The Voodoo Music and Art experience for 2012 offered a wide array of musical styles to help create an unforgettable weekend in City Park New Orleans. Five stages of live music offered something for every musical taste. The “Le Ritual” main stage and “Le Plur/ The Red Bulletin” stages were my main haunts for the weekend, offering big names in mainstream and electronic music respectively. “Le Ritual” offered headliners Neil Young, Metallica, and Jack White– all huge names in their respective rock genres. “Le Plur/ The Red Bulletin” headliners Kaskade, Justice, and Skrillex were easily three of the best electronic performances I have ever seen. With music from around the world, Voodoo offered a packed lineup that only faltered in having too many good acts playing at the same time. 

Each Voodoo night ended around 11 p.m., which always felt entirely soon. Nonetheless, New Orleans’ famous musical nature picked up easily where each night left off. With after-parties at Mardi Gras Land, The Dragon’s Den, and houses and venues all over the city, the weekend was packed with music of all sorts.

In the combined spirit of a music festival and Halloween celebration, Voodoo was full of costumes that went from scary to sexy, from ridiculous to hilarious, as the crowd of revelers celebrated in proper New Orleans fashion (Read: The liquor was flowing). Unicorns danced with Gumby while zombies sought brains and booze, building a surreal atmosphere of cheer. While the cold temperatures of the second two days kept the oft scantily clad holiday more dressed than usual, chills were easily escaped in the center of crowded dance floors. Festival goers of all types mingled and made friends, as pauses between sets gave people a chance to exchange compliments on silly dress and phone numbers between dancers who grew fond of one another.

Festivals are often criticized for the presence of seedy types, but Voodoo seemed to largely bypass the music-drug connection as New Orleanians reached for their liquid drug of choice. At the end of each night, a visual spectacle paraded out of city park, but concert goers largely seemed to retain a presence of mind indicative of having partied a few times before.

The Voodoo Music and Art Experience marks an awesome end to the festival season. As colder weather brings indoor concerts, it seemed like black magic that kept the perpetually wet city from getting a drop of rain all weekend, and even the coldest of days were easily overcome with a sweater and some pants.

This year was my first encounter with Voodoo. Having been to music festivals like West Virginia’s All Good, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo, Maryland’s Starscape, and the local Jazz Fest, it was certainly not my first multi-day concert experience. Having traveled the east coast in pursuits of bass music and little bits of everything else, I have been blessed with opportunities to see many concerts in many different towns. Every show is unique, and beyond the incredible lineup, my favorite aspect of Voodoo was its uncanny ability to fuse the energy of New Orleans with musical acts from around the world. While I certainly was not able to see every act at the event, I managed to see 18 acts during the weekend. Almost every show I saw was incredible, and Borgore was the only musician I caught that I had seen before. Acts like K’Naan and the Avett Brothers impressed me without ever having listened to their music before I had a chance to see them live. Long favorites of mine and playlist mainstays Justice and Skrillex blew me away.

Day 1

 Die Antwoord

 A rude show, an energetic show, a show to bounce and grind. The South African trio of Ninja, Yo-Landi, and DJ Hi-Tek put on a show that brought dirty lyrical finesse and an excellent mix of beats that truly exemplify the African musical scene in an show that was meant to happen in the town of New Orleans. High energy tunes banged out a show that had crowds exploding as Afrikaans and English mixed to create the genre they call, “Zef.”. The contrast of rude flow from Ninja with Yo-Landi’s high vocals and sex appeal blended to build a set that had the crowd exploding as the sun set on a soundscape that knew how to keep a crowd moving with a perpetual groove. I had a translator through the show, a South African girl from right where they came up from. She translated for me as the tunes went on, and my appreciation for the true meaning of the show built an experience where I felt I could almost laugh as the crowd raged to some of the rudest lyrics they had ever heard. Awesomely intense sexual meaning, and retaliation to hard times created a beautiful story lost on English speaking ears. Easily my favorite performance of Friday night, Die Antwoord is a MUST SEE if you ever get a chance.

Avett Brothers

A folk show that made you move your feet. With a band that tends to play further off the beaten path, their show at Voodoo helped to build an unforgettable night. Playing multiple encores in their set, their blend of tunes from somber slows to progressive dance tunes showcased the powerhouse of Scott and Seth Avett, Bob Crawford, Joe Kwon, and Jacob Edwards. With a long history of rocking obscure venues around the country (purple fiddle!) this group puts on a show that makes you move as the group jams in unforgettable live performances. The Avett brothers showed how diverse you can be with a couple of acoustic instruments, some well thought out lyricism, and a huge stage presence. One of the few groups who remembered to bring their cello, The Avett Brothers certainly jammed harder than the most stringed acoustic groups.

