#Brainquility Lineup

[concerthopperblog]

Brainquility 2020 Blew All Expectations Out of The Water!

Brainquility Music Festival held its third annual funk-filled weekend from February 6th-8th and this year’s event blew all expectations out of the water! Though the weekend kicked off with a rocky start due to the unpredictable force of mother nature, curators at Ontap Music were not letting a little rain get in the way of their funk parade. Curators expanded the festival to include some more vendors on site and a third full day of music, but mother nature had other plans regarding our third full day. Despite a torrential downpour, attendees were still able to enjoy the fully immersive experience provided by Brainquility throughout the rest of the weekend.

Thursday kicked off at 3:30 PM with Night Crawler on the Live Stage, but it wasn’t long before all the power in the park went out. The stage crews and curators worked in overdrive trying everything they could to get the power back on. The power finally came back - about an hour or so before the torrential downpour was scheduled to hit us. As the rain hammered down on us, curators worked swiftly to open us the Music Hall at Suwannee to welcome anyone who wished to brave the rain and make a run for it. Sidetrakd and Defunk took the stage inside the Music Hall to keep the party groovin’ through the rain. Around 11 or so, the wrath of the rain began to ease up and soon we were back to clear skies for the weekend. To celebrate the passing of the torrential downpour, the Floozies took the Live Stage a little later than expected and brought the face melting funk that all the attendees had been craving all day. Though the rain threw everyone for a loop and some artists had to cancel their appearances for the weekend, curators at Brainquility Music Festival worked in overdrive to reschedule the rest of the weekend and work some of the canceled Thursday artists into the schedule for Friday and Saturday. After Brainquility 2020, it is clear that a little rain will now stop the funk parade at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park.

Friday morning came with an abundance of sunshine and good vibes. With the sun peaking from behind the trees, the birds were chirping and the Spanish Moss was dancing in the gentle breeze. Some attendees made their way to yoga workshops while others went face-first into a hashbrown bowl and space juice by the Grilled Cheese Incident. Hi. We are “the others”. There’s nothing like starting your day off with a cup of Space Juice from the Grilled Cheese Incident. For more information on these delicious eats available at Brainquility 2020 - stay tuned to our Bars N’ Bites page for the full, in-depth review! The day officially kicked off with Custard Pie on the Live Stage, followed up shortly by Dunstan Wallace & Friends on the Sound Stage. Brainquility curators do a quite exceptional job at having the two stages have different genres available for attendees. So if a funky, live band jam on the Live Stage isn’t your thing then you can boogie over to the Sound Stage for some deep house, EDM, or techno vibes. As the day danced on, Sidetrakd took the Sound Stage around 5 PM and shortly after the Lazy Syrup Orchestra brought the funk to the Live Stage. Attendees began packing into the Live Stage area and finding those primo spots to hang their hammocks and relax as they prepared themselves for Marvel Years to take the stage next. Marvel Years has a very unique, electro-funk meets rock n’ roll vibe that gets you up and dancing at the strike of the first chord. Just as he’s cutting into some deep and funky grooves on the decks, he breaks out his guitar to add that perfect amount of melody to the mix. Since Maddy O’Neal was unable to perform on Thursday, due to the unfortunate circumstances with the weather, Marvel Years threw “Viral Love”, featuring Maddy O’Neal, into his set to show her some mad love. The rest of the night was a full send from Russ Liquid at 9:30 to Manic Focus at midnight. Russ Liquid’s mix of deep bass with his funky trumpet riffs is a unique, groovy sound that he has truly made all his own. Closing out the night with Manic Focus was definitely one of the more high-energy performances of the weekend. Manic Focus only had a live drummer on stage with him and he still brings the heat like most full live band productions. This funk filled night with Marvel Years, Russ Liquid, and Manic Focus was the picture perfect build up to Saturday as these artists would be going b2b Saturday night under the name Brainchildren. After Manic Focus closed out the night, there was a full night of secret sets and campground wandering to be had by all who could withstand the chilly air.

