When artists adopt a moniker, time and success collaborate to solidify their sound – and sometimes, their creative split personalities surface and separate. Armin releases tracks with the alias Gaia, Ferry Corsten produces under System F, Avicii has even remixed himself as Tim Berg. However, for all three of these artists – they’re still producing music under the same umbrella genres of Trance and House. What I find novel and genius, are artists who successfully span through multiple genres, diving feet first into the ocean of musical genius. Hailing from the UK, DJ and Producer Jon Gooch is precisely one of those artists.
For the last few years, he’s been wowing audiences as Electro House phenom Feed Me on Deadmau5’s Mau5trap Records, fully equipped ‘With Teeth’ at times for a kickass stage presence while dolling out delicious drops. But before the time of Feed Me, there was Spor – and Spor has a special place in my heart. Blowing up as Feed Me around 2011, Gooch has been relatively silent as Spor since 2012 – however, most of his success came as Spor from 2005 until his sonic shift. When I saw him at The Music Box in 2011, one of my good friends caught a shirt that he threw off stage – when we awkwardly approached the stage to ask him to sign it, and then fan-girl over his music a bit – I asked if he was ever going to produce or tour as Spor again and a grin washed over his face. Hopefully soon…, he trailed off.
I crave the complexities in composition; harmony and resolution are wonderful, don’t get me wrong – but without dissonance, empty space between notes and off-putting chords – those musical elements aren’t nearly as sweet. A dark, brooding, industrial sound at time, Spor fell to the backburner as Feed Me gained notoriety in the public eye. So, when I found out that there was a new Spor album coming out I cranked up my speakers, cleared some room in the apartment to mosh and was delighted by the fierce beats that came out of my system.
Track Listing
1. Your Murmuring Chasms
2. Arms House
3. Always Right Never Left
4. Empire ft James Hadouken!
5. Like Clockwork
6. Blueroom
7. Strange Heart
8. As I Need You (featuring Tasha Baxter)
9. Full Colour
10. If You Cry
11. Our Space
12. Coconut
13. The Hole Where Your House Was
14. Unreleased Material (Caligo Sketchbook Mix)
15. Methods
16. 10,000
17. Nachtwerk
18. Republic
19. Red Panda (2 Am Minimal Mix)
A fusion of Heavy Metal Rock, riddled with Hip Hop inspired lyrics over an energetic drumstep backbeat, Spor’s new album Caligo is everything I’ve wanted from an artist. Effortlessly blending industrial basslines with high octane guitar riffs and the occasional ethereal vocal sample – like in “Your Murmuring Chasms”, the new Spor sound sporadically oozes out hints of Feed Me while reminding you that it’s anything but. From start to finish, this album is an absolute must listen; and I’m left with only one question – does this mean we’ll be seeing a Spor Live Band touring anytime soon?
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
― Augustine of Hippo
There’s no doubt about it, music is my catharsis – catalyzing an emotional exploration of my ego while I put my psyche to rest; salaciously permitting me to adventure inside myself, a sort of mental manifest destiny if you will. In that sense, traveling might as well be musics equal and opposite, passionately pursing novel locations and external adventures at every turn. Even though festivals are the primary ‘why‘ to my ‘where‘ of recent road trips, it doesn’t take much of a rhyme or reason to figure out that there’s so much else to do beyond the music. On our way to Red Rocks, we made some beautiful and necessary detours through Zion and Bryce; while chugging along to Shambhala, we had the chance to take a gander at the amazingly lush topology of Oregon and Washington (well, until you reach the Washington Desert – which is definitely a real thing).
Before Danny and I departed for Tucson, my dad doted a bit of fatherly advice for the trip and doled out some great sight seeing destinations – including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Mt. Lemmon, the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Saguro National Park. All amazing suggestions and but as it turns out, absolutely none of these were actually in that close of a proximity that we could pop over and back to Gem and Jam in the span of a day; meaning we humorously tackled absolutely none of these. However, one thing we did get to experience was the internationally acclaimed Tucson Gem Show. Drawing in over 50,000 personalities from across the globe – The Gem Show is the premiere destination for gem, mineral, crystal and fossil lovers alike. For about an entire month, hotels are essentially turned into giant warehouses – with each room playing host to a different pop up shop. From Africa to Israel, India to China, Alaska to California – you could seriously get your rocks off a thousand ways to Sunday – and for those of you that think I’m exaggerating, trust me – if anything, I’m actually understating how many vendors and locations there are!
