As a Loufest music festival virgin I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I will say, it was time well spent.

A side from the baby size Californian mud slide, Loufest was lit! Four stages of pure energy with forcible winds of creative music coming from each speaker filling the airwaves for two days throughout Forest Park was awesome. Hip-Hop, Jazz, Dance, Electric Funk, Rock, and Punk were the genre of music playing this weekend. Loufest reminded me of a modern day Woodstock, it was so much love and peace with everyone gathering for this universal language we call music.

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setup, not a rain cloud in the sky. Nothing but sunshine and cool breezes. I honestly think it was aligned for my first Loufest experience to be my best yet.

My first stop on my music adventure was for the band, Illphonics. For any St. Louisians wondering, Illphonics is a powerhouse of musicians who consider their genre, hi-hop fusion. They are definitely worth checking out for the future. Their performance was fresh, entertaining, and barrior breaking. I could feel the musicianship behind each note, cord, and beat.

I even got the opportunity to hang with them in the artist lounge. We chopped it up like we were old friends, they certainly aren’t the “Hollywood” type. They talked about how it was an honor to perform at Loufest, they broke down how at music festivals the performer(s) have to bring their artistry because it’s a chance to gain more fans. Illphonics is definitely not the trend following band, in fact they are the complete opposite. They go well beyond the lines of Hip-Hop, so if you ever get the chance to catch a show from them, jump on it.

Next set, straight outta Louisiana, was the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. I swear I felt like I was on Bourban Street kicking it because it was just that “live”. People of all ages and backgrounds were jamming to the bands music. They took us through the upbeat bourbon street jams, to slow tempo riffs with the guitar, and then straight to church. When they started playing that southern Louisiana style of gospel every hand was waving in agreement, we all felt their spirit of music bringing us together. Two thumbs up guys.

Of course you can’t have a successful festival without food and booze, with all the dancing I was doing I had worked up an appetite. After grabbing a quick bite from Evangelina‘s tent, I was fully restored for my next trip in Dance Electric Funk, better known as St. Lucia, who gave us an abundant amount of funky tunes. If you like the sounds of Disclosure you’ll for certain love this bands style of music.

Thanks to a few frequent visitors of Loufest who hipped me to The Kills and The Heavy, my inner punk rock girl is totally grateful, now I’m adding punk rock to my list of favorite genres.

And yet I couldn’t complete my review with out mentioning my spirit animal, Ms. Lauryn Hill.
L. Boogie came through. Mixing her old and new tracks, she took us back to her roots of spoken word that set her a part from the other performances. Watching her live felt like running into a childhood friend. She reminded us of all the good times and I didn’t want it to end. If I wasn’t there covering for Delux, I would have fan-girled myself out, but instead I internally screamed, “I love you L Boogie!”

So, to wrap things up I think it’s clear to say, I really enjoyed myself, and even though I trampled through mud to gain this experience, I would do it all over again.