Arise 2014
The 2nd Annual Arise Music Festival:
By the time the gates were finally open, the energy began to pick up. With the people came art, laughter, color and flavor. As the camping area began to fill up it was clear that this year was much larger than last. The same beautiful location shared by thousands of new attendees. With ‘dualing stages’, two stages set up right next to each other intended to minimize musical downtime, the music continued and the crowd stayed close. The electronic stage, Souls Rising, had a stacked lineup of talented young and established acts. The energy by Souls Rising stage kept a steady group of dancing bass faces content. While the Souls Rising stage was considerably smaller than the other two main musical stages, it was the destination for many festival goers and it delivered. The stage and surrounding area was decorated ornately from the lasers beaming around the ground to the CDs hanging reflectively from the trees.
Photo taken by Molly ‘Mojo’ Buckiewicz
This year’s attendance appeared to be at least double, possibly triple, the previous year’s attendance. The festival was prepared and there was ample water, food, and portable toilets. The vender village was one of a kind with an array of smells coming from the food stands, and an array of colors coming from the vender stands. Artists are now migrating to Arise festival from all over the USA, contributing to its colorful diversity. Arise is Colorado’s best and most diverse music festival.
Once again SunRise Ranch played the role of the gracious host and one can only hope that they received the support and recognition they deserve for sharing the incredible valley to all of us who attend. With out the support of SunRise Ranch this event would not be possible in its current form. The artists also deserve a huge shoutout for making the experience what it was, and sharing ideas, thoughts, and emotions through their sound and visions. Equally the fan, the festival goer, the music lover, the ‘escape the 9-5 artist’, anyone who attended a festival, deserves a huge thank you. With out listeners how could music work? It is you who make this possible and for that all of us here at FreioMusic, Thank You!
Sonic Bloom 2014
The Unified Field
The 9th annual Sonic Bloom music festival took place over the weekend of July 19-22nd in the airy high desert of South Park, Colorado. The site, fully encompassed by the Rocky Mountains, created a beautiful backdrop of breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that lit up the numerous stages.
As usual, Bloom offered a plethora of experiences for every attendee. Music was continuously playing at various stages with the highest quality of sound. Workshops covering hooping, massage, dance, yoga, and many others were available and well attended. Outstanding visuals met the eye everywhere you looked, ready to be soaked in and admired, whether it be a performance, installation, or projection.
The weekend had much to offer, but you would have to have been a super human to experience it all!
Here are some highlights from throughout the weekend.
1. TWO nights of Tipper!! (not enough)
2. The Three Stages
–The Bloom Stage with the Funktion-One sound system and the massive LED screen backdrop.
–The Hummingbird Stage with the spinning woodcut mandala and unique handcrafted details.
–The CO Dome with its intimate feel and psychedelic projections by Illuminated Dimensions.
3.Surprise sunrise set by Kalya Scintilla and Kaminanda with an epic pink sunrise.
4. OPIOU.
5. Whitebear making everything so dark and weird at only 7PM, when the sun was still shining.
6. Kaminanda playing guitar live for the first and only time in Colorado, then busting out a cover of Grateful Dead-Shakedown Street.
7. The captivating “flower-dance-presentations” by Anthony Ward all weekend.
8. The Gong Experience that vibrates into your soul.
9. Quixotic’s unbelievably talented performers.
10. Looking around and realizing you love everyone and everything you are surrounded by!
Arise Festival 2014 – Sneak Peak
Arise – Colorado’s most Diverse Festival
Arise Festival 2014
Dates: August 8th, 9th, and 10th
Location: Sunrise Ranch – Loveland, Colorado
Tickets: Buy Here
The Arise Festival in Loveland, Colorado resides on the beautiful 1,000 acre SunRise Ranch nestled in an open canyon. The 2nd Annual ARISE Music Festival will kick off this August 8-10 and will showcase a stellar lineup including Beats Antique, Galactic with special guests Chali2Na and Lyrics Born, Grateful Grass featuring Keller Williams, Billy Nershi (String Cheese Incident) and Reed Mathis, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Polish Ambassador, Groundation, Tribal Seeds, Nahko and Medicine for the People, The Everyone Orchestra featuring Steve Kimock and the return of Quixotic, among many other favorite performers.
