This year’s DeLuna Fest is absolutely packed with rock ‘n’ roll legends, EDM hot shots and funk extraordinaires. In no specific order, we break down the 10 must-see performances of the epic beachside festival besides Pearl Jam, whom we gave an ecstatic preview for yesterday.
10. Diplo
Our readers are definitely familiar with the eccentric Thomas Pentz, better known as Diplo. His production in the hip-hop world has ran the airwaves for a few years and his influence in EDM culture is absolutely undeniable. His DJ sets blend the best of every genre, both foreign and familiar. Diplo is one of the greats because he really takes pride in educating the crowd, making you move to something strange and playing anything but what every other DJ is playing.
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9. Band of Horses
The chilled-out indie rock ballads of Band of Horses will play their perfect roll between energetic sets from Bad Brains and Foo Fighters on Saturday. The band has been around for nearly a decade themselves and with four LPs under their belt, I’m certainly excited to see what they can come up with.
8. Bad Brains
The hardcore / punk rock / dub / reggae legends have had a crazy run. From homophobia to insanity accusations, they are certainly no strangers to controversy. The band that wrote “Pay to Cum” influenced an entire genre of music and they are widely considered to be the first hardcore punk rock band out there. The first time I saw this band was maybe 4-5 years ago and HR (vocals) snuck me in the back of the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fl. Definitely something to scratch off the punk rock bucket list.
Anyways, I expect Bad Brains to play sludged down versions of their punk classics along with their reggae gems, which sound much better live, and I’m pretty sure they enjoy it a lot more at this stage in the game. Here is a tune I definitely hope I get to hear.
7. Fishbone
Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, Primus, Sublime. What do those acts all have in common? They all fucking loved Fishbone. You know who else loves Fishbone? This guy, right here. The multi-genre spectacle is widely credited with bringing funk and punk rock together, which exploded in a celebration of metal, ska, reggae, jazz, rock and everything beetween. Fishbone is playing on Friday along with an after party at the Vinyl Collective in Pensacola.
6. Florence + the Machine
In case you missed our Florence spotlight, she is an amazingly talented leader of a Machine that delivers some of the most emotionally charged indie music in this day and age. I watched the stream of her Coachella set and realized that she is an absolute must see artist. I can’t wait to vibe out on Sunday to her hour-long set.
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff
Known equally for being one of hip hop’s great turntablists and his role on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, DJ Jazzy Jeff is something of a renaissance man. This weekend he won’t be thrown out of the house by Uncle Phil, but I do expect him to throw down the jams during his Friday late-night set following 12th Planet & Pearl Jam. If his set is anything like his newest mix, it will be a highlight of the festival.
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4. Dumpstaphunk
One of the best funk acts around is going to kill it on Friday right before Pearl Jam goes on. They will alse be playing an after party at Vinyl Collective from 12.30-2am following Saturday’s show.
3. Foo Fighters
Ex-Nirvana Drummer Dave Grohl started Foo Fighters out of the death of Kurt Cobain. No one could have guessed that his new band would have just as big of an impact as a band that was fronted by a martyr for misguided youth. The band is so big that they were chosen to perform at the Democratic Nation Convention this year. That’s the type of status rock bands can only really dream of achieving.
2. Paper Diamond
Alex B, better known these days as Paper Diamond, will be performing during the Foo Fighters, right before Diplo on Saturday night. That’s a tough confliction, but I’m guessing he will take a good portion of the younger crowd an hour in to the Foo Fighters set. We caught up with him last time he played on the beach at Hangout Festival for an interview. In case you haven’t seen it, here it is.
1. 12th Planet
So it’s tough for me to digest, but there actually are people in the world who don’t think Pearl Jam is the greatest rock band around. Those people will likely see John Dadzie, AKA 12th Planet, throw down a massive collection of elephant bass bombs at the Wind-Creek Stage. Expect to hear a huge mix of contemporary dubstep, trap, rap and a super fun “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” / “Right On Time” mash-up!
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