Day for Night is a festival unlike any other in the country. It’s an immersive experience of light and sound that brings together a wide array of experimental artists from around the world, pushing the boundaries of what one might expect from the typical music festival experience. For its second year, the festival relocated from its previous home to a large abandoned warehouse on the edge of Downtown Houston that used to serve as a post office. Its dimly lit and cavernous halls provided a dark, dilapidated setting that contrasted with the wide array of installations from groundbreaking visual artists.
While hundreds spent hours in line for a chance to get a look at Björk’s interactive digital experience, just as many wandered around, discovering pieces from artists like Tundra, Nonotak, Shoplifter, and many others that were just as involving. One long hall was filled with red lasers that formed a grid not unlike a security system from a heist movie. Another room contained beams of light oscillating and shining at a reflective chandelier that resulted in lights dancing across the walls. Unlike festivals where people take pictures sunbathing across the lawn, the selfies here came from rooms where lasers shot across the ceiling in noodling patterns, or a hall of mirrors lit fluorescently. Even if you didn’t spend a minute checking out music, you were likely to get your money’s worth just by viewing the unique installations set up in a building that served as a relic from a forgotten age.
Most were there for the music, though, and a quick glance at the lineup makes it immediately apparent why. Sure, there were popular artists that would be draws at any festival (Kaskade, Travis Scott, Odesza, and Banks) that had college kids on break flocking through the doors. And there were indie-rock stalwarts like Tycho, Ariel Pink, Lower Dens, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra that drew crowds. But what made Day for Night stand out in terms of its lineup was a real drive to bring in a mix of electronic artists from influential legends like Björk, Squarepusher, and John Carpenter to cutting-edge experimental artists in their prime like Arca, Oneohtrix Point Never, Clams Casino, and Sophie. They made room for special performances from artists across all spectrums, bringing together artists like Blood Orange, Liars, Run the Jewels, Kamasi Washington ,and Thundercat in an unexpected harmony. Topping it all off was the crown jewel, Aphex Twin’s first US performance in eight years.
By delivering a carefully curated lineup unlike anything other festivals have to offer, Day for Night has quickly established itself as one of the premier festivals in the country. Even when the volatile Houston weather dropped nearly 45 degrees in a 12-hour span, that didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowds who traded their t-shirts for jackets to go back outside and experience something new.
There were a few kinks to work out, which is normal for a young festival, especially one in a brand-new location. Food options weren’t enough to satisfy the large attendance, with lines consistently extending to unreasonable lengths. Plumbing also proved to be an issue, with the indoor bathrooms losing running water in sinks, drains backing up, and a stinky sewage stream running from the warehouse to the street. And for those that forked over the money for the VIP, complaints could be heard about the lack of bang that distinction produced for its buck.
Still, the entire operation ran fairly smoothly considering its scale. Incorporating visual art in a way that went above and beyond the expectations of a typical music festival, Day for Night offered a bold vision that could serve as a blueprint for other festivals to evolve beyond stagnation into something truly remarkable.
–David Sackllah
Staff Writer
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S U R V I V E
Best Upgrade From The Local Stage
Judging by the size of the crowd, it’s likely that many of the people in attendance for S U R V I V E’s late afternoon set had discovered the four-piece synth band as the result of its members’ work on the score for Stranger Things. Even if their stature hadn’t risen due to their soundtrack work, it’s likely the band would have been booked at the fest. A key player in the rising synth-based electronic scene in Austin, they were right at home with the other Texas artists Day for Night gave a platform to. Because of their big year, they got upgraded to a more prime spot, playing their aggressive, entrancing instrumentals to a large, enraptured audience. They made the most of it with a tight, involving set, proving they’re much more than the Stranger Things band. –David Sackllah
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United Visual Artists
Most “Worth It” Line
Photos by Philip Cosores
No review could be complete without mention of the visual art Day for Night painstakingly incorporated into the very fiber of its being. Many festivals have art and sculpture, but they often feel ornamental, like excessive decorations on a tree that could just as easily have been left in a cardboard box in your attic. Day for Night cannot be separated from its artwork, and the experience is richer for it.