Starting at the end of January and running through February, for three weeks a year – Tucson is transformed into the largest Gem and Mineral show in the United States, while eager observers become transfixed on the glistening, gleaming and gorgeous gems that it has to offer. Between ornate Quartz Skulls, towering fossil reliefs, gorgeous – and gigantic geodes – and magnificent pieces of Carborundum, Malachite and Azurite – we were whimsically wowed and humbled to gallivant throughout a few key hotels. In the last few months, my interest in gems and minerals has piqued – leading to extensive scavenging on ETSY, plus some good ol’ research and homework to truly understand what I’m looking at. Between their chemical composition, geometric patterns, crystalline building blocks, and rainbow array of colors -they’re a number nerds dream dipped in science and beauty. Instead of paying full value, we paid discounted, warehouse prices and for good reason – this is where ETSY shops come to stock up!
Though the Tucson show is in it’s last leg, you don’t need to fret if you missed out – as it turns out, there are a considerable amount of traveling gem shows and chances are they’ll be coming to a city near you! Just in Southern California, The Gem Faire will be cruising the coast – starting in Santa Barbara from 2/20-22, heading to to Costa Mesa the following weekend, then Del Mar and finally the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Northern California from 3/13-15. If you’re not keen on traveling but you’re located in the Los Angeles area, the Natural History Museum downtown is home to a vast collection of Gems and Minerals, held in a stunning exhibition hall.
Music is a multidimensional expression of sound, and while we primarily use our ears to translate tracks into an emotional menagerie of feelings, we perceive it with all of our senses. We can feel the bass rumble through our soul and sense the sound vibrations rushing past our skin, tasting the excitement of a live set in an almost palpable fashion. I don’t usually gush and ogle over headphones, but then again – it’s not everyday that a pair like this crosses my path. It’s true that we can’t necessarily wear our music on our sleeves, less for an iPod Shuffle, but as it turns out – we can now sport it throughout our headphones thanks to Glow.
Implementing smart phone technology from companies like Google, Corning, Android and Knowles – Glow is pushing the boundaries of the next generation of ergonomic headphones, crafting the first smart headphones, glowing to your beat with fiber optic lasers in red, green or blue. Currently, Glow is just a little over a week into their Kickstarter Project – meaning you have the opportunity to help awesome things happen.
At this moment, the current functionalities of Glow are relegated to Android phones (sorry Apple devotees!). Some basic features will still be available through the 5-way hand held controller. Essentially a remote for your headphones, you’ll be able to snap pictures, take calls and work with basic music applications like Pandora or Spotify. Eventually, if enough backers matriculate – as a stretch goal, they’ll build in the technology to pulse to your heartbeat. But for now, that’s just a pipe dream.
In my never ending quest to take in all the nature I possibly can in Los Angeles, the idea of finding lush, green pastures and wind swept trees locally has more often than not escaped me. When I was living in Korea Town and West Hollywood, I was easily and habitually reminded of the close proximity of the heart of the city. I could feel the pulse of the streets and yearned to be closer to nature. So, thank goodness I moved out to Eagle Rock – there’s all the amenities of West Side living but paired with the lackadaisical but passionate work ethic of the modern Renaissance person, advocating equal time for work and play. Instead of being engulfed by the traffic and smog of the city, I’m constantly in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds this area.
For Valentine’s Day weekend, Danny and I had a few friends stay with us and we got to explore a whole new side of the neighborhood. Just over the freeway, where the 2 and 134 meet, there’s a wonderful little trail right on Sleepy Hollow Lane, oh and also – most adorable street name ever. We walked a few miles while the blazing succulent sun-rays rained down on us and I couldn’t think of a more beautiful way to spend my Friday afternoon. What’s even better, is this is just 5 minutes away and boasts a view of Big Bear, Orange County’s Saddleback Mountain, Downtown LA, Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean.