Saturday morning came and there was a somber sense of last day vibes sprawling throughout the park. Some attendees could be seen packing up their campsites getting ready to peel out directly after the final band and others could be seen splayed out in their hammocks wishing there was another day of dancing to be had. The day officially kicked off at 2:00 PM with Boots N’ Catz on the Sound Stage and Row Jomah on the Live Stage shortly after. The highlight performances from Saturday were definitely MZG, Kill Paris, Brainchildren, Sunsquabi, and Justin Martin. MZG brought the house down with their deep, dubstep vibes and over the top energy. Watching these two play off each other during the performance is a spectacle all its own. Following their set up with Kill Paris was a perfect decision from the curators of the event. The deep funky dubstep vibes continued as Kill Paris remixed “Gonna Make Me Loose My Mind” by DMX and had every person as the Live Stage showing off their best dance moves. After gettin’ down and dirty to some deep, heavy dubstep vibes, attendees slowed it down just a notch with the performance from Brainchildren. The collaboration between Marvel Years, Russ Liquid, and Manic Focus had some smoother, funkier vibes oozing out of the PK sound system at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park amphitheater. This once in a life time collaboration between these three artists had all the attendees packing out the Live Stage to get a piece of this funky action. After this special collaboration between the Brainchildren, the night closed out with some Dirtybird action on the Sound Stage from Justin Martin and some electro-funk vibes from Sunsquabi on the Live Stage. Brainquility boasted a perfectly balanced line up where deep, heavy bass and electronic dance music meets at a cross road with some super groovy, rhythm-driven funk.

Brainquility Music Festival offers a fully immersive and interactive experience for all attendees to enjoy. From live painting their own creations to blowing glass on site, curators offer a wide variety of activities suitable for any age. Scattered throughout the park, attendees can find canvases by Dan Collins that depict various psychedelic patterns and pictures. These canvases are left with these simple, black-outlined psychedelic patterns so that attendees can stop and put their two cents in with some color! All throughout the weekend, attendees are invited to grab a marker and help bring these masterpieces to life. Brainquility also offers one of the few fully interactive merch experiences in the festival scene. Curators bring a full screen printing service on site that allows attendees to mix and match pre-set patterns and designs to craft their very own, unique t-shirt for the weekend. With a handful of designs to pick from and a variety of shirts, attendees have the opportunity to walk away with a one of a kind piece of Brainquility merch! If t-shirts aren’t your thing but you get down on some jewelry, Brainquility also offered a limited edition hat pin and the opportunity to blow your own glass pendant on site. Not many festival curators go the extra mile to make sure their attendees get hands on and have a creative spirit awakened within them. Brainquility is definitely setting the scene to be one of the top festivals at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park.

Brainquility Music Festival definitely went off with a bang this year! Though attendees were caught in a rainstorm on Thursday, a little rain won’t keep the brainiacs at bay. If anything, the extra time to take a nap on Thursday just fueled the brainiacs and sent their feet into dancing overdrive for the rest of the weekend. Brainquility Music Festival has grown exponentially since is first year in Safety Harbor, Florida. Curators at Ontap Music are happy to call Spirit of Suwannee Music Park their new home as it allows for more expansions to the festival layout and landscape. Though the third day succumbed to the wrath of mother nature in 2020, attendees are on the edge of their seats for the 2021 announcement. We hope to fully immerse ourselves in a full, three day Brainquility experience next year that is filled with more creativity, more funk, more handcrafted food..and did we say more funk? It is clear that curators at Brainquility Music Festival are just getting started and we are looking forward to seeing the festival grow over the next few years. Stay tuned to Brainquility’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more information regarding the 2021 return of the festival. Also, keep it locked here as we will update as soon as information unfolds. As always, stay hydrated, if you see something then say something, and we hope to see you at a festival this spring!

