Forget ACL, I Flew to London for All Points East

Ethan McConnell  

Music Director  

Everyone has seen rollouts for festivals here and there, like Rolling Loud, ACL, Coachella, the big shows everyone yearns to experience at least once in their lifetime. Here at KTSW, I’m not here to give the spotlight to the big steppers; they get enough promotion on their own. All Points East is a festival that takes place in East London’s Victoria Park, hosting some of the biggest artists of our time, ranging from Syd making a debut back in the industry to even underground rapper fakemink. Now, given that most of us are residing in Texas, you probably haven’t heard of this festival. Fear not though, because I was crazy enough to buy a ticket, airfare, and housing just so I could provide overseas festival coverage to influence you guys to finally make that trip to Europe. 

DIJON 

Multi-instrumentalist Dijon Duenas came in to deliver an emotionally raw set with a light rain falling in, adding more atmosphere to the genre-bending of R&B and experimental rock. The intimacy on that stage between him and his bandmates was intoxicating, as if they all shared the same bruised and battered life experiences. From start to finish, you could hear the pain echo through the field, with Dijon’s hoarse vocals and punchy percussion pulling you in to think of all the things that could’ve been. Dijon’s performance wasn’t just good based on hearing popular tracks like “Baby!”, “Talk Down”, and “Yamaha”; it was the improvisation incorporated into each track. You heard a new alternate version of something that was already spontaneous reach a new level. Transitioning from each song, he left no room to breathe, seamlessly delivering shifts from vulnerable falsetto vocal lines to a sped-up version of “Many Times”.  The sound he brought on that stage was rustic and scrappy, and it just left you wanting more when the last note rang, resonating with thousands in the crowd. 

Baby Keem 

“I’m OD in Paris, I’m OD in France. I thought that I told you, I need the advance”, is what I hear as I’m sprinting from the other side of the festival to catch this set. One half of the hillbillies brought the energy as a nice warm-up for fans as that cool evening breeze came in. After dealing with a private medical condition alongside severe family trauma, the Los Angeles rapper has come back after taking a five-year break, releasing his album, Casino. During his set, he performed songs off the project that expressed those struggles that were affecting him, such as “I am not a Lyricist” and “Circus Circus Freestyle”. There were definitely harsh and upbeat moments during those songs, with the hard claps and fast-paced lyricism causing the entire crowd to jump around from side to side, but you also got hit with the duality of his discography when Keem performed a couple of songs from his first studio album, The Melodic Blues. From heavy-hitting 808s to soft melodic piano lines, you really got hit with a little bit of everything in this condensed 45 min set from booman (nickname of Baby Keem). 

Daniel Caesar  

Now, if you are in a loving relationship, skip this paragraph, real yearners only :p. The gospel, neo-soul legend came on to leave a heavy stain on your heart. The warm vocal harmonies provided by the gospel church on stage and the minimalism of instrumentation showed you truly that less is so much more. You only had piano or guitar carrying an entire chorus, melody, and bridge, with the support of vocal lines of course, and veryyyy little percussion elements. With softer elements and less instrumentation, it really leaves room for you to feel every little piece of the song. Daniel Caesar left fans in a pool of their own tears playing tracks like Who Knows”, “Best Part”, and my personal favorite “Superpowers”. The set was rich in soul, giving it the spiritual depth it needed to encapsulate you. You had every, and I mean every person in the crowd singing along. You don’t just get that from a regular song; it comes from something that took years to be curated, to tell a heartfelt story, and that’s why the people gathered around to hear. A good story is one that others can relate to. 

Tyler, the Creator  

Coming in for this last one, the big headliner, Big Poe himself took the main stage of All Points East to end the festival on both days. We have all grown up on Tyler, the Creator and have seen his many eras, and with his most recent release, Don’t Tap the Glass, it was nice to see some of those songs performed live, especially because I don’t think there will be a tour of the project. The innovator constantly reinvents himself with every release he puts out and always has a bold production, from stage design all the way to stage presence. Performing two nights in a row meant nothing to this man as he delivered an intense hour-and-35-minute set. You had moments of rolling drum sequences shaking the crowd with “Sugar on My Tongue”, heart-to-heart moments on “Like Him,” and even an alternate intro with “Tamale”. It didn’t stop there either, because obviously both nights are not going to be the same. On night two, the man brought out not only Rex Orange County but also A$AP Rocky, making the night unforgettable. 

Final Curtains  

London had its culture shocks in the week that I was there, but one thing is for certain: a good festival is still a good festival at the end of the day. Not only did I experience the artists mentioned but also saw experimental rapper MIKE, folktronica rising star Quadeca, and hardcore punk band Turnstile. This was a very stacked lineup for a price cheaper than your average festival here in the States (I paid roughly 200 USD). I got to enjoy a wonderful festival and not sweat my butt off and enjoy being on a different continent. So next time you see a festival far from home, go ahead and buy that ticket.