RAW JOURNALISM w/ Zakari Helms
“and red
lights flash and flicker.
John Wayne and the Pain ain't no crew
sicker!”
The
following writing is a raw, unedited, uncensored and uncut look into a fraction of what Prairie
Pothole Music Festival has to offer. Please take the things I say with a grain
of salt and enjoy. Some of my favorite things about this festival
were: the nature, the community-feel, the lack of belligerently intoxicated
people, and the freedom to roam around and not wait in line like some
festivals! I had a great time getting to know the 150 or so people that
treated everyone as if they were family at this small, Organic music paradise…
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| A nice piece of land by Da Pothole |
The lead guitarist has his hair up with
dreadlocks waggin’. The soulful stew this band stirs; reminds me of
Super-educational reggae, with Little Mermaid playing in the background while
hearing the classic 808 of hip-hop drums on the street with harmonies and
vibrato heavily evident in the music.
In the last
two hours the crowd has grown to include flamethrowers, soccer players, hand
clappers, smoke exhalers, while most of the crowd is groovfully dancing.
The band
member, I was most astonished by was Weston Schick (sic) of Bismarck (maybe?).
I was attracted to his style because of the way his saxophone took a major role
in the music. There are so many times when Guitarists or vocalists hog the show
and it was amazing to see another great band incorporate brass into their set.
Not only was his saxophone accented freshly French with vibrato, but he also
busted out an electronic flute. The band’s set included many different sounds
from jam band to reggae to electronic to hip-hop to theatrical sampling. JWP
killed it as a headliner, not to take away from the greatness of other
musicians such as: Northern Light, Boreal Gardens, and COLD SWEAT!
Lights
continue to flicker, sweats flying, people are grooving, talking, shouting,
having some brewskis, inhaling cigars. RED, WHITE, GREEN---
Bass wobbles fade in, John Wayne & The Pain—
That shit that keeps your head grooving/
Some people hate a writer, some love it.
I’m undercover, feelin’ like Hunter S. Thompson.
I sobered up to study up on these great acts, and stay
humble, but I guess I don’t really know maybe I had a few brewskis as well, a
couple drags of a cigarette, and some SWISH (a local hooch variety freshly
brewed in Anamoose).
**TIDBIT (FUN FACT ZAC)- Anamoose comes from the Chippewa
word for “female dog” “uhnemoosh , which
was given to the settlement by Romanians from Saskatchewan, Canada.
 |
| The Band "Clashic" played some classic covers as sunset was nearing, but I was trying to get a picture of that nice cooler! |
Anywho, I hear people chanting, “Hit Him Up” in the
background, had a cig but I ashed it-
I’m not really trying
to start that addiction again. The fire twirlers have multiplied from 1-5 and
the stunts were getting extreme. I mean I’m a skateboarder, but the real thrill
seekers twirl flames. I would gladly jump down a stair set, than have my head
burned off via 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit MAGMA. So, one of the members says,
“We’re gonna play some heavy songs and some light ones too.”
People began chanting, “ROCK THE HOUSE!!” and others
encouraging phrases to get the crowd and JWP hyped.
On the way over I ran into my friend "Floor" who was curious
about what music inspires me and What I like to listen to. He’s a great dude even
if that isn’t his name. Furthermore, after discussing classic golden age conscious
hip-hop, I 'frolicked' back to the show and jumped around a bit! If you're ever at
a show and unsure what to do, just JUMP AROUND! Hip-hop is a universal language
and eventually you will catch the flow of the crowd.
Word on the street is there is a surprise performance by
Johnny Spud, who has gained a cult following known for their DEEP DE-VO covers,
cataclysmic light shows, theatrical sound, and 80’s attire. The first time I saw
them I thought I was dreaming of the good ol’ 8--- Nevermind haha.
The band is composed of Roger Nordquist, Gus Lindgren,
Andrew Larivee, and Dave Martel filling in! (There might be one more I'm sorry!)
After a full day of music, socialization, grilled food,
SHOUT OUT to Mike from Bismarck who was killin' the burger game…SERIOUSLY THOUGH!
A person may go for a paddleboat ride, nature walk, kayak
excursion, or have a contained fire. Due to dry conditions, there was limited
fires at the Second annual Prairie Pothole Festival.
From the lake you can see the V.I.P. lodge, which also
provided some services such as: a community grill, and place to chop wood for
Semi-important people (S.I.P.).
AND—Two hand built stages, surrounded by potholes in the
distance, Tree rows, a sunburnt sky, constellations in the sky, and
non-denominational Christmas lights scattered throughout camp.
The pothole, or small lake that camp rests near is shaped
like a gooseneck and grasslands, ticks, and mosquitos keep things wild!
And then the electronic flute hit with dubstep wobbles.
Hip-hop/Rap Beatz.
Dry Ice.
“GET DOWN” is heard over the speakers,
an optimistic sampling of “Compton” is sampled.
Coldsweat is out giving hugs and pounds with that ND sound!
Like the Pugent, no confusion
Refuse the Prove-its,
The System use it,
Mic Influence, The Truest.
Mic Influence, The Truest.
Get down you knew it!
At this point the dance party came and I had to say TIME OUT
and get my boogie on myself.
There were plenty of cross genre-collaborations at this
festival including: Cold Sweat collabing with Wild Hands, and Northern Light.
The last performer to ignite the stage at PPF was New Reign and Lucas Conlon on
drums. For a solid three hours, New Reign laced the mixes with crunchy, trappy,
jazzy, prolific, dancy beats, while Conlon blasted the drums 10X harder than
Travis Barker.
Moral of the story: Don’t attend Prairie Pothole Festival.
Its way too cool for you. There’s too much to do. Most of it
is free. With the best GDP being love, which is what has been felt by every
soul that sets foot at this fantastic gathering of art, music, and nature. I
went in knowing a few faces, and left with a family of Blacksheep with too many
names to remember, but plenty of stories and memories to cherish. Even if you
have to take a nap or sleep in through the first set, the camp is small enough
to hear bands. Day 2 I spent snoozing til noon hearing the band Dóse’s
members harmonize beautifully through raw male vocals and blissful feminine
vocals for covers like “Take Your Mama Out” and “She Likes Me for Me”. It was a perfect alarm clock!
Pezo was the nicest dude, opening up his land and lodgings
to guests and I really hope this festival will grow in the years to come.
There’s already talk of a third stage for the third year, and who knows maybe
this will become a three day festival. Keep your Eyes Open!
-Zakari Helms
Check out The Official Prairie Pothole next year for the official lineup! http://prairiepotholemusicfestival.com/