“We are all creators in our own way;
It doesn’t matter if you’re a artist, or a musician… If all you bring is peace to a situation, you are a creator”
– Papadosio –
A never ending, socially constructed conundrum – time stands as a source of equal amusement and bemusement, destruction and creation. We build, generate, and fuel our personal passionate fires because we want to leave a legacy on the world, so much so that we can lose sight of a single moment; which, in all honesty, is all that truly exists. But right now,I’m finding that difficult to conceive; it feels like three lifetimes ago that I left Los Angeles to embark on the trip of a lifetime out to Tucson, Arizona.
In reality, it was only last Thursday when the sun set into a golden amber hue as we loaded the car in a pseudo hurry, stopping every so often to swoop one of our four cats and fit in some mandatory cuddle time with our kittens before we hit the road. As rush hour dissipated, we cranked the jams, rolled down our windows and gleefully noticed as the saguaro cacti haphazardly filled the horizon and multitudes of stars illuminated the sky. Crushing through the 10 Freeway, we had our one track minds set on the monumental weekend that we had before us. Sure, we were five individuals, our brains flying ten million miles an hour as we launched through the desert, as we ebbed and flowed through the lineup, hashing out set conflicts and reminiscing about Festivals Past. This was the first time that I’d gotten to give Danny and I’s best friend and third tripod leg Giordan entry to a multi-day event and it felt so good being able to give back something I’m personally always so thrilled to experience. Even though our other friends David and Jimmy were simply coming for the first night of entertainment, I was beyond excited to share the feelings of love and community that I get being a transplant at these festivals with my closest friends. Events like this aren’t really any fun if the Homies can’t have none, and for the first time I was blessed with an opportunity to share the adventure with some of my close knit crew. Between the lot of us we were made up of 3 photographers, 2 writers and 2 sound engineers; no, there’s no funny math involved, we’re just multi-talented modern day Renaissance people trying to make it in the world.
Standing as the South West’s preeminent West Coast Bass infused transformational festival, Gem and Jam was entering it’s 9th year and we were itching to drink it in. With the resurgence and incorporation of jam bands and live group instrumentation within the umbrella of dance music, the weekend was perfectly poised to inject life into a genre that’s become inherently cookie cutter over the past decade. And the music is just one part of the puzzle. An amalgamation of highly skilled spiritual and psychedelic live artists ranging from Alex and Allyson Grey, The Welch Brothers, Xavi Panneton, Jef Logan and Amanda Sage setup easels around the grounds, drawing inspiration from effervescent, thoughtful musical performances while vendors adorned the walls and true performance art: fire dancing, acro-yoga, poi and aerial silks galore were displayed en masse to wild-eyed wanderers by performance troops and novices alike, the festival eagerly embraces the underground counterculture’s conscious community and the creator in each and every one of us.
Collectively curated by the genius minds and happy humans at Infinite Music Productions, Euphonic Conceptions, New Earth MUZiQ and Challenger, for three solid days at Tuscon’s Slaughterhouse. Currently grounds for a makeshift haunted house befit for the most horrific of Halloween haunts, the Slaughterhouse was originally a Farmer John’s Meatpacking Plant (that huge wooden platform we were on definitely weighed cattle), not to mention plays host to a spooky urban legend that makes me shudder. However, for one wonderful weekend, the venue underwent a magical metamorphosis into a world that pulled inspiration from the principles of Burning Man, the ethos of Lightning in a Bottle, the humor of a tent circus and a community that immediately inducted you into their festival family.
Timed in synchronicity with Tucson’s internationally famous Gem and Mineral Show, an annual event that easily accrues upwards of 50,000 international characters to the area to peruse pristine, colorful and often rare stones, gems and minerals, the Gem and Jam Festival is a unique bloom in a field of copycats and mainstream events. For three days and thirty six hours, hundreds upon hundreds of conscientious creatives adventured down a rabbit hole of artistic prowess while souls entwined and slipped into a sonic bliss to auricular excellence.
