Mamby on the Beach 2016
While my sunburns have faded and I have transitioned back to everyday life, memories from Mamby on the Beach are still racing through my head.
I distinctly remember the connection Chicago native K. Flay built with the audience. Her song “It’s Strange” with the up and coming EDM duo from Evanston, IL, Louis the Child, is one of Chicago’s realest contributions to electronic music in the past few years. It’s great to be in a city with so much talent and passion. And a city where Chance the Rapper will show up for a surprise appearance. Not only did he rap a few songs from his new album, Coloring Book, he stepped inside the silent disco booth and put on a performance.
And it isn’t hard to understand why Chance wanted to be at Oakwood Beach this forth of July weekend. The weather was beautiful and the crowds were great. Even the foreign artists like Milky Chance from Germany and Jerry Folk from Norway were excited to be part of our independence day. The enthusiasm that they brought only heightened the festivities.
The venue got packed early, as everyone was excited to support the opening acts and spend a day at the beach. React did a great job as always, with top notch food vendors, plenty of tents to stay out of the sun, and some great beach activities. The yoga was relaxing (Yes, I took a break out of day 1 to participate in my first ever yoga session). But, it was great! The instructor seemed knowledgeable and I couldn’t think of a better setting. And it was easy to join a game of beach volleyball whenever your ears needed a break from the jams. Mamby even had Manny the Frenchie in attendance, the most popular French bulldog on Instagram.
The VIP was also a very worthwhile deal. It was $50 more each day, but React put in plenty of incentives. Being able to swim in Lake Michigan was a VIP exclusive. The VIP areas gave you a dope perspective to watch the shows and hammocks and sofas to relax.
After leaving Mamby, the one question that I have is why there aren’t more beach festivals in Chicago. Lake Michigan makes for a perfect venue- if you weren’t able to make Mamby on the Beach this year, make sure you check it out in 2017.
DAY ONE:
DAY TWO:
MAMBY ON THE BEACH: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook