III Points 2015: A Weekend in the Heart of the Triangle
It’s been almost a week since we descended into Mana Wynwood, a production lot in Miami’s arts district, to see what was going on at the III Points Festival this year. A return to the festival’s original venue, new artists, and a stellar new list of performers were waiting, and expectations were high. Throughout the afternoons during III Points, local venues host what are known as Activations. These often free workshops are supplements to the festival itself, offering attendees and other members of the community opportunities to learn for many of the artists at the festival. From panels and art exhibits to places to gather and talk about all things art, music, and technology, the Activations served as a great way to gear up for what was to come in the evenings.
On day one, early evening rain seemed to cause a bit of a delay. With music starting at 5 pm, organizers were still scrambling to erect many of the art installations, and people were being held at the gate. This meant that many of the early acts on Friday night, including local crooner The Loft, were playing only for staff and media. That didn’t stop Christian Gomez and his his band from from putting on a heck of a show. We chatted with him previously for our On the Rise segment (which you can check out here), and once again he didn’t disappoint. Channeling his influences from the likes of The Weeknd, he gave it his all. That’s not the last we saw of him, though. He got his chance to wow the crowd later that night when he helped another local Miami powerhouse, Niko Javan, close out the festival’s first night.
Despite the late and soggy start, the festival finally got underway, and fans started to fill in. Friday was a great night to be a fan of great sounds. While III Points gets a reputation for being heavy on the electronic side of music, and it certainly has its fair share of great producers and artists that come through, it is really a celebration of all genres.
We happily bounced around from acts such as Palm Beach’s alt-rock outfit Surfer Blood to a cool DJ set by Panda Bear, back out to listen and watch bits of Empress Of and Nuri kill it, and back in to be swept away by Bonobo. One of the great things about III Points was the layout of the festival. If you wanted to, you could see everyone. It would require constant movement, but hey, that’s ok when you’re talking about the plethora of acts on hand at any given time. Unfortunately, some of those acts were situated outside the front gate on what was called the Bridge Portal stage. This was great for people first coming in, but since there was no re-entry for general admission attendees, it was almost impossible to see these performers unless you were on your way in, despite the fact they were listed on the schedule.
The only downside to Friday night was the fact that the air conditioner at the Main Frame stage wasn’t working, making the temperature inside nearly unbearable. Thankfully this was sorted out in time for Nicolas Jaar. The Darkside leading man threw down an impressive three-hour set that took you on a ride. Between slow, drawn-out beats that left you in a trance to deep bass drops that had the crowd flowing, you never knew what to expect. Couple that with the most intense fog machine I have ever seen (I am talking a rolling CLOUD that engulfed the audience in pitch blackness for several minutes), it was the perfect way to start things off. We ended our night at Sector 3, where Niko Javan killed his set with guest appearances by Cristian Gomez of The Loft and and Virgo.
Rolling into day two, our expectations were even higher. We looked forward to another day full of back-to-back sets. AlunaGeorge was high on our list. The duo from London took the stage and immediately lit up the room. Aluna pranced around the stage singing her heart out, ocassionally stopping to sip her Zacapa-filled coconut while George laid down the beats. Everyone was dancing and having a great time. Fortunately, it was still early, and there was much more to see!
Another favorite of the weekend was Big Data, the project headed up by producer Alan Wilkins. You probably know them from their amazing collaboration with Joywave on the song “Dangerous.” But they are no one-hit wonder. Big Data put on a heck of a show with a full band. This isn’t your typical electronic music producer pushing buttons. Wilkins gets into it, singing and dancing around the stage (as well as tending to the board). If you get a chance, check them out, as I am sure they will continue on the festival circuit well into next year.