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”
― Maya Angelou
500 miles and seven hours later, the saguaro cactus had become a semi-permanent fixture in our field of vision and the flat desert landscape was playing tricks on our vision. But triumphantly, anxiously and excitedly – I pulled into the festival grounds with four of my best friends, eager to digest a new festival in a new state. A cornerstone of Arizona’s emerging Bass Vibe, the morning’s at the festival consisted of workshops on yoga, dancing, flow movement, and crystal education while this year’s afternoon and evening lineup was stacked to the brim with acts that fully embody what it means to jam out with their gem’s out. Jam Culture, which really kicked off with 60’s groups like the Grateful Dead and Phish dishing out genre bending musical improv layered over harmonic chord progressions and pulsating grooves, has met an electric, new wave match in unprecedented ways almost 50 years later.
Strolling into the grounds on Friday afternoon, my heart fluttered with the same excitement some get when they open a new book to start a grandiose adventure – beyond just music and art, I love pure, unabashed creative expressions of humanity, and they were bountiful this past weekend. Vendor booths didn’t just wrap around the festival grounds, they were scattered outside on walkways and throughout the parking lots, leaving a humerus trail of hippie bread crumbs for future archaeologists to find. While Andrelien got the crowd moving, we migrated through the vendor booths – delicately discovering little treats and treasures from a fun variety of vendors like the Fancy Shop of Important Things, Third Eye Pinecones, Anonymous Creations and Rainbow Bliss Botanicals. By the time we snagged delicious Chinese Food from Jane’s Rolling Wok, we danced around the perimeter of the grounds to PsyBill, but once we heard VibeSquaD it was game over; the crowd roared to rambucnctoious life as Vibesquad gave the South West a taste of the Southern California Bass Sound I’ve grown to know and love. LTJ Bukem’s lyrically liquid set cemented a place for drum and bass within underground festival culture and that MCs like Armanni Reign with a cathartic cadence and powerfully placed punchlines are what can make a great set fantastic. The evening ended with the musical storytellers for a new generation as Papadosio’s effortlessly excellent Indie Folk sound, with an electro twist and a wonderful message.
Rising and Shining while adjusting to the time change on Saturday morning, the lot of us made a collective decision to get out and hit a gem show or two and I’m beyond the moon that we did. Gigantic geodes, glistening quartz and sparking carborundum adorned the hotel rooms and lobbies all over Tucson – part of the reason it’s actually difficult to book rooms to stay for the Festival itself is that the majority of the hotels play host to pop up shops from around the globe, ranging from India to China, Alaska to South America. Wandering through the rooms, we manhandled stone after stone (they’re minerals) pining for sparkles, air bubbles, and ribbons of rainbow all the while breathing in the bartering culture of the gem and crystal world in search of the best deals, and boy – we found some beautiful ones! As we left for the festival grounds, we were down a group member – and already felt a little incomplete without their witty one liners, pleasant demeanor and creative prowess they perpetually bring to the situation.
For the first time in 9 years, the Gem and Jam Festival sold out on Saturday evening – capping the party population at 5,000 beautifully bouncing bodies – we lucked out, snagging an extra ticket for our friend Jimmy, an up and coming photographer with an exceptional eye for beauty and an urge to learn on the fly. With the night’s interstellar lineup, no one could blame the troupe of ticket hunters fiending to gain entry until the festival ended at 1 AM. From start to finish, the day packed a one-two punch of funky bass and layered harmonies as Tasty Treat and Adem Joel kicked off the day’s music. Congregation, cooperation and novel creation were the name of the game as acts from Denver’s electronic instrumental duo Lost Optical, Ill-esha expertly fusing live vocals with the violin while Zion I’s Amp Live brought in a fresh spin on Hip Hop.
The classically trained Russ Liquid teamed up with friend Andrew Block on guitar for the debut performance of Stupid Americans, fully equipped with squishy bass, intricate production value and the pristine influence of pure instrumentation of Russ getting down on that harmonically sexy trumpet. How you follow an act like that is beyond me, but leave it to the musical genius of Thriftworks to figure that out. After giving a heartfelt shout-out to both his grandmother, who used to attend the Gem Festival, and his aunt and uncle who were roaming the grounds, Terry D swooped down on the crowd; causing faces to melt and minds to explode with his unique and unprecedented distorted dubstep stylings. As the set moved between tracks from Fade, Fadest and Deviation, Russ Liquid reappeared for a Trumpet cameo as the duo got down for a performance of their first ever song together, Jerry’s Lament.
