This year’s Sweetlife music festival jam-packed headliners The 1975, Halsey and Flume, as well as 14 other diverse artists, into a single day. The performances ranged from the full-on, energetic pop of popular singer-songwriters Grimes and Shamir to an 80’s throwback performance from rock band Blondie.
Last year, the festival spanned two days to accommodate three sought-after headlining acts: The Weeknd, Calvin Harris and Kendrick Lamar. However, the 2016 Festival only took place on May 14 in a shift away from their past format. As a result, the 14 acts spread across two stages between the hours of about noon and 10 p.m.
The headliners this year appealed to an alternative and electronic audience. For instance, British rock band The 1975 is known for its trademark alternative rock sound, which has encapsulated young adults across the world. The second headliner, Halsley, offered a more mainstream brand of indie pop that appeals to The 1975’s crowd. Flume, who released his latest album Skin a month ago, was the final headliner and offered an option for fans who sought out electronic-based music.
Brooklyn rock band DIIV took on the main stage first. The band has delivered inconsistent live performances in the past, sometimes playing solid shows in their classic laid-back manner, but sometimes becoming too laid-back to accurately play their songs. Perhaps because they played early in the day and were likely relatively sober, DIIV performed quite well at Sweetlife and drew a sizable crowd.
Fans were sprawled across the lawn, bobbing their heads leisurely to tracks from both Oshin, their first LP, and Is The Is Are, their 2016 release. Frontman Zachary Cole Smith, decked out in an oversized yellow t-shirt his drug dealer said made him look like a “little chicken,” pointed out that the band was playing songs they hadn’t performed live in some time. DIIV is an act as mild as they come, and provided a relaxed start to the festival.
The illustrious Debbie Harry slayed the main stage during Blondie’s early evening performance. Harry harnessed the crowd’s energy throughout the set, dramatically tilting the mic stand and at one point, whipping off her long, black jacket. The band started out with tracks “Hanging on the Telephone” and “Mile High.”
The three standout tracks were without a doubt “Call Me,” “Rapture” and a cover of the Beastie Boys song “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right to Party.” The crowd also reacted strongly to hearing “Heart of Glass.” Overall, the set was energetic and badass. Despite the act’s marketing as a potentially superficial throwback, Blondie certainly hasn’t lost their edge.
Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, followed Harry on the main stage, with her signature synth-pop. In 2015, Grimes put out a new album, Art Angels, after receiving negative feedback on a single – the great “Go” fiasco of 2014 – and then completely reworked the album. Art Angels marks a divergence from Boucher’s earlier work; it's much more pop-leaning and commercial. Upon the album’s release, she gained considerable media attention and her fan base exploded.
Grimes played a pleasantly diverse setlist, one that centered around her newest release but gave a nod to older favorites. The performance was certainly a spectacle, as expected. Two dancers accompanied her onstage, but they unfortunately seemed like a contrived and superfluous addition to the performance..
During this performance, indie rock singer songwriter Mac Demarco crowd-surfed in the pit while Shamir ran up and down the aisles. Even the Eagles of Death Metal frontman sported a Grimes t-shirt. Grimes’ live performance, which begged the question if she should have been billed as a headliner, didn’t disappoint. This set reassured fans old and new of her top-ranking place in the strange and ever-growing world of electronic-pop.
The Treehouse stage kicked off the festival with performances by pop musicians Graciella and Julietta before Maryland-based band Prinze George (named after Prince George’s County in Maryland) took the stage.
Kendrick Lamar-collaborator Thundercat stood out on the Treehouse Stage this year. His early set came before a rainy spot that threatened to ruin the day’s fun. The bassist brought the rest of his band with him as they tore through a number of his more recognizable songs, including his own part on Kendrick Lamar’s “Complexion” and a number of cuts from his latest EP, Them Changes.
This performance had the funky introspective values that Thundercat is known for. Even though rain began to fall towards the later half of his set, the energy of Thundercat shined through, with many people dancing to his grooves in the muddy terrain.