The main stage was a point of contention on Saturday. It was difficult to venture elsewhere because it was solid act after solid act inside. Schlomo took the stage, pumping out an amazingly chill set, and then the place started to fill. Run the Jewels was next, and everyone was excited about that. How could you not be? Killer Mike and El-P put on one heck of a show. Their energy is palpable, and they genuinely care not only about their performance but also about the people watching it. You could feel the love from the stage, and they had everyone moving and singing. It was an extreme high in a day that had been filled with mostly chill vibes. It almost seemed like it couldn’t get much better than that.
#runthejewels #iiipoints2015 #miami #musicfestnews A video posted by MusicFestNews (@musicfestnews) on
One of the most highly anticipated acts of the weekend was a rare appearance by Ghostface Killah + DOOM. Immediately following the high-energy set from RTJ, expectations were high. Soon, DOOM “took the stage”, and by that I mean he appeared on a giant screen via a feed from who knows where. For what seemed like forever he played a mix of strange sounds before Ghostface Killah finally came out, performed a few songs, and left. We chatted with some people later that night who were really stoked for that show. “If I had come just to see them, I would have been really disappointed,” someone told us after the show. “Thankfully, there’s a lot of other awesome artists to make up for it.”
MF DOOM (live from other side of time) #iiipoints #wynwood #MFDOOM #DOOM #mmmfood #metalfingers #miami #HipHopHead #hiphopheads #hiphopjunkie #hiphopjunkies #hiphopculture #hiphopforever #hiphoplife #hiphopartist #hiphopstyle #hiphopaddict #mood #style #wave #heat #fire A video posted by A banks kik:yes (@extrachillin) on
There were so many other great things going on Saturday, it’s hard to keep track. From Sango to Toro Y Moi to Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosuars, it was a well-rounded day. We couldn’t wait to come back on Sunday.
The last day of a festival is always bittersweet. You are exhausted and ready to relax, but there’s still so much to see, and you have been having such a good time. That was certainly the case for III Points. The stacked lineup flowed into the third and final day. By far one of the most eclectic days in terms of different types of music to choose from, we bounced around and checked out everything we could, but we were really looking forward to what was sure to be a crazy performance from Miami’s own Otto Von Schirach. And, boy, was it ever!
We were a little disappointed to see him playing in what was called The Black Hole. That’s really what it was. The warehouse on the back of the lot contained a small stage and no lights. It was DARK, which gave it an interesting and ominous underground feel but made it difficult to see. Otto brings the party (and aliens, dancing alligators, and much more), so being able to enjoy the visual side of his act would have made it that much more fun. But he certainly didn’t disappoint and was probably one of the best-kept secrets of the weekend.
Otto’s small yet enthusiastic crowd was due to the fact that he played against a main stage show from producer XXYYXX. As fans of his music, we weren’t sure what to expect from his live show having heard mixed reviews going into it, but we left impressed to say the least. His slow, almost ambient tracks were well paired with harder and more aggressive bass-heavy songs that shook every part of the room.
This was immediately followed by a set from rapper Jay Electronica. He got straight to the point, and he performed for the crowd, at one point pulling as many people who could fit on stage with him, before jumping into the crowd to roam around while he rapped. It was an intimate performance, and he was giving it his all for every person in that room.
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Another highlight from late Sunday was Unknown Mortal Orchestra, an indie rock band with members from both Portland and New Zealand that has been a constant face on my festival lineups this year. Many of the artists from throughout the day (we spotted Otto in the crowd) came to check them out. They rock, and they rock hard. UMO was a pleasant break from many of the DJ sets. At one point, drummer Riley Geare provided one of the best solos I have ever seen. To give him his due, his band mates sat down on stage while Riley wailed on the skins. It was an intense moment and an awesome way to start to wind down after what was an amazing weekend.
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III Points’ third year was a grand success despite some of the hiccups early on. The crowd was respectful. The grounds were IMPECCABLY clean (staff were constantly cleaning and picking up trash) and easy to get around. The music was stellar. The food, which was provided by Coyo Tacos, Shake Shack, was excellent. Even the weather cooperated for the most part. You really couldn’t ask anything more of a weekend festival in Miami. We can’t wait to come back again next year.