I cannot wait for December 4 to arrive and all you Chet Faker fanatics should be too as the Chet Faker x Marcus Marr four-track EP Work is released. But while we wait another month, get lost in funky, disco “The Trouble With Us.”
Work Tracklisting:
1 – “Birthday Card”
2 -“The Trouble With Us”
3 – “Learning For Your Love”
4 – “Killing Ja”
I can’t believe a week has already gone by from what can go down as one of the best weekends ever in Las Vegas. And that’s not because I’m saying so, that’s what friends, strangers, and the likes have told me. A week ago this time the gates to Life is Beautiful were open, festival goers were filing in and SZA was just getting her set started. While I have been fortunate to have been a part of Life is Beautiful from its inception, there is something that never gets old and it’s seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they come to experience something you and an incredible team have been working day and night on. All the planning, meetings, long hours for three days/nights of bliss for everyone who bought a ticket. That’s why we do it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This year was truly special though, it just felt right and that outside of the hot, hot heat (sorry!) everything went along swimmingly with attendees marveling at all the art both new and old (can we talk about how badass the art program was this year? From the art motel featuring 50 Las Vegas artists to Bordallo II, Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas and more it was a site to see! The learning series for the second year in a row had every seat packed to hear from extraordinary individuals like Bill Nye, Coach Carter and Rosario Dawson. The culinary villages were on point with not only delectable eats but sodded fields of fresh cut grass and shade to take a break and enjoy your noshing. And the music, of course I’m a little bias but c’mon STEVIE WONDER performed in Downtown Las Vegas. It doesn’t get much better than that! But oh it did, from the biggest crowds we’ve ever had at the Ambassador Stage (Major Lazer, Snoop, Death Cab For Cutie, Twenty One Pilots, Atmosphere, GRiZ, Run The Jewels, Kygo and Chance the Rapper all had massive crowds), Imagine Dragons performed a very heartfelt show in their home town to a massive crowd, Brandon Flowers surprised the audience with The Killers!, Duran Duran captivated the corwd in ways we only dreamed they would, Weezer reminded festival attendees how many hit songs they have and of course Kendrick Lamar brought the heat and absolutely had the Las Vegas crowd going bananas at midnight on Monday morning! The Troubadour stage was definitely a sight to see with outstanding production and some killer star in the making DJs (JAUZ, Wave Racer, SALVA, Mercer, The Magician). There were killer sets from up and coming stars like Halsey and Andra Day to blistering sets from artists like Metric and BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah, the list goes on and on.
I could write about this for days, and I will! But for now, I just wanted to send my personal thank you to anyone who attended Life is Beautiful. I know how fortunate I am in the position I am in and I work hard every day to keep getting better but what makes the festival are all the people who buy tickets and put their faith in a team of strangers to produce an event that we hope you will enjoy and want to keep coming back to. There are so many people behind the scenes working to make this the event for Las Vegas and have spent the last three years putting us on the map in the festival scope. A HUGE shout out to #teambeautiful who made the festival possible and by far one of the best weekends I’ve experienced.
When you see the streets of DTLV come alive during Life is Beautiful there is a feeling of electricity shooting through your veins filled with energy and excitement. Friends and families and strangers gathering together for a weekend escape from everyday life all linked together by the universal language, music! Life is Beautiful and hope you realize how true this is! The best thing you can do is carry this mantra everyday in your lives and when we regroup for Life is Beautiful 2016 we can rejoice and make new memories together.
Until next year my friends!
Peace + Love + Music
When we announced the 2015 lineup for Life is Beautiful it was amazing to me how many friends lost it over Atmosphere. I knew the excitement was going to be there but personally it was a great feeling to hear how geeked up everyone was. The Minnesota duo who have been around for years and there is no doubt that fans are going to be getting one heck of a show in a couple weeks.
Also in honor of Slug’s birthday today, here’s a mix by my friend DJ ZO. Give a listen and enjoy.
