From teens attending their very first music festival to those who have followed the event for years, FYF Fest, which wraps up its third day at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 23, was pack
By
Richard Guzman, Press-Telegram
Posted:
07/22/17,7: 15 PM PDT | Updated: 4 hrs ago
From teens attending their very first music festival to those who have followed the event for years, FYF Fest, which wraps up its third day at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 23, was packed with an audience whose common thread seemed to be a fanatical love of music and an adventurous palate.
With a lineup that spans hip-hop, rock, electronic dance music, neo-soul and R&B and even a stoner metal band (Sleep) , it’s no surprise that the crowd is as diverse as the performers on stage.
• Related: These photos show you what it’s like to be at FYF Fest 2017
“I think it brings the best of L.A. out and people who are really into music, ” said 36-year-old L.A. resident Dave Horowitz as he hung out in the VIP area drinking a beer Friday evening just as Beach Fossils were about to perform on a nearby stage.
Another plus for him? The festival isn’ t loaded with Top 40 artists.
“It’s very considered. So I think that people who dig music come to this festival, ” he said.
Horowitz’s own plans for the weekend reflected the festival’s diversity.
He was planning on seeing Missy Elliott that night and also catch Anderson. Paak’s neo-soul, hip-hop and funk set and some of John Talabot’s DJ set as well as Iggy Pop, the Godfather of Punk, on Sunday.
• Related: See the photos of the bands and their fans at FYF Fest 2017
“I like anyone who is fun and engaging, ” Horowitz said.
Although FYF is now a major festival — and the nearly sold-out crowds to prove it — when the event started it was just a rowdy collection of small punk and indie shows featuring mostly local bands at a couple of venues in Echo Park.
But in just a few years it outgrew its roots and has since moved to two bigger venues, starting with the Los Angeles State Historic Park in 2009 before outgrowing that location and moving to Exposition Park in 2014. This year, the festival added two more stages on the grounds surrounding the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, bringing the total to six.
• Related: Get live updates from FYF Fest 2017
Amber Johnson, 19, who is attending FYF for the first time, heard about the festival from her friends who told her how chill the vibes are here and how they’ re always surprised by how many new artists they discover every year.
She loves Frank Ocean and Kehlani, and since it’s close to her Inglewood home, she decided this was the year she would finally come.
“It’s good vibes here, everyone is smiling. I love music and I’ m hoping to find something (new) here, ” he said.
Michael Bulanti and his friend Brandon Hodges are FYF veterans whose love of music, and particularly the eclectic lineup FYF brings together, entices them to come down from the Bay Area where they live.
“My musical tastes really align with whoever curates this festival. I like all types of music, which is why I like this. It’s not just hip-hop, not just indie rock, it’s across the board, ” said Bulanti, a 29-year-old software developer who has been coming to FYF for about 10 years.
“Every year it just gets better and better. Most of the festivals have the exact same lineup, but nowhere has Missy Elliot, with Anderson. Paak and Frank Ocean all together, ” he said.
Hodges, a 29-year-old musician, has been coming to FYF for a few years and like his friend, he’s drawn by the wide range of music.
“I came back when it was a dirt field back when the lineup was just indie music and now they’ ve really expanded, ” He said.
Richard Guzman covers Arts and Entertainment for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, where he writes about art, theater, music and food. He is a graduate of CSU Northridge with a degree in journalism. Richard grew up in Los Angeles and has written about food, pop culture and art in the area. He has two young children and in his spare time enjoys riding his motorcycle and hiking. Reach the author at riguzman@scng.com
or follow Richard on Twitter: @Richword .
