Morgantown at Electric Forest

By: Preston Lilly

Electric Forest is a newer festival, that started in 2011. Morgantown students have been there the entire way. This festival encompasses a very wide variety of music. It has al sorts of EDM music as well as Jam bands and even Bluegrass music. This festival caters to everyones musical tastes no matter what you are in to.

Even with this festival being nine hours away there are many people from Morgantown that have made the trip for the past four years. Only ever missing one year, which was the first year it was ever an event. Ever since then however it has grown exponentially, until now and it has been sold out the past two year. Last year it took about three weeks to sell out, this year went by even faster and sold out the day they went on sale. It is crazy how it can get so big so quick, but Morgantown people have been there from the start.

The first year John Nistendirk and his friends went there were only five of them that made the trip. The following year after spreading the word to all of their friends, he convoyed with forty-five other students. They started in Morgantown, and made their way to Michigan in a ten car convoy. The group has only grown each year as well. It is now up to around 60 people who convoy and attend this festival, that’s not to mention all of the people who don’t convoy up.

The group that went together says that convoying makes the trip around an hour longer, because you have to wait for everyone and make more stops. That however does not take away from the fun. The convoy of this trip makes even the drive a blast. There are always group texts going on between all he cars, just cracking jokes or keeping each other up to date with whats going on in each car. It also makes the gas station stops loads of fun, everyone jumps out to fill up their gas tanks as well as throw some frisbee or just hangout with the other cars.

That’s only the beginning of the adventure as well, the real fun doesn’t start until you arrive. Being with ten other cars all from your area makes the trip even better. You know everybody around you, and there is always someone trying to go and do what you want to do. You always have friends to go wonder around with, and check out different types of music.

The energy that that WVU students brings to Electric Forest is incredible as well. The entire festival is some of the nicest and most welcoming people that there are, and the Morgantown students fit right in. The atmosphere Electric Forest Creates is very unique, and it is great how so many people can come together and just have a great time with strangers. You go in knowing only the people you came with, and leave with so many new friends you can’t even remember half of their names.

Another great part about being with the Morgantown group is you can never really get lost. The venue is very large and it is fairly easy to get separated from friend while trying to walk through the crowd. One good way to avoid this is to have a totem (a big stick with a sign  on it). With the Morgantown squad you can always find at least one of the totems. There is always a flying WV somewhere, and several other ones. So even if you get lost just go to a show, and find one of the totems.

If you are from the area, and want to join in with the fun all you have to do is check out the Facebook wall. It has been running since 2013, and just keeps people updated as to whats going on. For instance this year the group has gotten so large they cannot just pull up and say we are together. Now they have to sign up for group camping, and the signup list was posted on the wall. It has all sorts of other things like people selling tickets, and all the information you would need about carpooling or caravanning.

All photo’s pulled from Electric Forest official website photo gallery.

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What do the students want?

By: Preston Lilly

Here at Morgantown we have all sorts of concerts covering a very wide variety of bands, but what do students want to see more of? We also wanted to know where they would like to see more concerts as well?

At all of the different venues that we have here in town almost every different type of music is played. From hard dubstep such as Flux Pavilion and Borgore, to rap such as Waka Flaka Flame and Riffraff. It does’t stop there either, there is another side of the spectrum. Like jam bands like Lotus or Pigeons Playing Pingpong, to bluegrass artists such as Cabinet and The Jeff Austin Band. This brings us back to our questions what do we want to see more of and where?

To find out the answer to this question we interviewed several students from Sophomores to Seniors. Not very surprising there were several different answers that we received. There was however one genre of music that overpowered the others by a little bit. We interviewed a total of seven students from around the campus. Three of the students wanted some form of EDM. Two wanted different forms of rap. While two of them wanted different varieties of rock music.

Elliot Chiartas (Senior) wants to see more current hip-hop music. Specifically rappers such as Meek Mills, or Kendrick Lamar. When asked why he felt this way his response was “there is just to much EDM and we need to mix things up a little more around here”. If he got a choice as to where these people would play he would like it to be at MainStage. He just says this is his favorite venue on campus so that’s where he would like to see his favorite bands.

There was one other person who wanted to see more hip-hop around campus. Noah Hackman (Junior) but he did not want the new style of rap. He wants people such as Snoop Dogg to return to Morgantown. He got to see him one other time in Morgantown at the Coliseum, but he wants him to come back. He also commented that if Snoop or someone along those lines were to come a show on the green at the mountain lair would be the best spot.

Others wanted music that was not rap though, Like Ryan Nash (Senior) for instance. He hopes to see any typeof soft rock come to Morgantown. He said “soft rock would be great if it came sometime soon so we could enjoy it in this great weather”. He too would love it if a band of this genre would preform on the green, so it could be outside in the beautiful weather we have been having.

There was one other person who wanted more rock music Drew Mcmilon (Junior), but he requested more jam bands like Phish or Lotus. He commented “I feel like there is a good growing fan base in town and any show would get a good crowd”. If he had a say in where they would preform it would be MainStage. He thinks this venue is one of the best things to happen to Morgantown, and loves attending concerts there.