The Avett Brothers – Voodoo Experience 2012 from Rehage Entertainment on Vimeo.

Kaskade

Kaskade’s signature blend of EDM helped to solidify the Friday night lineup for electronic music fanatics. The dreamiest of the headliners at The Red Bulletin stage, Kaskade kept ravers raving and dancers dancing till the last note of his set. Complete with crowd surfing galore, the energetic performance showed off just why Kaskade has been a huge name in EDM for a decade running.

Neil Young

     Helping to bring the old-school Woodstock feel to Voodoo’s largely modern lineup, Neil Young closed out the first night of Voodoo’s performances in a big way. Playing with Crazy Horse, the set touched on tunes that have been playing for decades and helped to keep them feeling new with solos and breakdowns that drifted at times from the originals. Finishing off their set with what amounted to one long musical journey, the performance channeled the energy of rock from decades gone by.

Day 2

Carmine P. Filthy / Unicorn Fukr / Rekanize (Filthy Warm Up)

Kicking off a day of widely varied electronic music, Filthy, Unicorn Fukr, and Rekanize brought out New Orleans local scene in a big way. While their sets being early in the day meant that the Filthy Warm Up had a pretty small crowd, everyone who made it out in time to catch them raged and bounced to the three distinct styles offered by the local crew. Three mainstays of Church parties, all night electronic shows at The Dragon’s Den, the warmup had an ever-growing crowd pumped up for the rest of the day with many vastly different shows yet to come.

K’Naan

The Somali lyricist K’Naan spoke volumes for the globalizing nature of modern music, with a performance of genius rap and eye-opening content that demonstrated a better grasp of English than many native speakers posses. The somber “Ode to Somalia” showed the politically aware side of K’Naans music with discourse on Piracy and living in a country that has been abandoned by the rest of the world. Higher energy tunes moved the massive crowd, but unlike much rap and hip-hop, the real gems of the concert came from the immaculate flow and perfect word choice that make K’Naan the internationally relevant musician that he is.

The Revivalists

Bringing the soulful sound of New Orleans to Voodoo, the revivalists locally styled rock would have felt at home in The Quarter or down Frenchman. The group’s show helped to transition between the thoughtful K’Naan and  AWOLNATION that were to follow. The Revivalists go perfectly with a few beers and a cute dancing buddy to make good times impossible to miss. A special collaborative appearance from the Soul Rebels Brass Band helped to top off The Revivalsts’ unique set.

The Revivalists – Voodoo Experience 2012 from Rehage Entertainment on Vimeo.

 Jim E Stack

The New Orleans local helped to get things funky at the electronic stage with simple tunes that required movement. A relatively simple EDM set kept dancers moving from earlier sets as the night progressed with ever building energy toward Justice’s set.

Dj Q-Bert & D-Styles

Two old-school scratch djs from The Invisibl Skratch Piklz, the duo was able to get down on some vinyl. With an older crowd than most of the shows at the Red Bulletin Stage, these guys were able to showcase the creative potential of a few good hands on the right records. Able to blend many styles of samples together, the two DJs mixed sounds old and new to create an unforgettable performance.

AWOLNATION

Possibly the most energetic set that wasn’t a headliner, AWOLNATION was able to get a massive crowd to explode with elation and featured more crowd surfing than just about any other show at Voodoo. With frontman Aaron Bruno at one point riding a surfboard across the crowd, AWOLNATION engaged concert goers with an obvious understanding of how to keep a performance enthralling.

The Gaslamp Killer

One of the weaker sets of Voodoo, the Los Angeles performer’s set showed off just why the rest of the electronic acts of the night were so good. Evidently too drunk to create a consistent beat through his songs, The Gaslamp Killer’s show was a mix of samples with a lot of potential being ruined by inconsistent offbeat button mashing that sounded a lot like a man face planting on a soundboard. While he had an awesome, grungy voice that allowed for some fun-sounding hip-hop to shine through at times, his act had a crowd that was pumped before he started often standing around waiting for something danceable to shine through. Luckily for those people who weren’t trying to work their way to the front, the Silversun Pickups set on the main stage offered a welcome reprieve for the ears.

Silversun Pickups

Even with a stand-in for bassist Nikki Monninger who was, as bandmate Brian Aubert put it, “very pregnant with twins,” the soothing voice and alternating hard and soft instrumentation of the group created a delightful show. Reaching from heart-touching to exhilarating, Silversun Pickups delivered an epic performance which had me screaming along to “Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch” at the top of my lungs.

