Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival 2017 is just a week away, and if you haven’t purchased tickets yet, you should do that before it’s too late! All ticket options are currently sold out, except for 4-day General Admission passes. And don’t forget to check the schedule, so you can plan your weekend. Building off of a stand-out inaugural year last year, Okeechobee Music Festival returns with a strong lineup of diverse artists spanning the spectrum of music. With that in mind, we wanted to highlight some of the artists we are excited to see, with an emphasis on some of the talented, but less mainstream artists.
PoWoW!
Let’s be clear here, you do not want to miss the PoWoW! If you’re not familiar, a PoWoW! is a gathering of artists that you normally wouldn’t see perform together, from different genres of music, coming together to put on one spectacular performance. This year’s PoWoW! will feature Michael McDonald (of both Steely Dan & The Doobie Brothers), joined by R&B vocalist, GALLANT, DJ/producer/saxophonist Griz, Funk outfit Vulpeck, Eric Krasno (Lettuce/Soullive), soul singer Antwaun Stanley, and members of Snarky Puppy.
Nightmares on Wax at Jungle 51
Nightmares on Wax, AKA George Evelyn, has been gracing the music scene since 1988. He’s been DJing and touring longer than many of the Okeechobee attendants have been alive. Nightmares on Wax will be playing a three-hour set from 9:30AM to 12:30AM on Sunday, at Jungle 51. Not only is Nightmares on Wax an incredible DJ, he will also be performing at, what is in my opinion, one of the best parts of Okeechobee. Jungle 51 is a stage deep in the palm jungles of Okeechobee. The stage is heavily focused on late-night House and Tech DJ sets, where DJs play until the sun comes up. If you’re the kind of person that likes to simultaneously slow things down, while also getting rowdy in the jungle, then make sure you make it to Jungle 51.
Whethan at Aquachobee Beach
Chicago native Ethan Snoreck, better known by his stage name, Whethan, will be performing from 3:45-4:45PM at Aquachobee Beach, for the thissongissick Beach Party. Whethan’s chilled out signature sound should be the perfect vibe for a daytime beach party at Aquachobee Beach.
The Golden Pony at Aquachobee Beach
This self-proclaimed curly male duo, consisting of Timothy Monkiewicz and Thomas Murphy, hails from Brooklyn. The duo credits a long list of artists that influence them, ranging from Jimi Hendrix, The Pixies, AC/DC, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Madonna, and pretty much everything in between. Their list of influences is exhaustive, which can probably help to explain their dynamic sound that pulls its style from a variety of genres. The Golden Pony performs on Sunday from 2:00-3:00PM at Aquachobee.
The Knocks (Live) at Now
This duo hails from New York City, consisting of members Ben “DJ B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson. These folks have been touring and producing for years, injecting their brand of Indie Dance, Nu Disco, and House into the music scene. They have been on fire lately, having just provided support for Justin Bieber on his Purpose Tour. They also just released a brand-new album titled TESTIFY. The unfortunate reality of music festivals is that people must make tough decisions about which artists they want to see, due to the inevitability of overlapping set times. If you take our advice on The Golden Pony, you’ll have to decide what to about The Knocks. The Knocks play Sunday from 2:30-3:30PM at the Now Stage, which overlaps with The Golden Pony’s 2:00-3:00PM set. Why not catch a little of both?
Louis the Child at Now
Another duo on our list, Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett hail from Chicago. These two have been making quite a splash in the music world recently. They just released their Holy Ship! 2017 Live Mix, where they performed back-to-back with Big Gigantic, Slander, Ghastly, Jai Wolf, and Manila Killa. Their newest single, Phone Died, releases the first day of Okeechobee—March 2nd. The rest of the EP comes out later in March. They list some of their influences as Flume, Mr. Carmack, Mat Zo, Madeon, Porter Robinson, Cashmere Cat, and Jai Wolf. Louis the Child will be performing Friday from 5:15-6:15PM at the Now Stage.
While Dancebreak focuses more on electronic dance music, we love music in general! This is why Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival is one of our favorite events—there’s a healthy balance of music diversity. It’s an excellent festival for music discovery, so go out there and discover! Use Okeechobee as an opportunity to check out new and unfamiliar artists. You won’t be disappointed.