[annierobbielohr-blog]

Dreams Turning in to a Reality

The Story of Brainquility Music Festival 

Creative Ideation

Have you ever had a distant idea become a reality, and it surpassed all your wildest dreams? For most, these ideas rarely ever see the limelight, but for Chris Paoella and Tom Eckelamp, they hit the winning jackpot. It all started in 2016 when Chris and Tom were brainstorming their next business endeavors. Both of them grew up loving music and attending concerts frequently; they both knew they wanted to pursue a career in music. One night while they were living in Tampa, Florida, they both imagined themselves running a music festival together. They knew they needed a foundation for their dreams and thus, OnTapMusic was born. OnTapMusic is a collaborative music and event production company that curate’s music events and sponsors artists/musicians. OnTapMusic was the first step for Chris and Tom to make further their dream of producing a music festival a reality. OnTapMusic would serve as the production company to later produce Brainquility Music Festival. For Chris and Tom, understanding their goals and forming a solid idea was almost the easy part; they were confident they wanted to fill their lives with music. For others, this may not come as easy. Their desires and goals would be the forefront of their ambitions and would light the path for their future career with Brainquility. With their small music production company, Chris and Tom were ready to implement their ideas and make them a reality.

Getting the Ball Rolling

“Once we created our production company, OnTapMusic, we were ready to take the next step. We knew we wanted our message to be positive and attract all different kinds of people. After much thought, the idea of Brainquility was born,” said Chris, one of the creators of Brainquility Music Festival. “We wanted to bring light to the importance of mental health – which is where the idea of peace of the mind – hence “brainquility” came from,” remarked Chris. Surrounding their efforts around mental health and spreading the love of music, Brainquility Music Festival was born! Chris and Tom were off to the races. They began planning the logistical end of things and decided on a date and location. Chris and Tom were dedicated to creating a unique lineup, welcoming of all ages, and centered around the idea of peace of the mind – all of the other details would develop overtime. Large scale event planning is no easy task; in fact, it takes a significant amount of time, energy, and many detail-oriented decisions. The first Brainquility in 2018 was set for February in St. Petersburg, Florida, and would be a one day long festival with music, art, food vendors and local artists. Chris and Tom were overwhelmed but surely so excited for what was to come.

More on the Horizon  

The first Brainquility went off with a bang! The all-ages event was a big hit that gathered a little under 1,000 people in attendance. The first year was the beginning though. Chris and Tom knew they wanted to make it bigger and better. This past year Brainquility was a 3-day long weekend that moved to a larger venue in Live Oak, Florida. This year the festival attracted over 750 new attendees with more than half of festival goers being returning “Brainiacs.” What was once faint idea became a real, well-thought out production that brought smiles to thousands of people! Surely, this is just the beginning for Brainquility - there's much more.

[freshmusicfreak]

Brainquility Music Festival | 2019 Lineup Has Me Brainfucked

#brainquilityfest @brainquilityfl @opiuo

Brainquility Music Festival Announces 20+ Artists Across 2 Intimate Stages Featuring Lotus, OPIUO, Russ Liquid, Zach Deputy, Flamingosis, Chachuba, Dan Fester, The Heavy Pets, The HeadTones, Lespecial, Roosevelt Collier, Space Kadet and More.

Brainquility Music Festival has announced the phase one lineup for its 2019 event happening February 16-17th. Set within its new home of The Spirit of…

[annierobbielohr-blog]

Long Content Marketing Piece

Dreams Turning Into a Reality

The Story of Brainquility Music Festival

Creative Ideation

Have you ever had a distant idea become a reality, and it surpassed all your wildest dreams? For most, these ideas rarely ever see the limelight,[LR1]  but for Chris Paoella and Tom Eckelamp, they hit the winning jackpot. It all started in 2016 when Chris and Tom were brainstorming their next business endeavors. Both of them grew up loving music and attending concerts frequently; they both knew they wanted to pursue a career in music. One night while they were living in Tampa, Florida, they both imagined themselves running a music festival together. They knew they needed a foundation for their dreams and thus, OnTapMusic was born. OnTapMusic is a collaborative music and event production company that curate’s music events and sponsors artists/musicians. OnTapMusic was the first step for Chris and Tom to make further their dream of producing a music festival a reality. OnTapMusic would serve as the production company to later produce Brainquility Music Festival. For Chris and Tom, understanding their goals and forming a solid idea was almost the easy part; they were confident they wanted to fill their lives with music. For others, this may not come as easy. Their desires and goals would be the forefront of their ambitions and would light the path for their future career with Brainquility. With their small music production company, Chris and Tom were ready to implement their ideas and make them a reality.

