Summer Fest makes Saturday crowds dance

Free Press Summer Festival fans were none too happy with the temporary evacuation that shuttered the grounds early Saturday afternoon. The tweets came fast, furiously, frantically and from under freeways — all chastising organizers for a lack of emergency planning.

“We want refunds!” “It’s not even that bad!” “What happened to rain or shine!”

But by the time of-the-moment DJ and producer Zedd took the curiously small Saturn Stage later that night, all seemed to be forgiven. There was dancing. There were glowsticks. There was that infectious sense of exuberance that only comes with EDM (electronic dance music) acts.

Zedd powered through a set that included all his pop crossover hits, accessorized with an impressive light show. Hands were high in the air from beginning to end. He could have easily gone on twice as long. His gift is capturing the essence of electronic music and making it accessible for mainstream audiences.

Dancing was frequent throughout the day, starting with strong sets from locals BLSHS and Wild Moccasins. BLSHS showcased dreamy synth-pop songs led by vocalist Michelle Mears. And it was great to see Wild Moccasins on the big Mars Stage. Singer Zahira Gutierrez, in a multicolored bodysuit, strutted back and forth like some sort of glorious, indie-pop peacock. She’s a superstar waiting to happen.

The Tontons ran through a quick soundcheck on the Mars Stage before being halted by the evacuation order. Vocalist Asli Omar sounded terrific in those brief minutes.

Original Article


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