After months of preparation, Album 88 was proud to display a new twist on the annual music showcase at WRASFest 2016.
WRASFest is a yearly music showcase hosted by Georgia State’s radio station Album 88. This year’s WRASFest featured eclectic music artists and high energy audience members, who enjoyed jamming out to a diverse music selection ranging from rock, dip, hip-hop, goth, folk and more.
Keeping it Real
With two stages and 15 music acts, the venue for WRASFest was just as groovy as the music. The Mammal Gallery has multiple rooms and levels that help create a vibing connection between the music, audience and the performer.
This year’s music showcase utilized the cozy upstairs for rock and guitar inspired music and the larger downstairs space for hip-hop related music. Having two stages allowed WRASFest to combine two different genres of music in one place.
Jessie St George, promotions director for Album 88, was elated with WRASFest’s turnout. After hard work, the Album 88 team was able to share their passion and love for music.
“The big difference between all the other WRASFests, is that we really tried to make it inclusive to all different music types, and all different types of people,” St George said. “There is not enough representation of women, people of color and queer groups, and we really tried to make a build that represented everybody.”
The audience was jumping and having a good time while experiencing the new twist offered by WRASFest 2016. While walking into the different stage areas there was a energy shift as some of the music was more upbeat, while others carried a slower tempo.
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The Artists
Hymnal Moths
Hymnal Moths is a goth-folk rock band that get a lot of their musical inspiration from the instruments. For instance, the banjo, which is typically played at a faster picking song, is used in a slower pace. One of the most requested songs from the group is “Gray Mother.”
“‘Gray Mother,’ is inspired a lot by the banjo and different instruments. [I] have different results that I get out of them,” Dean said. “The banjo is traditioned as a faster plickers thing; I was approaching it slower.”
Jamie Blake
Jamie Blake is an artist from Seattle that mixes music, life influences and passion into a sound that represents free flowing expression. With encouragement from his friends, Blake broke away from limitation and challenged himself to release music for the public.
“It kinda evolved into this wavy state that it’s in now,” Blake said. “The goal lately is to take everything that’s ever influenced me since I started making music and try to put it all together.”
Dip
Johnny Dipp, Dipp Dab and Little Dipper (a monkey hand puppet) performed a series of energising dance numbers and funny commentary. One of the first and original Dip songs that was performed is called “Booty Auction.”
Nai Br.xx
Jarrett Goodly, also know as Sensei Bueno, is an electric guitar player and senior philosophy student at Georgia State. Goodly works alongside Briana Maddix, a Sociology major senior, whose stage name is Nai Br.xx.
After meeting at a Panther Prowl through a mutual friend, the dynamic duo discovered that they both shared the same love for music. The two music artists teamed up to produce alternative R&B.
“It’s a process. Sometimes you have to focus, and if it’s open and clean things run smoothly,” Goodly said. “Your mood is so much involved, if you can clear your mind, you can get a lot of things done.”
Yani Mo
One thing that Yani Mo enjoyed about WRASFest was having a chance to connect with the crowd. Mo has been following her dreams as an artist by writing and performing music. She is thankful for the people that are willing to listen and vibe with her music.
“[With] any crowd that I’ve performed in front of, their vibing to it, shouting my name, or resiting things after I say it,” Mo said. “I can never complain about it, seeing people connect to you, and you can feel it.”
*Majority of the artists can be found on social media under their stage names.
Other Performing groups
- All Black Congress
- Wara
- Ziggy2playa
- ETHEREAL
- Bosco and Speakerfoxxx
- Futo
- Shepherds
- Floral Print
- deadCat
- Muuy Biien
