The BUKU Music + Art Project 2018 Preview

With Mardi Gras just in the rear view mirror, New Orleans is only starting, and at the start of March comes Buku Music + Art Project, Friday & Saturday, March 9th & 10th:

FRIDAY, MARCH 9th

Power Plant Migos, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM Quarvo, Takeoff and Offset together form hip-hop group Migos, and come to Buku Project behind last year’s Culture and chart-topping hit “Bad and Boujee” – with vocals from fellow Buku ‘18 performer Lil Uzi Vert (see below), so look for a guest appearance in New Orleans.

SZA, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM Solana Rowe, a.k.a. SZA (QRO photos at a festival), had people talking from the get-go, but that’s only been more so since last year’s debut full-length, Ctrl, regarded as one of the albums of the year (QRO Top Albums of 2017), including playing Saturday Night Live and a slew of Grammy nominations (but no wins – #JusticeForSZA).

MGMT, 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM All of a sudden, Wesleyan University gave birth to a bunch of indie acts, but none blew up like MGMT (QRO live review). Songs like “Electric Feel” (QRO video) and “Time To Pretend” (QRO video) launched 2007’s Oracular Spectacular in the stratosphere. The follow-up was bound to bring them more back down to earth, and Congratulations (QRO review) is a classic over-ambitious sophomore release, with third, self-titled record full-on weird. There was a big break after MGMT, but this year (QRO photos at a recent festival) they’ve coming back with Little Dark Age (QRO review), that nicely balances their accessible & weird. The two-man psych-rock band of Ben Goldwasser & Andrew Van Wyngarden (QRO photos outdoors) is more than prepared to blow minds outdoors when they come to play Buku Project (QRO photos at a festival).

Bishop Briggs, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Born in London to Scottish parents from Bishopbriggs, Sarah Grace McLaughlin (QRO photos) comes to Buku Project (QRO photos at a festival) in the run-up to her highly anticipated debut full-length, next month’s Church of Scars. Also: New Thousand, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Float Den Virtual Self, 11:15 PM – 12:45 AM Under his new alter ego Virtual Self, famed electronic music producer (and Buku ’15 performer) Porter Robinson (QRO photos at a festival) harkens all the way back to the turn-of-the-millennium electronica (a lifetime in the EDM scene).

Alison Wonderland, 9:00 PM – 10:15 PM Sydney’s Alex Sholler began as a classically trained cellist, but has since stepped through the looking glass to become world-known DJ Alison Wonderland.

Also: Snails, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Ganja White Night + Boogie T, 5:45 PM – 7:30 PM Spag Heddy, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM CloZee, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Ballroom Flatbush Zombies, 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM Putting an extra exclamation point in “Brooklyn!!!” is the borough’s own Flatbush Zombies (QRO photos at a festival), who are part of this decade’s East Coast hip-hop ‘Beast Coast’ movement.

Mura Masa, 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM Out of Britain’s Channel Islands comes producer/multi-instrumentalist Alexander Crossan, a.k.a. Mura Masa (QRO photos at a festival).

A Day To Remember, 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM Florida’s A Day To Remember (QRO photos) manage to mix metalcore and pop-punk. Previously at odd with their label, Victory, over 2013’s Common Courtesy, they were eventually able to release it, and come to New Orleans (QRO photos) behind 2016’s follow-up, Bad Vibrations.

Also: Falling In Reverse, 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM Rich The Kid x Famous Dex, 6:45 PM – 8:00 PM Homeshake, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM The Russ Liquid Test, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

Wharf Bonobo, 11:30 PM – 12:45 AM While most DJs-as-artists are pretty new in the indiesphere, Simon Green (QRO photos at a festival) has been spinning for over a decade as Bonobo (QRO live review), and spins live at Buku Project.

Green Velvet, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM A man of many names (including Cajmere, Half Pint, Curan Stone, and more), Green Velvet – a.k.a. Curtis Jones – puts together krautrock for the next generation.