In polar opposition to the previous sets of Russ Liquid and Thriftworks, Random Rab washed a tranquil mood over the rambunctious Saturday night crowd, as many enjoyed his music cuddled into friends on the soft dirt. The best piece of news I got the whole festival was that Late Night Radio was no longer overlapping with the Michal Menert Trio, because you know that the Super Best Records Team, including Krooked Drivers, was looking to support their own. We darted, danced and dashed through the crowd to a tepidly humid, small, indoor stage; dimly lit, slightly humid and flush with lasers, you couldn’t help but feel like you were going through a rabbit hole and into an underground warehouse party. For an extra special birthday set, Late Night Radio threw the party of the night as he injected new life into old school hip hop beats, intermingled with the electric, live guitar sounds of friend and peer Kevin Donohue from Sunsquabi. Every so often, LNR – known to friends as Alex Medellin – taunted and teased the crowd with a good time, asking the animated crowd for requests, even indulging us in a remix of Lettuce coming out imminently.
Continuing with the Super Best Music Crew, the label’s founder – Michal Menert – had a special treat in store, bringing hometown friends Marcelo Moxy, AC Lao and Dwayne “JuBee” Webb to pick up what he was putting down in a once in a blue moon Michal Menert Trio. Conjoined in musical prowess, they collectively brought the house down, swaying between tracks off of Menert’s latest solo album Elements, as well as his latest project with friend and music aficionado Paul Basic as Half Color. The pure beauty of Emancipator emanated, as they enlisted the whole ensemble – including a menagerie of fire dancers, acro yogis and all over stage candy – for a beautiful end to the second night. With Doug Appling at the reigns, joined by violinist Ilya Goldberg, drummer Colby Buckler and Peter Thatch on bass, the music ebbed and flowed like a love story, starting slow and building into a passionate, pulsating frenzy; just to throw it out there: if they could always play as an Ensemble from now on, that’d just be fantastic.
The crowd got comfortable as the main stage came to a lull,- reminiscing with new friends and old about the wondrous adventures, moments of hilarity and incredible musical talent of the evening. As the festival tapered out, anyone with a party itch could scratch it in either the Silent Disco on site or at an after party Solar Culture in Downtown Tucson. Absolutely no one was in a rush to leave, with vendors lining the walkways out, friendly faces and plenty of people camped in their car – it almost felt like a camping festival, even though it definitely wasn’t.
After two amazing, but exhausting days of wonderful art and music, it was finally time for the coup de grâce in the form of Sunday Funday. As we rolled into our last day of the festival, we noticed a relaxed mood had washed over the crowd as they lazily strolled through the entrance. Not intending on staying the whole weekend, Jimmy had resigned himself to making new friends and enjoying the vendors around the outskirts of the festival – but Danny, being the gentleman he is, had a much better idea. After a little sweet talking, a couple generous bear hugs and flashing a handsome smile – Jimmy and Danny waltzed over with an extra bounce in their step, presenting Jimmy’s wristband. We jumped up and down like the giddiest of school children, hugging and laughing our way inside the festival with appreciative smiles and shit eating grins. It’s one thing being able to live your own dream, but letting three of your friends do the same – that’s a priceless feeling I won’t soon forget.
Kaminanda and Little People set an exquisitely beautiful vibe on the main stage, and had the crowd in a perfect musically induced daze, swaying back and forth while forgetting they’d spent the last two days entirely on their feet. Giraffage had the grounds goin’ up on a Sunday with a remix heavy set that brought us all back to middle school. Trance finally had a place at Gem and Jam as we danced around to ATB, and then a slew of other songs that we were pinching each other back stage as we danced around: Better Off Alone, Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA, Baja Men’s Who Let The Dog’s Out and last but definitely not least, the Ignition Remix – because it was the freaking weekend, and we were having some fun. UK’s The New Mastersounds offered a fresh big band sound, while final evening closed out with an emotive and lyrical Dubstep set from Phutureprimative.
