WinterSalt Music Festival @ Fort Mason, SF 12/28/12
Bass tends to bring out people’s most animalistic instincts. Fort Mason felt like a haven for the late night dwellers who wouldn’t mind dancing themselves to sleep. Thousands of fans, young and old, swayed to the hypnotic hum of electronic dance musi
c (EDM) on New Year’s Eve weekend at WinterSalt Music Festival.
The event is an exceptional example of the “pop-up” scene in the Bay Area. An independent and DIY-ethic based event company, EyeHeart SF, coordinated the weekend tactfully with social media and well-esteemed musicians. Zedd, Diplo, DJ Shadow, Dillon Francis, Theophilus London, and Paper Diamond, among others commanded two stages. The usual parade of raver gear seen at an EDM event –‘Kandi’ bracelets, minimal clothing, and exotic colors – meshed together with hip 20-somethings. Decades prior, Fort Mason was an active military base that endured the strain of two World Wars. And unsurprisingly, the century-old building vibrated like a bush plane flying through rainstorm turbulence. In between sets, attendees absorbed the live art installations – before power-walking through rain towards the warmth of local food trucks.
Dillon Francis officially riled up the crowd before midnight on Friday. His signature dub-funk sound rippled through the fort. This loosened up people’s bodies, doing a two-step head bob isn’t as awkward as you would initially think. Francis laid out his set with unexpected twists in terms of unreleased material.
Travis Barker, former drummer for the now-dissolved Blink 182, underwhelmed people with his style of drumming: “controlled chaos.” The non-stop and often un-rhythmic pounding of drums was far from danceable. Zedd – the classically trained electro house producer from Germany – unrolled a predictable, yet enthusiastic charade of electronic pulses.
Saturday wasn’t riled up until DJ Shadow took the stage. An older-set crowd comfortably welcomed the San Francisco native turned hip-hop legend. Shadow’s beats were rapped over by Mixxmaster Mike (of the Beastie Boys) and Lyrics Born. The rapping felt misconstrued, as the bass overpowered the treble – mouths were moving, but ears strained to keep up.
Diplo casually leaked out genre warping dance music from his DJ table. ’80s pop, electronica, dirty south hip-hop, and Miami bass music fused into one solid sound. Fans went wild when Diplo played Mac Dre’s hit and Bay Area anthem, “Feelin’ Myself.” The show concluded with dozens of fans twerking – aka violently shaking/romping their asses on stage to the sound of futuristic beats.
Check out all the photos from the evening HERE.