Wild Child is a departure from Jackson’s early work, a record on which he “fully frees himself from his adult hangups”. In many ways, this sentiment was present at the live show. The stage centrepiece was a rainbow-shaped light fixture, rotating bright colours on the outer loop and flashing what felt like portal entry lights along the inner circle. Various painted wooden fixtures decorated the stage with an upbeat, psychedelic vibe (a pink flower with an eye inside? Sure, why not). Big Wild himself wore a youthful flower-printed wide-leg pants and a yin and yang t-shirt, perfectly matching his majestic head of hair.

Joined on stage by a guitarist and a drummer, the trio played some old and new tracks to a highly energetic room of fans, dancing and singing along. We travelled from “No Words” to “When I Get There” and “Venice Venture”. During “Too Loud,” Jackson took a moment to check in with the audience, receiving yet another wave of cheer from the dancing crowd. Instrumental moments from the band added a surprising dimension to the show, ebbs and flows of musical experience the fans welcomed with open arms. Big Wild’s vocal range took the spotlight, start to finish, rivalled only by his energetic dance moves and Cajón drumming skills. 

Upcoming Big Wild tour dates:

$1 from every ticket sold to benefit Portland’s Ethos Center

9/18 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
9/19 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
9/20 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI
9/23 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
9/24 – The Truman – Kansas City, MO
9/25 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO NEW SHOW ADDED
9/26 – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater – Vail, CO
9/27 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
9/30 – Rockwell at The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
10/2 – Channel 24 – Sacramento, CA
10/3 – The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
10/4 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
10/7 – Knitting Factory Concert House – Boise, ID
10/9 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
10/11 – Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn – Portland, OR

The post Big Wild’s wild child visits Toronto appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Echoing between the bracelets of the Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) commonwealth. It’s been a rough two years for us all and in turn, the cathartic release from LIB festival is one to cherish for years on end. The mornings were tranquil, the nights were spiritual; rhythmic stomping assembled dust storms across Buena Vista Lake. There are no laws, but everyone is chill. For five days, Bass is God.

Which is a bit misleading. Yoga lessons were soft and ambient, near-silent if not for the mentor’s melodic instructions. Further down the way stood the Grand Antique, a portal resembling an old saloon town wherein Smooth Hound Smith crooned into the soft evening glow. In limbo between each stage is a probability – some totems for sale, a crew of snazzy fits, perhaps a few steampunk dancers professing atop an ice cream truck. Look hard enough and find the drunk sloth grooving with vague rhythm under a quaint unassuming marquee: 

“THE BUTTHOLE CHAKRA WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELED”

G Jones is an earthquake. His monochrome B2B set with Eprom was relentless, a titanic adventure that graced the crowd their latest collab effort “Acid Disk 2”. The late SOPHIE made a soft appearance through their remixes, which was particularly compassionate. It felt warm to have her presence if only for a moment. Glass Animals were just a stone’s throw away over at Lightning stage, a completely different vibe for a just as passionate crowd. They set a precedent on Friday that upcoming headliners would have to claw to come close to.

But Kaytranada was freshly sharpened. “10%” hits different in a crowd of thousands bouncing the inquisitive chorus across themselves. He opened the set with finger drumming and sliced chops before a smooth flip into the radio bumps. Successively, Big Wild relied perhaps too much on the radio hits – to the detriment of none. Having the bar located directly at the sonic apex of the Lightning stage is a strategy for the books.

Thunder stage was completely under the service of Big Freedia and no one was the same. Her accomplices twerked through space and time and dead-dropped into the stage like meteors ad nauseum. We crawled out in shambles. Exhausted, I turned to a friend and point out an apparent schedule error. Some act named “Burning Desire” holds a headline spot, for just ten minutes? Before Purity Ring? Yeah, alright. When suddenly:

Ignited swords and daggers dance across the stage. Troupe leader smirks, with her own fiery armaments, directing acrobats like a puppet-master committing arson by proxy. The fire-dancers clashed their weapons together and sparks fly; the crowd howls, hypnotized. You could feel the flame from the outskirts of the front row. Daggers split in five directions and the dancers spin and pose with the entire stage ablaze. Ten minutes felt like nothing, I ate my words.

Purity Ring’s intricate stage setup proved to be turbulent with the quick turnaround between acts, but when the ball was rolling it slammed. Megan is a seraph, decked in a gorgeous flowing outfit that evolved with the wind. Behind her is a throne of smoke and lights where Corin can comfortably play his midi ornaments. In true synthpop fashion, her delicate vocals illustrated cryptic images. Their live rendition of “Lofticries” was a smooth lull in a night full of stimulus:

“Let it seep through your sockets and ears
Into your precious ruptured skull
Let it seep, keep you from us
Patiently heal you”

Nestled between Grand Antique and the north side of the lake sits The Stacks, a bass hive for smaller electronic artists to flex their tech. I’d heard of Templo years ago through the vines but to catch his breakbeat abrasions live was something else entirely. The entire stage was drenched in 100hz, a low-frequency flood much to the delight of the community. Folks were dancing in makeshift towers that loomed into the sky. Blessed vibes in all directions. 

SAKA is another indie artist to put on the fridge. Unreal halftime and riddim artillery forged a symbiotic relationship with the crowd. The harder they went, the heavier he sent it. Later that night at Woogie stage, his track “Shaolin” would be deployed by Four Tet and desiccate the iridescent stage into pieces. The resulting interaction is so genuine it’ll melt your heart.