Once you throw in the incredibly human element of Jam Music, or live instrumentation as almost every group over the weekend exemplified, you allow room for mistakes; music finally can imitate life’s imperfections, as life all too often imitates art. They allow mistakes, they falter and shine a the same time while the crowd wouldn’t know the wiser; they’re a mirror, paralleling life – resonating the love of the community right back into our ears. We build the world up only to burn it down and rebuild again, we rejoice at each other’s triumphs and pick each other up as well fall; as a community, we’re fully aware that we’re only as strong as our weakest link and through that, we choose to educate, integrate, appreciate each other in ways that some people still have no idea are possible.
The Gem and Jam Festival is where you find a conscious creative community who embrace humble rock stars, not the press play all stars – as Menert calls them. Roaming through the festival grounds, through the vendors and into the food court, you could reach out and touch your favorite musicians and chances are, they were just as thankful for your interaction as you were with theirs. Each and every artists I had a chance to talk to has a beautiful soul and intelligent vision of their craft; I’m honored to have shared the weekend with the lot of them and cannot wait to see where their careers take them next.
Gem and Jam is a unique experience that inspires your mind while moving your feet, from start to finish it’s one of – if not the- best run festivals I’ve ever had the opportunity to attend. A few thank you’s to some special people that I encountered this weekend: To Cody for the Cherry Picker ride, I had to get over my fear of heights somehow. To Luke and the Tsunami Media Team for a seamless, lovely weekend that I couldn’t help but gush to everyone back home about. To Harmonic Light for an incredible long exposure photo experience. To non profits like Dance Safe, that ensure the safety, intelligent decisions and education is available to everyone. To Michal Menert and the Super Best Records crew for being an inspiration to rise to greatness. To Russ Liquid and Thriftworks for ensuring weird is new normal, and to the rest of the artisits for providing enough audiovisual candy to give me a sweet tooth, hugging me and letting me gush about how amazing I think you are – I’m probably never going to stop being a fangirl, and I think that’s a beautful thing; to the fans, because this wouldn’t be the same without any of you – because let’s face it, I am one of you. Last, but certainly not least – thank you all for the scream laughter and instant friendships, for swapping art and trading hugs, for the Hunch Punch, the ‘Hey, Nerds!’, the buff jobs (that I didn’t get, but got to live vicariously through and that was good enough), for the people giving good mustache and excellent smiles, selenite crystal unicorn horns and hometown hospitality.
The Gem and Jam Festival implored me to understand that great individuals are great because they can raise the vibrations of the outlying community while remaining true to themselves; each and every artist that graced the stage at the festival, whether musician, painter or dancer, was so thrilled and humbled to be sharing the essence of their being with us. Let life imitate art and attack the day with the same passionate wanderlust that they instill within us. We live in an inspiring, intimate artistic community with not just an overwhelming desire to create – but to share, collaborate and learn. Art is our religion, it’s out tradition, our culture – our craft and our trade. It’s about cohesive collaboration, and we can only shine by making those around us shine. There’s a material world that we’ve built around us, while trying to convince ourselves that our ends justify the mundane means of everyday life. We push, inspire and beseech ourselves to express, extrapolate and push the creative boundaries of our existence – all to discover that where we are, is exactly where we need to be, but that we wouldn’t be who we were if it weren’t for the community that raises us up. Between the exquisite live art from a variety of mediums and personalities and exceptional jam band music, we more than got our rocks off. If you’re looking for a sun soaked adventure to the South West in the heart of Winter, I highly implore you to permanent marker in the Gem and Jam Festival for next February.
Countdowns aren’t just for Birthdays; countdowns are perfect for vacations, graduations, and most importantly – festivals. Yep. Festivals. I can get through any humdrum week if I know that on the other end of it, I have some tasty beats coming my way – so all week, regardless of how much work gets handed on my plate, I’ve just kept swimming because I know the sweetness of Gem and Jam Festival is literally just on the other side.
Preparing for a road trip isn’t new news at this point, after a year of gallivanting the West Coast in search of the latest and greatest in Bass Music and Transformational Festivals, I’ve more or less turned into a pro. Also, let it be known that if it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done; like, packing, for example. But as I ambush my dirty laundry, I can update my playlists, sort through my SpiritHoods and reminisce about Festivals Past, elated epiphanies and manifesting good company. There’s nothing quite like a road trip, and in the words of Hunter S Thompson – I bought the ticket, time to take the ride. After a bit of counting, Danny and I’ve adventured through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire – which marks Arizona as our 10th state together, and means we’ve conquered 20% of the USA. Fuck yeah.
