Coachella Music and Arts Festival is often cited as one of the biggest and best outdoor music festivals. But on the 5C campuses, you are also likely to hear people raving about the “No-Chella Music and Arts Festival.” No-Chella is a one-day festival occurring this Saturday, April 13 on the Pomona College campus. Activities will commence at 4 p.m. on the Smith Campus Center South Lawn and will continue into the night until 1 a.m. No-Chella is sponsored by Pomona Events Committee (PEC) Live Music, as well as KSPC.
What is this “No-Chella,” you may ask? Well, it’s the locally sourced and societally aware response by liberal arts college students to the increasing corporatization of music festivals, specifically Coachella.
“We want to combat that with the resources Pomona has generously given us, and hopefully we are having a positive impact in the area, at least on local music scenes,” wrote Ariana Mygatt PO ’13, a member of PEC Live Music and KSPC, in an e-mail to TSL.
Tickets to Coachella are $350, while No-Chella is absolutely free and open to all appreciators of live music, art, and fun—students and community members alike.
The event will feature free tacos for the first 100 5C students and lots of art, including face painting and fun photography. No-Chella even has hula-hooping. But, of course, the main focus of this festival is the awesome live music. If you’d like a quick preview of the bands, read on.
EMA is one of the musicians featured at No-Chella. EMA, the moniker of Pitzer alumna Erika M. Anderson, is the subject of many blogs and has recently skyrocketed to the forefront of the noise-folk scene after releasing two albums. Her music is full of poignant lyrics and swelling instrumentation.
Nguzunguzu is an electronic duo from Los Angeles whose music focuses on mixes and remixes of songs from all over the world. They’ve got fast beats, interesting noises, layered sounds, and the occasional R&B vocals. This band will definitely create an energetic atmosphere at No-Chella that will allow you to dance and act out in funky ways.
Body Parts, also from L.A., is the experimental pop group of Ryder Bach. They have already been compared to the Dirty Projectors but with the energy and flair of the Talking Heads. Their song “Comfortable, Happy, Satisfied” has been a hit ever since its addition to the KSPC library, and their quirky lyrics and vocals cannot help but make you smile and tap your feet.
Moses Campbell is a five-piece band from L.A. that is big into the DIY music scene. Their music can be categorized as lo-fi folk at times and aggressive, upbeat pop at others. There’s a lot going on in a good way, and from all their experience playing local venues, Moses Campbell is sure to put on a good performance and engage the crowd. Their music is really accessible and enjoyable and makes you want to bop along. Even though their lyrics might get quite insightful or poignant, there’s always some adorable instrument like an accordion or glockenspiel in the background to keep things fun.
The Dining Dead is an indie-alternative band in the business of making garage pop-rock that is not too hard or too soft, but just right.
Another gem at No-Chella, Thee Rain Cats have opened for The Growlers and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, so they definitely know how to put on a show. Their brand of show includes self-described “synth-space melodies” and “dreamy pop sounds.” Essentially, it’s just really freaking fun. There’s enough synth to be quirky but enough bouncy vocals to be poppy. Their music gives off a very beachy vibe and could definitely be the soundtrack for any typical sunny-weather day in Southern California.
The other two bands on the bill, Blue Hawaii and Mac DeMarco, are the only non-natives to the area, both hailing from Canada—but do not underestimate their ability to produce great indie music. Blue Hawaii plays pop music with a lot of electronic influences and vocal skill. Mac DeMarco is not electronic, but he still has a lot of talent. All of his music is based off of the guitar he bought for 30 Canadian dollars when he was sixteen, and it can be described as quirky, alternative pop. His live shows are often unexpected in terms of the type of music he plays, and he tries to engage the audience with somewhat offensive jokes in order to loosen them up and have a good time. Essentially, he wants people to enjoy the experience of live music and have fun with it. Actually, this can (most likely) be said of all those involved with planning and attending No-Chella. We all just want to experience great live music and have fun. And don’t you worry—this year’s event will not disappoint!
For more information, you can check out the website at nochella2013.tumblr.com, friend “No-Chella Fest” on Facebook, or contact Mygatt at ariana.mygatt@pomona.edu for further questions, especially if you are interested in showing your art in the festival or getting involved with PEC.