Getting the Ball Rolling

“Once we created our production company, OnTapMusic, we were ready to take the next step. We knew we wanted our message to be positive and attract all different kinds of people. After much thought, the idea of Brainquility was born,” said Chris, one of the creators of Brainquility Music Festival. “We wanted to bring light to the importance of mental health – which is where the idea of peace of the mind – hence “brainquility” came from,” remarked Chris. Surrounding their efforts around mental health and spreading the love of music, Brainquility Music Festival was born! Chris and Tom were off to the races. They began planning the logistical end of things and decided on a date and location. Chris and Tom were dedicated to creating a unique lineup, welcoming of all ages, and centered around the idea of peace of the mind – all of the other details would develop overtime. Large scale event planning is no easy task; in fact, it takes a significant amount of time, energy, and many detail-oriented decisions. The first Brainquility in 2018 was set for February in St. Petersburg, Florida, and would be a one day long festival with music, art, food vendors and local artists. Chris and Tom were overwhelmed but surely so excited for what was to come.

More on the Horizon

The first Brainquility went off with a bang! The all-ages event was a big hit that gathered a little under 1,000 people in attendance. The first year was the beginning though. Chris and Tom knew they wanted to make it bigger and better. This past year Brainquility was a 3-day long weekend that moved to a larger venue in Live Oak, Florida. This year the festival attracted over 750 new attendees with more than half of festival goers being returning “Brainiacs.” What was once faint idea became a real, well-thought out production that brought smiles to thousands of people! Surely, this is just the beginning for Brainquility - there's much more in store on the horizon as the festival hopes to only expand and grow in the coming years.

[concerthopperblog]

Suwannee Rising Returns in 2020

Suwannee Rising Music Festival will be returning to Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for the second edition of the festival. This year’s event will be held from April 16th-18th and will offer a wide-range of artists over three stages throughout the weekend. With over 35+ artists on the lineup, this weekend is set to be filled with jam bands, funk, soul, rock n’ roll, and so many other great vibes. With Suwannee Rising calling one of the most picturesque music parks its home for the three-day event, the event is sure to go off with a bang as Spirit of Suwannee Music Park has been home to some of the best music festivals in the scene like Aura, Bear Creek, Suwannee Hulaween, and - their latest addition to the family - Brainquility. This festival is almost taking the place of the beloved Wanee Festival that has since entered the festival grave yard. With the festival taking place in such a well-managed venue that has a history of hosting out of this world interactive experiences for fans, Suwannee Rising is destined for success.

The festival will feature a headlining set by Phil Lesh & Friends plus two sets by Lettuce, and a set from Black Pumas. With these three performances alone, the weekend is already off to one hell of a start. Phil Lesh will be accompanied by Eric Krasno, Luther Dickinson, John Molo, Jason Crosby, and Jennifer Hartswick making it the number one cannot miss set of the weekend. Not to mention, Phil is celebrating his 80th birthday this year so he is sure to bring the heat like never before! Alongside this epic super jam hosted by Phil, the weekend is stacked with a double set by the progressive-funk legends Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, Big Something, Nth Power, Zach Deputy, and so many other amazing artists. If you’re someone who loves to dance until their feet give out - this is definitely the fest for you! The beautiful mix of live music genres present at Suwannee Rising is definitely meant for those folks who love to get down and funky to artists who can jam and improvise at the blink of an eye. Take Zach Deputy for example - Zach’s unique methods for live producing a full song by building layers upon layers of funky loops is without a doubt going to have every attendee up off their feet and getting down in no time. If you don’t believe me, check out this live performance of his song “Twisty Twisty” just to get a taste of what we mean. Curators at Suwannee Rising have done an exceptional job piecing together some of the music festival scenes funkiest and most energetic artists to bring Spirit of Suwannee Music Park to life over the three-day event.

