BUKU Music + Art Project
March 13-14
Buku seems like the quirky/artsy festival of music festivals. The two-day festival (March 13th and 14th) has a lineup that is both incredible and diverse, but Buku is not only about awesome music. Since it’s start in 2012, Buku focuses on incorporating art and the vibrant culture of New Orleans as part of the festival experience.
For those who care more about the music and less about the NOLA flavor, Buku has four stages each with a distinct vibe. Power Plant stage is a huge outdoor open space like what you’d expect at a large music festival. The Float Den stage is where more EDM musicians play, it has a dance party vibe. The Ballroom Stage seems like a swanky indoor music venue, and The Back Alley stage sits right on a river with a city vibe.
In addition to the music, art, and culture, Buku puts on something called Buku Late. If you haven’t gotten enough during the day, starting at midnight after the festival day there’s another concert ready to go. This year’s acts are Flosstradamus with Thomas Jack (+ more to be announced) on March 13th, and STS9 with Hermitude on March 14th.
Between the amazing artists, additional late-night concerts, and the unique culture of New Orleans, Buku seems different than many other festivals–and the best kind of different.
Lineup:
Bassnectar, A$AP Rocky, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Die Antwoord, Porter Robinson, TV On The Radio, STS9, Flosstradamus, G-Eazy, RL Grime, Portugal. The Man, Lil B, Boosie Badazz, Borgore, Run The Jewels, Gramatik, Odesza, Claude Vonstroke, Jamie Jones, Hudson Mohawke, Zomboy, Ilovemakonnen, Badbadnotgood & Ghostface Killah, Thomas Jack, Yung Lean & Sad Boys, Robert Delong, XXYYXX, Benoit & Sergio, Justin Martin B2B Eats Everything, DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler of Arcade Fire), Raury, Zella Day, Mr. Carmack, Slander, Bob Moses, Big Freedia, In The Valley Below, The Range, Pell, SuicideYear, Devon Baldwin, Musa, Sweet Crude, Carneyval, Herb Christopher B2B Ryan Deffes, Hyphee, Klutch, Chriscross, SFAM.
Top 10 Artists to see (in no particular order):
1. Gramatik – Mellow atmospheric electronic music with good beats and some funk.
2. Run The Jewels – I’m a huge fan of their new album. A good taste of 90’s/00’s rap.
3. Portugal. The Man – Not enough people listen to them or even know who they are.
4. Passion Pit – Who wouldn’t want to see them live?
5. Bassnectar – I haven’t seen him live, and I’m not that into dubstep but I have only heard good things about his shows.
6. XXYYXX – Indie/experimental electronic music.
7. Empire Of The Sun – Happy electronic rock that makes you want to dance.
8. Odesza – Already said it, but one of the best electronic shows I’ve been to.
9. Raury – He’s young and doing unbelievable things! Download his album now for free while you can. (Also check him out on a few SBTRKT tracks.)
10. Die Antwoord – Whether or not you like their music, their show will be a one-of-a-kind experience.
It’s less than a month away so get your tickets now!
By Gabi Schwartz