DUSK Music Festival Does not Disappoint
Tucson, Music, Food, Art! DUSK Music Festival transforms Jacome Plaza for an amazing weekend!
DUSK Music Festival made its return to Tucson, AZ after more than a year of music shutdown across the world and the crowd was more than ready for it! Crowding around 3 stages downtown festival-goers enjoyed the likes of Jimmy Eat World, DIPLO, Grouplove, and Porter Robinson as this year’s headliners and many more acts ranging from national to local! Not only in attendance were local musicians but packing the festival grounds were local restaurants, artists, and vendors!
We made sure we stopped by Dante’s to snag some cajun garlic friends with spicy sriracha ketchup! Fresh out of the fryer and straight into our mouths, crispy, garlic, and delicious! For sure one of our favorite snacks of this weekend! We had to make sure we had something to wash it all down with though! We stopped by the Chelly tent and had to get a Chellito (Chelly’s take of a mojito). Chelly is described as, new-aged, infused limoncello. We can attest that this drink is light, refreshing but can pack a punch so drink responsibly! If you were looking for something a little more classic, Smirnoff Vodka, Bulleit Bourbon, and Don Julio were all set up with a lovely bar and seating area to grab a twist on a classic cocktail and relax in a comfy seat! We made sure to try one of each and have to admit, we couldn’t pick a favorite drink from this stop!
If you were looking for a little different way to sit and relax you could have checked out the WYNK ;) tent! We stopped by and sipped on some CBD-infused seltzer water! 2.5 g of CBD in each seltzer with flavors including, Lime, Black Cherry, and Mango! We had the black cherry and mango loved these drinks! We felt relaxed and were able to enjoy the festival while sipping on these delicious seltzers!
On top of everything DUSK had to offer, the music was top-notch! We started Day One off with some local love by catching Tucson’s own, Crashing Saturn over at the Discovery Stage! We spent a lot of time at this stage as we were fans of a lot of the local Tucsonbands/artists that were being given an opportunity to showcase their music in front of a large audience! Also at this stage, we caught Adam Townsend who is a seasoned veteran as far as playing gigs in Tucson goes! Townsend mixes his performances up between solo shows and full band gigs! The fans at DUSK got to see one of his full band setups on Sunday evening and it did not disappoint!!
For our electronic music lovers, the Presidio stage was your haven! This stage was jam-packed with electronic artists including, Pauline Herr, Sage Armstrong, Bijou Yolandabecool, and many, many more! Our favorite of the weekend off this stage was, Pauline Herr! She actually opened up the stage on Saturday and she remained our #1 Presidio Stage act all weekend! During the set, Pauline Herr brought her parents on stage for a little family rave action! Her brother wasn’t far from the mix taking photographs and recording video during her set! The Pauline Herr operation is a family affair and we are here for it!!
No festival is complete without a solid lineup of headliners! This year Jimmy Eat World, DIPLO, GROUPLOVE, and Porter Robinson were topping the festival poster! We were lucky enough to catch all four acts and can confirm all of them brought it!
Saturday’s first headliner of the night was Mesa, Az’s own, Jimmy Eat World. The band release a new album in 2019 and just concluded a tour in support of that record! The band played songs from that album and also played the classics along with it including the crowd favorite, The Middle. For all, you 90’s and early 2000’s fans out there this song was playing on every rock and pop radio station after its release in 2001! Being able to see a staple band from my childhood was an amazing experience and I’m sure I was not the only one to feel that way!
Los Angeles-based DJ, DIPLO, was next to hit the stage for the conclusion of the first night! DIPLO brought the energy to the night by supplying his uptempo beats and drops that will have you headbanging into a neck cramp! Posted on TikTok via DIPLO, we saw the DJ on his way to his set when he asked a valet at the Arizona Inn he was staying at in Tucson if he wanted to tag along to the set! After some brief hesitation and convincing the manager of the Inn the valet hopped into the back of DIPLO’s ride and proceeded to the festival. There he was on stage with DIPLO hyping up the crowd and also taking some videos for the DJ as well! A truly once in a lifetime experience and one he will be telling his friends and family for some time, I’m sure!
Sunday had us falling in love with GROUPLOVE and Porter Robinson! Taking the earlier time slot in the night but still, an amazing co-headliner, Alt-rockers, GROUPLOVE dazzled the crowd with an electric performance and even gave the crowd some nostalgia whilst playing their hit, Tongue Tied! This was indeed one of my favorite sets of the weekend overall and a band that I have missed out on seeing a number of times but was lucky enough to catch this amazing set as they are celebrating 10 years of GROUPLOVE!
Last but certainly not least was the always amazing, Porter Robinson. Unfortunately, the American DJ was battling a head cold but ensured the crowd it was not Covid saying “They just told me in my ears to ensure that it’s just a head cold and not covid” he said with a chuckle before continuing, “I’ve tested like four times and it’s just a head cold”. Regardless of sickness, Porter Robinson provided an amazing set as he was ending his Nurture tour but also ending the festival with great grace!
DUSK Music Festival 2021 was our first year ever attending the Tucson, AZ festival and we are hoping that it will not be our last! We loved every aspect from discovering a new artist at the Discovery Stage to hanging out and relaxing on a pile of bean bags listening to your favorite DJ tear up the main stage! If you are looking for a festival that is still growing but has everything the biggest festivals have, DUSK Music Festival should be added to your list of festivals to attend! We are looking forward to 2022 and what the next installment of DUSK will have in store!