Also: Soulection (Sango B2B Esta. B2B The Whooligan, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM Lil Xan, 7:45 PM – 8:15 PM Honey Dijon, 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM Walker & Royce, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM Bouffant Bouffant, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM Nice Rack B2B Rusty Lazer, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM

VIP Back Alley Eprom B2B Mad Zach, 10:45 PM – 12:00 AM DROELOE, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM SQUINTO, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM BlackGummy, 6:45 PM – 6:45 PM TVBOO, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Front Yard FREEWATER, 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM FREEWATER, 9:15 PM – 10:00 PM Pink Room Project, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM Pink Room Project, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 10th

Power Plant Bassnectar, 9:45 PM – 11:00 PM A festival mainstay (QRO photos), like Buku ’15 (QRO photos at Buku ’15), Lorin Ashton (a.k.a. Bassnectar – QRO photos) brings the lights live (QRO photos at a festival) – as well as the hair… (QRO photos at a festival)

Lil Uzi Vert, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Philadelphia’s Lil Uzi Vert got recognition from his debut single, “Money Longer”, and some top-notch mixtapes. And last fall his appeared on Billboard Hot 100 single “Bad and Boujee”, by fellow Buku ’18 artist Migos (see above) – expect a reunion in New Orleans.

ILLENIUM, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM San Francisco DJ & producer Nick Miller, a.k.a. ILLENIUM, comes to Buku Project (QRO photos at a New Orleans festival) to play ‘Awake’ live.

Noname, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Off of an appearance on “Lost” in the Rapper’s 2013 mixtape Acid Rap, Noname (QRO photos at a festival) has made her own name. Also: Zack Villere, 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Float Den REZZ, 11:45 PM – 1:00 AM Persian-Ukrainian by way of Canada DJ, Isabelle Rezazadeh, a.k.a. REZZ, comes to Louisiana behind last year’s debut album, Mass Manipulation.

Also: Ski Mask The Slump God, 10:45 PM – 11:30 PM Borgore, 8:30 PM – 9:45 PM – QRO photos at a festival Jai Wolf, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Hippie Sabotage, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM Jada Cicada, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Ballroom Isaiah Rashad, 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM Outta Chattanooga, Tennessee, Isaiah Rashad began rapping in tenth grade, got spots opening for the likes of Juicy J and Smoke DZA, and wowed critics with his 2014 debut EP, Clivia Demo, and 2016’s debut LP, The Sun’s Tirade.

Little Dragon, 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM From chilly-but-beautiful Gothenburg, Sweden comes the chilly-but-beautiful electronic outfit Little Dragon (QRO photos), who’ve collaborated with everyone from Gorillaz to José González, but 2014 put out their own Nabuma Rubberband, their follow-up to 2011’s Ritual Union (QRO review), and have been gracing festivals (QRO photos at a festival) & more (QRO photos at a festival).

Sylvan Esso, 8:45 PM – 10:00 PM Durham, North Carolina indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso (QRO photos outdoors) have moved up very fast (QRO photos at a festival) since the release in 2014 of their eponymous debut full-length, with well-titled follow-up What Now (QRO review) out last fall. Never stop starting!

Also: Jay Electronica, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – (QRO photos at a festival) Smino, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM ELOHIM, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

Wharf Snakehips, 11:45 PM – 12:45 AM Oliver Lee and James Carter made their Snakehips name doing Hype Machine remixes of everyone from Banks to The Weeknd, but found their own hit single in 2015’s “All My Friends”.

Gryffin, 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM Remix master Dan Griffith comes to Buku Project as Gryffin.

Princess Nokia, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM Get ready for the in-your-face hip-hop of Princess Nokia, including crowdsurfing and shirt removing (QRO live review, with both).

Also: Emo Nite LA, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM AF THE NAYSAYER x Yung Vul, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM KTRL. B2B Red Barrington, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM KiddLove, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM DJ Klinik, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

VIP Back Alley graves, 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM Medasin, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM Melvv, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM Ducky, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Suicideyear, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Front Yard CHURCH, 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM* CHURCH, 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM* CHURCH, 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM* Upbeat Academy, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Upbeat Academy, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM