Words & Photographs By: Chapin Patel
On March 29th, 2019 I hopped on a plane in Austin, Texas and headed to Anaheim, California to photograph the first annual Swanfest. The first annual festival consisted of amazing artists such as Wolf & Bear, Don Broco, Sianvar, We Came As Romans and of course headliner Dance Gavin Dance. I had an amazing time at this festival filled with amazing views, food and of course wonderful music.
Wolf & Bear kicked off the festival at Stage B. Everyone crowded around the stage stricken with anticipation for what kind of energy today would bring. Wolf and Bear set it off with the sun high in the sky. The band was tight in their performance and where really feeding off the energy of the crowd. Several smiles from the band and lots of finger pointing from the fans.
Royal Coda came in with their A Game as vocalist, Kurt Travis exercised his vocal range reaching falsetto territories exceeding anyone’s expectations. Guitar player: Sergio Medina was definitely feeling the positive energy that the crowd was giving off and preceded to rip major solos and intricate picking patterns all the while by resembling a stage presence similar in passion to the great Jimi Hendrix. Drummer, Joseph Arrington was laying down the rhythm section serving the song very well. Involving such colorful structure to an already polyrhythmic and heavily layered composition. His placement around the kit had you In complete loss for words. There is something to be said about this new band as a whole, very talented and at this point took the cake for one of the best sets of the day!
We Came As Romans is a band I haven’t heard in a while. The band had a recent comeback onto the scene in a big way in September of 2017. This band has a ton of heart and it’s pretty evident that they still have the fire to continue on and put on one hell of a performance. The band demands your attention now more than ever. Vocalist, Dave demands this raw energy from the crowd and the fans willing to give it their all by screaming the lyrics of the songs to creating circle pits amongst the festival goers. The stage presence was a big plus and was a great push for energy towards the end of the day.
Covet is an “adventure rock” band hailing from San Francisco and consists of Yvette Young, David Adamiak and Forrest Rice. Covet rocked stage B with their instrumental tracks and groovy vibes. David and Yvette danced to the rhythm while Forrest smiled and kept time. I really enjoyed their set. Covet creates creative music that does not need lyrics to keep the listener entertained. The talent of this band can be seen in their songs and their performances.
Sianvar keeps the progressive nature of their music turned up to dial 11. This band has the power to transport you to another world through its vulnerable self expression in the lyrics and bombastic instrumentation. Long almost episodic compositions constantly transforming into something you could’ve never imagined the song to go. Intensity at its finest, breaking walls of creativity you could’ve never thought possible and changing the ever growing landscape of what this art has to offer.
Dance Gavin Dance were the headliners for this event. Sacramento based hardcore/experimental band took the stage to fans delight and kicked off the set with a crowd favorite: Son of Robot which was included on their most recent album, Artificial Selection. The fans cheered in delight after waiting all day to see their favorite bands. Many had traveled across states and in some cases even across continents. I spoke to a group of people who had traveled to California all the way from Denmark to attend the festival. I have seen this band perform around six times and they never are a disappointment.
The group always has an amazing stage presence and interacts with the fans throughout their set, adding to the excitement. To fans surprise, DGD played Uneasy Hearts Weigh The Most which was a track from their self-titled album which was released in 2008. I saw so many shocked faces when the opening chords of the song played and I even saw some fans cry tears of joy. I was shocked as well but smiled and couldn’t help but think how much the band cares for their fans and always puts on an amazing show. In the end, DGD are a can’t miss band and always put on a show that leaves concert-goers wanting more.
In the end, Swanfest did not disappoint. The festival was incredibly organized and perfectly scheduled. I was thankful for the maps, schedules and overall fun. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to attend such a fun festival that is truly one of its own. We had an amazing time that included great interaction during sets, good weather and artists who truly care about their fans. I look forward to the next festival and will be attending every year.