Big BANG!

November 15, 2006

-Adam Singer

Eclectically compelling. That's the musical experience at BANG!. Everything from Latin-jazz funk to 80’s to alternative to down-tempo to reggae to full on trance, BANG! offered a taste of everything. And that contributed to the diverse and “up for it” crowd. There was nothing but smiles and people dancing everywhere – the festival scene was brilliant. We heard anecdotally that the festival drew nearly 20,000 people, which sounds to us like success.

Miami’s Bicentennial Park played host to yet another day of musical performances, and while I’m partial to adjacent Bayfront Park and its amphitheater, Bicentennial looked quite nice, and the production value was excellent. The lighting on every stage was brilliant, especially Daft Punk, who offer a visual display that's just as unique as their music. The pyramid just plane rocks.

Daft Punk – let’s stay on that for a minute. They had the crowd eating out of their hands from the first second, and didn’t let up through the entire performance. I had heard rumors their live performances were a religious experience, but you really can’t put into words how massive it is when you’re there. I (somehow) worked my way to the front of the crowd which was essentially a massive sea of people entranced to Television Rules the Nation, Robotic Rock, One More Time, Around the World, and more. Of course, when you’re Daft Punk the fans are going to know all the songs you play, but that's part of the magic. It was a bittersweet moment, this potentially being their last show, but I’m sure they’ll still be making music even if not under the Daft Punk pseudonym. The future is wide open – and maybe it’s a good thing to end on a high note.

Thievery Corporation was simply stunning. I was lucky – I happened to walk through backstage right when Chris Stone from TC was setting up his gear. After confirming he was in fact Stone (artists always look different in person), we had a few words and I had a chuckle at his comment, “Why do I have to be setting up gear when all these great artists are playing right here?” The reason why is simple – Thievery Corporation is phenomenal, and the humble Stone is one of the most gifted artists at the event. He just comes off as a cool guy, too – someone I could see hanging out at a coffee shop philosophizing (but more likely, on his G5 in the studio).

Some notable local (Florida) artist performances included Kinesis, who was playing a dramatic mix of progressive tunes, Merlyn, the progressive breaks virtuoso, Edgar V who never fails to bring energy and a positive vibe to every set he plays and Cedric Gervais, the Club Space resident who had the honor of opening for Daft Punk. Speaking to Cedric prior to his set, he expressed his excitement for being able to open for the electronic musicians who have been influencing him since he was 15. Clearly it was a special day for him – and his music and vibe reflected it.

Los Amigos Invisibles the “Venezuelan disco love-funk ensemble,” put on an incredible set of abstract Latin-electro-jazz-disco-funk (that’s how I would describe it). Their live percussion, basslines, chords and vocals were all exceptional, and there was a strong attention to detail and subtlety in all of the grooves. The jams were just so abstract and funky, yet melodic. I had never heard them before – but was instantly turned into a fan. I will definitely be purchasing a CD of theirs soon.

Duran Duran was incredible as well, and a perfect way to end the night. They are spectacular live – and made quite an entrance. I’m not sure if the crowd was quite into it as much as I was (and the other 80’s fans present), but they played a really fun set of music, going through many of their unique and uplifting anthems.

The live performers at BANG! absolutely stole the show. I heard some strong DJ sets, but the exceptionally talented musicians and bands/producers performing live were just on fire. The dynamics, range of emotion/sounds and performance aspect in all the live sets was outstanding – especially the acts bridging the electronic and organic sounds. I hope festivals/clubs feature even more live performances in the future, and that more DJs add live elements to their performances.

This is the future of electronic music. And with technology pushing forward, live elements will be incorporated into more and more electronic music sets as we push forward. Two CDJs/two turntables is potentially antiquated design with the tools available to artists in both studio and live settings, and things will only get more exciting as artists start to embrace new gear.

BANG! offered positive vibes, great live music and a diverse crowd – with people from across the entire country and even overseas. I look forward to next year’s event, and highly recommend you make the trip.

For more Adam Singer, check out www.agsinger.com