03 May SunFest Review: Thursday
Photo by Chris Salata
The weather may try to take center stage, but there’s no way it’s stealing this show. The second day of SunFest 2013 once again helped showcase exceptional bands and the most faithful fans.
The Crazy Carls were the first band scheduled for the day on the Tire Kingdom stage. The Orlando group’s sound is ideal for the beach or boat…or festival by the Intracoastal. Regardless of your location, the Carls’ catchy, laid-back pop music tricks your senses into craving tanning oil and pina coladas.
I had watched a few of the band’s music videos before the show, that dated back to 2011. Their sound has come far in two short years, mastering both maturity and depth. Lead singer Alex Baugh’s handsome dreads may be the craziest thing about the band, and that’s okay.
Photo by Chris Salata
The Raggy Monsters were first up on Ford Stage. I was extremely excited to see this rising act. Vocalist Rachel Duvall is definitely the leader of their operation.
If you are a fan of the Joy Formidable or Metric or any female singer who is not afraid to take risks with her voice, you’ll fall in love with Raggy. They are gaining traction at a time when their indie-alt genre is on the rise.
Because of the weather during past two days, confidence is what sets all of these acts apart. It is incredibly difficult to take a stage with the risk of being overpowered by rain. Duvall, in her pastel-pink raincoat and patterned pants, was not intimated by the sky. You can’t fake confidence or talent. This band has both.
(Speaking of clothes, shout out to the rest of the band in green pants, Hawaiian shirts and floppy hats. You looked great.)
It was also refreshing to hear the crowd cheer for their single “Cannibal.” Keep playing shows, Raggy. I predict you will go far.
Photo by Chris Salata
Between band transitions, the best place to hang out was the barges. I hopped over to the North Oasis ESPN Radio barge to shake off my umbrella and polish my notes.
It was great to grab a drink and watch SunFest fans compete at corn hole. There is also a photo booth that takes and uploads photos directly to Facebook and Twitter. And the music was good. Really good. Straight up boogie jams that kept inviting me to dance.
Photo by Chris Salata
Our homegrown boys The Curve took the Ford Stage after Raggy Monsters. It is instantly apparent that The Curve love making music. They are at home before a crowd, they know their strengths. Fans of Train, Chris Daughtry and Switchfoot love The Curve.
Why? Because they are a rock band. There are no traces of screaming, angsty alternative or weird synth noises in their music. They keep it clean and simple: bass, guitar, drums, vocals. It’s a winning recipe for a reason.
The Curve also did a noteworthy job of introducing their songs, which is a must for local/newer bands. There is nothing worse than hearing a new song you love and not knowing what it’s called. How else are you suppose to go home and download it? You can’t Shazaam concerts, people!
Photo by Chris Salata
I was serenaded by Breeze Davinci while I grabbed a quick dinner in Club SunFest (which is a great spot to watch the Tire Kingdom stage).
Terrell White, AKA Breeze Davinci, is another Florida native. Breeze began writing music at the chipper age of 8. For SunFest, the budding rapper put on a loud and dynamic set. While he strutted across the stage dropping lyrics at the speed of light, a shirtless drummer raged behind him. A nice touch.
Breeze has opened for big acts like Yela Wolf and Nappy Roots. If you like to be ahead of the game on the hip hop scene, lend a listen to his rhymes now.
Photo by Chris Salata
The final act on the Tire Kingdom stage was Big Sean. The slim rapper has been gaining a great deal of recognition since his 2011 debut album “Finally Famous.”
The story goes that Big Sean heard Kanye West was guest appearing on a radio show, raced to the station, and begged for a moment of West’s time. He was told he had 16 seconds and when that time ticked by, West stood impressed.
This time it was West Palm Beach left impressed, as Sean exploded before a crowd of young fans. He even stepped off the stage to stand with the fans during his performance.
His tweet: “#Sunfest was incredible! crowd was wild, my ghetto ass had to hop in it!”
Up next: A review of Train!