The Funktorium Archives Episode 3: Sweetwater 420 Fest // Rebrew Review

14th Sweetwater 420 Fest’s Heady ‘Rebrew’
May 13, 2017 Kyle Dee
Clean Vibes, Good People, Great Tunes.
This was the mantra that resonated throughout the weekend, rain or shine. Sweetwater 420 Fest & Happy Ending Productions seriously stepped up the talent this year bringing this powerhouse headliner lineup, but even the smaller stages had the best local jammers too. If you missed the fabulous preview of 420 Fest by Savannah elder – you need to check it out here!

It’s hard to come by a successfully run festival that is smack dab in the middle of a city, yet somehow ATL does this quite well. This is especially impressive when the festival is packed, yet there is still green space between you and your neighbor. The heavy hitting headliners included WSMFP, Trey, Moe., Lettuce (Funkiest Band Alive), Ween, Dopapod, Break Science (w Adam Deitch of Lettuce and Royal Family Records w/ Fitty Cent), Trombone Short, & Twiddle – just to name a few.

… But y’all could get that review from all the other media outlets – L4LM, Jam Base, or Live ‘n Listen. This ‘rebrew’ is all about the smaller acts with that BIG sound! In order of appearance: The Hip Abduction, CBDB, Andy Bruh, Hedonistas, Voodoo Visionary, HIKU, & Funk You. So enjoy the epic photos by Blake Towns and listen to some Lettuce while you read!

Video by Clifton Dyer at Sweetwater 420 Fest

The Hip Abduction
T.H.A. is an honorable mention since they are unable to play die to their singer’s vocal cord strain earlier in the wee which called for no talking/singing for a week (Doctor’s Orders)… coulda just jammed though y’all! Enough hate though I’m sure they heard it enough. They are currently touring w/ 3rd studio album under their belt and recently added synth sound incorporated into their tribal reggaeton arsenal due to their most recent producer from Nashville. Cheers to that guy because it works actually, big risk big reward because they have been shooting straight up the festival bills.

The Hip Abduction featuring David New (lead vocals, guitar), Pat Klemawesch (kamale ngoni, guitar, vocals), Chris Powers (bass), Dave Johnson (baritone and tenor sax), Sean Fote (keyboards), Matt Poynter (drums, vocals), and John Holt III (kamale ngoni, guitar, vocals) have shared stages with the likes of Ziggy Marley, Umphrey’s McGee, Thievery Corporation, 311, Dawes, Galactic, and Moe.FE and has performed at Sunfest, Wanee Music Festival, Suwanee Hulaween, Orange Blossom Jamboree, Tropical Heatwave Music Festival, The BIG What? and more.

All Photos are by Blake Towns at Sweetwater 420 Fest

CBDB
The slayers and purveyors of Joyfunk from L.A. (that’s Lower Alabama, not Los Angeles). These guys kicked off the festival with elegantly intricate riffs over light hearted prog jams. They exude an approachable intensiveness that is hard to articulate, but be sure they never disappoint. CBDB always brings the heat and their performance at the Lyrics & Laughter Stage was no exception. Before the show, I talked to their newest bassist and this new guy knows what’s up on the down low – holding down the low frequencies and is a phenomenal addition. Check out their third album, entitled “The FAME EP”, they are seeing a pattern of snowballing momentum with large, energetic crowds. They blend soulful vocals and virtuosic instrumentation with smart, tasteful songwriting resulting in a sound that can be enjoyed by the casual listener and audiophile alike.

Andy Bruh
The Heartwood Artist who is always in between Decatur and Athens has been raising the stakes in the DJ Realm for quite some time. After getting his start packing out New Earth, he quickly rose to support slots for Bassnectar, one of his biggest influences. He and Nectar also have more in common – they walk the line of producer and band by bringing together fresh perspectives, original music, and a true sense of community that is built on the entrepreneurial spirit of friends that surround them.

