Last Saturday, August 17th 2013, on the pavement of the Half Street Fairgrounds in DC, the 2nd annual Trillectro Music Festival came to life! The event was created and organized by a young entrepreneur, Modi, and his hardworking friends, also known as DC to BC. From noon to 9, the vibes of hip hop and electronic dance music buzzed off every building on the block. The name itself: Trillectro represents a combination of hip hop (Trill) and EDM (electro) and as a festival it creates this captivating mash-up of the two. The purpose behind the festival is also intriguing. It opens the minds and ears of music lovers to artists that are not main-stream, whilst encouraging the growing careers of well-known performers. And so, as anticipated the following behind the event ascended.
This was my second time attending, with my first go as a volunteer, and my second as a ticket holder. I got to the festival right at noon. Compared to last year, the opening hour proved a prominent growth in the awareness of Trillectro. There were tons of people, and the energy was diverse. There was more support from the press, and other companies this year. The feel of the crowd was more commercial as well; compared to last year’s organic, “invitation only” kind of vibe. Having more people is not a bad thing though, because of course the experience is meant to spread the lifestyle and music to the masses! Even with such changes, I was excited to witness the event and open my mind to new artists.
The lineup this year was impressive. Performances included Shy Glizzy, Casey Veggies, DJ Carnage, Phil Ade, Beach House, Goldroom, and more! The festival felt alive and everyone in crowed seemed to be enjoying their selves. At 1pm DC to BC Quinn Coleman aka DJ Spicoli hit the stage to DJ. He played a mix of Hip Hop and Dance. The crowd was very into his set, and it got everyone hyped! I was happy to see Shy Glizzy do his thing and rep for DC, although it seemed like the crowd wasn’t into his set. Rapper King Chip had a very surprising performance, and the crowd seemed to be digging it. Travi$ Scott took the stage with great energy; he was jumping into the crowd and really enjoying himself. The only thing that botched up his set was the paparazzi style camera men on stage were literally in his face. It was ridiculous and so Mr. Scott kindly told them to “Back the Fuck Up” and “Get the Fuck Off”. That made me smile.
Getting later into the night, around 6:30 Casey Veggies hit the stage, as a second annual performer. Veggies’ is real laid back, and his music is full of life. At the 1st Trillectro, Veggies had the crowd on his side, but this year it seemed people were not familiar with him. He killed it though, and also brought out hometown legend Raheem Devaugh. Later, A$AP Ferg came out and killed it. Ferg brought out Mob leader A$AP Rocky, and had the crowd going nuts. DC’s Wale and Fat Trel also made surprise appearances. Although there was a bit of dysfunction in Wale’s set, but it was cool to see him perform. With many other talented artists before and in between those I named, DJ Carnage brought the 9 hour musical mix to a close!
I am pleased to say that I got what I came for this year; a musically intriguing experience, and a new group of artists to listen to. Goldroom from Los Angeles was one of the “electro” acts at Trillectro, and they were great. I was very moved by their music, and there performance was impressive. Artistically, I would say the event was a success. As far as organization goes, I know there were some major disappointments. I’m aware that a many ticket-holders weren’t allowed to set foot inside the venue, due to overcapacity. It definitely was crammed! I understand a lot of people were upset! Of course, social media immediately became an outlet for frustrations toward Trillectro and its founders. Many people were trashing Modi on Twitter, saying he oversold tickets, and is greedy, etc. I am not really sure what the deal was but, if you have ever worked at music venue, or with events then you know how certain laws, and security issues can get. I hope people do realize that even though Modi is the man in charge, there are many things out of his control that he has no say over! On the positive side, Modi responded to a good amount of people on twitter, and is working on straightening everything out! Most CEO’s or businessman would say “That’s not my problem!” so just appreciate that there a good hearted people out there!
Overall, the festival was amazing because the quality of artists is getting better and better! Modi and his team truly care about the culture, and bring something diverse to the table. I had a great time, and learned so much just by observing it happen! I wonder what it would be like to make Trillectro from the executive chair. Anyway I can’t wait to see where Trillectro will go.
Written By: Ryan Golas
