The Highs and Lows of M3F

Another McDowell Mountain Music Festival has come and gone, leaving the people of Phoenix with music-filled memories. This year’s festival lived up to its history, creating a dynamic range of sound and talent weekend at Steele Indian School Park. I got to attend M3F last year as well, check out my review HERE!

Courtesy of M3F Festival // Kyle Dehn

M3F is a festival I can confidently support. Between their charitable cause, raising millions of dollars in proceeds for several Phoenix charities, and consistently creating a space for people to come together and let loose, I feel great about my decisions to support them. It is with this in mind that share my highs and lows for this year’s festival and wishes for the future. 
Highs

The Music

The sound quality and quality of music that M3F brings year after year are top-tier. M3F creates opportunities for people to see their favorite artists on the big stage while exposing patrons to newer, up-and-coming, and local musicians. One such artist, HyperBella, has found its way into my playlists and was at the top of my M3F performances of the weekend. They rocked the Valley stage, taking me to another world with their experimental neo-soul sounds. 

The highlight of my festival experience was seeing artists BadBadNotGood, LCD Soundsystem, Leisure, and Justice for the first time after listening to most of them for over a decade. Justice alone was an unforgettable experience. The production was mindblowing. It was probably the best I’ve seen in my years of attending, even topping that of Empire of The Sun in M3F 2019.

Courtesy of M3F Festival // Neil Schwartz

My top 5:
1) Justice
2) Hyperbella
3)BADBADNOTGOOD
4) LP Giobbi
5) Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs tied with Leisure

The Weather:

This year’s weather was as diverse as the lineup. The rain came to the party Friday which made for a unique M3F. While it may have rained on the festival, it did not rain on our parade. People still showed up as fashionable as possible and ready to groove. Something about trudging through mud and collectively enduring the cold, rainy weather did something for me. It gave me a sense of unity. We were willing to show up all in the name of music, and that’s beautiful. Saturday rewarded us with sunshine and significantly warmer temps. 

The Venue:

I love that M3F has made its home in Steele Indian School Park. It is easily one of the most underrated venues in the valley. M3F does a wonderful job of utilizing the park space. Where else in Arizona can I kick it on a grassy hill and watch the sunset over the lake while listening to my favorite artist? Point made. My fingers are crossed for the return of M3F in this venue.

The Art: 

This is a high and low for me. 

I was excited to see what M3F would bring to the table this year art-wise. I was a fan of the cactus garden and the other installations but left hoping for more the next year. I was pleased to see collaborative arts spaces, where a patron could draw on the paper covered tables or the big, white walled cube where people left their mark with paint, markers, or crayons. I was even more excited to see that they brought in these lovely flower installations from local artists, Victoria Urquidi (@victoriaurquidi) and Josh Rodriguez a.k.a. Two Tool Designs ( @twotooldesigns). Their work added a comforting space for people to relax while listening to the acts on the Cosmic stage.

Low #1 is that their work felt hidden off to the side when it was something that added to the festival. As something that adds to the overall experience, it would have been nice to see the installation amongst the Walter bus or somewhere more central. The Cactus Garden last year is a great example. This brings me to low #2… The metal M3F structure that people were climbing on became gradually unsafe. I’m not sure if it was built to be climbed on the way it was. The structure seemed wobbly, and as people climbed around on it, parts of the metal began to break apart. This made me quite uneasy. 

The big highlight was seeing the Walter Where?House crew and Walter (the art car) out to spread love and joy. Seeing M3F team up with another community-driven group such as The Walter Hive/Walter Productions warms my heart. Groups using art and music to better the world around us, create community, and promote the arts, are something that I will gladly support. I hope to see more collaborations between the two in future festivals.

It is essential to have a blend of sound and visual art (painting, installations, crafts, etc.). As M3F grows, I hope they continue to promote local art and find balance in quality & quantity.
Lows

This list is short. 

1) See #1 and #2 above

2) The irregularity of the start & stop times of the sets. There were numerous occasions where one stage would be on the last song or outro, and while sitting there soaking in the last of the sound, being abruptly taken out of it by the sounds at the adjacent stage. Sure, sound bleed is bound to happen, but expecting it doesn’t make it any better.

3) The weather. This was a bittersweet one. While less than ideal, it was not the end of the world.

Hopes

In the future, I hope to see M3F promote ear protection, especially for children. I love that this is a family-friendly event and I love loud music, but being able to go home at night without a constant ringing is a blessing. Ultimately, it is up to the individuals and parents of the kids to prioritize the safety of their hearing when attending events with amplified sound. As an event that creates a safe space for all to enjoy music, I hope that they (and other festivals)create a culture that promotes hearing protection.

Overall, there is a reason why M3F remains one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. It’s the “Old Reliable” that continues to surprise me every year. It’s a festival that I know I will walk away with a new favorite artist or get to enjoy the artist I’ve been listening to for years. M3F is a festival I can support knowing that they have the best interest of their patrons and the communities around them at heart. I’m already planning for next year. Check out their official page here!