To call it a music festival is an understatement. The Scattered Arts Collective’s Underground Music Festival was a feast for the ears, eyes and everything else right down to our happy little neurons that danced the night away to this delectable indulgence of the senses and sent the 2700 block of Larimer Street aglow.
We were initiated into this creative journey upon arrival by a man spinning fire from long chains atop a giant silver school bus that projected movies onto the wall of a building. And it didn’t take long to realize that we weren’t on Sante Fe Boulevard.
It was hard to tell where the art began and where it ended in fact it seemed more like a continuum, void of space and time. Each of the five adjacent spaces had its own unique feel however, music and art flowed into the backyards and out onto the sidewalk with a buzz of wonder and delight among festival goers.
I began my tour at the Larimer Lounge which was as rockin’ as ever with bands like Pena, Killfix, and the Blue Blooded girls but instead of concert posters the walls were covered in huge photographs, paintings, and two-dimensional collage. Eleven artists displayed work that demanded attention from the hefty crowd.
Then I made my way through the bright and colorful Kirk Gallery, an aesthetic journey of sculpture, painting, photography, and a Zen garden which brought me to the backyard, past a bonfire and a grill that had been carved into a flaming face. Around the corner was a virtual outdoor living room equipped with a DJ and a large sheet which displayed short film. I caught Spin by Double Edge Films that takes a lighthearted look at time, fate, and cause and effect through the eyes of a DJ.
Next, it was off to Evan’s Place which became referred to as the “rave room” with billowing white sheets, dancing lasers, a rotation of DJ’s that changed every 45 minutes and the RiftRawKrew who broke it down breakdance style.
The guitar and music shop, Curtis Park Music, had a warm and inviting glow about it. In this space singer, songwriters such as Hobbs NM, Dan Ford, and Pablo Torres strummed away among guitars that hung from the ceiling.
Finally, the Meadow Lark wrapped up the tour on the corner of 27th and Larimer where people waited patiently to get inside and see the work of 10 more artists, hear more live music featuring an acoustic vibe with Ian Cooke and Joshua Novak and riveting spoken word performances between each set by poets such as Marc Marcel and Day Acoli.
This arts extravaganza was completed by fashion models donning designs from Ican.d, Swallow, and Natural Impulse and The Zebra People, a troupe of five who galloped around in nothing but body paint.
The Scattered Arts Collective had its inception this past August after a brainstorming session between a musician and a poet. The original concept still exists; to bring artists of multimedia together to develop a supportive community and put on a kick ass show creating a new experience in a different venue each time and all for FREE. This group, whose core consists of Danny Latzer, Virginia Kaufmann, Tim Pourbaix, Jeff Klapperich and Andrew Solanyk, has no pretense anyone and everyone is invited to participate allowing for the endless possibilities as seen at the Larimer show.
Each Scattered Arts Collective show draws bigger crowds, more artists, and a unique aesthetic experience. After what they pulled off this time it’s hard to imagine what will be next but I can’t wait to find out.
Their next show is Friday, June 9th at the Oriental Theater beginning at 8 pm and, as always, free admission.
