I have been saying for a few years now that El Paso, or what natives affectionately call it, El Chuco, has been going through quite the cultural renissanince. The music scene has flourished and us here at Oddgila have tried to do our part for the scene with spotlights on some of our personal faves coming up here in the city. Bands like The DA, Bulletproof Tiger, Frontera Bugalu, The Royalty and so many others have really been doing their part to make the scene here in El Paso what it should be. There are more art venues, DJ collectives, new bands, and innovative events going on in Chuco than ever before (La Parrada, LNSC Djs, etc). Even the culinary scene has seen it's fair share of cultural growths with new and fresh bistros and restaurants you would never imagine being successful en El Paso. I could go on and on about how this city is in my eyes a sleeping giant that needs to be awakened, but the truth is, the wake up call could be easily coming this Saturday when Chuco puts on its first bonafide music festival.
The Neon Desert Music Festival is the idea of El Paso ex-pats who moved to, you guessed it, Austin Texas (Editors note: That city has to really thank us, cause if it weren't for the thousands of sexy, smart, cool and rad fucking native Chucotowners that move to Austin all the time, it would be only fractionally as cool). Through their organization, Splendid Sun Production a small group of individuals have put together a one day festival packed with not only local talent but some big name international groups.
Fisrt on my list of headliners I wanna see are Brazilian indie rockers CSS(Cansei da ser Sexy, Portuguese for tired of being sexy), who's frontwoman knows how to keep shows very interesting to say the least. How can't you with a nickname like Lovefoxxx. SEXY!! Fo Sho!
Next on my list would be Grammy award winning Venezuelan rockers Los Amigos Invisibles, who mix equal parts funk and Latin flavor for the perfect blend of sounds.
Mastermind behind the Mars Volta, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's band will headline with special guest, and vocalist for the Volta Mr. Cedric Bixler-Zavala joining the group. These guys have headlined major festivals and seeing that they are Chuco most famous indie sons, it's quite appropriate they close the night.
The other headliner will keep the electro crowd moving until hopefully midnight and beyond. From Toronto, MSTRKRFT is one of the biggest names in the emerging out of the indie-electro scene.
There are a ton other great bands, local and from around the country that will grace the inaugural fest. When its all said and done all I can hope for is an amazing turn out and that things go smoothly. That includes the springtime winds Chuco is famous for. May they be absent, if not, at least manageable that day. However, wind or shine, this Saturday El Paso will really see what we're made of when The Neon Desert Music Festival blows through town! I hope the giant is awakened here in Chuco and as ACL celebrates its 10th glorious year, we can celebrate the birth of a new era, a new festival, a new time for a city that's been waiting for the right opportunity to shine! -nick
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