All my Vegas peeps and friends who are looking to make a trip out to Vegas this summer I have your Saturday nights planned for you! Behind the scenes I’ve been working with my good buddy, Mike Henry of The Bunkhouse to put together a summer concert series lineup for the Foxtail Pool at SLS Las Vegas. We’re talking a fireworks worthy show with MSTRKRFT, reggae on a hot Vegas night with Matisyahu, an old school hip-hop show with Sir Mix A Lot, Naughty by Nature, Shock G, Young MC and Tha Alkaholiks, Hoobastank with POD and Alien Ant Farm, Matt & Kim back in Vegas for their first time since destroying their set at Life is Beautiful last fall, the Las Vegas debut for Mystikal with Fiend and KLC, Plain White T’s and more to be announced! All these shows (except for one) are on a Saturday night, booze will be flowing, the pool will be available for open swim and we’re going to have a fun time partying to the lineup below. That’s the key, FUN, and these shows are all about it! Tickets go on sale Thursday, hope you can make it! Also the most killer deal of all, you can get a “season pass” which will grant you entry to each show throughout the summer. We’re going to be adding more shows so this is a killer deal.
See you on July 4 for a rocking set by MSTRKRFT!
What did you miss over the weekend? How about a whole lot of sheer awesomeness from some of the biggest stars in music.
Earth Wind and Fire bringing out Kendrick Lamar and Chance The Rapper during their late night set at Bonnaroo. Fast forward to the 1:14 mark to see the magic unfold.
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica performing the National Anthem at Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Mumford & Sons bringing out the calvelry to cover The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” to close out their headlining set at Bonnaroo. Guests included My Morning Jacket, Hozier, Dawes, Ed Helms and photographer-musician Danny Clinch.
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters breaks his leg during a show in Sweden. Finishes the concert like you knew he would, then posts the x-ray image. Rock on! Read more about it HERE.
Sad sad evening to just hear of the passing B.B. King. We most definitely lost a legend this evening. The King of the Blues was 89. Read more HERE.
TGIF! New track from A$AP Rocky, “Everyday” featuring Miguel, Mark Ronson, and Rod Stewart. The album At.Long.Last.ASAP. drops June 2.
Yesterday was a ridiculous New Music Tuesday. We’re talking Mumford & Sons, Tallest Man on Earth, Best Coast, METZ, Mikal Cronin, Django Django, Palma Violets, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ivan & Alyosha but the one release I was most psyched about was by far My Morning Jacket and the release of The Waterfall. So pumped the guys are back with a new album, back on tour and comig to a city near you. If you’ve never been fortunate enough to catch MMJ live, change that this summer. And for you Vegas peeps, they are coming to Brooklyn Bowl for a two night stint, October 9-10!
What a debut week so far for James Corden on The Late Late Show! If you haven’t watched, you must! The highlight (while there have been many) so far has been Corden and Tom Hanks acting act every Hanks movie in 7 minutes, it’s amazing! But not far behind is this performance from Leon Bridges last night. The Fort Worth, Texas soul singer and his band nailed it. So good. Click watch below and see for yourself.
For the past three years I have been fortunate enough to attend SXSW. It’s kind of like summer camp when you think about it. In many cases (and mine) you are staying with friends, sometimes too many for the apartment you are in, you see people you haven’t seen in a year and you run around like kids going to see the next big thing, an artist you’ve been dying to see and bands/musicians who are playing massive underplays. All in, SXSW is what you make of it and this past year was no exception. Of course I didn’t get to see everyone I had hoped to but I did have a handful of new discoveries and a grip of new memories to carry with me.
In five days I logged 63 miles on my feet traversing the city and it was worth every step.
Who I saw:
Monday: The Vaccines, Ryan Hemsworth, Run The Jewels, Kaleo, Cathedrals, Spoon and Portugal. The Man
Tuesday: VÉRITÉ, BØRNS, Ryn Weaver, Gorgon City (Live), The Delta Riggs, Passion Pit, San Fermin, Milo Greene, Odesza, Spoon
Wednesday: The Cribs, Sam Hunt, Ryn Weaver, Leon Bridges, Robert DeLong, GRiZ, The War On Drugs, Future Islands
Thursday: smallpools, Twerps, Sam Dew, Raury, SZA, Dry The River, Colony House, Robert DeLong, Kero Kero Bonito, GRMLN, House Music, The Stone Foxes, California Honeydrops, CRUISR, T. Hardy Morris, Frank Turner, Migos, Wyclef Jean
Friday: Son Lux, Skylar Spence, Wolf Alice, Blank Range, Jack Ladder, Natalie Prass, Gorgon City (live), George Maple, Poor Me, The Covz, Slow Caves, Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear, Kari Faux, Seinabo Sey, Years & Years, Rae Sremmurd
NOTES:
Do You Hear The Music? 