tech n9ne headlines 10th boulevardia festival in kcmo (roll)

tech n9ne headlines 10th boulevardia festival in kcmo (roll)

Tech N9ne was so excited to take the stage as the headliner for Saturday’s Boulevardia Festival in his native Kansas City, that he started his set 10 minutes early. We were on the other side of the festival walking over, so only got one song to grab highlights. But as we walked up to the stage, you could feel the energy oozing from the crowd. And when we approached the front, we saw that – on the day of NO KINGS – or very own hometown hero was wearing a headband that read “KING.”

It has been seven years since his last appearance at the festival, and headlining the 10th anniversary more than makes him Kansas City’s version of a king. Some fun snaps below.

dawes brings the feels to the star pavilion in kcmo

dawes brings the feels to the star pavilion in kcmo

One of the best forms of therapy can be bonding with people from all walks of life, celebrating the same, beautiful music at a concert together. Dawes happens to be comprised of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, who happen to come from the same – or similar – walk of life, which isn’t lost on me as I glance around at the spellbound crowd around 9pm on Saturday, June 7th. The fact that they have been able to maintain such fantastic stage presence and creative prowess together for so long is a testament to their dedication to their craft, and their ability to see the good in each other. (Working with your family isn’t an easy thing to do. I honestly see it as a marker of genius in most situations.)

The brothers and their talented backing band played at the Star Pavilion at the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri — a venue I hadn’t yet photographed at, but found more enchanting than cheesy.

Dawes tore into a couple of songs before coming up for air to introduce themselves. While many bands will joke about whether they are in Kansas or Missouri, Taylor joked more about not knowing their proximity to the city because of the lack of windows in the room. Small jokes here and there garnered a lot of reaction from the ultra-attentive crowd.

Dawes’ 13-track setlist included crowd favorites, and some slow burns to really cherish together. Witnessing the build of the instrumentals – and watching the way the band jams together live – was an incredibly enjoyable experience, a welcome evening break from the horrors of the world.

  1. The Game
  2. Still Feel Like a Kid
  3. Someone Else’s Café/Doomscroller Tries to Relax
  4. Million Dollar Bill (Middle Brother cover)
  5. Most People
  6. Mister Los Angeles
  7. Comes in Waves
  8. When My Time Comes
  9. House Parties
  10. From the Right Angle
  11. A Little Bit of Everything
  12. When the Tequila Runs Out
  13. All Your Favorite Bands
sweet pill dazzle crowd at riot fest 2024

sweet pill dazzle crowd at riot fest 2024

There is no other word for it. Sweet Pill took the stage during some of the hottest moments temperature-wise at Riot Fest 2024, and they absolutely dazzled everyone. The stage banter, the outfits, the edge, the poise… somehow everything this band did struck us as charming and unique, though they fit right in with the crowd and the vibrant energy of the day. The crowd begged them to continue playing, and lead vocalist Zayna Youssef admitted they’d love to, but the set cutoff times pulled them off stage much sooner than everyone was ready for.

Setlist
Starchild
Chewed Up
Where the Heart Is
Blood
Cut
Eternal
Sympathy
High Hopes
Diamond Eyes
Dog Song

riot fest 2024 day 1 | out + about

riot fest 2024 day 1 | out + about

Douglass Park in Chicago is stunning on an everyday basis. But during Riot Fest? It’s glorious. Littered with photo booths, games, food and drink vendors, shopping experiences, and more surrounding the five stages, Riot Festival does what it can to make sure the attendees are comfortable and part of a grand adventure together. With the Riotland installation — featuring a marketplace, museum, carnival rides, NWA wrestling, the Hellzapoppin Freak Show, and more — this festival provides epic experiences you won’t find elsewhere.

Here are some Day 1 landscape and fan photos to enjoy.