The diverse musical lineup draws a diverse crowd and all are well catered to. This is an event for all ages. From the young to the old, Arise festival is for you. A truly spiritual and holy place for some, with yoga and workshops. For others the draw is the late night music that rages through the campground at night. The family camping, designed to enable sleep and a playful place for those little ones, is a plus for families. In fact, kids 12 and under get in free! Everyone has their place to be, have fun, and escape the daily grind of city and work life.
For those of you familiar with festivals, the camping can make or break the festival experience. Luckily Arise is located in a mystical valley in lovely Loveland, Colorado. With spectacular performers such as Quixotic, the traditional artistic limits are broken. Influential and environmentally conscious musical acts help preserve the landscape and the pristine SunriseRanch for future generations. For those 21+ micro-breweries will be in attendance and will certainly refresh a parched palate.
For a taste of the adventure to come, listen to FreioMusic’s curated playlist:
Quixotic Fusion, an incredible auditory and visual experience. Check out the video below:
Are you ready for 2014 Arise Festival? Buy tickets here
What to bring?
– good attitude
– friends
– fun and comfortable attire
– your tickets!! (cannot be over emphasized)
– food + water bottle (you can by food or drinks at the festival)
– tent + sleeping bag + pillow
– sunscreen + shade
– trash bags (pack it in pack it out)
– ear plugs
– warm and cold weather clothes
– a rain jacket
– a few dollars to buy some apparel
– positive energy
– an open mind
– a smiling face
– yourself (go on now, get your ticket! We’ll meet you there)
Directions
From Denver:
From Frisco:
From Cheyenne:
Sonic Bloom Announces Mystery Headliner!
The Lineup is Complete!
Shpongle (Simon Posford) joins the epic lineup for the Sonic Bloom 2014 festival! He will be playing alongside: Tipper, EOTO, Opiuo, The Polish Ambassador and so many more artists making this the most looked forward to festival of the summer!
In Colorado last weekend, Shpongle sold out the 9,450 capacity at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Then, following the concert was the after party at Cluster Studios, where: Plantrae, Snubluck, Digital Vagabond, Toy Box, Erothyme, Whitebear and Desert Dwellers tore it up until sunrise.
The previous weekend was two nights of ‘The Road to Sonic Bloom” tour at Cervantes, selling out the dual venue the first night. These shows featured: Opiuo, Random Rab, Whitebear, Defunk, Zoogma, Paul Basic, Ill-Esha, Janover & Resunator, Nominus, Young Blood Brass Band, Templo, Fillibusta, Yuyu, and Easy Company. It was nothing short of a good time.
So, if you didn’t already do it, you better grab that ticket to this years Sonic Bloom because it will be four days of unbelievable magic you won’t be able to find anywhere else!
**Final Wave of Artists Added:
Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ Set), Futexture + Deloscinari, SunSquabi & Friends, Polar Vortex, Marvel Years, Krooked Drivers, Lunar Fire, SIXIS, Jon Wayne & The Pain, Dynohunter, Michael Garfield, Psymbionic, 2NUTZ, sAuce, Supreme, Coult-45, Subliminal, Caustik, Filibusta, TROPO, VerDarluz, Tnertle, EO, Dillard, Sam Klass, Fun Factory, White Robot, Shiba, Adam Apollo, SoDown, Shaman’s Dream, Urban, G.O.A., Ryan Viser, Kruza Kid and Silent Frisco feat. Motion Potion & Mancub
SnowBallin’ 2014
Interested in hearing about what is becoming one of the freshest and most unique festivals in the music industry taking place in the spring snow out in beautiful Colorado?
SnowBall, taking place April 4th-6th in Denver, CO, is definitely a music festival that is truly something different. The festival is being held at an exciting new venue this year, Sports Authority Field in Mile High Stadium. The new venue will provide a wide open space for attendees to interact, explore, dance, and of course, get weird. The SnowBall Stage, which is the main stage, will be outdoors and may provide the opportunity for attendees to put their dance moves on display on a snow covered dance floor. So if you plan on attending, please be safe and be prepared for the cold. The SnowBall Stage will also have a Big Air area beside it where extreme athletes will be performing tricks to tantalize your eyes while your ears are being entertained by bumping beats. Some of the most well known artists will grace the SnowBall stage with their presence. On Friday, be sure to catch the melodies of Jimkata, the funky beats of The Floozies, and then let Knife Party shake you with some heavy bass to close out the first night. On Saturday, the highlights include local 3-piece electronic hydro-funk sensations SunSquabi, funky fresh four piece livetronic group STRFKR, and the one and only Derek Vincent Smith, better known as Pretty Lights, playing his soulful tunes right where his original roots began. Then on Sunday, Chali2Na from Jurassic 5 brings some fresh hip-hop to the stage along with House of Vibe, Busta Rhymes brings an original rap set that you could only get from Busta himself, all before Griz closes out the festival with a funk filled set of jazzy electronic beats that will have you grooving with all of the energy that’s left in the tank.