Now we move into the crowd favorite EDM. While there are many different types most people accept what they can get. People like Michael Buchler (Sophomore ) want to see more electro indie come to Morgantown. This is artists like Cherub  bands that use real instruments while also mixing in EDM aspects. He wants them to come because “they are a really impressive performance because they actually play instruments”. He wishes more bands along these lines would perform at Bar 123 though, he just really enjoys the setup and wishes more bands like that played there.

Garret Warner (Junior) was another person who wanted more EDM music. He on the other hand wants hard dub or trap music such as flosstradamus or Excision. He says ” I want bands like this because you need crazy hard music to really be able to wile out”. Garret is another person who would love to see more of his favorite genre of band at MainStage. He just says he loves the venue and can’t get enough of it.

The last person we talked to was also on the side EDM her name was Jessica Arvon (Sophomore). She wants the same types of bands that Garret Warner did hard dubstep/trap music. She likes these bands “because there are no words and many of the artists play similar songs, so even if you don’t know the artist you can still dance and have a great time”. Like many others above she would love bands to go to MainStage, she just enjoys the space the have and love how it’s a pretty wide dance area.

Sadly these interviews did not give us a definitive answer as to what students want to see more. That is only because every student is so different. What one person loves and can’t get enough of maybe the person next to them doesn’t want that at all. So from what we have found out I think the types of shows we currently have is great. It is a solid mix of all genres to keep everyone happy. The only thing I could really suggest would be to just have more shows. You can never disappoint with a good live band.

 

 

Inside the LOCKN Festival

This is a very new festival that has just started to emerge. Although it is such a new festival, that has not stopped it from getting amazing bands to come and preform. Even in its first year it was able to get many big names (amongst the newer rock following) to attend. 

LOCKN has only been around for three years, and 2016 will make its 4th. Many fans are already incredibly excited about it, due to the fact that a large portion of the lineup is already announced. Tickets have already started to be sold and the music doesn’t even start until August 25-28. That just goes to show how much fans truly love this venue and festival.

 

The venue is a horse racing track located in Arrington Virginia. With marvelous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains that surrounding you in all directions. The music itself is not the only thing that will keep bringing you back to this amazing festival. The workers and the people who attend are just as important. When the creates of LOCKN set out they had one simple goal. “We’re a group of dedicated music fans who began this journey in 2013, aspiring to provide the ultimate atmosphere for live music and community to flourish.” This is straight from the LOCKN homepage. LOCKN truly cares about not only the music but the atmosphere as well. They even supply the campsite with many different varieties of camp spots to accommodate all types of people who would like to attend. Having a sober LOCKN section, and even a family section within the campsite. This shows they want everybody and anybody to come and enjoy the wonder that is LOCKN.

The people that attend the festival have nothing but love for this place. The workers love it just as much if not even more. The fans and workers were even able to overcome and still have a great time in 2015, when the first day was canceled due to a severe thunderstorm. Which devastated the stage setup and the campgrounds. Although one day of music was gone that did not stop anyone from enjoying themselves. The bands that were canceled were squeezed in-between other sets throughout the weekend which is much better than missing them altogether. The fans and worker didn’t mind though because they understood it was an uncontrollable situation. Maybe the workers cared a bit more, because they had to clean up the mess and re-setup everything that was taken down.

One attendee (Josh Spacek) who has attended the last two years of this festival says ” I never intend on missing another year, LOCKN an incredible festival”. He only has missed one year of this festival and is sad just that he didn’t know about it earlier.

One person who has never missed a year of LOCKN and has already purchased her next years ticket can’t wait to get back. Samantha Lilly, who has attended the first year in LOCKN’s history has returned every year. The previous towers though she not only went for the music, but also to work. She says “It’s great to be able to feel like you are a part of the community helping out, rather than just attending”. It is awesome that people love this place so much that they not only want to be there but also contribute for the greater good of the festival. Not to mention that if you work you also get a free ticket.

Another attendee (Connor McCafferty) who has also attended the last two of three years says ” I love this venue the only bad part about it is trying to get in”. What he means by this is there is only one entrench and checkpoint into the venue (unless your VIP). This process always takes an incredibly long time. This past year it even took six hours of waiting in line with his car to get in. He did however comment “even though the wait is so long to get in, its worth every second of waiting”.

Depending on where you are it is a relatively simple drive. All of it is main roads and there are not many turn (in relation to morgantown). From near or a far the trip to this festival is more than worth it, and should be looked into by anyone who love classic and new Rock n Roll.

 

 

Coming Soon Big Gigantic

Big Gigantic Is a very well known band at this point and have been playing many festivals and other venues since 2009. The band is made up of a saxophonist and producer Dominic Lalli, and a drummer Jeremy Salken. The band falls under the genre of electronic dance music, and MainStage is excited to have them preform on April 12th 2016. Big Gigantic does not have a long history, but a proud one.

MainStage if a great new venue that caters to all genres of music. It came onto WVU’s campus in the fall semester of this year. For more details on it take a look at this early post made on this website.

