Alright. It’s here. Every year Revelry Music and Arts Festival becomes bigger and bigger. This year there’s expected to be around 10,000 students mobbing the streets of Langdon to watch the festival, and the new lineup is sure to make those projected numbers become reality. So enough squabbling, let’s dive right into this lineup and see just how big this year’s Revelry is going to be.
It was only two years ago that Chance The Rapper appeared at the then-infantile Revelry festival, though he wasn’t headlining. Since then he’s exploded at an alarming rate into the mainstream, touring with Kanye and headlining a number of festivals himself. With his new album Surf on the horizon, Chance will have no problem inspiring the crowd this year at Revelry. One potential caveat is the inclusion of The Social Experiment, which could potentially mean a more intimate and melodic set instead of an ignorant hip-hop concert. Either way, Chance is sure to have an incredible set in a city that he has a lot of history with.
It wouldn’t be a Revelry set without the headlining EDM act, and The Chainsmokers are filling the position for 2015. Rising from one-hit-wonder status from their culturally relevant single “#SELFIE,” The Chainsmokers have been steadily putting out tracks for the last two years, mostly remixing the songs you would often hear echoing through fraternities on Saturday night. The Chainsmokers should have no problem fulfilling the day of partying that might otherwise be spent stumbling down Mifflin Street.
You might have seen AlunaGeorge’s name as a feature on a multitude of projects from the U.K., including Rustie’s “After Light” and Disclosure’s “White Noise,” but the duo has developed quite the solo career over last year. Producer George Reid has done an excellent job of fusing U.K, Drum and Bass with the iconic SoundCloud beat style the mainstream population has become accustomed to, and Aluna Francis lends her unique voice to tie the project together. It’s unsure whether AlunaGeorge’s London-grown sound will resonate with the Madison population, but definitely don’t skip out on this show if you’re unfamiliar with them. It’s sure to bang just as hard as The Chainsmokers, if not harder.
We’ve now reached the point of the lineup with slightly smaller font, but don’t let tinier text dissuade you from skipping out on some of these artists. Yet another British band, Until The Ribbon Breaks is an R&B group that will serve as the perfect transition point between the more mellow smaller bands and the crazier headliners. With such romantic songs as “Persia” and “Romeo,” you might not expect such a band to collab with Run the Jewels, but that’s exactly what they did for their track “Revolution Indifference.” One can only hope for a surprise cameo, but chances are we’re going to get a solid set of grooving beats with crisp R&B male vocals to top it off.
Out of the lesser-known acts, Mick Jenkins stands out as a great up-and-comer. The Chicago rapper has made all the right connections, collaborating with fellow lyrically conscious rappers such as the headlining Chance and Vic Mensa, while also having tracks produced by KAYTRANADA. He consistently uses the metaphor of water on his new mixtape “The Water[s],” which is convenient because his raps are so fire that you’ll have trouble not feeling sweaty and parched at this show. Jenkins has such a connection to Madison that he’s even collaborated with UW-Madison student Lord of The Fly. With his still rising-star status and connection to Madison, Jenkins is sure to have a genuine and energy-filled set.
Stopping in Madison on his first ever tour, Nick Hakim takes a sharp turn in style from the rest of the lineup. If you want to stop by Revelry but somehow have too much work to stay for the wilder acts, it might be worth stopping by this festival opener for a more easygoing concert. His mix of jazz and folk won’t incite any crowdsurfing, but his silky smooth voice will be enough to make audience members swoon.
It’s difficult to assemble a lineup for a festival that has to appeal to the entire student body of UW-Madison, but the Revelry crew has brought together a group of artists that represent a surprising amount of musical diversity. Two years ago, Revelry was the stage for Chance right before he blew up to national stardom. While Revelry will undoubtedly be an amazing day, it might even be more exciting to see where these blooming artists go after the day is over.