The other three stages are all in heated tents around the stadium and will each provide their own distinct atmospheres once you are inside. The Groove Tent will feature a variety of music throughout the weekend with the highlights being the grimy electronic beats of Mimosa, the all original tunes of Wave Racer, some funky fresh trap from Lunice, a high energy electro house combined with drumstep set from Kill The Noise, and PLM Party, the not to miss set of the weekend featuring Pretty Lights, Michal Menert, Paul Basic, Supervision, Eliot Lipp, and many more artists from the Pretty Lights Music record label. I personally cannot wait to see what all of these amazing producers co-create up on stage together; the possibilities are endless.
The Ballroom Stage will feature artists who make their craft through either their skills on an instrument or through the sounds of their voice. This stage will provide very different sounds than the others so be sure to make it over there if you are into artists who have their own specific individual sound. Eminence Ensemble will trance you into their one of a kind flow as they rift it on their instruments. Afroman will bring you back in time with his old school style and with jams like “Palmdale”, “When I Got High”, and other 90’s classics. Or be entertained with original electronic acts like Flash/Lights, Trippy Turtle, Twin Shadow, Chrome Sparks, or Rufus Du Sol. No matter who you catch at the Ballroom Stage, you will be sure to be entertained.
The Heat Hut will be where you want to go if you are looking to get down and dirty to some electro house and deep house. This tent will be bumping the beats that will keep your feet moving all weekend long. The highlighting artists whom are playing at the Heat Hut are: Bixel Boys, Option4 and JustinJay on Friday; Graff, J.Phlip, and MK on Saturday; and then Need & Necessity, Maxxi Soundsytem, and Andhim to close out the stage on Sunday. So be sure to groove in the Heat Hut if you’re wanting some non-stop electro house beats.
SnowBall will also feature live ice sculptures by trained artists, free water refill stations, a Vendor Village filled with tons of goodies from artisans, a Merchandise Booth to pick up SnowBall gear, food options from local restaurants to food trucks, drink options from sodas and juices to beers and cocktails, and also late night after parties to keep you going and entertained throughout the weekend. Check out the full lineup breakdown and daily schedules. Get your SnowBall tickets now because prices will go up! Advance 3-day GA and VIP tickets are still available for SnowBall here ; advance single day SnowBall tickets here.
Tantalize your ears with a taste of the music to come this year at SnowBall…
FreioMusic SnowBall 2014 Soundcloud Mix
Article and soundcloud mix created by:
David ‘Dino’ Durkin
Gipsy Moon
Gipsy Moon created a dance party at Agave this last weekend, 01/16/2014 at Agave, see why?
This first video stars the mandolin player, Silas Herman, who wrote and leads the song with powerful and evolving melodies. Nothing better than a joyous jams.
You heard Gipsy Moon first hear @FreioMusic
For more info please visit their website: http://www.gipsymoon.net/
Life in the day – SnowGlobe 2013
Life in the Snow Globe
Christopher J Carr
January 2014
I found myself cornered at the edge of the bar with a balding yet exceptionally friendly man who talked my ear off about the music industry. It is important to take every person seriously because you never know who they may be or become yet in the same breathe savor your words and speak lightly because they can also be batshit crazy.
I flip flopped down past the harbormaster lighthouse to my 85 VW Vanagon Desmond.
We rushed up the CA 1 with the glorious sunset exhaling electric pinks and gilded gold cloud tips on top indigo purple silhouettes. Soaring at sixty five feeling the chipper engine purr at a high idle I meditated on a pleasant journey.
The band was stoked to see I made it before sound check and luckily Omar of the B-Side Players blessed me with his bass rig to backline the show. It was so small and blown yet we sounded nice through the house. A quick Irish goodbye post jamming and I was off.
I switched out my VW in Apple Hill for a 91 Toyota Corolla with a hatchback and folding seats that became my rockstar suite and sheltered me from the subzero Tahoe temperatures. My New Years morning awakening ceremony consisted of scraping a layer of ice from inside the car that had resulted from my moisture freezing on the inside.