Many people are thrilled that MainStage was able to get such a big name like Big Gigantic. Everyone that was interviewed said that this was only the second time Big Gigantic had been anywhere close for them to see the band not at a feastval. People like Jessica Arvon said “I love Big Gigantic but the only chance I get to see them is at festivals. I am glad I will finally get to see them in a normal venue with a smaller crowd.” She has seen the band preform two other times but both of them were at Electric Forest a festival in Rothbury Michigan. She says that is her favorite festival and place in the world, but is excited to get to see one of her favorite bands in a smaller atmosphere.

Other’s such as Ryan Hoke share the same opinion, that while he has seen Big Gigantic at several different music festivals he is excited to see them in a smaller venue again. He saw them several years ago when the preformed at the Metropolitan theater in Morgantown, and said “being in a smaller crowd makes the show that much better and personable.” This will make the the seventh time that he has seen the band so they must be doing several things right in order to et such a reliable fan.

When these two students were asked what makes Big Gigantic such a great band? The responses from both were incredibly similar. Ryan said “they just bring so much to the table, while being electronic they are also ver funky and you can’t help but get down at the shows.” Jessica said ” they are the perfect combination of real instruments and electronic music, that makes you want to dance.”

We encourage all people to go to MainStage and check out this show. It will be a great time for all who like good people and good music. The venue is also incredibly easy to get to and is located right downtown. If you are a student it will be very easy to find, but if not it will still be pretty easy to find. All you have to do is go to the Mountainlair (at the center of campus) and follow this map.

After you see this show there is a strong possibility that you will be hooked. If that is the case check out the rest of the tour dates. Maybe one of the shows is coming by your hometown.

The Who in Pittsburgh

The Who was one of the most iconic band to come out of the British Rock phenomena of the 60’s. It was comprised of Roger Daltrey the vocalist, Pete Townshend on the guitar, Keith Moon on  the drums, and John Entwistle on the bass. They became so famous due to their incredible live performances, which included being one of the first bands ever to smash their guitar on stage during a show. Another legendary moment for The Who was when they preformed at Woodstock, when Townshend hit a political activities for trying to interrupt their performance. This was not the only reason thy were so famous, they had had several songs that reached the top ten charts in the U.K. such as “I Can’t Explain” which reached number eight in the charts. They also had another single that did very well before they created an album with that song title “My Generation”which also made it to the top charts. After it was turned into their first album which reached number five in the U.K. charts. The band had a long and prosperous career although it had to overcome many obstacles like the overdose of their drummer Keith Moon, and the heart attack of Pete Townshend. Despite these tragic events the band still tours today and puts on a great show playing all of the classics that a Who fan would want to hear. For more on the history of The Who watch this video on WatchMojo.com, or check out the bands official cite for a very in depth version and future tour dates.

The Who recently came to Pittsburgh on Wednesday March 16th 2016, and preformed at the Consol Energy Center. The band played every song that a fan would love to hear. Opening up with “The Seeker”and playing songs such as “Pinball Wizard”, “My Generation”, “Behind Blue Eyes”, and then closing out the set with the infamous song “Baba O’Riley”. We talked to several people who attended the show two college students Jordan Brack, William Scriptunis and two long term adult fans Rene and Dany Norman. While they said that the band played and sounded incredible the atmosphere was not what they would have expected. The show took place in the Pittsburgh Penguins arena. The stage was set up where one of the goals would have been and the crowd stretched out the rest of the arena. These four fans thought that the venue setup was great, and the sound system phenomenal, but that was not what was disappointing about this show. Sadly it was the other fans.

Rene Norman said “the show was incredible and exactly what I wanted to see, the only thing is I wish they would have let me stand”. You can expect for the crowd at a show like this to be a little older, but this band is known for crazy live performances. You would figure the crowd would be into it. Sadly that was not the case. She and her husband Dany were asked one time to remain seated and not stand back up. After staying seated for a while they figured it would be alright to stand back up and dance. They were incorrect, and were actually asked to leave their section and move farther back. Just for dancing at a concert. After being moved back the couple asked why they would get kicked out of their section for dancing? The response was the people in your section complained they couldn’t see while sitting. You would imagine that this was just that section, if you thought that you would be incorrect. The two college students who were also at the show experienced something very similar, but they were not given a warning. They were simply told that they had to leave their section and move much farther back. Their struggles did not end their either. After being moved to one of the “dancing sections” they were almost kicked out all together for what the usher called “seeking into another section”. Luckily the usher that moved them there was walking by during the argument, and said “no they did not seek in I put them here”. This was not all bad for these kids though, after this they got to move back to their normal section and didn’t get bothered again.

Thankfully these people were in good spirits because they were finally getting to see one of their all time favorite bands. Although they were hassled several times they still had a great time at the show. The only thing that they had to say really was that they wished more people would have danced and had a good time. They said that almost everybody even the people in the floor seats were seated a large majority of the show. Jordan said “I imagined the crowd would be older, but I expected them to dance at least”. Even though the experience they had, they commented The Who  was exactly what they wanted them to be and the show was fantastic.