The Dusk Music Festival is returning to Tucson on Nov. 10 and 11 with the same mix of diverse local, regional and national artists it has hosted the first three years.
But in year three, there’s one big change: the location.
Instead of the familiar spot at Rillito Downs, the festival is moving to Armory Park downtown, 222 S. Fifth Ave., to showcase more aspects of Tucson’s culture.
Big-name musicians, food vendors and artists will make the festival come to life this year. Larger-than-life sculptures, digital art, video projection and lighting elements also will be on display at the festival for a Coachella-esque vibe.
Tucson Arts is partnering with the University of Arizona’s School of Art, 3D and Extended Media to commission works of art that will surround the downtown area and festival grounds.
Organizers say Dusk will celebrate the intersection of art and music for an experience that ignites all of the senses.
But the biggest sensory experience will still come from the stage.
Here’s a look at the artists performing this weekend.
Saturday, Nov. 10:
- Dillon Francis: Described as a “living-meme” by his fans, Francis is bringing his electro-house, crowd-pleasing music to Tucson. The 31-year-old’s most recent album, “Money Sucks Friends Rule,” has earned him a place at the forefront of the EDM scene, and his goofy public persona has captured the hearts of millions of fans across the world. Francis is widely known for popularizing “moombahcore,” a fusion genre of house music and reggaeton.
- Phantogram: Duo Sarah Barthel, 35, and Josh Carter, 36, have a musical style reminiscent of a 1980s UK genre called shoegaze. Also known as dream pop, shoegaze includes a lot of interesting rhythms, swirling guitars, spacey keyboards, echoes and airy vocals. Phantogram is best known for its 2010 hit “When I’m Small,” which has over 49 million listens on Spotify.
- Cold War Kids: An American indie rock band from Long Beach, California, will be a break from EDM in Saturday’s lineup. The band will be a musical wildcard with its rock, blue-eyed soul sound. Its 2017 album, “L.A. Divine,” pays homage to the band members’ hometown in all its strange glory. Its gritty and bluesy vibe has listeners from the band’s earliest days revisiting its newer stuff.
- A-TRAK: Canadian DJ, record producer and music-label executive Alain Macklovitch marries electro house and hip-hop in his work. A-TRAK’s extensive career landed him a spot on Rolling Stone’s 50 most important people in EDM. He is also a part of the DJ duo Duck Sauce with Armand Van Helden, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for their song “Barbra Streisand.”
- Anna Lunoe: This Aussie DJ, known as a female powerhouse of the dance music landscape, incorporates innovative textures and original vocals into her tracks. She made the big move to L.A. just a year ago and her career has skyrocketed since. Her two hits, “Stronger” and “I Met You,” have over 11 million listens on Spotify combined.
- Andrew Luce: The electronic dance DJ from the Bay Area is the youngest on the lineup at 19. With a background in guitar and electric and classical drums, Luce started producing at age 13. His collaboration with pop singer Chelsea Cutler on “When To Love You” and “Up To You” put him on the map with over 2 million listens on Spotify.
- Hoodboi: Los Angeles-based producer and graphic designer Roger Schami combines dance, house, soul and R&B influences in his music. Schami gained widespread recognition in 2014 with his club edits of ’90s throwback anthems. Since then, he’s toured the world with huge EDM DJs such as A-TRAK and Dillon Francis.
- Madeaux: This Miami-raised producer puts a theatrical spin on his music. Described as a dark electronic, warehouse, techno artist, his work is an example of the different forms EDM can take. His debut album “Burn” has been called one of the best dance music albums of 2018.
- X.X.T: The most eccentric of the lineup, Multi-Hyphenate Enigma Psycho Flower MC is a designer, producer, and performer in L.A. The band is made up of her and two anonymous artists who go by the names GR!M3Y-T & G3NR8TR. They are known for their art-pop, electro-rap music and cutting-edge graphics. X.X.T is also a strong advocate for androgyny and identity.
- Sur Block: Hailing from the Yaqui Village of Old Pascua on Tucson’s west side, Sur Block has gained a following through its gorgeously melodic brand of desert indie pop. The band incorporates vocal harmonies and electronic pulses to create a truly unique sound. (See story in this section.)
On Sunday:
- Big Gigantic: No genre is off limits for this all-star EDM duo based out of Boulder, Colorado. Their hip-hop, jazz hybrid sound has earned them a place at the forefront of the electronic scene and over a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their 2017 hit “All of Me” featuring Logic and ROZES has over 50 million hits.
- Jai Wolf: Known for his breakout hits “Indian Summer” and “Starlight,” Jai Wolf has successfully incorporated ’80s synth in his music to create a genre he calls indie-electronica. Sajeeb Saha, 27, has used ethereal sounds, down-tempo electronic beats and unique vocal samples to mold a genre that is all his own.(See story in this section.)
- KYLE: Another wildcard artist on the lineup is pop rapper Thomas Harvey, 25, who goes by the mononym “KYLE.” Best known for his song “ipsy,” featuring American hip-hop artist Lil Yachty, he was named “one of the 10 artists you need to know” by Rolling Stone in 2015.
- Cherub: This electro-indie duo of Jordan Kelley, 26, and Jason Huber, 25, is best known for its 2012 über-hit “Doses and Mimosas.” The track topped The Hype Machine chart and has more than 20 million YouTube views. The Nashville, Tennessee, natives have recently returned from a two-year hiatus and have dropped four new singles in 2018.
- AC Slater: Aaron Clevenger, 25, takes the persona of “AC Slater,” or as he refers to himself, “The Deep House King of America.” His style is a mix of UK garage, a genre of electronic music originating from England in the early 1990s, bassline and house. His biggest hit is “Bass Inside,” which has over 3 million hits on Spotify.
- Elohim: Electro-pop singer-songwriter Elohim has remained incognito regardless of her newfound fame by using animal masks and a disguised voice during appearances. Her self-titled album, “Elohim,” was released this year featuring dreamy-pop waves and deep bass sounds.
- Falcons: Blurring the lines between hip-hop, R&B and electronic dance, this music producer has made a major impact across the globe. His standout performances at the Boiler Room, a global online music broadcasting platform commissioning and streaming live music sessions, and Coachella have caught the attention of EDM fans everywhere.
- Elley Duh
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- : The 26-year-old pop singer has risen to stardom after her collaboration with Russian-German music producer Zedd on their 2018 mega-hit “Happy Now.” The song now has over 136 million listens on Spotify.
- Mother Tierra: Tucson-based DJ and producer Tierra Owens incorporates influences of electronica and chillwave into her sets. Her first performance was at Aint Nobody’s Bizness, a nightclub in Tucson that has since closed.
