Top 11 Acts to Catch at Vertex Music Festival
Vertex Music Festival is coming to Buena Vista Colorado August 5-7 and its expected to be one of the greatest festivals of the summer season. Bringing together amazing EDM jams and fun and friendly activities, Vertex has bottled up the Colorado spirit, shook it up, and spilled it all over the Rockies. Vibes aside the lineup is nothing to scoff at, here are my top 11 acts to look for at Vertex…
Odesza: I’m sure you know by now I’m a HUGE fan of Odesza, along with a vast majority of EDM listeners. Odesza is just too amazing for words, not only is their music charming and addictive in its own right, they put on a fantastic show. We caught them for their sold out show at Red Rocks in June, which has been building anticipation for a long, long time. Not just for Odesza lovers but also for Harrison and Clayton themselves. After that show they really set the bar sky-high for themselves, check out their RR after movie and get pumped to see them live at Vertex.
Seven Lions: Vertex Music Festival lineup shows off its tribute to all that is Colorado bringing in the biggest and best in chill sounds and vibes, this especially rings true for Seven Lions. Hedonist Shedonist interviewed Seven Lions around this time last year and he truly showed his laid back personality and love for music. Known to bring audiences to their feet with his smooth and melodic chill-step Seven Lions combines the best of electro-house, dubstep, trance and of course drum and bass. Prepare your ear buds and dancing feet for an expected bumping performance from this great.
Jai Wolf: Jai Wolf made his big debut with Indian Summer, which I was love struck with the first time I’ve ever heard it. Each song is a melodic and spacey adventure with explosive crescendos and light as a feather chimes. His music tells a story but is still fun and flowy to dance to. With only a few older tracks like Trophy Wife and a bunch of amazing remixes that have caught the interest of big wigs like Odesza, I’m really looking forward to how he performs live, especially being relatively new at putting out original tracks.
Big Wild: I’ve been listening to Big Wild’s Aftergold for a few years now as one of my go-to driving songs. With tons of amazing remixes and a vast unique sound, fluffy and funky Big Wild is sure to bring people to their feet to bounce and dance the night away, or just sway and really feel the mix of light sounds and booming bass. Either way Big Wild is definitely an act to look out for.
Gramatik: Funky, groovy, and most of all chill Gramatik is known to create an awesome sound built from hip-hop and reggae influences. Nominated for “Best Chill Out Artist” by Beatport, Gramatik is always a crowd favorite with songs like Funk It Up. And you know that chill, funky, soulful electro sound is perfect for lighting and j and sharing it with your crowd neighbors while bouncing in the mountains of Colorado.
Alabama Shakes: Alabama shakes have made a name for themselves since their genesis in 2009. From humble beginnings, recording their first album unsigned, these Athens, Alabama natives have made it big with their powerful bluesy sounds. Fronted by singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, the group has a strong backing, pulling inspiration from every musical angle to create a unique and influential sound. I’m excited to see them live after only seeing performances on SNL or the Daily Show. Listen to their live performance of Joe at Austin City Limits .
Buckwheat Zydeco: Honestly, I’ve never heard them until this lineup came out and I was exploring the bands. They caught my interest because my mom used to call me and my older brother “Buckwheat and Zydeco.” I asked her if she knew it was a band and she looked at me like I had seven heads and said “Duh, I play them all the time.” Who knew? Anyway I relived the apparent music of my past and discovered Buckwheat Zydeco not only just a singular person, Zydeco is a type of music (Who knew x2).
If you’re into the classic sounds of Lousiana blues mixed with a funky feel, Buckwheat Zydeco is a must-see. You’ve definitely heard some of his music without knowing it, Hey Good Lookin’ among many of his hits.
Rufus Du Sol: We caught Rufus Du Sol opening for Odesza’s mind blowing show back in June and he was an awesome warm up. Only hearing him a handful of times while scrolling through SoundCloud, like the housey and bouncy Sundream Rufus put on an amazing show at the beautiful Red Rocks. I’m super excited to hear what they got in the new venue. The dreamy EDM sounds mixed with the gorgeous mountains background is sure to make for an amazing show.
Fruition: Soothing, folky, fun mountain music. That’s really all I can say. The three lead singer-songwriters harmonize so well it’s the perfect tie in among the EDM acts at Vertex. Truly reeling in the Colorado feel Furition is sure to bring swaying, bluesy, mountain music sounds to Vertex audiences.
Emancipator Ensemble: Combine dreamy electronic sounds with drums, guitars and just overflowing talent. The Emancipator Ensemble not only has a great chill and spacy sound, but amazing visuals to accompany their set. After releasing six albums Emancipator (aka Doug Appling) formed Emancipator as a full live band that have been selling out shows left and right. EE is definitely the kind of music you lay back and let take you away.
Duke Dumont: The ultimate happy jumpy tropical house sounds come from none other than Duke Dumont. The perfect sound for a summer fest his music will transport you to the most tropical parts of the world while standing in the middle of the mountains. I Got U is the perfect soundtrack for Vertex as a whole and I hope to the musical GODS that he plays it. Hopefully they have his music bumping by their beach set up by the river!