FESTIVAL FILLED WITH AMAZING SETS INCLUDING KAYTRANADA AND ROMY

Since the old school revival of Goldenvoice festival This Ain’t No Picnic announced its lineup, I was intrigued as it seemed to be taking the place of indie-rock/hip hop hybrid FYF which ended its run in 2017 after its founder was removed. I thought it looked enough to replace the hit weekend festival, and I was correct to the fullest degree, but I almost didn’t get to experience it.

First off, getting press passes to Goldenvoice shows is difficult to put it lightly. Unless you have direct access to the artists performing or good relations with their PR teams, the concert monopoly owners are very strict with who they grant access to, especially when it comes to their festivals. The big guys like Pitchfork and Dazed would have no problem covering anything, but the little guys like myself would have a harder time. Luckily, my good friend from middle school Jaycob Luque was able to help me out and retrieve a photo pass to cover Kaytranada’s set on Saturday. It was an amazing opportunity, and I assumed with a pass I would be able to photograph other performances on that day. Unfortunately, Goldenvoice with its policies only allowed for the specific set and under no circumstances was I allowed to shoot any other artists during the show. This was something I had never seen before, but I signed the waivers and was just excited to be attending. I also was granted similar access to founding member of The XX Romy’s DJ set happening the following day. I would drop off some newly requested Oliver Sim figures then shoot Romy’s performance.

The first day of the festival also happened to be my birthday which was fun. Jaycob was able to get my girlfriend Paige and I guest wristbands which granted us access backstage and for Kaytranada’s set, onstage as well! He also drove us the first day and decided to match with me, wearing the Marauder World tee in support of MMC*. When we got there, it was easy to park and get water and just exist in a festival grounds, which I have been to many so this was by far a more luxurious experience. My girlfriend and I walked around and caught earlier sets like Earl Sweatshirt and Mac DeMarco right before I made my way to the main stage to shoot Kaytranada. Jaycob was working FOH at this point and I ended up on stage by myself, shooting this amazing performer. I had never experienced a shoot like this so I utilized all my tools to get the best shots possible, moving from both sides of the stage as well as being directly in the photo pit with the other photographers. I was also able to stay for the entirety of his set which I did, capturing songs and visuals that the other photographers weren’t lucky enough to stay for. I felt like a kid getting to shop alone in a toy store. From the minute he walked on and walked off, it was amazing to be this close to an artist I have heard so much about. The crowd was enormous, so I made sure to get some audience reactions as well as the scope of the stage and design.

After finishing with Kay, I reunited with Paige and watched Le Tigre come on after while Jaycob went back to Kay’s trailer to conclude his job. At this point, my other friend Luis Lopez arrives, which I wasn’t aware if he would make it or not. We say hi and turns out, he is also in the Marauder World tee which was just hilarious but supportive. We ended up going into the VIP area and relaxed with snacks and drinks before Jaycob called us back to Kaytranada’s trailer. It was unreal to be in this space, and Paige grabbed a video of everyone wearing the same shirt. Afterwards, we decided to check out infamously amazing live act LCD Soundsystem close out night one. We stood in the back watching fans and even the cleanup crew dancing and vibing to the infectious grooves of the music. Then we headed home but not before meeting up with my dad who was at The Killers show in downtown LA to get a late night dinner at IHOP. It was a perfect birthday celebration and all the support and love was felt to the max.

Day two was a bit more of a struggle. After Saturday, Paige and I were both pretty tired but we made our way to the festival grounds once more where I picked up my credentials for Romy’s set. I was actually transported in by a representative of the festival and was dropped off near the artist trailers where I hung out the night before. This time, the trailer names were swapped with the current roster such as Turnstile, Spelling, and The Strokes. As I made my way to the actual stage, I saw Romy and her manager Simon, who greeted me with enthusiasm to which I presented him with some Oliver Sim figures the label had requested. I then went to the 19th Hole stage which featured many DJ and electronic acts to capture Romy’s set. Although during daylight, Romy was able to get the fans going as if they were at a popular club, dancing and jumping to the beats. She seemed truly happy to be performing in this way as every person part of The XX is working on side projects which is fantastic! Just goes to show the range they all have.

I wiped off the swept from the dance floor during Romy’s performance and made my way to the Greens stage to catch punk band Shame who always put on a great show. From the bassist running from corner to corner of the stage doing flips to the singer crowd surfing while singing, the energy started by Romy was kept alive by the band. Afterwards, Paige and I went again to the main stage to see some of Wet Leg’s headlining set before meeting up with Jaycob and his friends for follow-up Slowthai. It was fun to finally experience many of these artists who I have either worked with via email or who own figures from me, in person performing. Slowthai stood alone on the stage, dancing in silly ways but confident, ending his set with Aqua hit “Barbie Girl” that had the crowd singing along. The night didn’t let up as follow-up to him were punk icons IDLES who delivered another infectious set, dancing like no one’s watching and delivering hardcore lyrics while not taking themselves too seriously.

Before their set finished, we decided to make our way to the Back Nine stage to get a good spot for Turnstile, which I hadn't seen before. The band ripped through “Underwater Boi” and “Mystery” while we watched from the VIP area and Jaycob was in the pit. Next time I will follow his lead. Keeping with the Baltimore theme, Beach House came on after to a dark night sky and a starry background, always mesmerizing with “Dark Spring” and “Lazuli.” I was really intrigued for The Strokes headline set, having seen them twice before, one being not great and the second being very short, we left Beach House a few songs early to get to the main stage. The Strokes surprisingly came out on time and did what I will say is their strongest performance to date. The set list was full of deep cuts and interesting song choices given it is a festival and most of the audience wants to hear the hits. Tracks like “Evening Sun'“ and “Ask Me Anything” were played, the latter of which hadn’t been dusted off since 2016. It was a treat for true fans and “Under Cover of Darkness” was stuck in my head days after. All in all, the festival was a delight to be at. Everything went smooth, the staff were very nice and generous, the artist seemed to be having a good time, and the grounds were safe besides the mass amounts of dust in the air due to it being on a golf course. I do hope that it returns next year and spices up the lineup with generational artists like it did for 2022.