Symphonic Distribution brings together Florida’s thriving independent music & art scene once again with Vibes of the Bay 2018
Vibes of the Bay is a one-day independent music festival in Tampa, Florida presented by Symphonic Distribution (@symphonicdistro). Held August 18th at Crowbar - one of Ybor City’s best live music venues - the event provides a platform that showcases the talent and distinctiveness of the growing music scene in the Tampa Bay area. From imaginative producers to psychotropic DJs, insightful rappers, electronic-infused rockers, & ethereal vocalists - almost all being innovative multi-instrumentalists - SymDistro brings together hundreds of bay area visual artists, photographers, influencers, bloggers, music and art lovers from all over Florida to celebrate & enjoy some of the best emerging music innovators to share the talented magic that is sprouting in south Florida.
Loaded with such a collaborative-minded line up of creators - where between the artists, media, audience, and sponsors that are all there to authentically support each other - the night was full of rare performances to surprise even some of the devoted locals.
ARI CHI
TRAPFONE
One unique performance came from dynamic duo-project Trapfone, which is composed by Tampa’s favorite phenomenal producer Jordan Patrick (@jxpvtty) and astral angel of a psychoactive DJ Betty DawL (@bettydawl), who is also now hosting HER! Sundays - a night to empower any and all artists identifying as HER! for creatives by creatives - at Hooch & Hive. In collaboration, they were also joined by live drummer Natalie Depergola of Garden Club (@gardenclubmusic), but they’re no strangers to joining forces and creating with other bay area visionaries.
Trapfone also appear on G.I.R.L. (Ghost I Remember Loving), a 2017 soulful, hip-hop groove album reminiscing the changing shades of losing lovers by bay area artist Sam E Hues - co-founder of the art collective He(Art) - who was accompanied by celestial vocalist Alyssa Conte and Trapfone producer Jordan Patrick.
SAM E HUES
Sam E Hues (@sam3hues) performed 2 new tracks - The Water and Minute - off his upcoming sophomore album, Easy Tiger. He also just finished his first full scale mural piece to add on to downtown St. Petersburg’s blooming street art scene with marvelous model/muse Macy Sun Kober (@kimchi.jpg) as the dreamy subject in his newest creation, Origami Dream Boat.
MOUTH COUNCIL
Next to take the stage was Mouth Council (@mouthcouncil) - a spontaneous group vocal looping experience facilitated by Billy Mays III - with a uniquely collaborative performance from bay area artists: Ari Chi, Mountain Holler, Dea & Saint, Kid Loki, Zitro, Prince Golden of Samurai Shotgun, and other friends & strangers coming together to create something special that took the audience by surprise.
KING COMPLEX
Another astonishing performance came from St. Pete’s faceless, tuxedo shredders King Complex, bringing an unapologetically experimental vibe to indie electronic music, who’s live set takes you through a wormhole of fluid electricity and chromatic outbreaks.
Symphonic Distribution did not hold back any talent this year with more performances from local favorites: Ari Chi, The Jackettes, DEA & SAINT, Pixelsaur, Jinx, Mighty Jai, DJ Qeys, as well as bringing in some out of town south Florida spanish heat Xcelencia and Calma Carmona. Adding some more stellar magic to the show was electro visionary wizard, Matthew Reisinger (@FR33DBACK) with his sound & lighting design production that always blows the audience back into another galaxy.
THE JACKETTES
Miami artist Kelly Breez (@kellybreez) also joined Vibes of the Bay, live painting with Illsol and raising over $700 to protect the iconic chickens and roosters of Ybor City. The Tampa Bay Area really is full of such diverse audio & visual talent which continues to flourish with how collaborative and supportive the artists all are of each other. Symphonic Distribution brings together all this love to share with another as well as distributing it out to the rest of the world for everyone to discover. With abundant gratitude, we thank Jorge Brea & Janette B. Velazquez of Symphonic Distribution with everything they do for independent artists and for having SoundBite Magazine contribute to Vibes of the Bay 2018.
Coverage by Javier Ortiz (@zitrovision)
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