Whatsup ya’ll? We’re gearing up for an epic weekend on Mulberry Mountain with some unbelievable talent at this year’s Wakarusa Festival. We’re breaking down the 10 sets you gotta see in a festival with SOOOO much going down!
1. Widespread Panic – The headlining set at a festival this massive is a serious honor, but I have no doubt that the boys in Panic will do everything and then some to please the folks on Mulberry Mountain. These guys have a solid 3 hour slot on Saturday and you’d be wise to not going ANYWHERE else during that time (even though that Earphunk Daft Punk cover set sounds fuckin’ awesome… I can’t be mad at you if you go check that out during set break or whatever).
2. Emancipator – The downtempo, trip-hop vibes from this duo are only going to be amplified given that late-night time slot. When it’s late as hell, and you maybe need a second to chill the fuck out, check out the great Emancipator.
3. Shpongle – Have you ever seen this dude? Even just on YouTube? Let’s be real… you aren’t going to miss Simon Posford’s Shpongle Masquerade for the life of you. And if you do, expect to hear some “You missed out…” stories all day on Saturday.
4. Umphrey’s Mcgee – You see those pants? THOSE PANTS DON’T FUCK AROUND. But seriously, these guys jam it out, HARD. They play 2 sets, the latter of which is from 2:30-4am Saturday night. When they played that kind of time slot at Bonnaroo last year, they played for 5 hours straight until the sunrise, only breaking for Big Gigantic to play a in-betweener set. I shouldn’t have to sell you on this one. \mm/
5. Minnesota – Minnesota is one of our favorite producers around, and at Wakarusa this year, the promoters are really trusting him with a badass time-slot. From 5-6.15am, Minnesota will take you on an astral journey across the galaxy and smash you back in to Mulberry Mountain just in time for you to smoke a jay and watch the sunrise.
6. Papadosio – These guys are one of our favorite live acts, especially after their acclaimed performances at AURA previously this year. They are playing mad late, from 2.30-4am on the same night as Panic (Saturday). I’d bet my shekels on a face-melting set that has the crowd going wild. Hopefully they play “Night Colors.”
7. The Polish Ambassador – We love this guys bubbly, eclectic, electronic rhythms. From reggae to hip-hop mash-ups, the Polish Ambassador puts his signature twist on all sorts of stuff I love. He also puts on a damn good and damn fun live show, along with his homie and lighting designer Liminus. Watch the two bounce around on stage, exuding the best chemistry you’ll ever see between an artist and their lighting designer. TPA is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and from 3.30-4.45am on Saturday, it is where you need to be.
8. EOTO – What else can I say besides these guys really just throw it the fuck down hard as fuck? EOTO closing out any festival means you get your happy little ass out there and rage… to me anyways. Call me out if I’m wrong, but Jason Hann and Michael Travis will probably be one of the more memorable sets all weekend.
9. Yonder Mountain String Band – When I was informed that they were playing the sunset time-slot on the first night, all I could think was “GOOD VIBES.” That sounds like a really good time to chill out and get ready for a long, long night.
10. STS9 – You already know what it is. STS9 plays 2 sets and I’m sure both of them will be epic. It sucks that they are time-slotted at the same time as acts like BoomBox and Zeds Dead, but that’s what a kick-ass festival does to you. Be sure to check both of these sets out, and hopefully get ready for a few special guests to come out and jam with Murph & the gang!