Etienne De Crecy

The French electronic producer, one of the finest purveyors of House music around, helped to pick up the pieces after The Gaslamp Killer and prepare the crowd for Justice’s set by bringing his European feel of EDM to Voodoo. “No Brain” vamped up the crowd as it grew more and more massive during his performance. Weaving a bouncy web of sound together with a light show that felt spot on, Etienne De Crecy created one of my favorite non-bass music electronic performances of Voodoo as he captivated fans and strangers alike.

 Justice

It’s difficult to put into words just what Justice was able to do at Voodoo. Perhaps it was black magic, despite the glowing cross at the helm of their unique stage setup. Perhaps it was the way in which the duo mixed their classic sound into something new and amorphous. Perhaps it was just including live piano into their show. Justice was able to transcend the nature of most electronic performances into creating something more, something deep and touching, something that had fans waiting up front for an entire day just to see. The French duo felt like the rightful heir to Daft Punk’s legacy as they wove together songs from across their musical history and pulled bits to make the crowd roar. “We Are Your Friends” made for one of my favorite songs played at Voodoo.

Day 3

Modestep

The British band showed a side of electronic music not often realized by combining live drums, vocals, guitar, and keys with a DJ setup. Stylistic difference from later acts at the stage made for a show that was hit or miss with concert goers. Some people weren’t quite feeling the band vibe of the group, while other had more fun than should be legal. I personally thought they did a great set, and couldn’t help but scream along as we, “put on those shades, and wave to yesterday, the sunlight hurts my eyes!” With a proper frontman, Modestep was able to engage the crowd in a way that many DJ’s just cannot.

Borgore

If you put Israeli producer/dj Borgore in a room with South Africa’s Die Antwoord, the FCC would be forced to fire bomb them. The uniquely rude and overly sexualized style of Borgore’s filthy, dirty, face-melting bangers make for a one-of-a-kind concert. I discovered quickly that singing along to tracks like “Nympho” and “Ice Cream” are the easiest ways to scare folk who’ve never listened to much Borgore before. While Borgore warned before he got started of technical difficulties with his setup, the show went off without a hitch as the musician downed shots and blasted some of the grimiest songs of Voodoo. Throwing back to punk and metal shows, Borgore’s days as a metal drummer shone through his set as he encouraged quickly growing mosh pits to get even more rowdy through his set. The intensity of his show built as he transitioned his set toward Skrillex’s performance that followed him.

Skrillex

I feel like I have to give a little background on my musical relationship with Skrillex before I say too much about his show. I have been an avid Bass Music fanatic for the past few years since seeing Bassnectar one day at the All Good music and arts festival in West Virginia. Since that day I’ve seen many live performances around the country from bass-heavy musicians of many sorts. As a DJ I have fallen in love with numerous Skrillex tunes over the past years, but was scared away from ever seeing him live before. Complaints about him being too mainstream, live shows where he was too intoxicated, and other nonsense made me wary of his stage sets. However, finally having a chance to see him at a festival I decided to let my own ears be the judge, and Skrillex put on what was likely my favorite show of the entire weekend.

His popular appeal has less to do with some vague idea of selling-out, and more to do with his ability to create songs that force you to bounce, to sing, and to have more fun than is probably legal. While his set would have been unimaginably engaging listened to by the blind, the visual aspects of his performance topped off the show with effects unsurpassed by any other electronic act of the weekend. Sporting a skeleton body suit and a combination of pyrotechnics, fog cannons, and a unique light show created bass drops that literally exploded in flames. With one heavy-hitter following another, finally hearing tunes like, “Reptile,” “Kyoto,” “Cinema,” “Promises,” “Ruffneck Bass,” and just about every other Skrillex gem performed by their creators showed off what an expert musician can do with unlimited potential for bass.

Jack White

Closing out the final night of Voodoo, Jack White put on a hell of a show. A mix of songs from his musical career, the legend himself ended Voodoo with “Seven Nation Army” as he had the crowd sing the unmistakable riff for him to create something special. Surf rock classic “Miserlou” and tunes from his many musical engagements helped to show off Jack White’s musical aptitude and abilities.

The Voodoo music and arts experience of 2012 was an unforgettable weekend of music from the world around coming together in one of the world’s most musical cities. As an exuberant crowd came together with talented acts, something truly special happened in City Park. The combination of a strange and varied lineup with a holiday known to make things get weird helped to build an atmosphere that can only happen once a year, and is a true shame to miss. I have heard complaints that there are evil spirits in New Orleans, but by their grace it would seem that the black magic of Voodoo was blessed to rock, swing, wobble, and move in ways unimaginable.