Sunday, August 11, 2013

YOUR GUIDE TO PASS THE GOOD! AUG 22-24

What, I ask, is better than a music festival? I mean, nothing is more fun than drinking, dancing, and kicking it with friends while making new ones, am I right?  Wrong.  Pass the Good is better than your average festival, and here's why: they support charities, and if you don't like charities, you're a grade-a douche bag. In fact, you might even be Voldemort.


S.M.T. Event Promotions is one of those awesome promotion companies that cares about more than just the music and overcharging for water bottles. S.M.T. is working with two charities: The Manna Food Bank of Pensacola, and The Wounded Warrior Project.   If you bring ten canned food items, you are entitled to one free limited edition poster, and all the cans stay local, feeding the hungry people of Florida.  And if you're feeling even a little more giving, you can purchase a 'Pass the Good' wristband, the proceeds of which go directly to The Wounded Warrior Project, which raises awareness and raises money to help wounded soldiers; that wristband is hella PLUR, way more than the candi you traded with the kid in the Pikachu Spirithood at EDC.  True to its' name, Pass the Good is a festival you can feel good about going to, and good about supporting. And it's only 50 dollars for a hardcopy weekend pass (55 at the door) and 20 for a day pass (unless you feel like balling out and going on Saturday, then it's 25 dollars.)

On TOP of that, if you're like me, and can't drive to save your life, ATMOSPHERE TALLY is offering a ROUND TRIP party bus, for only 20 dollars, and this bus ticket reduces your weekend ticket to only 40 dollars.  So let's recap.  If you're in Tallahassee, you can get a party bus AND your weekend pass for only 60 dollars. And it gets even better: camping on the beach IS allowed (or if you are a diva who would rather die than sleep in a tent like me, there are plenty of local hotels and condos you can stay at) and the festival will be offering discount bands for food and drink specials. S.M.T. might as well stand for Saving Me Tons. Doing God's work guys!

As for the festival itself, the devil is in the details, and S.M.T. definitely dotted their i's and crossed their t's for this one! Not only is the festival on the beach (if you don't like the beach that's another indication you might be Voldemort), but there will be three stages (one of which is in a CIRCUS TENT),  fire performers, LED performers, a FOAM PARTY, and a freaking firework show to keep you entertained in case you get bored with the music (yeah right.) Speaking of....

This is a music blog, so let's talk music.  Pass the Good is featuring a plethora of talented local DJs and bands, as well as a few from our neighboring party cities, like New Orleans and Atlanta.

ill.Gates is the headliner, and if you've never heard his stuff, then get on it, because it's all free so you no longer have an excuse not to check him out. Coming to us all the way from Toronto, Canada, ill  blends bouncy bass music with rap, acid hip hop, and bright melodies, resulting in a sound reminiscent of Bassnectar and Pretty Lights.






Greenhouse Lounge is also headlining, and like Big Gigantic, utilizes the exciting combination of live instruments with recorded electronic music. Also free to download, Greenhouse Lounge's music has a certain flow to their sound, making it easy to get lost in the cascading rhythms and pulsing synth. The Jacksonville trio consisting of Zach Weinert (check out his side project,  Zak the Blak, also performing), Dave McSweeny, and Scotty Zwang use light bass beats to keep the groove flowing, but layer melodic synths with live guitar riffs and drums. You definitely do not want to miss these guys and the effortless dance party they throw down. 



Aside from the two obvious picks mentioned above, there are a few other must-see artists performing. The first is Sir Charles, a Jacksonville native that plays some of the most interesting trap sets I have ever heard. SC chooses his samples wisely, using clips from the youtube series "Unforgivable," and classic throwbacks like "Play," breathing new life into our high school homecoming classics. Musically, the sounds and breakdowns Charles chooses are quality; sexy beats, thumping bass, and complex trap riffs that are sure to delight. This remix of "Ice Cream Paint Job" is a great example of what you can expect from Sir Charles, and his Soundcloud is full of energetic sets and freebies, so get on it!




After listening to the heavy bass and trap Charles throws at you, I recommend checking out Gainesville artist Michael Maleki, or Kodak to Graph. As a Seminole, I hate giving credit to anything that comes out of Gainesville, but Kodak's music is something special.  Ambient, intriguing, and beautiful, his music is reminiscent of the song "Yellow Bird" off of the the new Pretty Lights album, A Color Map of the Sound.  His music may be extremely downtempo, but like Cashmere Cat, he throws unique sound effects and pops of energy into the mix to create something unique, interesting, and melodic.  You will be lost in Narnia when you listen to Kodak to Graph. Enjoy. 




It would be a shame if any of you missed Trillucination, a duo from Jacksonville, with a heavy industrial bass sound. The two are known for their Mesmerizing synths and basslines, sure to lull you into a heavy trance, and I'm not talking about ASOT. Gentle dubstep and laid back trap beats with experimental tones are sure to have you on your feet, just before their firework display will bring you to your knees.









Finally, another artist that must be seen is Eddie Gold.  Now I'm not really one for house music these days.  I'll go to an electro-house show if it's free, or there's really nothing better to do, but Eddie's house music is just weird enough to be interesting. With hyper buildups and heavy breakdowns, Eddie Gold audibly assaults your ears with schizo bass that leaves you wondering what the hell just happened to your head.  He throws in some loaded trap with excessive lazer noises for good measure, and has a very big sound that seems to be very much inspired by old school trap music that you would hear on a Gucci Album. Check out his tracks and prepare to lose it. 







Also be sure to check out Delicate Chaos's Pass The Good mix:

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