I drove into SnowGlobe like I owned the place hoping for a parking pass but came out with a 3 day shuttle wristband. Tahoe homies helped me out down the road and I took the clutch spot by the middle school fully equipped with porta potties and conveniently located walking distance from the event.
Buzzing ravers had a contagious bounce in their step walking down the way following the flags the organizers set out for us. I tip my hat to the organizers of SnowGlobe they truly made the experience space cadet proof.
South Lake Tahoe is truly God’s country yet it is wild. A young girl who decided to walk back from the festival last year froze and was found days later in a snow bank. This vibe was felt and explicit throughout the experience. “Take care of each other and always have a buddy” were the parting words of many performers.
Walking in were the many smiling faces of the cozy and colorful crowds in fleece pajamas, ski suits, leg warmers and animal onesies. This heady couple carried the California Republic flag hoisted high on a long pine limb marking the collective heritage of the gathering. My experience with the people inside was a celebration of all the major California regions. Tahoe is the underground capitol of the golden state.
I waltzed in after having the traditional bag search and welcomed warm frisking to the Floozies. One fat space jam. These good ole’ boys laying it down with a nice fusion of space bass and funk instrumentation. Mark and Matt Hill make up the dynamic innovative music duo with that old school classic rock influence in their cutting edge new interpretation of live music performance.
Amidst transitions between groups bundled up ski bums and bunnies toast their northern california pints while cotton candy plumes wobble above deep blue and purple skies.
It’s 5pm. Amp Live is onstage digital snowflakes precipitate behind him. Standing alone so stoic and pensive he set up the sound.
“My name is Amp Live and I’d like to warm this up for you”.
Powerful vibes. Zion I crew stoking the people inferno with words. Interactive syphers with the crowd these pros represented up in the 530 and the people responded big for that drop it on them big daddy bass.
Bay Area thunder.
Zion I crew blew up the place.
Zed’s Dead. Solid hypnotism whipping wet calculated drops Zed’s Dead plays a big bag of tricks nice range of badass bass music. Zed’s Dead: top notch, world class crew doing big things with their sound.
These artists gave me that quintessential close your eyes raise your hands up and release the hips experience.
Sitting on the edge of the railing above I somehow found myself in the VIP tent watching Kaskade.
This set resonated groovy and full of clarity. The lights were so enthralling they almost upstaged the music but the beauty of this set was taking in an ideal reservoir of people. I felt an electric atmosphere humming above this crowd and Kaskade resonated in the heartbeat of our collective bliss.
Post Kaskade was a crazy ride. I found Chico. Chico stayed in Santa Cruz over the summer and we shared some good times. Chico and his crew swooped me only to bounce stranding me at the Mont Bleu casino miles away from the car. A true fear and loathing moment walking through the casino with snow bunnies and oversized kids in onesies gambling, sipping cocktails and chain smoking camel crushes.
I ran out of there like a bewildered sasquatch blinded by the lights ready to sleep in my rock star suite of a 91 hatchback. I caught the last bus back to the Denny’s on the corner which was a short jaunt to my sweet sanctuary.
New Years eve came so serene with no snow to be found in South Lake. I went to the beach on Dec 31st in Tahoe with no shirt or shoes.
This second day I met people from all over and I was very pleased to see the “We from Santa Cruz and we get weird” signage above the crowd.
Zion I’s management and Vokab Kompany showed love and hooked up interviews for this gonzo.
How’d Vokab Kompany start?
“Burke lived in a house that this producer lived in. I was there making beats, a good buddy introduced us and we’d just lay down vocals and there was this track called “moments like these”.
“We felt the connection. We had always known each other through Tahoe roots.”
“We want to show that it is still rad and sonically pleasing to create every aspect and and every stem live”.
“Our message is living in the moment, working hard and quitting sleep”.
“Small victories keep ya pushing. If it weren’t for those small glimpses of what might be some measure of what success could be you wouldn’t keep pushing”.
“If you do have passion hold on to it. That’s everything. Things may steer you away. You may have a 9-5 thing that seems important but if you really do have that passion hold on and keep pushing”.
With these MC’s I found amnesty in the artist realm backstage. A land of plenty with Sierra Nevada kegs flowing on the regular and nice snacks to stimulate to most strung out guest and I am not talking about the writers except those from LA and I am not talking about the cool young Sam from “Beyond the Spotlight” and his mom because y’all were very professional. Respect.
