New Orleans is a city unlike any other. I’ve lived here now for almost 3 years, and though it isn’t much time, it’s allowed me to experience all of its elements that truly stand out. The food is outstanding, no duh. Mardi Gras is as immersive an ordeal as it is exhilarating. And the music… oh man, the music.
New Orleans isn’t just one of the cultural centers for Jazz in the U.S.; it also has a beautifully blossoming indie scene, full of punks, indie rock and dance music alike. I consider myself really lucky to be able to experience it every day.
Have you ever been to New Orleans? NO!? Well you’re in luck, because the BUKU Music + Art Project is right around the corner and you can grab tickets HERE!
Now I know what you’re thinking: What makes BUKU so special? Why should I dish out the cash when there are so many other festivals this spring? Why BUKU?
Well the thing is, you’re not just getting BUKU Fest: you’re getting New Orleans, too. The Big Easy! Food, music and amazing people galore. How could you pass that up?
Let me take you back to my first BUKU experience…
I’m alone, trying to find my friends who all ran off to go see Hippie Sabotage. I enter the boxed in stage they’re performing at in the Float Den, a giant warehouse-turned-dancefloor full of Mardi Gras floats. As Hippie start the familiar echoing of Oh, Oh! at the beginning of “Stay High”, I look around and see people dancing, smiling, and having the absolute time of their lives as the lights flash on and off. It was something out of a movie, a moment soaked in euphoria and true bass-heavy bliss, and is a concert experience I’ll never forget.
I’ll also never forget sitting on the lawn next to a giant pulsing, glowing sculpture of a jack, eating a muffuletta with my girlfriend while MGMT play “Electric Feel”!
BUKU was also where I met one of my best friends. My friend Connor and I, who had never said more than a few “Waddups” to each other at the time, spent the wee hours of the morning losing our minds during Flatbush Zombies’ set.
We’re both pretty stoked because the Zombies are playing again this year, so it’s the perfect way to celebrate our friendiversary!
I can’t forget meeting Isaiah Rashad, my favorite rapper! I waited 3 hours to be at the barricade for his set. He was the last performer of the day, and I spent the whole time rapping every word with some of my best friends. He also hugged me after, which was surreal to say the least.
The point I’m trying to make here is that BUKU isn’t just a festival. Sure, it has incredible music, but beyond that it’s a treasure trove of memories. It’s a mythical weekend of good vibes, of vibrancy and amazing food, of you and your friends. It’s a 48 hour outpouring of connection and love, and is a festival like no other. It comes and goes so quickly that by the time it’s over, you’ll wish it could happen all over again.
Come be a part of the Bukrewe , and who knows, maybe I’ll see you there!
The lineup this year includes Tyler, the Creator, Flume, Alison Wonderland, and so much more, and will be from March 20-21.