Step upstairs into the abandoned post office DFN used as home base for its installations, and one is met with so much sensory information it’s no wonder the fire marshals were on edge throughout the weekend. At least 10 hypnotic installations were available for play, but the United Visual Artists exhibit stood out as the most fascinating (with a waiting line to prove it). The UVA is a UK-based visual artists collective originally founded to do stage design for Massive Attack, but has since expanded into all types of visual media. DFN’s exhibit featured a long row of spheres with a small light and speaker revolving in perfect harmony around each. The room held a haunting ambiance, heightened by the 15-minute loop of droning electronic noise, shifting lights, and a smokey darkness that swallowed audience members whole — leaving nothing but one meticulously symmetrical moment. –Kevin McMahon
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Liars
Best Freakout
No one really knew what to expect from Liars’ set at Day for Night. The Los Angeles experimental dance-rock trio have adapted and morphed their sound frequently over their career, and nearly two years since their last live show with no new album to promote, the question was which incarnation of Liars would show up this time. Thankfully, the band played a set that pulled from their entire discography, drawing heavily from 2014’s underrated Mess but going all the way back to 2004’s They Were Wrong, So We Drowned. Liars were in high spirits, with singer Angus Andrew dancing across the stage like a man possessed. As they tore through frantic electronic jams, Andrew shook, wailed, and commanded the stage. They didn’t play anything new, but didn’t leave anyone disappointed. –David Sackllah
Blood Orange
Best Inaudible Guitar Playing
By all measures, Dev Hynes had a great 2016, a well-received opus of an album, high-profile collaborations, and even a chic inclusion in an H&M print advertisement. His live sets have received attention, too, for good reason, as his command of body and instrument are unrivaled. The fluidity with which he moved during “Better Than Me” and “Augustine” slipped a layer of poetry snuggly in between the notes and lyrics that made them emotional centerpieces on Freetown Sound.
As is custom, Hynes performed with his seven-piece supporting band — a necessity to bring to life all the subtle textures of his music. Once again, however, it seemed the audio engineer behind the boards had difficulty mixing the variety of sounds coming from the stage. Hynes’ vocals began the performance even lower than his backup vocalists, and his guitar remained muffled under the sonic weight of the other instruments. Throughout the performance, the sound improved, and though his guitar never fully cut through, Hynes’ 3-finger-on-the-pick funk-style guitar playing was as immaculate and Prince-like as ever. Hynes bid the crowd adieu with a beautiful piano rendition of Blind Willie Johnson’s “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” swiftly followed by “Uncle ACE”, complete with a saxophone lead jam that kept heads spinning during the walk over to reserve a spot for Aphex Twin. –Kevin McMahon
Welcome to Houston
Best Use of Paul Wall
In the search for cultural relevancy, the media and general public typically display a large blind spot for places and voices outside the artistic despotism of New York and Los Angeles. Day for Night’s choice to begin the weekend with the “Welcome to Houston” showcase — which takes place annually at Free Press Summer Fest — was a bastion for their case that this is indeed a grave oversight.
“Welcome to Houston” celebrates those who put Houston hip-hop on the map. It spans generations and sub-genres: from the seminal sounds of UGK to the mid-aughts mainstream of Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, and yes, even Paul Wall. Opening slots are often sluggish and poorly attended, but the Day for Night welcoming party was having none of that. “Welcome to Houston” started a full 30 minutes early and wasted no time launching into Pimp C’s iconic verse in “Big Pimpin’” and a number of other classics like “Draped Up”, “Still Tippin’”, and nods to DJ Screw’s “My Mind Went Blank”. It was an energetic first step that had spirits high and white cups full. –Kevin McMahon
