Over spring break, I had the privilege of flying down to the great city of New Orleans, “The Big Easy” as it is affectionately called. Life in New Orleans is a completely unique experience, saturated with food, music and of course, exorbitant amounts of booze. I went down there to attend Buku Music and Arts Festival held at Mardi Gras World, a collection of warehouses turned into an event venue that resides on the port of New Orleans. Buku this year featured an eclectic line up, filled with everything from jazzy instrumental groups, deep house acts and hype hip-hop performances. The festival also provides a showcase for local graffiti artists to exhibit their work. Held at the turn of spring in mid-March, Buku truly kicked off festival season with a bang. Below I detail some of the headline acts and the best performances.
Run the Jewels Killer Mike has a stage presence unlike any other rapper in the game. His energetic and aggressive rap style combined with his intricate lyricism make him a force to be reckoned with on the mic. When he and rapper/producer El-P joined forces to form Run the Jewels back in 2013, they found immediate acclaim, particularly for their live performance. The duo did not disappoint at Buku. Working primarily off of their latest record, Run the Jewels 2, Killer Mike and El-P’s vitality and interaction with the audience made for a memorable performance. Not many groups can take a 5 p.m. time slot and turn it into a wild show, and Run the Jewels used their charisma and hype rap style to pump the audience up.
Bassnectar No matter what you think about Bassnectar’s music, no one can deny that the man knows how to feed off an audience’s energy and deliver some of the most mind-blowing sets. Bassnectar headlined the main stage at Buku with the primetime spot of 9 p.m., and he did not disappoint. His break, dub-step style coupled with his light show was like a pump of adrenaline to the entire crowd. Another thing that makes Bassnectar such a great live performer is his manic energy on stage, his transitions feeding into each other in a way that there is a never a dull moment, only build-up for an even more epic drop. I’ll admit that I’m not a die-hard Bassnectar fan — his music is too heavy for me to listen to on my iPod — so I was dubious about his set, but after seeing the artist perform live I was completely blown away.
A$AP Rocky A$AP Rocky combined with A$AP Mob is a crew that knows how to get rowdy on stage. When they performed “Wild for the Night,” the hit single featuring Skrillex, Rocky instructed everybody to clear space in the middle to form a mosh pit and wasn’t satisfied until all members in the audience were jumping up and slamming into each other. Rocky also shed light on why he hasn’t released an album in over two years, explaining that he has been taking time off to work on his skills as a producer. The crew also paid tribute to founder A$AP Yams, who passed away last month as result of an overdose. They poured out a 40 (ounce) on stage in his honor and performed an unreleased track for the deceased producer. A$AP Mob is renowned for its animated performances, and they were excited to be playing in New Orleans, a city known for partying.
STS9 Electro-jam band STS9 is known above all for their incredible live sets. The band is a staple on the festival circuit, combining jazz, funk and psychedelic influences to form a distinct style that has garnered them much praise. Sound Tribe Sector 9 (“Tribe”) has performed at nearly every major music festival; their fans laud the relaxed and chill vibes that are made possible by their stylistic range of music. The band recently recruited bassist Alana Rocklin, who performed with the group for the first time in March 2014. Since Rocklin’s addition, the band has experienced a resurgence in popularity. The crowd at Buku couldn’t get enough of the group, they goaded them back out to perform two encores.
Ghostface Killah and BADBADNOTGOO When rap legend Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang teamed up with electro-jazz group BADBADNOTGOOD last year, fans were unsure of what to expect. The result exceeded what anyone could have hoped for. With Ghostface’s edgy and distinct flow syncing perfectly over BADBADNOTGOOD’s electronic jazz, the two talented entities are a great match, especially live. The pair performed a few songs off their new collaboration, but Ghostface stuck mainly to classic Wu-Tang hits such as “C.R.E.A.M.” He even performed some classic songs by the late icon Ol’ Dirty Bastard such as “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” For his finale, Ghostface invited a fan to the perform the eternal “Protect Ya Neck,” the opportunity of a lifetime for the fan and a testament to the performer’s showmanship.
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