Being blessed with an angel that made magic happen for me I sat with the artists and did my job.
Beats Antique.
Damn.
Badass beats, ingenious melodies and a truly modern day dancer.
She stands as the lioness amongst the babbling cubs bewitched by her fierce and subtle spell.
Their game show gimmick gave birth to their enormous inflatable band member that consumed so much of my attention I could not capture the moment. One lucky gal stood in front of thousands and pressed the mysterious button which released this fantastical beast. Epic tracks which included lyrics of Les Claypool and original incarnations of the Beats Antique imagination.
California Love…
Tahoe went off once Snoop Dizzle took the stage.The place was jumping, smoking, drinking and generally doing the nasty just like Snoop would have wished. Full capacity. Other butts being thrusted into spoons. Everyone became someone else’s cereal. Even the most masculine of men cuddled up to share a joint and sing gin and juice.
Big ups to Snoop for blessing up the crowd in the name of the most high “Jah Rastafari” at the end of his set and the people blessed up to the new year with the words of Bob Marley “Yeah, right, we Jamming…I want to Jam it with you”.
Don’t forget to check out Mr. Carr’s own music
Immerse Yourself – Arise Festival – Loveland, CO
ARISE FESTIVAL 2013
“The music is like the fire …. and we all gather around it to warm our souls”
~ Paul Bassis, Producer of ARISE ~
A new festival has emerged onto the Colorado scene this summer. Backdropped by the serene beauty of the Rocky Mountains, Arise Festival has set its sights on being the very essence of a festival – co-creation, music, art, yoga, and community. Sunrise Ranch, an hour north of Denver, will provide the magical space for festival goers to explore and re-connect with nature and one another. The atmosphere is looking to come together seamlessly, complete with Hemp Village, Kids Village, Organic Food and Beverage Village, and hey, my fellow beer lovers, a Craft Beer and Wine Village!
The festival will also feature a selection of independent films including – Bidder 70, Chasing Water, Arise, and The Bloom. If that doesn’t expand your mind enough – check out the healing space, Temple of the Heart, on site. It will encompass activities like yoga, kirtan, meditation, and a healers tent to completely rejuvinate you- mind, body, and soul.
THE BASICS
WHAT TO BRING: face paint, headlamp, re-fillable water bottle, warm clothes for the CO nights
Aside from the perks… the music lineup is stacking up quite nicely to create an incredibly diverse world sound to fill up those Colorado mountains.
So who is playing you ask?
Freio Favorites:
We are very excited to be apart of this melding of art and community. Not convinced yet? Check out the music below…
But just you wait… the complete lineup so far includes:
STAY TUNED FOR THE ARISE FESTIVAL CONTEST
FOR 2 FREE TICKETS!!
Wanderlust Wednesday Presents ROCKTIN GROVE
Boulder based and CU buffed band, Rocktin Grove, is jamming its way through the Colorado music scene. With an original sound that seamlessly blends together a wide variety of genres, Rocktin Grove has a little get-down for everyone. From funked out bluegrass twang to hot latin soul, their sound is something uniquely robust and not to be missed. The seven member group, with two years of jam-tastic rocking under their belts, has incredible ‘get-yo-feet-movin” potential to break from their Front Range Colorado stage to a national one. Fans of the band describe the sound as “funky bluegrass awesomeness” and as an interpretation of music they have all always loved transformed into something new and original. The band says, “Calling Boulder, Colorado our home, the mountains, beautiful blue sky, and deep powder keep us loving life and loving music.” Amen.
Meet the boys:
Jon Kimbell- Mandolin/Vocals
Will Viitanen- Percussion
Wilson Harwood- Electric Guitar/Banjo/Vocals/Tres – with “get the cougars goin'” and “gangsta banjo” talent
Adrian Flynt- Bass/Vocals
Nate Luebbe- Mandolin/Violin/Vocals
Garrett Cropsey- Alto Saxophone/Vocals
Theo Farver- Acoustic Guitar/Harmonica/Percussion/Vocals/Trumpet
Looking for latin groovin’? Check out Ice Cream Cha Cha
My personal favorite: Crowfoot Funk…it will get you going! Hot damn!
Wanting more? Check out their site:
ROCKTIN GROVE .com
and their SOUNDCLOUD
AND their FACEBOOK !