Music Pageant to Convey Eclectic, Chopping-edge Acts to Okeechobee
This weekend, the Okeechobee Music & Arts Pageant is again but once more to rework Sunshine Grove right into a hotbed of cultural excursions and explorations. Returning for the primary time in back-to-back years since 2017-18, the 2023 OMF expertise is certain to reignite the identical passions that its 4 earlier iterations have dropped at life, with a lineup that options a few of the largest names in music throughout a variety of genres.
As Boca’s personal John Thomason wrote in his Week Forward column earlier this week, “Eclecticism is baked into the cake of this beloved music competition, which enjoys its sixth iteration this weekend within the in any other case quiet Okeechobee County, a just-under two-hour drive from Boca. Boasting its finest lineup in years, the Okeechobee Music Pageant options A-list acts from genres as numerous as EDM (Odesza), self-described “future-funk” (Griz), O.G. funk (Earth, Wind & Hearth), hip-hop (Child Keem, Massive Boi), hardcore punk (Turnstile), and progressive jam (Goose). Performances run properly into the early-morning hours every day, and like Woodstock and our late, nice, Langerado Pageant, tenting is a part of the enjoyable. The competition’s optimistic vibe extends past its seven cutting-edge efficiency levels, and into its non-music-related points of interest: the immersive artwork installations and lightweight reveals; the swimming pond at “Aquachobee Seaside;” and the yoga lessons, wellness workshops, visitor audio system and vendor market that represent Chobeewobee Village.”
Methods to Put together:
With that mentioned, listed below are some fast suggestions for first-time attendees who don’t know the ropes of constructing it by way of a tenting competition in a single piece. And for anybody who’s grown rusty since their final go to to a full-blown tenting competition, they could very properly function a refresher course.
- Don’t forget your water bottle. Of all of the requirements {that a} tenting competition requires, this one is undoubtedly probably the most essential. Don’t be caught with out it.
- Put together your wardrobe for any and all climate potentialities. Don’t make the identical boneheaded mistake that this author made in one of many competition’s first years—it could very properly get chilly at night time. Simply because we’re in Florida doesn’t imply you’ll be comfortably heat for the whole lot of the lengthy weekend. Temperatures in Sunshine Grove have been recognized to dip into the 50’s within the wee hours of the morning, and the bottom beneath a tent may be chilly and unforgiving.
- Arrive collectively. Being caught with a protracted hike out of your campsite to the levels is unhealthy sufficient, don’t get caught miles away from your folks. Campsites are assigned on a first-come, first-served foundation, so that you gained’t be capable to maintain a spot to your buddies who’re working a couple of hours late.
- Plan your schedule upfront. It’s not as straightforward as you could assume to get from stage to stage, and none of us may be in two locations directly.
- Tempo your self. 4 days of music that stretch late into the night time are taxing even on probably the most energetic attendees. Watch out to not social gathering too arduous on Thursday night time, or you could simply break the remainder of your weekend.
Units we’re most excited for:
A very and completely subjective preview that includes the units that we’re most wanting ahead to at Okeechobee 2023. As with previous iterations of the occasion, the competition’s best energy is that its lineup can enchantment to followers of many alternative genres in equal measure; these simply occur to be the acts that piqued our curiosity.
Thursday
Thursday’s invoice stays, as in previous years, a warm-up slate of largely digital acts, a style that’s an admitted blind spot for us right here at Boca.
- Excision. This Canadian producer, energetic since 2006, has been a staple on the competition circuit for years, and is the one top-billed (learn: headliner font-size) act slated for the competition’s first day.
- Soul Clap. Jungle 51 is one among Okechobee’s most beloved and longstanding fixtures, and this funk-imbued duo will likely be taking on the stage for a particularly late-night set for all those that are in a position to keep awake lengthy sufficient.
Friday
- Goose. One of many largest attracts of the competition, Goose has taken the jam-band scene by storm over the previous few years with its ingenious indie-rock covers and co-signs from a few of the style’s elder statesmen, together with Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. The group’s two-hour late-night set will represent its first present in South(ish) Florida in additional than 5 years, and first since its ascent to jam-band royalty.
- Lil Yachty. The 25-year-old Georgia rapper will likely be performing his first full set because the launch of his current album Let’s Begin Right here, which marked a tough departure from his earlier entice model into neo-psychedelia that usually borders on being easy indie rock.
- Hippo Campus. The Minnesota indie-rock quartet returns to Sunshine Grove for the primary time since 2018, nonetheless supporting final 12 months’s LP3 and with its distinctive spin on pop-rock in tow.
- Indigo De Souza. This Asheville singer-songwriter has remained comparatively underneath the radar regardless of rapturous important reception for her wonderful 2021 album Any Form You Take, and is gearing as much as launch its follow-up late subsequent month.
Saturday
- PoWow! That includes Free Nationals & Mates. Okeechobee’s personal model of the beloved Bonnaroo “SuperJam,” this 12 months’s unpredictable mashup efficiency will characteristic the Anderson .Paak backing band Free Nationals alongside Outkast legend Massive Boi, members of Goose, and extra.
- Native Natives. Now elder statesmen of the indie rock scene, the beloved L.A. band will play the principle stage at Okeechobee for the primary time following an electrical, however a lot smaller, look on the competition again in 2018.
- Earth, Wind & Hearth. The legendary group will fill the “legacy” slot on this 12 months’s lineup, bringing many years’ price of hits, credibility and good vibes to the principle stage on Friday night.
- Jordana. Maybe the smallest-font act I’m excited for at this 12 months’s competition, Jordana is a sleeper guess to be the perfect indie-pop second of the weekend as she arrives with years of exceptionally charming songs underneath her belt and quite a few nice current releases to advertise.
Sunday
- Turnstile. This one is thrilling. As an admitted Turnstile obsessive, I’ve made journeys to the west coast of Florida and the west coast of america over the past 12 months to see this act convey its singular model of bouncy, electrical, accessible hardcore punk to life on the stage. Although the act may appear misplaced on a lineup extra involved with digital and mellower indie acts, don’t doubt the Baltimore quintet’s means to unite a crowd with undeniably dancy hard-rock and a bit of TLC.
- Child Keem. Now firmly out from underneath the shadow of his cousin Kendrick Lamar, the ascendant California rapper is making (what’s believed to be) his first headlining look at a significant U.S. competition.
- JPEGMafia. Identified to his die-hard followers as “Peggy,” this experimental hip-hop virtuoso has been on tour with Turnstile over the previous few months, and brings with him a capability to incite mosh pits that rivals even that of his current tourmates. Between his signature glitched-out manufacturing and bars that mix humor with punk sensibilities, his set is certain to be one of many weekend’s highlights.
Native Bands to Watch
- Artikal Sound System
- Mustard Service
Boca journal will likely be on web site at Okeechobee 2023 to share the perfect and worst of South Florida’s signature tenting music competition expertise. Keep watch over our Instagram account for stay protection, and verify again right here subsequent week for a post-festival assessment.
Okeechobee Music & Arts Pageant. March 2-5, Sunshine Grove, 12517 N.E. 91st Ave., Okeechobee. www.okeechobeefest.com
