The 2016 BUKU Music + Art Project has officially come to an end. Here are some of my highlights from the second day of the festivities:
Datsik
Datsik wasn’t on my top list of must-see acts going into the weekend, but he delivered quite a performance. At every moment, he seemed to know just the right song to play to keep the crowd excited. I also appreciated the Red Hot Chili Peppers he threw in toward the end of his set.
Future
Future is probably the best possible act to book for BUKU’s demographic, so his performance was about as wild as I expected it to be.
He understood exactly what the crowd wanted to hear, making sure to cover all of the hits. The fact that a large majority of the crowd was extremely familiar with all of Future’s work made for a very lively, engaged audience.
A$AP Ferg
His set was a bit shorter than I would’ve hoped, but it was still great. His performance was the last of the entire weekend, so the crowd really put all of their energy into it.
Some of the highlights from his set include a touching A$AP Yams tribute, complete with the crowd chanting “Rest in peace Yams,” and an acapella performance of “Hood Pope.”
Earl Sweatshirt
In my opinion, Earl Sweatshirt is one of the most talented lyricists in the game right now, if not the best. For fans of his music, his performance was an hour in paradise.
He played a handful of fan favorites to start the show and get the crowd engaged, and followed up with an equal amount of new material. It was impossible to walk away from.
Purity Ring
Best performance of the weekend. Underdog choice, I know. It might be because my expectations going into her set weren’t necessarily high, but something about her performance was extremely captivating. I came out a much bigger fan than I was going in.
She had a fantastic light show to accompany all of the incredible music, as well. Overall, I can safely say that nobody impressed me this weekend more than Purity Ring.

Gallery • 19 Photos

Javier Fernández

Future performs during the second day of Buku Music + Art Project on Saturday, Mar. 12, 2016 in the Power Plant at Mardi Gras World, New Orleans.