Not only is this a monumental milestone, but I’ve heard such outstanding things about the Gem and Jam Festival – and I’m thrilled that I get to experience it firsthand. Hosted by the collaborative minds at Infinite Music, Euphonic Conceptions, New Earth MuZIQ and Challenger, the Festival is entering it’s 9th year – and it’s doing it in style. Visionary, spiritual artists and leaders Alex and Allyson Grey head up the lineup, followed by a menagerie of musicians ready to rock your socks off. Thriftworks, Russ Liquid, Random Rab, Girrafage, Vibesquad, Kaminanda, Krooked Drivers….each and every one of the acts is so influential in the West Coast Bass scene. To give you a little taste of the musical excellence Tucson’s about to experience, take a listen to this playlist we’ve expertly assembled.
Held in parallel with Tucson’s infamous Gem and Mineral Show, which draws upwards of 50,000 personalities from across the globe, festival is a welcome counterpart; providing the perfect pairing of exceptional, sensory arts and the natural beauty of the Earth. Through performance art, live art, workshops, lectures, food vendors and the salacious sonic talent of the musical roster – the Gem and Jam Festival is sure to pique all the senses, providing the groundwork for another exceptional weekend with a stellar community of artists.
Expect nothing short of greatness as each night features the interstellar artwork of Alex and Allyson Grey, plush with lecture, visuals from the always astounding Jonathan Singer, Live Painting, Live Workshops, immersive installations and late night treats including after parties, a Silent Disco and so much more! A cornerstone of Arizona’s emerging Bass Vibe, this year’s roster is stacked to the brim with acts who truly embody what it means to ‘Jam out’. From North Carolina Quintet Papadosio to the unique and highly anticipated appearances Emancipator Ensemble and Michael Menert Trio, which is a treat unto itself, electronic instrumental trio Lost Optical hailing from Denver and Late Night Radio’s retrofitted electronic reinterpretation of Hip Hop to some honest lyrics from Zion I’s Amp Live, this year’s Gem & Jam has a little bit of something for every music lover. My only problem is the time conflicts and they abound! Because how are we supposed to choose between Late Night Radio and the Michal Menert Trio, Lost Optical (a brand new favorite) or Thriftworks (tried and true trippy beats), Krooked Drivers and LTJ Buken, or Andrelien and Psydell, or Papadosio and Pumpkin? Like they say in the Little Mermaid: life’s full of tough choices, dearie. But if these are the toughest choices I have to make this weekend – sign me up!
Main Lineup
Afterparty Lineup
Art Workshops
With the the likes of Welch Brothers, Amanda Sage, Jonathan Singer, Jef Logan, Xavi Panneton, and Benedigital, on top of Alex & Allyson Grey, prepare to open your mind, and even your third eye, to pick up what these talented individuals are putting down – live.
We’ve got an exclusive sneak peak of Benedigital live painting at the Envision Festival Pre-Party with Gem and Jam Headliner Kaminanda just the other week from our good friend over at Boom Chamber.
For more on Gem and Jam, head to their website or socials:
Black. Deep Navy Blue speckled with grey, releasing into streaks of pink, orange and blue. The moon was setting as the sun rose last Tuesday all the while, the morning sky faded from a delightful shade of dark to daylight. In my thirty years on the planet, I’ve never once considered myself a “morning person” by any sort of standards; the early bird might get the worm, but I’ve always considered myself more of a cat.
However, last Tuesday, I was up and at’em at 6:30 in the morning for the first time since I’ve moved to Los Angeles and not for a flight at LAX. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, with my party pants and my dancing shoes on, I was jumping around the living room jubilantly annoying my fiance. “We’re heading to Daybreaker; get your game face on!” The look that stabbed me back in the face was one of equal disgust and disrespect; didn’t I know what time it was and how much traffic there’d be, and I was crazy for wanting to drive into downtown LA..and then come back and work? Yes, yes and oh, yes. All of the above; but, I implored – that’s the point!
