Imagine Festival 2017 commences this week and we are bursting with curiosity as to what the curators have put together for us. Setting the standard for creating a fully immersive and fantastically whimsical environment, IMF is particularly adept at unleashing one’s inner child. We wanted to include the performers in the imaginative fun, so we invited them to participate in our theme question:
The love and unity we receive through live music are enhanced the more the performers are able to freely express themselves. If there were no limits to your show, how would you IMAGINE your live music nirvana?
12th Planet
“I imagine my ultimate live show setting would be in a crater on the moon. I would set the stage up in the middle of a canyon and give everyone space suits to mosh pit in 0 gravity. I feel that would get the party started.”
12th Planet’s Let Us Prey EP is out now on Disciple, along with the new song “Send It” on the Round Table compilation with collaborators Barely Alive and Phase One.
Liquid Stranger
“I’m really into involving the entire crowd in the performance, and ideally have a way for everyone to influence the show in various ways. I lived in an Ashram for some time, and the practice called Kirtan has influenced me a lot. Everyone just picks up random instruments and starts jamming out together, some are singing, others are dancing – all expressing themselves as part of a unified whole. I have some ideas on how to tweak that concept and make it possible for larger shows, so maybe it’ll be realized one day.”
Nora En Pure
“The ultimate setting for me would be somewhere remote in the wilderness of South Africa. My perfect set time is the sunset slot, and would have a raw, organic feel to the stage. Would love to play alongside artists that have a similar understanding and vision with their music. To be honest, I do have a clear vision of an amazing setting that I hope to arrange once for my events, but not sure if it’s even possible…therefore I will keep the specifics to myself ;-)”
ill Gates
“If there were no limits I would love to imagine my music performance as a direct synaptic interface, jacking neurons into a synaesthetic feed of multi-sensory mind-melting molecular orgasm…seeing oscillations, tasting chords, snorting basslines. I want it all at once, no boundary between self and other. All identities submerged into an amoebic blob of undiffferentiated hedonism. Also: bass and sweet dance moves.”
Katsu
“My live music nirvana is Wonderfruit – a lifestyle festival in which I sit as a Director. It combines art, music, food, wellness, talks and workshops to catalyze positive change. The colors and cast of characters are unique to Southeast Asia and make for the best time of the year for me.”
Codeko
“Being able to tour the world and experience all different kinds of festivals has been an amazing gift. My favorite travels are usually to beach cities and I absolutely love events by the water. When I IMAGINE my ultimate festival it would be on a pier or barge floating in the ocean with an incredible stage surrounded by thousands of fans!”
Leah Culver
“If there were no limits to my live set I would bring on a lot of other guest singers and performers. For instance, I would bring out Grimes to perform her song “Venus” with my girl, and Atlanta native, Janelle Monae. I’d also love to have Hayley Williams (Paramore), Brendon Urie (Panic at the Disco) and a full symphony with Travis Barker on drums. I’d also have a full hour and a half with aerialists and several dance groups with full choreography. Last but certainly not least, I would perform a few of my songs with the Atlanta kids choir which is something I am doing this year because I just love that idea and those kids so much!
As far as the stage set up goes, when the show starts you would be entering into Leah Land – a fun and adventurous world where the visuals and stage come to life with 3D hillsides, weird creatures and blue skies! The show would travel to stadiums and venues like Red Rocks and Theatres, and hands down would be my dream live performance!”
Midnite Panda
“We ask ourselves this everyday. As performers we feel that we need to put on a show every time we step onto the stage. So for us that means the only way to perform is to freely express yourself. Our current set up is a set of trash can drums, DJ setup and a homie who dresses up in a kung fu panda outfit to hype up the crowd. All we would do is build on this foundation that we already have. We would have a squad of people dressed up in that Kung fu panda outift, preferably choreographed dancers, like Major Lazer, holding those guns that shoot out money. We would upgrade our drum kit setup to a full set. Great customized visuals that get people engaged. And our last thing to make our performance perfect would be a griddle flat top. That way we can make grilled cheese sandwiches while performing and pass out hot food too our fans mid set.”
Esseks
“My ideal setting for a show would be Red Rocks. I haven’t even been there before but from pictures it just looks amazing. I’d have an insane Hennessey Sound or Funktion One rig and a crazy visual setup. I’m thinking it’s made out of a bunch of old boxy t.v.’s stacked up into the shape of a ghost that is so big the booth is in the mouth of the ghost. For part of the show every screen would have a different thing going on, some would be old cartoons, some would be all glitched out or broken. Then at some points in the set, all the t.v.’s would coordinate what’s playing to make the whole ghost light up and do weird stuff in time with the music.”
Exit 9
“I would create a full experience getting as many other artists involved as possible. It would be almost theater-like to go with the sounds and vibes of the music I play. Fire would shoot from the stage and maybe mist would spray to keep the people cool. I’d have an act like that of Cirque USA or Quixotic. They would dominate the atmosphere and keep the crowd involved. Something about characters in the trees and in the audience as well as on stage would be insane to see. Visual artists like Smilebot would be VJing. Some of my favorite DJs/producers and band members would have to sit in with me. Minnesota, Yheti and Space Jesus would play a massive back to back session. Jason Hann would be on drums and maybe Griz and Russ Liquid on the horns. That to me just sounds like a good time. We’d all be up there laughing and clowning while the crowd is getting down.”
DJ Alex Lucas
“For my event/show the perfect musical setting would be in the mountains surrounded by lush forest with guest lineup that consists of my friends and artists that I look up to. My show would feature mesmerizing art installations, performers, and delicious food and drinks. It will be full of vibrant hippy vibes where underground music is fused with unique entertainment and burning man principles. My shows would be a mini festival of its own.”
STRANGER CANDY
“I come from a pretty rock and roll background and you can see a lot of that influence within my sets. I’ve always been one to frequent rock bars, so I imagine my nirvana being lot of leather, whiskey and smoke with amber lighting and vintage touch. There would definitely have to be some hard hitters involved!”
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