Photo Credit: BUKU
Now that the annual Buku Music and Art Project 2014 is in the books we can take a minute to relive the weekend. Fans from all over the South made the trek to New Orleans and were immediately rewarded for their decision. Once they made it through what can only be described as an airport-like security search, including a metal detector, the fans were treated to two days of non-stop music. The choose your own adventure festival mentality was in full swing as Buku gave you four stages that offered some variation of electronic, indie rock (no comma needed here) and jam bands to dance to.
The Buku organizers were on their game by providing plenty of porta potties, an area to charge your phone, quality sound and stage design, as well as a solid selection of food options. Festivalgoers were treated to local New Orleans vendors, of which I became madly addicted to alligator tacos.
The lineup was so stacked that there were moments that your biggest problem was the fact that you couldn’t be in two (or three) places at once. At one point three of the best acts that played over the weekend; Griz, Phantogram and
The crowd was a mixed bag of hardcore festivalgoers (who attend many festivals a year) and festival virgins. The combination seemed to work really well. The hardcore fans dressed up and were a great example of what how much fun going to music festivals can be. By the second day the festival newbies had it all figured out and let their hair down a little bit. Everyone in attendance had the time of their life.
Organizationally the festival went off without a hitch. The artists were on time, a bevy of volunteers helped to keep the venue clean, and the weather was absolutely perfect. This really was one of those festival weekends that allows you to have a season’s worth of fun in two days.
Buku seems to have hit that point where it not only needs to be on your festival wish list; it needs to be on your list of tickets to buy the day they go on sale.