Discovering the Truth Behind the Exploding Columbus Funk Scene~ Columbus Funk ‘n Beer Festival 2018
Written by: Cam Elkins
Photography by: Adam Berta
With back-to-back nights of insane dance moves, top-notch electronic funk, and delicious locally-brewed beer from some of Columbus’s best breweries, it is safe to say that if you were at the Bluestone on November 9th and 10th, that life right now is pretty damn awesome. Thanks to TK Pro, The Columbus Funk ‘n Beer Festival was exactly what us Ohio music fans needed to keep things spicy with the cold winter weather approaching. Celebrating both funk music and Central Ohio’s vibrant microbrewery scene, Jackie O’s Brewery, Sweet Water Brewing Company, and Rhinegeist Brewery sponsored Columbus’s newest and coolest events.
Friday night, the time had finally come, and I found myself hopping into the security line at the historic Bluestone. Being greeted by happy voices and smiling faces, the line moved quickly and before I knew it I was inside. As I walked towards the crowd and noticed the Buddha sitting in the fire pit, I thought about how cool it is that our culture converted this old church into what is now one of my favorite music venues. I observed in real time how it was apparent that the cycles of time had been spun completely around, placing us all at the precipice of where time meets space, and where our local culture meets its revolution. Approaching life with a deep vibrancy, authentic self-expression, togetherness, and THE FUNK now reign supreme. The excitement at the Bluestone was real, and the party had begun.
Opening the night was Wax Future, the guitar-shredding hip-hop/funk electronic duo, and also the Dayton-based DJ Manimal. Up next was SoDown, a soulful Colorado-based DJ that features a live saxophone and sick bass. The crowd was unapologetically alive, groovin’ together and bubbling with excitement as Turkuaz took the stage. They made themselves right at home, drenching the crowd with energetic splashes of their colorful and funky psychedelia. Turkuaz, the Brooklyn-based nine-piece band, is one of the best funk bands around, continually surpassing fans’ expectations each time around, and currently crushing it with their Life In The City tour. Each member of the band wears a different color and sports their own unique energetic flavor, all coming together to deliver a performance with a vibrancy that is truly larger-than-life. The spirit of Turkuaz is electric and powerful… from my perspective, the band left no face at the Columbus Funk ‘n Beer Festival without a smile by the time their set had finished. My blood was pumping hot, my face was lit up, and I had now discovered one of my new favorite bands.
Following Turkuaz were, “the undisputed kings of electro funk”, The Floozies. This funk-oriented electronic duo has made a name for themselves by bridging together its funk roots with modern themes of electronic sounds and elaborate light shows. The Floozies’ insane lights, lasers, and high-energy dance music seemed to thrust the entire dancing crowd into some sort of psychedelic frenzy of awe and craziness. For hours music fans danced the night away as they made new friends and life-long memories.
Heading into Saturday night, the buzz around town was spreading like wildfire, and the anticipation was at the highest key. Headlining was Big Gigantic, with support from Flamingosis, Ghost Gardens, LethalFX, Squirple, Shatter, and Harok. The sold-out crowd wasted zero time as day 2 was in full-swing. From Shatter, to LethalFX, and to Squirple, the early-hour vibes couldn’t had been higher as things were heating up. The crowd really started to erupt once local producer Harok took the stage with Jacob Alicia, trumpet player from local funk group Prontoh. The energy was huge, and the ascetic was impressive to say the very least. Directly after Harok, Flamingosis got straight to laying down the smooth, smooth, smoooooth funky electronic rhythms. Big ups to TK Pro for creating such a special vibe for the sold-out crowd well before the headlining act. After Flamingosis, the incredible Ghost Gardens took things perfectly over the top with its experimental electronic fusion. Blending together deep house with future base, hip-hop, and trance music, Ghost Gardens killed its’ Bluestone set and reminded everyone why they are one of the top EDM acts in town.
Next up was the peak of the entire thing, Big Gigantic’s time to shine. The international electronic music sensation features Jeremy Salken on the drums and Dominic Lalli on production and the sax. These guys carried a pretty strange sense of comfort as they jammed out in front of hundreds and hundreds of people dancing completely like wild animals. Big G rapidly built momentum with the crowd, and in no time at all there was a feedback loop between the stage and the crowd that turned the Bluestone into a complete mad house.
As we danced beneath intense psychedelic lights surrounded by tons of friends who were totally unstifled and in the zone, I could not deny the epicness of the Columbus Funk ‘n Beer Fest. TK Pro killed it, creating the space for Columbus fans to come out and create an unforgettable weekend with friends both old and new. Given the extreme levels of fun that were had, I do not see myself missing any upcoming TK Pro events, especially the next Columbus Funk ‘n Beer Festival.
Until then, keep it weird, Weirdos! Peace!
Discovering the Truth Behind the Exploding Columbus Funk Scene~ Columbus Funk 'n Beer Festival 2018
