- Blended Festival brought a crowd estimated to be as high as 7,500 to the Hartman Lawn outside The Long Center for Performing Arts in Austin, Texas on September 10th and 11th, reminding us what it's like to have fun again since the dawn of COVID.
- This was the second of three festivals that Blended Fest has scheduled, the first took place in Nashville, Tennessee in August, the next takes place in San Diego October 15th and 16th 2021.
SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 7, 2021 / Brought to you by My Wine Society, Blended Festival is a live music event that pairs the best food and drinks from each region with some of the most popular musical artists of the time, traveling between trendy cities in the US.
To learn more about Blended Festival, a 2-day event that will take place October 15th and 16th at Spanish Landing Park in San Diego, California, or to book a ticket to attend, please visit https://www.BlendedFestival.com
"The Blended Fest brand is modeled to thrive where enthusiasts of music, wine, and culinary experiences reside and visit. Austin encompasses all three", said Kalika Moquin, Blended Festival Director.
The multi-genre music festival kicked off early Friday September 10th at the Long Center, giving Austin a festival fix that only SXSW and ACL had previously delivered. While music festivals tend to have a negative connotation regarding their guests, fans and sponsors were presently surprised with the maturity and class of the event.
"[We] conceived a Coachella-type outing for a more mature audience," a spokesperson for the festival said.
While the Texas sun relentlessly beat down on the festival, Blended Fest came prepared with many booths that offered water, a hydration station (where you could get a full IV drip for $75 or a B12 shot for $25), and also a Mental Health lounge where you could nap and escape the heat. It's important to note that a negative COVID-19 test was required for entry and offered onsite.
Here's some highlights from the festival:
Music:
Austin opened day 1 with a set by the Brazilian DJ duo Cat Dealers, who really set the tone for the festival. Following them was LA native Bryce Vine who became a fan favorite for Austin - his variety of music from new to old had the crowd all singing together. The EDM due Loud Luxury, known for their song "BODY" that has close to a billion streams on Spotify alone, closed out the night with a set full of energy, priming everyone for the following day.
Day two hosted hip-hop legend Nelly, whose songs brought the festival back to the early 2000's and had the entire place jumping. His set climaxed when he performed "Hot In Herre", which has been a club anthem since it made its debut.
"Trailer Trap" artist Blanco Brown, who combines country and trap in a way that's kind of like Lil Nas X on steroids, gave by far the most innovative performance. Brown opened with a cover of icon Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," moved into original music, threw in some country cover songs, and then started an early-2000s sing-along when his DJ started playing Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles."
"A lot of people are discovering Blanco Brown through Blended Festival," said Vito Glazers, who was running press and media relations on site for the fesitval. "[He's] bringing people into our festival, and we're bringing fans to [him]."
Day two closed with EDM titan Kaskade. Known for his "throwback sets" the 50 year old DJ played popular hits like "Eyes" to "Turn It Down," along with some of his classics with new features from artists like Sofi Tukker, Jauz and many more.
Kaskad did a phenominal job of sticking true to himself while finding new ways to incorporate his favorite songs from other artists. The visuals for his set were nothing less than perfect. It was a very intimate setting that had everyone holding on to each other while waiting to rage at the drop. It was a perfect way to close out Blended Festival Austin.
Drink:
Besides getting featured in Nashville Scene for hosting "World Renowned Mixologist[s]" -Blended Festival hosted an incredible (and air conditioned!) Wine Tent, hosted by celebrity sommelier and Director of Wine Matthew-Loren Lindsey. Each guest was given two complimentary wine tastings with the option to purchase more on site. The list of both domestic and international wines available offered something for everyone.
"Often times people get in their comfort zone when it comes to wine with the fear of getting buyer's remorse.
At the Blended Festival, festival goers can try wines at varying wine bars including Taste of France, Taste of Italy, or Taste of San Diego," said Matthew. "What makes this festival unique are the activations and high-level approach to how the wine is represented to the audience in attendance."
My Wine Society also allowed their guests to digitally track their wine tastings and interact with wineries through their MWS app, available here on the App Store.
Food:
With good wine must come good food, which Blended Fest surely delivered. There was never a shortage of quality eats from both the domestic and local pop-up shops and food trucks As soon as you enter the festival you're immediately smacked with the smell of delicious Gyros, which seem to be way better in Austin.
Next Up:
Blended Festival was held for the first time ever in San Diego in 2019. Two years on October 15th-16th, the Blended Festival returns for two days of curated experiences to San Diego where it will close out it's 2021 lineup.
Tickets were already close to being sold out after Blended Fest made waves in Nashville and Austin, so you'll want to order them now if you plan on joining the party. They can be booked at Blended Festivals website, HERE. You can also follow the festival on IG to stay updated on next year's festivities.
About Blended Festival:
Brought to you by My Wine Society, Blended Festival is a live music event that pairs the best food and drinks from each region with some of the most popular musical artists of the time, traveling between trendy cities in the US. To learn more about Blended Festival, a 2-day event that will take place October 15th and 16th at Spanish Landing Park in San Diego, California, or to book a ticket to attend, please visit https://www.BlendedFestival.com
Contact:
Blended Festivals
Kristy Rumsey, Director of Media and Communications
[email protected]
SOURCE: Blended Festival