Earth Dance: Peace and Love Invades Vallejo

This year’s Earthdance was filled with love and happiness as it made it’s way to the Salano County Fair in Vallejo, CA. Being the first year Earthdance was held in Vallejo, I was quite skeptical with the location.

In previous years the festival was held in Laytonville at Black Oak Ranch. Many differences were observed: golf courses instead of forests, paved roads instead of dirt, sprinklers instead of rivers. Although the scenario was much different this year, the feel and warmth was still very prevalent.

The venue itself sat next to Six Flags and beyond that offered half-off tickets to the amusement park, with was a plus for the younger ones. Next to Six Flags was the Mariott Hotel, which hosted rooms for artists and Earthdance-goers alike. Pool parties were everyday, all day, as sound boomed from one of the art cars that cruised this year’s Burning Man.

Much like last year, Earthdance housed tons of merchant booths, selling all types of things, from food, to crystals, all the way to clothing and massages. There were also beautiful shrines created to push for peace.

What was an amazing site as well was how they lined the streets of the venue. Looking like Disney Land, there were massive Burning Man art pieces in a row down the main road of the festival. It was nice to see the connection with Burning Man and Earthdance, both striving for the same thing.

Many phenomenal artists filled the venue, laying down their sound on many stages and rooms. Along side of them was myself, performing with my band Vibrant EYEris on the main stage that Friday. It was such an honor to perform along side the likes of fan-favorite Ziggy Marley. All in all I thought we performed well! Our crowd started off small, but half way through our set, the arena began to pick up. It was an amazing site to see all ages dancing and smiling to our tune. It was a great way to start of the first day of Earthdance.

Other acted to note included super heady Reggae group Midnite. Being one of my favorite groups now, I could not believe how deep they were on Saturday night. Almost in a trance, they led their followers into a whirlwind of spacey Dub. I myself along with friend Agent 42, found ourselves glued to the floor, both feeling as if we were going to float away. Joining the Reggae department was up-and-coming legend Ziggy Marley. Much like Midnite, Ziggy also threw down some serious Dub, but much different than Midnite. Unlike Midnite, Ziggy took the approach of love, creating almost happy Dub-ish vibes, which had everyone smiling and laughing. I found myself with a constant smile on my face for sure.

The Temple of Electronica was seriously booming. I found myself there on Saturday night for some 6 hours! The lineup on Saturday night was fully stacked, with the likes of Gaudi, Sticky Buds, Emancipator, OPIUO, and Tipper. All different from each other, these acts absolutely murdered their sets.

Starting with Gaudi, the sound he created was very deep and airy. He began his set slow and deep and progressed into mid-tempo bounce which had the crowd moving. I had seen Gaudi quite a few times, but this time was much different in the way he approached his set. It was definitely a great change in sound for him, one that enjoyed very much. 

Moving onto Sticky Buds was a great treat for me. I had never seen him perform before but knew his sound, considered in the genre Nu-Funk/Ghetto-Funk. Very mid-tempo-ish, Sticky threw down funky sounds, often times with old school samples from possibly the mo-town era. Emancipator was a serious head trip. If you haven’t heard of this cat, I suggest YouTubing him. Talk about DEEP!

Considered on my favorites, Emancipator, much like Gaudi’s set, was very airy and slow. He created a vibe that had people barley dancing, but rather in a trance, floating through the dance floor. It was a trip watching everyone dance to his set as everyone seemed to have their eyes closes for his hour long set.

OPIUO was OPIUO, a funked out almost mid-tempo set. What is so amazing about OPIUO is that he almost doesn’t fall into a genre. When you hear his sound you just know it’s him. The cream-like baselines followed by the out-there melodies and harmonies had everyone screaming and cheering. Also having seen him perform in the past, I found this set to be quite different. Not only was he playing drums for part of his set, but a trumpet player also accompanied him.

Finally we have Tipper. Considered to many as one of the top producers in the world, Tipper’s sound was absolutely mind blowing. Often times producing in 360 degree sound, Tipper’s set seemed like sound was coming from all points of the room. As his bass-lines hit, they would wrap around the room, almost making people feel like they were in a tornado of sound. Considered a Glitch-Hop Master, Tipper provided fans with trippy sounds, and trippy runs. It was my first time hearing this cat perform and boy was it was a treat. Much like Emancipator, if you haven’t yet check out Tipper, you’re missing out!

All in all, Earthdance was a phenomenal event. The venue could not stop the love, peace and happiness. It was an absolute honor to continue to be a part of such a world changing festival. I count down the days until next year’s festival and wait in excitement for the lineup. I suggest to everyone that is into peace and harmony attend this festival. It will change your life.

INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER OF EARTHDANCE CHRIS DEKKER

Q: State your full name

Chris Decker: Chris Deckker

Q: What is your affiliation to Earthdance?  

D: Founder of the International event

 Q: When was Earthdance created? When and where was the first festival held? 

D: 1997 was the first international event with 18 cities taking part. I was in London at the time.

Q:  What does Earthdance mean to you? 

D: Earthdance shows how the positive power of music can be used to unite people together to inspire unity and peace. It is an "open source" festival model where anyone can join no matter where you live or how big your event is. Events range from family living rooms to large concerts and festivals. It truly captures the essence of "act local, think global"

Q:  What message did you want to portray in creating the festival? 

D: That music is the universal language for our planet, and if we all work together, we an change the world. It does not matter how small your contribution is, it all helps to make a difference.

 Q: Does Earthdance just happen in one location? If not where else is the festival held? 

D: It happens in over 350 cities in 65 countries across the world on the same weekend.

Q:  In terms of what is going on in the world today, how is Earthdance making a change for the better? 

D: It allows people to get pro-active at a local level and celebrate through music and dance, as well as support local charities.

Q: What are you most excited about this year compared to previous years? 

D: I am really excited by the new venue. It is totally beautiful with spacious meadow camping and great indoor venues. This year we get to have music all night until 8am each morning and we have a great line up of artists. It is also exciting to bring the Earthdance message of peace closer to the city.

Q:  If you could describe Earthdance in one word, what would it be ? 

D: Evolutionary

Q: How did Earthdance gain the status it has today?

D: Totally by grassroots dedication from all the Earthdance events across the world. It is not a corporate sponsored event, but represents the "power of the people"

Q: Is the festival open to all ages?

D: Yes. Kids under 12 are also free.

Q: Do you consider Earthdance a family event?

D: Absolutely. We have an amazing kids village with activities all day.