Suwannee Rising is set to offer more than just music for their attendees to make the experience an all inclusive, interactive experience. Spirit of Suwannee Music is situated on the beautiful Suwannee River so attendees have the opportunity to wander down to the river to take a swim, relax on the beach, or maybe take a float down the river in a kayak. Attendees will also by able to enjoy delicious craft foods and beverages from a variety of food vendors in Food Truck Forest. Curators are also working to offer a Craft Village, Yoga, and a workshop tent for attendees to enjoy throughout the weekend. Stay tuned to the official Suwannee Rising Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more schedules and information to unfold as the festival quickly approaches.

Suwannee Rising 2020 Tickets are still currently on sale with a variety of ticketing options available for attendees to choose from. Suwannee Rising General Admission tickets are currently on tier 3 and coming in at $199 plus tax and servicing fees. General Admission to Suwannee Rising includes general access to the festival grounds and camping onsite in the park. VIP Tickets to Suwannee Rising 2020 are currently on tier 2 and available for $399. VIP Tickets include all access that general tickets have plus private viewing areas, a VIP lounge with discounted drinks, a private bathroom with A/C, golf cart shuttles, a complimentary VIP happy hour, and complimentary swag bags with an official poster and t-shirt. Spirit of Suwannee Music Park is a next-level music park as they also offer cabins and golf-cart rentals on site - for more information regarding cabins and golf-cart rentals, please visit the official Suwannee Rising ticketing page and the official Spirit of Suwannee Music Park website. Suwannee Rising also welcomes families by offering free tickets to kids 12 years old and under. For those early to rise type of people who want to roll into Suwannee a little early to set up camp, extra days of camping will be available for purchase through the park. Curators at Suwannee Rising will be hosting a pre-party on Wednesday in benefit of Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camps and Live Oak Music & Arts Foundation. With the festival quickly approaching, we highly suggest going ahead and securing all your tickets and cabins now to ensure you have all the amenities you need to have a fantastic, relaxing weekend at Suwannee Music Park. Keep it locked to the official festival website and socials for more information and workshop schedules to unfold as the festival approaches. As always, stay hydrated, if you see something then say something, and we hope to see you at a festival this summer.

[concerthopperblog]

25th Anniversary Tour- Burn My Eyes: Machine Head (Atlanta - Center Stage)

Machine Head (heavy/groove/nu/thrash metal) started their most recent Burn My Eyes 25th Anniversary Tour in Phoenix, AZ (January 16th) at The Van Buren and since then all I could do was look at the calendar in anticipation for their January 30th tour stop at Center Stage in Atlanta. Why, you might ask? Well, let me tell you why this tour is very special for all Head Cases (this is a term used to describe fans of the band) out there. This show will actually consist of two (2) sets from Machine Head. The first set will consist of hits from the band over the years with the latest lineup of Machine Head performing. Currently, Machine Head is comprised of founding member Robb Flynn (vocals/guitar), Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka (guitar/backing vocals), Jared MacEachern (bass/backing vocals), and Matt Alston (drums/percussion).

Now since this is the 25th anniversary of their debut LP, Burn My Eyes, the second (2) set will be a happy reunion with most of the OG Machine Head lineup: Robb Flynn, Logan Mader (guitar/backing vocals), and Chris Kontos (drums/percussion) as they play the entirety of Burn My Eyes. Now to be fair, the LP was released in 1994 so technically the 25th anniversary was last year but, who really cares… 30 days into 2020 doesn’t matter to me or to the nearly sold out crowd in attendance at Center Stage for tonight’s show. I can still remember going with my friends up to Columbia, S.C. to a little club (I believe the name was Rockefellas’?) to see Machine Head play with Stuck Mojo while on the original Burn My Eyes Tour in 1995. What a night! Now I can experience it all again but this time I am behind the lens, capturing this moment for everyone who attends.

For their “hits” set, Machine Head gave us all a dose of what was to come with the new lineup. Hard, heavy, and full of energy, Machine Head completely leveled Center Stage with a barrage of songs that covered Machine Head’s nine (9) LP catalog. The smile on Robb’s face as the band took the stage said it all: Machine Head was still touring after 29 years as a band. That is a long time to dedicate to the constant grind of making an album, touring, resting, and repeat; but, Robb Flynn has been the man to do it successfully despite some bumps in the road along the way.

