Review by Miriam Kaylor & Photo Gallery by Fae Campbell
On the weekend of February 6-8, Fae and I got the incredible opportunity to cover Gem and Jam for press. I had already gone to Gem and Jam once before, so I had an idea of what to expect, but I was still a little nervous. We were only able to go one day due to previous time commitments, so we decided to make the most of it and go for the whole day on Saturday.
We arrived at the fairgrounds a bit after 1pm. It was a short ways out of town, but an easy drive and day parking was stress-free. Walking in, we immediately felt a care-free and easygoing vibe. We got smiles, struck up conversations, and made friends with strangers. It was a gorgeous and mild sunny day- perfect for a festival.
photo creds: Fae Campbell
We wandered around at first, admiring the art installations in the grass. All of the stages had a dedicated vibe, which made it easy to rotate around the festival based on how we were feeling. The Quartz stage had a jam band or chill electronic vibe going, with a jungle gym and plenty of room to lay in the grass.
The Opal stage consistently had high-energy EDM playing, often dubstep or DNB. It was right next to the Top Secret Bus (shhhh!) with a ladder on the side to climb on top, providing a chill space to enjoy the stage and make friends.
There was an incredible gallery area by the main stage, with walls of trippy art and live painting. We struck up conversations with a few of the artists and watched them paint. The gallery was especially beautiful at sunset. I hadn’t really been to a festival for so long during the day before, and it was a really great time- just enjoying the sun and the music and having a good time.
An aspect of Gem and Jam that I really enjoyed was the flow culture at the festival. Every stage had a section at the back, with anywhere from a few to a dozen or more flow artists. One of the coolest moments was chilling at the Quartz Stage at sunset watching a flow artist dance with fans- Lapa (of Emancipator) was playing, and the festival’s camera crew came up with a slow-motion video camera and began filming the artist. She was backlit by the setting sun, and the crew showed us the videos afterwards- it was a beautiful shot.
You could find a flow artist to watch nearly anywhere in the festival. During Troyboi’s set at the Emerald stage, there was a performance area with a rotating group of fire artists. Fae and I stayed there for nearly the whole set, mesmerized.
High Step Society / photo credits: Fae Campbell
A standout set for me was JMAU5 at the Opal Stage- this was an unexpected standout, since we were wandering around before Troyboi’s set and ended up staying and listening to his set for a while instead. He had a really great mix of high-energy dubstep and DNB. I really enjoyed Tropic Vibration as well- I felt that they were rounding out the Jam side of Gem and Jam well.
Saxsquatch was one of the most fun acts of the night- you can’t be sad when there’s a sasquatch on stage playing the saxophone!
Troyboi / photo creds: Fae Campbell
Another great act for the night was Nala in the Onyx stage- Fae really enjoyed her high energy tracks, especially after Troyboi.
Nala / photo creds: Fae Campbell
Gem and Jam had a strong PLUR vibe and a lovely smaller-festival vibe. Fae and I found ourselves striking up conversations, hanging out with other people we met at stages, and dancing with strangers. Talking to people we met was never unwelcome, and we were given trinkets by our newfound friends. It was a very different experience from larger festivals I’ve been to, and I welcomed it. I came out with a newfound appreciation for dubstep and smaller music festivals, and a reaffirmation of how amazing and fun rave culture can be!
Thank you so much to Relentless Beats and Caren West PR for the incredible opportunity.