Freio Music

Ride Festival 2019

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Recap

The 8th Annual Ride Festival backdropped by steep slopes of evergreens and aspens in downtown Telluride was filled with good vibes and great music. Everyone has their band, and for this crowd, it’s Widespread Panic. And Panic does not skip a beat. Mean solos and raspy, eerie vocals define this legacy band. Long jams fed a stellar ambiance in the crowd.

However, the Ride Fest is not just Widespread Panic. Take a listen to some of the alluring artists of the festival below and be sure to check them out on tour.

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN

This band ROCKED, bringing a new generation of the rock genre to the forefront. It was rugged, raw, and dirty. Small town Texas-born guitarist/vocalist Tyler Bryant commanded the stage in the best of ways. Riffs of southern jam band, blues, and slasher rock were skillfully crafted in their music. Only in their 20s, this band is on the up. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see them live.

And who’s not a sucker for a little slide guitar?

PONY BRADSHAW

Pony Bradshaw, whew! This project, backed by singer, songwriter, James Bradshaw, has a honest, pure vibe. He has a beautifully smooth voice and haunting, intriguing lyrics. He kicked off Saturday afternoon right with his Americana storytelling. I really dug Pony Bradshaw, take a listen below.

Photos

Arise 2018 – Photo Recap

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2 © Freio Music_Arise Music Festival 2018-61

Arise Music Festival in Loveland, Colorado 2018 - Photo Recap

Another orbit around the sun and another opportunity to shoot at Arise Music Festival.  Here are some of my favorite moments and photos from the event.  Huge shout out to all of the artists who made this festival possible.

Photos by Michael Morahan

Sonic Bloom Photo Recap 2018

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Sonic Bloom 2018 Photo Recap

This year at Sonic Bloom the music was on fire as usual.  Three main stages running until 2am and one stage running until sun-rise with music until 6am.  The workshops begin at 8 am so there is really only two hours of 'off-time' per day all four days of the festival.  The music and grooves transitioned seamlessly as different artists plugged in while others finished out their set.  The main stage has a 'tween' stage, which if you are not familiar with the term is a small stage right next to the main stage and features short usually under 30min performances while the main stage undergoes a set change.  This is the optimal way to transition on a large stage while maintaining the audience's attention and attendance.

With thee stages going simultaneously for 8 hours (with three stages that is actually 24 hours of live performances compressed in time and space within walking distance), which provides an opportunity for more musicians to be heard and benefit from the cross-pollination of musical audiences.   The river ran dry but the music and shaded hammocks at the hummingbird stage provided a welcome mid day napping location.  There is no shortage of amazing talent and the careful curation of musical acts that preform ensure a high threshold and a healthy diversity while still being true to the festivals electronic roots.

Photos will never capture sound so seek out good listen to new music.  Click here to listen to live tracks from Sonic Bloom 2018.

Some more music the official Sonic Bloom Playlist on Spotify:

Enchanted Forest Gathering Photo Recap

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Wow!  What a trip...  It started out fortuitously but not without some typical last minute "oh, shits", a rushed amazon delivery and the realization of a 20 hour drive to attend.   With a co-pilot, a Prius, plenty of snacks and a 4am departure, we made good time all the way Nevada on day one.  The second day completed the travel to the fest where we showed up just as the first act was coming on stage.  We rushed to get our tent set up and then strolled onto the dance floor.

The festival had three main stages, each decorated with care and finesse.  The Knoll stage seemed to be dedicated to a lively variety of genres, and featured some of my favorite sets of the whole fest including 'Diggin Dirt' 'Dirtwire' (no there was not a dirt theme), and Ozomatli.  The main stage, aka the Groove Stage, was settled into the forest in a nice natural clearing.  The stage was framed with beautifully cut wood circles and shapes that rounded the LED walls into an aesthetic art piece.   The Saucy Spa, the late night stage, pumped the music through a quadraphonic sound-system into the sunrise hours.  Check out our photos to see the stages in action.

Every stage had great sound quality but two of the three stages had 'Funktion-One' speakers.  If you have never heard of Function One's or have heard of it but never experienced music played through a Function One sound system, it rocks, rumbles, and rips through the air with surprising clarity and vibrance.  This is the current state of the art speaker system.  Enchanted Forest even took the sound quality even further.  At the Saucy Spa, the late night stage, four stacks of Funktion-One speakers positioned at every corner of the dance area, all angled to the center of the dance floor.  Why is this special or notable?  Damn, I am glad you asked!  A quadraphonic speaker setup enables artists to shape sounds in a 3D environment and can 'pan' audio to all four speakers (front left, front right, back right, back left).

Below was a brotherly collaboration in an attempt to translate the musical event through photos.

Arise Festival 2014 in Photos

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