Andy’s other partner in crime, Robbie Dude, didn’t make the se this year, but they both were reunited alongside JuBee & Friends at the 420 Fest After party on Sunday. The Duo accompanied by accomplished MC, JuBee was nothing short of magical. Also Shoutout to JuBee playing Red Rocks this September // #keepATLfunky homie! The Atlanta born producer and DJ captures the soul of his city while pushing into unknown sonic territory with full control. Steeped in the history of Southern hip-hop, Andy Bruh builds on it’s melodic backbone and brings the full force of the electronic bass wave to create an energy unrivaled by many in the scene.

Sweetwater 420 Fest

Hedonistas
Due to a time conflict, we weren’t able to cover these cool cats, but we still wanted to give them a shoutout and recoginition they deserve. Hit this link is after reading to get a peak of their set from the festival!

Also if that isn’t enough, our mutual homie Ethan “Dancin Shoes” Eloquin will be submitting a full rebrew of Hedonistas. Stay tuned kids!

Ben Otieno
Voodoo Visionary
The Hometown Hero’s of Funk never disappoint. Here is just a little look into the set, but be looking out for a promo video and more media later! Where do we start?! Well, they played one of the best versions of “Harmony” I have head since its debut. Not to mention the monster jam that ensued after playing “Life During War Time” ( better than Widespread’s version i.m.o – more funky and to the point). Imagine that whilst slowly transitioning into the funkiest version of “Apache” (Jump On It) by Sugar Hill Gang all while Bret and the Krewe tossed out Voodoo Volley Balls into the insatiable crowd.

These newcomers ATE IT UP, and they fully satisfied their longtime fans as well. It was a magnificent marriage of olde & new, experimental & funk, young & old… so basically it is what you get all the time if you consistently go to VV’s shows. I cannot stress how much that this is a band not to miss next time you see them on a bill cough cough SCI afterparty. The crowd was so wild, I truly thought that widespread panic was about to ensue.

HIKU
This Dynamic Duo is new on the block; however, the two producers are defiantly not. Niles, keys/synth/pad of ATL hellions Higher Learning who have been disrupting the electronic scene more than anyone since STS9 (which makes cents* since they were well-deservingly signed to 1320 Records last yea. (…don’t say 1312 like I always mistakenly say, it’s embarrassing. Especially if you say it to Alana while relating to bass theory) Moving on now.

Tyler (whose last name will remain a secret due to him being in the GBI’s Witness Protection Program) turned away from a life of killing beats to turning to the light side where he met Niles who noticed Tyler’s keen ability to produce phenomenal bass hits while pulling in drops to other covers which is the basis of HIKU. They do an extraordinary job of interlocking covers and original material to send out earthshaking drops atop there mountainous sound onto the audience.

Funk You
The OGs Renegades of Georgia Funk hailing from East Augusta have been on the grind for years and really been gaining this deserved recognition recently. The troupe is made up pf Will Clark on Drums, Will Foster on Keys, Gavin Hamilton on Vox, Evan Miller on Guitar, Palmer Owens on Perc, and Rob on Bass. Really they were well kept secret in Augusta, but nationally touring musicians have recolonized their talent for quite some time which has landed them in great festival spots like 420, The Werkout, The Big What, and the list goes on.

Back in 2014 at the first iteration of The Major Rager with Umphrey’s McGee and Moon Taxi, they were playing the afterparty at Sky City with The Kinky Aphrodisiacs and Chris Myers actually jumped on the drumset and jammed out! They had a number of flawlessly executed impromptu sit-ins – all while UM & Moon Taxi band members were in the crowd cheering them on. It was a magical moment to watch and after talking to Will Foster, it seems that there are many more stories to tell. We will save that for another article on these new age James Brown revivalists of the south. Catch them opening for PGroove at Georgia Theatre on June 2 in Athens and the Cox Capitol Theatre in Macon June 2. For tickets and info here!

Stay Funky My Friends,

~Kyle Dee~