Downtown El Paso will once again transform into the colorful world that is Neon Desert Music Festival where music and art will vibrate and be celebrated. The music springs off the buildings and travels through the streets rattling the senses, providing the soundtrack to the world that is NDMF, every year always on point grouping together a unique and diverse set of artists ready to transgress and communicate their craft and energy. This year the festivities take place on Saturday, May 25thand 26th. Here are some artists we think you should check out.
Rezz: This young American DJ/Producer effortlessly has caught the attention of top name artists and electronic music fans across the world with her heavy bass-centric minimal tech style. At only 23 years of age, the young and talented artists already has a slew of Eps, 2 LPs and a brand new track “Dark Age” released this month. Rezz is only beginning to take the world by storm. Sitting atop of the festival flyer/poster, Rezz will have no problem as a headliner with her prodigious energy and vibe.
Young Thug: Eccentric rapper-singer/songwriter Young Thug emerged out of Atlanta’s underground hip-hop scene and ascended after his early mixtapes caught wind, eventually going on to various collaborations including Future, Birdman, and Gucci Mane to name a few. Young Thug also won a Grammy Award for “Song of the Year” for the song “This is America” for his songwriting collaboration with Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson. Check him out!
Chicano Batman: Already a local favorite having performed here in El Paso in the past at Tricky Falls and also at Music Under the Stars, it’s ready for the rest of the borderland to know who Chicano Batman is. Based out of Los Angeles, CA, the four-piece band provides a sound familiar in El Chuco—Latin grooves, funk, psych, and tropicalia—a mellow retreat into soothing landscapes. Going strong since 2008, the band has a handful of EPs and singles plus 3 full-length albums.
Kali Uchis: One of the hottest artists out right now, this Colombian-American singer has been grinding out music as far back as her mixtapeDrunken Babble in 2012, but really broke out big and started blowing up last year with her debut albumIsolation. Embracing originality and straying from the modern norm, Uchis’ own unique style and take on R&B/neo-soul with elements of bossa nova and hip-hop is how this bilingual artist is redefining genres and creating new ones.
Don Omar: One of the biggest names in reggaeton is international superstar Don Omar. If you want to party hard this year in a crazy hyped-up crowd, this could be the moment here for you at NDMF. Nothing but high energy, your body might experience a feeling you can’t resist moving in ways you’ve never thought of, gyrating in syncopation with the rest of the crowd and not just the ladies but the fellas too. Have you seen his Spotify and YouTube hits? This dude is popular. It’s crazy looking back on Neon Desert(this being its 9thinstallment)and all the memories and experiences this festival has provided: running into old friends, awkward inebriated encounters, checking out some legit visual artists, munching on tons of locally-based good eats and experiencing one of a kind live performances ever without having to leave the city.
The fest is always good at extruding only the best in order to provide a modern and relevant festival experience, with a wide spectrum of protuberant talent from the locals, breakout emerging artists, music legends and modern heavyweights.