Winter came gusting in on the first half of Aphex Twin’s set – the first time he performed in the US in 8 years. The swampy air on the edge of the bayou was humid and heavy all day at Day for Night until he started. At the first bursts of wind the crowd started cheering. Then the rain started and we had to live in the chill or go home. Synchronicities tumbled together, time sped up. Sometimes art borders on premonition.
Last year Day for Night, Houston’s art and music festival, was awesome. In spite of that, this year Chris and I almost didn’t go until the last minute. Do we still like music festivals? They’re so crowded. We argue. Is it about community? I can get behind community, sure. But more people came from Austin and New York this year than from Houston. Granted, many of those visitors were likely former Houstonians. It’s not surprising, with a lineup boasting artists like Aphex Twin, Bjork, John Carpenter, Square Pusher, Banks, Chet Faker, Odesza, Ariel Pink, and other glitch masters. The lineup is awesome. We went for the lineup.
Current mood: really wish Thriftworks would come to Day for Night.
I’ve sat down to write this review of Day for Night several times, and it just hasn’t happened. In America’s current political climate, it’s hard to pretend like writing about anything else matters in the big picture. But if a picture’s worth a thousand words, do I really need to say anything? Here’s day one in photos:
Chris and Omar.
Friends and bandmates.
Banks.
Jesus and Mary Chain.
Day for Night.
Chet Faker.




Space City.
Square Pusher.
John Carpenter.
Chris.
Aphex Twine.