Following Thundercat, Long Beach rapper Vince Staples took the Treehouse stage by storm. The rapper is known for his association with many other rappers in the California rap scene, including Earl Sweatshirt. His latest album, Summertime ‘06 was chosen as the Arts Section of The News-Letter’s second-best album of 2015, and the majority of his performance featured songs from this album.
Songs like “Lemme Know”, “Jump Off The Roof” and his closer, “Norf Norf” turned the rainy Columbia scene into an engaged, dancing rager. The majority of fans knew the words and shouted them along with Staples as he rifled off rounds of biting lyrics that touched on the social disparity within America, as well as the lifestyle that he grew up with.
The Treehouse stage followed this with a performance by Las Vegas-native Shamir, known for his 2014 hit “On the Regular.” That song, as well as some more cuts from his 2015 debut LP, Ratchet, had the crowd grooving. By the time Shamir’s performance started, the rain had stopped and the clouds had parted, allowing for rays of sunshine to bask the stage, as Shamir dedicated a song to his grandmother.
Following Shamir on the Treehouse Stage, PARTYNEXTDOOR, a Canadian R&B singer, performed. Often compared to Drake, his performance was one of the most anticipated of the day, with those who were uninterested in Grimes crowding the grassy area to see him. However, PARTYNEXTDOOR arrived at least 10 minutes late.
Still, the cheers and screams of his young fans made it seem as if he had come on early. There was grinding, dry humping and an overall sensual atmosphere during his performance. Yet upon closer inspection, PARTYNEXTDOOR’s studio perfected vocals don’t lend themselves well to a live, outdoor setting, and his performance suffered from it.
Another interesting festival feature that returned from last year’s Sweetlife was the 932 Club, a small, packed mini-club near the vending options, which featured DJ sets. After the 2:00 p.m. point, the venue proved to be impossible to get into, with at least a 30 minute long wait in the rain to hear remixes and flips of popular songs.
Launched by salad restaurant chain Sweetgreen, the Sweetlife festival was conceived in 2011 as a block party of sorts in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. The company is known for collaborating with chefs, musicians and charitable organizations to promote its brand and its values. Since 2012 the festival has been held at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland.
In addition to its musical offerings, Sweetlife boasts an impressive dining lineup. The dining options serve as a major crowd-pleaser, with a wide-range of healthy, diverse foods. Some of the more popular options this year included Pops by Haley, which specialized in desserts including Cake Push Pops, and Buredo, a D.C.-based company that creates burrito-sized sushi rolls.
There are a few details worth noting before deciding whether to give Sweetlife a go in 2017. For one, the cost of attendance can be quite high. General Admission tickets are $100, with GA Pavilion and VIP tickets going for $125 and $150, respectively.
GA Pavilion tickets gives access to the only decent seating in the pavilion and VIP tickets will add on the esteemed luxuries of water and private bathrooms. Furthermore, an Uber or Lyft to the venue will run attendees about $30 each way, and the food is rather pricey.
The demographic of the festival is also somewhat questionable. Though there was some diversity in clientele, the Merriweather grounds were essentially dominated by rich, high school-age kids from Maryland. If it personally offends you to be pushed by a 16-year-old white boy wearing boat shoes in the rain and boasting about the VIP wristband his parents evidently purchased for him, this is not the festival for you.
Because of the demographics, the venue is rather strict about substance abuse. Though you may spot a local high school chemistry class passing around a water bottle of flavored vodka, this is not the place to covertly get stoned or try out a fake ID. After three arrests, 50 citations and two deaths at the Mad Decent Block Party at the same venue in 2014, Merriweather doesn’t mess around. In summation, plan on spending your day sober and surrounded by privileged Maryland teens. Or, if you’re 21, plan on going broke to get a Bud Light buzz.
Still, the festival is conveniently located and timed. For Hopkins students, this festival is less than an hour away and falls right after finals, when friends are still around but all the exam-induced panicking is over. Only one day long, it doesn’t require a hotel room or a tent. Plus, the musical offerings are consistently on-trend. All of this must be considered when deciding whether or not to hit that “purchase” button. It will certainly be interesting to see how Sweetlife, still in its first decade, matures in the upcoming years.
