in a cacophony of fun that, again, defied genre. So, crush your apathy! Go to Bumblefest, start a band, book some shows, make a zine, do something productive!
Bumblefest 2017 with 22 bands for just $5 takes place from 6pm til 4am on September 2nd at Subculture Coffee, Lost Weekend, Respectable Street and Voltaire on the 500 Block of Clematis Street in Downtown WPB. HOLY WAVE, PLEASURES, Peyote Coyote, The Water Colors, Lindsey Mills & the Lazy Lovers, Dead and Loving It, Nervous Monks, Other Body, Jellyfish Brothers, Backpage Escort, King Complex, Turtle Grenade, JAIALAI, Deaf Poets, Heavy Drag, Pavlov’s Bell, Wilkes Oswald, Pocket of Lollipops, John Ralston’s Shadows Band, Keith Welsh, Grey & Orange, Brother Sundance ~ Tim Moffatt
