Nothing Fest IV Recap

Nothing Fest returned in a big way by having their first ever two-day lineup which featured bands from the local scene to the national stage.

It was a weekend filled with eccentric costumes, impressive art installations, interactive vendors, and great music. Many of the artists hail from SoCal and it’s only fitting that the weekend-long festival takes place in the Garden Grove Amphitheater, an outdoor venue now regarded as a punk stomping ground.

Each day had its own unique vibe, the first being more indie rock while the second had more hardcore bands. Even the vendors changed up. One day there might be a thrifted clothing booth, but the next it was a tarot card reader. This sort of unpredictability gave the festival an accurate representation of the changing nature of DIY culture.

The first day of NothingFest IV was one for the books. It was the first time it rained during the festival’s history; setting up the day for a sludgy mixture of water, melted face paint, and soaked hair. But this turn of events didn’t stop the party. Quite the opposite.

Fans came out and showed out, running and moshing in circles. The bands and artists were unfazed by this, giving us grand performances with vigor, like the unexpected raindrops were infused with an energy drink. The day was filled with memorable performances by bands like Together Pangea and Beach Fossils.

With Halloween right around the corner, people of all ages came flowing in and wearing anything from the bride of Frankenstein, Finn the Human, or even a hot dog suit. Fans were eager to hear from their favorite bands, and were falling in love with local bands like Big Fun and Ultra Q.

DRAC AND THE SWAMP RATS

One of the opening bands, Drac and the Swamp Rats, came in with the Halloween spirit – not only the band’s awesome costumes, but starting a literal monster mosh pit.

MEXICAN SLUM RATS

Mexican Slum Rats did not lose stride when the rain started to pick up later in the day. The band, sporting slick white coats like a brotherhood of mad scientists, played through the falling rain, and energized the crowd.

SAIAH

Alternative hip-hop singer, Saiah, provided the audience with an electric performance that had moments of adrenaline with hype songs and moments of thoughtfulness when the singer slowed things down. The rain seemed almost fitting to the impressive performance Saiah gave as he moved around the stage.

TOGETHER PANGEA

Together Pangea gave a performance to remember, having dazzling visuals as they performed hit songs like “Badillac” and “River.” With much excitement and a packed stage, audience members began stage diving and crowd surfing.

BEACH FOSSILS

As the night came to an end, Beach Fossils took the stage just in time for the rain to stop its pour. It felt like a celebration as they played mellow tunes while the excited audience danced at twice the tempo of the music.

LOOK OUT BELOW!

Stage diving became the norm at Nothing Fest, guests jumping at the opportunity to dive into a sea of people while their favorite band performed. Some daring guests even tried on some backflips.

The second day of NothingFest was much drier than the first as the sun came out. The momentum from the first day just kept on going. People from all over became consumed by the inclusive environment by making new friends and coming together to support the artists of the day. Even bands like Destroy Boys encouraged shy members of the crowd to dance like no one is watching and participate in the swirling pit. The sun shining on the last day was a bittersweet reminder of how special the weekend was and that it was coming to an end.

DOLL RIOT

The band Doll Riot screamed under the trees on the treehouse stage, kickstarting the mosh-filled day of fast and crunchy tunes.

LEALANI

Singer Lealani dosed herself in blood during her killer performance on the treehouse stage, buzzing around the floor covered like Carrie. She really was a killer bee.

THE GRINNS

All wearing colorful mophead wigs, The Grinns swaggered around the main stage and provided a calmer dose of music as the sun shone down.

DEATH LENS

Dressed in clown makeup, Death Lens gave an energetic warmup before Show Me the Body that rocked the treehouse stage to its core.

3L3D3P

Singer 3l3d3p’s breakbeat, electrifying trance was genre-bending gold on the second day and paired well with the display of tube electronics on the treehouse stage.

DESTROY BOYS

Punk rock band Destroy Boys showed up on stage to the theme song of The Addams Family, each member dressed as one of the family members. Destroy Boys gave us quite the show with killer jams, great performances, and interactive crowd engagement. They even played their version of Nirvana’s crowd-pleasing hit, Drain You.

SHOW ME THE BODY

Show Me the Body’s performance on the main stage was something to remember as the amphitheater transformed into a sea of dancing and headbanging fans. Even Lealani, in her bee outfit, flew into the crowd as the band hammered through their set.

STRFKR

Electronic band STRFKR closed the night with an epic set of psychedelic sounds and wavy visuals that offered a well-deserved breather from the energetic filled day. The anomored audience swayed gently for the first time the whole weekend, taking in the peaceful sounds.

HYPNOTIZED BY TV

Media Pollution’s TV wall installation by the locker room stage drew in guests from the impressive wall of tube TV’s that played classic horror flicks like Halloween and The Evil Dead.

WICKED GLITCHES

There was never a dull moment since each stage had their own visual crew. With Media Pollution the on Main Stage, Moirebender in the Locker Room and Andrew Carnagie at the Treehouse it was a pleasure to zone out into the effects.

KILLER THREADS

The both days of NothingFest IV featured an array of awesome vendors that came in with some cool threads. Thrifted or handmade items made up the alley of booths where festival-goers browsed around, looking at the unique and stylized outfits that the vendors brought. Even Alexia from Destroy Boys found some merch.

INNER PIZZA

Vendor Inner Pizza provided guests with a home cooked meal with handmade pies that eventually became sold out from popular demand.

BURY ME IN A COFFIN! BUT ONLY A DIY COFFIN!

Festival-goers couldn’t get enough of the spooky DIY coffin that stood on display by the locker room stage, posing and snapping pictures as they got into the DIY spirit!

It was an unforgettable two days. A weekend where people from all over came together to celebrate the power of music and creativity, while supporting local businesses like Inner Pizza and their made to order margarita pizza, vendors like TVA or Die, awesome artwork, and interactive experiences like sampling incense. While it’s always a bummer when a weekend like this comes and goes, we at least have something to look forward to next year with Nothing Fest V.