The lake was pristine during sunlight hours. Those who crashed out on scuttled floaties the night prior took to the sea to refresh, alive with the sound of vague bass from over yonder. It was a safe haven for those receding the wind and dust from the campsites. Meeting people has never been so easy, the wavelength that people were tuned into was warm and welcoming. As it should be. We were implored to interact and meet, ask for help, directions, and hugs.

This year that sneaky lightning was finally captured in that gosh dang bottle. We talked to a doctor/nurse duo who commented that this event was their light at the end of the tunnel. What a light it was.

In no uncertain terms, it was a celebration of humanity. A paracosm in which experience is paramount. The Do Lab went above and beyond to ensure a safe experience for all. The paths and locales were handicap accessible. Medic tents paired with Dancesafe ambassadors were emended and intermittent. An ambulance even responded to Megan James’ inquiries, as she briefly halted her performance to ensure the crowd was safe. I can’t imagine a better run festival, one to channel out our hearts from the cages locked from a uniquely arduous two years.

It’s about time.

*Note: on Thursday evening it was disclosed that two medical incidents resulted in fatality over the weekend. Festival organizers are currently working with county officials and the families involved. Our hearts go out to their loved ones affected by this tragedy. 

The post Kaytranada, Big Freedia, Purity Ring and sword performances at Lightning in a Bottle appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Following our interview with Jackson from Big Wild last week, we had the opportunity to catch his show at the Garrison, accompanied by the super talented and up-and-coming star Chet Porter.

Toronto was the first stop for Porter and the show went off without a hitch. The duo complimented each other wonderfully and Porter’s chill/tropical-like vibes were the perfect introduction to Jackson’s soulful yet upbeat set.

As people started to roll in, local talent Porter warmed the crowd up with lullaby-like beats and chill vibrations. You could tell he was comfortable right away, and kicking off his first tour with Big Wild in his hometown seemed like a calming, confidence-building experience for him.

Porter went on to play some original beats, also throwing in some crowd-pleasing Bieber remixes. Everything flowed just as it should and he seemed very in tune with his hometown crowd.

Coming in with a fresh new set, lighting, visuals, and of course new music, Big Wild opened his set with some great vibes and colorful lights (think 70s meets 90s). The rest of the evening had a very underground feel to it, like you were at an exclusive show. It’s always nice to know you are a part of something big that isn’t big yet, like everyone outside the four walls of the Garrison had no idea what they were missing.

The crowd was holding on to Jackson’s every beat and not one person came out of the trance until he said goodnight. Mixing way-back tracks with new beats like “Snakehips” and playing live music was a powerful combination. This tour is sure to set Jackson apart from others in the genre, and we are really looking forward to what’s next for both artists.

Make sure to check out their next stop here.

The post Big Wild Takes Toronto (Feat. Chet Porter) appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Kateryna Topol: Let’s go way back – what was your first memorable musical experience?

Big Wild: I remember having a trumpet recital when I was in middle school. I was so nervous that botched the entire song and it sounded horrible. I remember thinking I sucked at music and maybe trumpet wasn’t the instrument for me. Shortly after, I began messing around with Fruity Loops on the computer and it clicked.

KT: Is that what made you get into music?

BW: It was mostly a desire to make what I was listening to. I played trumpet throughout lower and middle school, but I was really into hip-hop. I wanted to make beats so I downloaded a free trial of Fruity Loops and learned how to produce from there. I loved having the ability to control every aspect of the song, whereas with the trumpet I could only play one note at a time and I was limited to the sounds I could make. It was very self-exploratory; I didn’t have any friends or an online community of people to give me help. It was self-taught.

KT: Are all of your instruments self-taught?

BW: Trumpet was the only instrument I was formally taught. I took piano lessons from 1st and 2nd grade but I don’t remember a thing and I remember not enjoying it at all!

KT: I’ve come across a long list of people you’d like to collaborate with (pretty much all of them are at the top of my favorite list as well) – are any of those collaborations in the works?

BW: I have a remix that will be coming out soon that features Chance the Rapper. I also have some collaborations with some of the artists I toured with that I can’t wait to show you guys!

KT: Exciting! You’ve already toured with some big names, any interesting experiences/stories from the shows so far?

BW: Breaking the floor at a house party in Athens, GA with Griz, going to Medieval Times with Odesza and the crew, and seeing the Pacific Northwest for the first time. There are too many memories to count!

KT: All of those sound wicked! Speaking of memories, which show was the most memorable so far?

BW: I recently played Euphoria Festival in Austin and it was truly awesome. I played a lot of new tunes and beefed up my set so to get a great response from the crowd was really reassuring. It gives me confidence for the tour coming up!

KT: How has it been working with Odesza at the Foreign Family Collective?

BW: Odesza are great guys and Foreign Family Collective has been very supportive. They can relate with artists and make sure we get the creative freedom we need.

KT: That sounds like a great foundation. What can we expect from a live show?

BW: All new set, new music, live drumming, live piano playing, and new visuals that I’m really proud to show you. It’s going to be an entire experience.

KT: What’s next for Big Wild?

BW: Lot’s of new music on the way. Both originals and remixes. I’ll be playing festivals throughout the summer so keep a look out!

KT: Thank you for your time Jackson!

BW: Thanks for talking with me, see you in Toronto!

The post Interview with Big Wild: from Fruty Loops to Euphoria appeared first on Quip Magazine.