Take a look at the first set list… holy shit what mind-blowing start to the night!

               Set list: 1st set

Entrance music: “Diary of a Madman” – Ozzy Osbourne

1.       “Imperium”

2.       “Take My Scars”

3.       “Now We Die”

4.       “Beautiful Morning”

5.       “Locust”

6.       “I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)

7.       “Aesthetics of Hate” (w/ guitar solo)

8.       “Darkness Within”

9.       “Catharsis”

10.   “From This Day”

11.   “Ten Ton Hammer”

12.   “Is There Anybody Out There?”

13.   “Hallowed Be Thy Name” (Iron Maiden cover)

14.   “Halo”

Now for what we all have been waiting for- Burn My Eyes from beginning to end, with three (3) of the original members from this era of Machine Head. Seeing Logan and Chris back on stage with Robb was pretty magical… not going to lie. And I am pretty positive by the crowd’s reaction to the band taking the stage, that they all felt the same exact way. Since the track “Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies” was the music that they used as entrance music, Machine Head had been substituting a mix of various hard rock/metal classics such as Slayer’s “South of Heaven” and “Raining Blood”, White Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss ‘65”, and Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”. For Atlanta’s show, we were treated to a mash up of Accept’s “Fast As a Shark” / “Balls to the Wall” and then a heartfelt tribute to Reed Mullin (Corrosion of Conformity’s drummer who recently passed away at the age of 53) by playing C.O.C.’s “Loss for Words”.

2nd set list: Burn My Eyes

Entrance music: “Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies.”

1.       “Davidian”

2.       “Old”

3.       “A Thousand Lies”

4.       “None But My Own”

5.       “The Rage To Overcome”

6.       “Death Church”

7.       “A Nation On Fire”

8.       “Blood For Blood”

9.       “I’m Your God Now”

10.   Mash up: “Fast As a Shark” – Accept / “Balls to the Wall” – Accept / “Loss for Words” – Corrosion of Conformity (R.I.P. Reed Mullin)

11.   “Block”

Head over to Machine Head’s tour page and check out the remaining dates left on this tour before they finish up February 22nd in Anaheim, CA. at House of Blues. Now Machine Head did release a new single, “Do or Die”  on October 15th, 2019, so a new album should be on its way, so keep an eye open on Machine Head to release more new material in 2020!

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram in order to stay up to date in 2019 on all music related events/festivals such as: Gravity X Tour: Truckfighters w/ Valley of the Sun (Masquerade), Brainquility Music Festival, Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, Cult of Luna / Emma Ruth Rundle / Intronaut: Live at The Masquerade, Drink the Sea 10th Anniversary Tour: The Glitch Mob live at Buckhead Theatre, OM w/ Wovenhand: Live at Terminal West, Black Label Society: Live at Georgia Theatre, Beach Slang: Live at The Masquerade, Weedeater / The Goddam Gallows / The Atomic Bitchwax: Live at The Masquerade, Devastation of the Nation Tour (The Masquerade): Rotting Christ / Borknagar / Wolfheart / Abigail Williams / Imperial Triumphant, The 69 Eyes / Wednesday 13: Live at The Masquerade, While She Sleeps / He is Legend: Live at The Masquerade, Bad Omens: Live at The Masquerade, Welcome to Rockville, Epicenter Music Festival, Sweetwater’s 420 Music Festival, Shaky Knees Music Festival, Trondossa Music & Arts Festival, Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival, The Acacia Strain: Live at The Masquerade, Atonement Tour w/ Killswitch Engage & August Burns Red: Live at The Tabernacle, Inkcarceration Festival, In This Moment & Black Veil Brides: Live at The Tabernacle, Jinjer / Suicide Silence: Live at Buckhead Theatre, Celebrating 30 Years of The Mind is a Terrible Thing To Taste: Ministry, KMFDM, and Front Line Assembly live at The Masquerade, and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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