In Bloom Music Festival - Houston, TX (Day 1)

In Bloom lived up to its name, and how could it not, deep in the heart of a springtime Houston? From the banks of the bayou, music could be heard by joggers and cyclists and weekend kayakers, carried by a breeze which brought with it the essence of not only a flowering city, but the blooming talents and acts it hosted on Day 1 of the festival, March 24th, 2018.

In the concrete jungle that is Houston, it’s hard to imagine an appropriate place to set up a festival friendly oasis. In Bloom rose out of the very highways that traverse downtown, and crowds of music fans skipped from set to set on usually traffic heavy roads, closed for the occasion and alive with the enthusiasm of a rowdy, happy atmosphere. With each collective cheer, the music from the grounds grew louder, and the audiences more and more captivated by the performers they came to see.

In Bloom spanned multiple genres, from experimental psychedelic pop to comedy hip hop and alternative rock. All were reflected in the thousands of people attending to celebrate their favorite bands. Houston is a hugely diverse city, and In Bloom showcased that energy through the whirlwind mix of voices and instruments that was the soundtrack to the afternoon.

Neil Francis, Say Girl Say, Ugly God, The Frights, and many others had their listeners dancing and singing and screaming well into the still sunny evening, when Grizzly Bear, Lil Dicky and Lil Uzi Vert, among others, took to the stages before Incubus and Beck finished off the night. At every stage, there were ASL interpreters portraying the music, not only through signed lyrics but as spot on physical representations of sounds and beats being played on stage.

As twilight fell on Eleanor Tinsley Park, I made my way to the Bud Light stage after witnessing Lil Dicky absolutely delighting and dominating his audience with his terribly off key, somehow still amazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and a couple servings of his signature effortlessly rowdy jokes. Funny guy. I highly recommend rapping Pillow Talking in a storm of people also rapping Pillow Talking. Apples to oranges: on the opposite end of the park, the feeling could not have been more different. Grizzly Bear charmed the park with their gorgeous harmonies and rich layers upon layers of immaculately soaring instrumentals and melancholic lyrics. As the sky turned lavender and the day cooled off, their music reverberated dreamily and intensely upon the park. Fans swayed with closed eyes to the rhythms. Tired festival goers took advantage of the perfect softness of the vibes to power nap on the grass.

One it was dark, the festivities only kept blooming into the night. Beck, Incubus, and Cigarettes After Sex made sure of it.

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H.E.R