Jessica Daly

On day four, SunFest festivities in downtown West Palm Beach took a decidedly EDM turn as flocks of teens donning white tanks, neon sweatbands, bikini tops and every possible kind of booty-short flooded the grounds lining the intracoastal waterway. The vibe was a lot less like the "mini Woodstock" my dad described from his memories of the '80s SunFests, and much more like a mutant offspring of Miami's annual rave spectacle, Ultra.

After days of heavy rain, flooding finally gave way to clear skies and summer temperatures, adding fuel to those already amped for Life in Color, "the World's Largest Paint Party." The headlining event at the Ford main stage delivered five hours of non-stop EDM shreddage, accompanied by beat-matched cannon blasts of water-soluble dayglo body paint splattered across the crowd.

See also
- PHOTOS: SunFest Day Four with Life in Color

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What is a reasonable expectation of a merengue concert for a staunch and incorrigible rock and roller? Well, this staunch and incorrigible rock and roller had to dig deep into his past growing up in Latin America to muster up the strength to keep up with his gringa lady friend who was clearly inspired by the energy of the music to dance along. Try taking notes down you can read later while booty shaking's going on inches from your nose.

Elvis Crespo brought his energetic and frenzied live show to the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino this past Saturday and he had a full house dancing and singing along. Even this staunch and incorrigible rock and roller had to get up a couple of times and menear su culito.

See also
- Top Five Deep Thoughts on Merengue-Pop Star Elvis Crespo

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Jessica Daly

Better than: Hippie bullshit, man.

It is occasionally necessary for us to break the proverbial fourth wall when reviewing a show. This adds perspective, tempers the critiques that toe the line of hyperbole, and allows us to shamelessly express glowing opinions that, without preface, would undermine our dedication to unbiased reviews.

With that said, there was a time in my life when I wanted to be a member of the Black Crowes.

See also
- PHOTOS: SunFest Day Three with the Black Crowes, Gary Clark Jr., and the Offspring

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Jessica Daly

Sunfest? More like Spatefest! The rain was out in full force last night for the opening of the 31st annual waterfront West Palm Beach music and arts festival. We were wondering -- considering it always starts on the cusp of our rainy season -- was calling this five-day-long festival "SunFest," a cruel joke? No matter, it was not the first time the festival was marred by drizzle, so the natives came prepared.

Yes, the poncho was haute couture on Wednesday night, an evening that, through the years, has become recognized SunFest's more alternative, and indie-leaning night. "New Music Night," it was called a few years back, and this year, although not carrying that moniker it featured bands with a less mainstream bend. Portland, Oregon's experimental pop group Aan, the neo-psychedelic Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and alt rock giants the Smashing Pumpkins.

See also
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: What Was Singer Alex Ebert Really Doing in the SunFest Crowd?
- PHOTOS: SunFest, Day One with Smashing Pumpkins and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

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When New Times sat down with STS9's David Phipps last week, the moral of the interview was that great music comes from a combination of talent and intention. The band's goal, as Phipps put it, is to make music that makes people feel like "this is the best life ever." On Friday, STS9, along with DJ Morale of San Francisco, performed for a combined four hours, spreading their cosmic sonic debris on a packed Revolution Live crowd, fully engaged in reciprocating that "best life ever" attitude.

See also
- STS9's David Phipps Reminds Us That "Musicians Are Human Too"

The whole scene downtown is heavy in the depravity department. Parking in the six dollar lot, across from the eight dollar lot, and diagonal from the metered parking garage downtown, the side street outside of Off The Hookah is lit with the cleansing hellfire of production lamps capturing God knows what else other than the "dressed enough" bottoms of cocktail waitresses.

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Sayre Berman

While you could argue that there are two types of people in the world, those who like Rush and those who don't, I don't think that's quite right. There is, however, a line in the sand with which you can divide serious students of rock 'n' roll, and that line is Rush.

Rush, the Canadian prog rock trio formed in 1968, is what punk rock rebelled against and the movie, This Is Spinal Tap, satirized. Rush is a band heavy on spectacle, free of irony, and a week after their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they had a two-thirds-full BB&T Center crowd eating out of the palms of their hands.

See also
- Slideshow: Rush at BB&T Center, April 26

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Ian Witlen

Real talk: The south Florida music scene is changing.

Influences are being muddled -- those playing to a specific genre these days are likely to fall to the wayside, and while it's never easy to coordinate even a handful of bands for one show, Block x Blog soared over the weekend by hosting thirty genre-bending bands over three stages in support of Record Store Day 2013. Though it wasn't exempt from a few hitches, Block x Blog brought together the most creative and diverse group of musicians yet this year. With Holy Ghost! as headliners and (much needed) reinforcement like Jacuzzi Boys, PLAINS, Suede Dudes, Killmama, and Gaps, it was going to take a bit more than a few late starts to scare us away.

See also
- Top 10 Block x Blog Fashion Statments
- PHOTOS: The People of Block x Blog
- PHOTOS: The Bands of Block x Blog
- FastForward: Seven Strokes of Genius Black Locust Society Brought to America's Backyard for Block x Blog
- Radio-Active Records 12-Hour Record Store Day 2013 Report, Fort Lauderdale

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Sayre Berman

It wasn't easy dodging the throngs of young girls in pairs -- all dressed like Rihanna, compulsively documenting their every step with selfies -- at the Diamonds World Tour show at BB&T Center on this Day of Stoners, 2013. Meanwhile, Instagram indicated Rihanna was toking away, 4/20-style, backstage, peacefully enjoying the serene, smiling face of a big leafy pot cake made by a super fan. This fan was likely one of the ladies I was standing behind, or in front of while waiting to go through a metal detector.

Almost to the freedom of my seat, a security guard rushed me, hysterically motioning to my purse -- which looks like a small book bag -- yelling: "You can't bring that bag in here!" I ignored him, because, was he kidding? Another security guard came over. "You can't come in here with that," he ushered me outside. My press pass was useless, and I was suddenly banned from the Rihanna show before it even started.

See also
- PHOTOS: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky at BB&T Center
- Rihanna's Hairstylist Yusef Williams Says She's "the One That Rocked My World"
- The Definitive Rihanna Guide to Smoking Weed

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Ian Witlen

Avett Brothers

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Oliver Scherillo

New Order

New Order

Coachella

April 13,2013

While over at the main stage the bulk of the Coachella crowd was enduring Phoenix with the hope that Daft Punk would come out -- they instead got R. Kelly -- a smaller but perhaps-more-enthusiastic crowd got a first-rate greatest hits set from New Order last night.

See also
- What To Do If You're Caught With Drugs at a Festival
- Coachella 2013: Top Five Most Questionable Artists' Fashions This Weekend
- Brochella! Best T-Shirts the Dudes Are Wearing to Coachella

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