Despite natural disaster Matthew’s best efforts to wash away our beautiful city of Miami, this year’s III Points fest defied all expectations; even will some last minute artist cancellations. With a beautiful blend of diverse and tunes from eclectic artists advancing within and beyond their respective genres and scenes, as well as a plethora of interactive opportunities and the newest craze of Vapor Wave that spread like wildfire, III Points proved that no natural disaster of any kind could trump the power of music, creativity and togetherness.
As we entered early Friday, It was clear that Mana had been transformed into an industrial utopia, with modern day architectural storage containers that lead patrons to the intimate and artistic world of music and art. Kicking things off with a bang was Norf Norf soldier Vince Staples at The Main Frame. His ability to convey his perspective and attitude infused his hard-hitting performance and set the tone for the long night ahead. Just after his set, III Points dialed the tone to techno and house beats with some of the biggest local and international DJ’s bumping their anthems across multiple stages until 5 AM.
In addition to the musical tone of the weekend, attendees were captivated by the art installations spread across festival grounds. Catching many festival goers (and myself) marveling at Mokibaby’s careful arrangement of old school TV’s playing VHS classics, I took note in the vibes those around me were spreading and it further proved the power of self expression, something that is so important to have in this day and age. Just a few steps beyond the mesmerizing installations was the hidden stage of Link Miami Rebels tucked inside an almost secretive back entrance to the festival. Enter if you dare, and you may not want to leave. Featuring some resident DJs of Miami, the stage pulsated with the deep rooted beats of dark techno, and stuck true to the thriving underground scene LMR has helped to expose. Closing out the main stage with a real bang Friday was entrancing mixologist Dixon, who paid homage to initial headliner LCD Soundsystem with Tiga’s remix of LCD Soundsytems “I Can Change” after hearing word that the band could not be in attendance due to the weather. Both Dixon and LCD Soundsystem fans alike came together to pay their respects by sharing the dance floor.
Hip Hop heads came out of the woodworks on Saturday as Redman and Method Man kept the energy hight that night, taking us all back on a journey to the “golden age” of hip hop with some Wu-Tang classics that had everyone grooving. Thievery Corporation threw a wild house party-esque performance with their dub infused beats and stimulating instrumental arrangements, bringing on a multitude of vocalists throughout their performance. Continuing with the theme of the weekend, Saturday offered a heavy dosage of techno vibes, with Maya Jane Coles and Dusky on The Main Frame, while DJ Tennis, Amtrac and Ben UFO captivated their audiences with a consistent and steamy groove at the Isotropic stage.
Sunday featured incredible, once in a lifetime performances from headliners M83 and Flight Facilities. These bands proved to hold the charisma and energy to spark up even the darkest of nights in Miami and set the energy even higher for the weekend.
Other highlights proving the power of music and art included Machinedrum’s bass fueled live performance, with a seemingly interactive visual display to accompany his dark and heavy sounds. Finishing out The Main Frame and unfortunately, closing out the weekend, was the one and only DJ Koze, who took us on a trip to another dimension with his disco remix of Lapsley’s Operator.
All of the outside events affiliated with the festival added breathtaking accents that contributed to making III Points 2016 an experience and a trip that broadened our musical horizons and deepened our appreciation of art and the beauty that surrounds us in our every day lives. III Points is the perfect safe space to express exactly who you are and find art and music and other individuals that share and express the same values. Until next year.
