M3F Is Close To My Heart
M3F has always been a festival that I have held close to my heart. I have been fortunate enough to watch the festival evolve since the first time I attended in 2015. There are a couple of things that continue to bring me back every year. The first reason is the diversity in the music. Year after year, M3F brings us the perfect blend of EDM, Indie, funk, and pop. It was great to see them expand into hip-hop and R&B by bringing the duo, Emotional Oranges to the stage.
Courtesy of M3F Festival // Amanda Karas
Admittedly, I was only familiar with a small handful of the artists on the lineup. This brings me to the second thing that draws me to this festival; I can always count on being exposed to new music.
Friday started with Motel Club. I was welcomed to the stage with some disco house to get me moving. Soon after they ended, I found myself at Comsicstage for CoCo & Breezy.
Their energy was off the charts. CoCo & breezy threw down a deep house set that had every single person moving and grooving. CoCo & Breezy danced with us and each other, occasionally busting out in synchronized dance. They spoke sweet affirmations and created a space to encourage us to harness the power of manifestation. It was a performance that moved my mind and body. This was easily one of my favorite performances of the weekend and set the pace for my festival experience.
Number 3 would be the atmosphere. M3F has relocated a couple of times, and I have to say that Steele Indian Park has been my favorite venue by far. They picked a venue that was centrally located, accessible, and spacious. Ever since Lost Lake Music Fest, I have hoped for another large festival to bring some beats to the park and M3F knocked it out of the park. It was absolutely lovely to be able to sit on the grassy hills or by the “lake”, surrounded by friends, people dancing, and music in the distance. It took me back to some of my Euro festival experiences. The vibes were immaculate.
Courtesy of M3F Festival // Amanda Karas
Last, and certainly not least: the art installations. M3F does its best to create an audio-visual experience for the patrons. They had several installations located around the festival ground. Of the several installations they had, the cactus garden, LED meadow, and the radical lake laser show were the most notable. As M3F continues to grow, it would be nice to see them incorporate more art. Possibly some live art or an area showcasing local artists.
Speaking of local artists; Our friends at @Soundmoverz held it down for the local music scene. They were the first music experience you would have as you entered the festival. I couldn’t have had a complete festival experience without them. No matter where I go, I always have hopes for some drum’n’bass. Having seen the lineup, I honestly wasn’t expecting to hear any. To my surprise, the closing set at the SoundMoverz stage was drum’n’bass. I love Lane8 as much as the next raver, but as soon as I found out they were playing drum’n’bass, I knew that the local stage was where I would be ending my festival experience and sprinted over there.
Courtesy of M3F Festival // Amanda Karas
Top performances of the weekend (in no particular order):
CoCo & Breezy
Gorgon City
SG Lewis
DRAMA
Gordo
Dayglow
It’s Murph
Adrienne “DRE” Knauer (Dreplaysharp)
M3F has consistently brought a quality festival experience to the Valley of the Sun. I look forward to seeing how they continue to evolve in the coming years.
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