G-Fest reminded me of why I love live shows so much. The call and response component makes it feel real. I enjoy feeling the swell of anticipation within the audience. When the music builds up, and then it ‘crashes’ back down into a quieter melody, everyone goes wild.
A total of five groups performed during G-Fest: Photonix (performance art group that utilizes glow-sticks and other implements to manipulate light), Oren Levin (singer, guitarist), Revolution (Chinese Yoyo/Diabolo performance art group), The Impro-fessionals (improv group), and the G-Men (all-male a cappella group).
My favorite part of the show was seeing Photonix and Revolution perform. I was mesmerized by the culmination of skill, choreography, and musicality. Also, it was funny to see the members of Photonix rush off stage once the lights came back on. They clearly loved the art form but were not used to being on a bright stage with a large audience—which I find totally understandable. There were at least 500 people there that night; stage fright is real.
During Revolution’s performance, performers made mistakes, but that was okay. The performance wasn’t about perfection. It was about people coming together to celebrate the joy of art. Watching the tricky maneuvers and choreography reminded me that art is a skill.
It was cool to hear Oren Levin’s original songs. This was his third year performing during G-Fest. He clearly had a lot of experience in front of a live audience; he knew how to make the right jokes to make tuning and setting up less awkward. He tried to get the audience to participate in one of his songs which turned out to be a little bumpy, but I appreciated his enthusiasm.
My favorite songs performed by the G-Men were “Day n nite” by Kid Cudi, and “Other Side of Paradise” by Glass Animals. I was enthralled by the lead singer’s vocals; his voice was like liquid gold. The corny jokes the G-Men made in-between songs made me laugh and cringe.
G-Fest was a great way to unwind and relieve stress. It felt like a formal, yet informal way of celebrating art with other people. It was formal in the sense that it was an organized event where hundreds of people showed up, fliers were made, and a host announced each event and group performance. It was informal in the way that there was no pressure for performers to be perfect. I loved that. One of my favorite quotes is: “To live a creative life we must first lose the fear of being wrong” (Joseph Chilton Pearce). A lot of the time, art is about the process rather than the finished product. Allowing other artists to share their skills and passions with others in a nonjudgemental environment promotes creativity and collaboration.
Here are some links to check out the groups and their latest works and upcoming performances:
- Oren Levin
- Impro-fessionals
- Photonix
- Revolution
- G-Men. Find them on Youtube and Spotify. Their latest album is out now.
