House of Creatives Festival Review – A Mashup of Dreamy Live Music and Vibes

By Elise Rodriguez – Publicist by day and blogger for Glam Piece by night… and weekends.

Wow. This was the main word emanating my lips throughout House of Creatives Festival. Taking place at the peaceful and quiet Virginia Key – a far cry from Miami’s usual hustle and bustle and tremendo tráfico – the venue set the stage for what turned out to be two days of artisty, good vibes and some badass musical acts.

I went into the show knowing who the headliners were and having heard of some of the other acts in passing. What I left with was an enormous list of songs to download and loads of inspiration.

Below are my highlights from HOCFest :

Salt Cathedral

Salt Cathedral’s set began on Saturday at sundown, setting the mood for a dreamy evening. The New York-based band comprised of Colombian musicians Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada started off by easing the crowd into their unique style of music. Salt Cathedral’s songs are varied and feature a combination of Juliana’s rich, airy vocals, electronic beats, synthy guitar sounds and the occasional reggae influence. My favorite song the duo performed was “No Ordinary Man,” a haunting ballad that showcases Juliana’s gorgeous voice and the duo’s poignant artistry.

Metronomy

Next up was Metronomy, whose stage presence brought an immediate burst of fun to the HOCFest stage. Between the members trendy outfits, fun visuals and jammy tunes, the band instantly become an addition on my “to download” list.

Alt-J

Finally, Alt-J closed on Saturday night, and they did not disappoint. The group played their most popular hits, including “Left Hand Free” and “Breezeblocks,” along with some new songs from their album RELAXER. Performing in their signature acapella style, Alt-J gave a beautiful set. The stage was partitioned with two LED light panels to allow each band member a perfect third of the stage, allowing for a performance that was both visually and audibly stunning.

Wild Belle

Day two of House of Creatives Festival was a marathon, with the rain coming in for vengeance toward the end – but music still prevailed. Coming on just before the rain was Wild Belle. What first struck me was the band’s lead singer, Natalie Bergman, an icy blonde bombshell whose raspy rock voice just demands attentions. She pranced around the stage in an enviable pair of black leather pants, making me want both her talent and her wardrobe. Natalie comprises half of Wild Belle – she plays alongside her brother Elliot Bergman. The sibling act also made the cut of my “to download” list.

Washed Out

Next up was Washed Out, who ironically, was not washed out by the rain – although their set was cut a smidgen short. The band played their signature psychedelic, groovy tunes with some crazy cool visuals to go alongside it. Jumping from mellow tracks like “Feel It All Around” to more uppity jams like “Hard To Say Goodbye,” the group had me jumping and dancing throughout their entire set.

MGMT

The festival’s closer and the most highly anticipated act of the weekend, MGMT, was delayed for over an hour due to Mother Nature. But most fans, myself included, decided to stick it out by huddling under the Red Bull tents scattered throughout the festival grounds. It was worth waiting as we were treated to the band’s most iconic songs “Time to Pretend” and an 8-minute rendition of “Kids.” Although they only managed to squeeze in a quick four-song set due to sound curfew, the band did not disappoint. I guess I’ll just have to catch them again if I ever want to see “Electric Feel” live!

All in all, the weekend was one full of inspiration and unarguable talent. Being in only its second year, I imagine the festival will bring even more unique talent and features next year – you’ll find me there.