Daybreaker is for the party girl, or boy, inside you that traded a 9pm rally time for a 9am call time; a night of partying for a night in the office. And Daybreaker gets it, you deserve – well, a day-break! One thing I’ve learned about getting older, is that maturity is simply knowing when to be immature.
Of the lot of ‘Young Professionals’ I know, almost all of us come from a music, and party, fueled past – even if we don’t still partake in the same ol’ shenanigans. We inherited 9 AM to 5 PM jobs after navigating a 9PM to 5AM party schedule, and we did it well – we have our own pads, we’ve manifested these real world jobs with regal responsibilities, our closets have suits, ties and fancy shoes, our lives are governed by to do lists…..and somewhere along the way, we became adults. Thankfully, Daybreaker does a fabulous job of reminding us that we can get down and get it together at the same time.
Whether you’re on your third wind and didn’t exactly sleep after an excellent night out, or you’re a sun chaser and enjoy the early morning hours – Daybreaker has a dancefloor for you. Out of the corners of Los Angeles, young professionals arose from their slumber to presumably extra funky ringtones with an effervescently bubbly disposition, hopped into their hybrids or carpooled with their cube-mates and like a well dressed and incredibly limber zombie apocalypse, descended on downtown LA. For the first time since it’s inception last year, Daybreaker was heading to the East Side of town instead of their usual haunt on the West Side and this kitten was excited. By the time we reached The Springs Wellness Center, the sun was shining and energy in the morning air was palpable – the city was up and at’em, eager to attack the day.
Either everyone got the memo, or we’re just that in sync – neon colors, tank tops, hipster chick and yoga pants of each and every amazing textile pattern you could think of were shimmering around the building, while KIND Energy Bars, Stumptown Coffee and tasty antioxidant drinks adorned the tables. With the booty shakin’ beats of DivaDanielle, Daybreaker got LA goin’ up on a Tuesday – Morning, and thanks to the soulful and inspired slam poetry, we got our brains engaged and ready to tackle the day. The event rounded up with a lovely morning mantra being passed around the room, for all of us to read together; it was truly an inspiring way to start the day.
Daybreaker Started out in NYC and has been waking and shaking across the US ever since, starting with dates in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London. Keep your eyes on their socials, because the team could be bringing Daybreaker to a city near you! Next on the list are Amsterdam, Atlanta and Seattle.
When I saw him at The Music Box in 2011, one of my good friends caught a shirt that he threw off stage – when we awkwardly approached the stage to ask him to sign it, and then fan-girl over his music a bit – I asked if he was ever going to produce or tour as Spor again and a grin washed over his face. Hopefully soon…, he trailed off.
Starting at the end of January and running through February, for three weeks a year – Tucson is transformed into the largest Gem and Mineral show in the United States, while eager observers become transfixed on the glistening, gleaming and gorgeous gems that it has to offer. Between ornate Quartz Skulls, towering fossil reliefs, gorgeous – and gigantic geodes – and magnificent pieces of Carborundum, Malachite and Azurite – we were whimsically wowed and humbled to gallivant throughout a few key hotels. In the last few months, my interest in gems and minerals has piqued – leading to extensive scavenging on ETSY, plus some good ol’ research and homework to truly understand what I’m looking at. Between their chemical composition, geometric patterns, crystalline building blocks, and rainbow array of colors -they’re a number nerds dream dipped in science and beauty. Instead of paying full value, we paid discounted, warehouse prices and for good reason – this is where ETSY shops come to stock up!
At this moment, the current functionalities of Glow are relegated to Android phones (sorry Apple devotees!). Some basic features will still be available through the 5-way hand held controller. Essentially a remote for your headphones, you’ll be able to snap pictures, take calls and work with basic music applications like Pandora or Spotify. Eventually, if enough backers matriculate – as a stretch goal, they’ll build in the technology to pulse to your heartbeat. But for now, that’s just a pipe dream.
Daybreaker does a fabulous job of reminding us that we can get down and get it together at the same time.
Either everyone got the memo, or we’re just that in sync – neon colors, tank tops, hipster chick and yoga pants of each and every amazing textile pattern you could think of were shimmering around the building, while 
The Bouncy Kitty 
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