South by Southwest in Texas, Moogfest in North Carolina, and now III Points in Miami.
Though electronic dance music festivals continue to pop up at an alarming rate, not many emphasize the individual components of an event in the way these three events do. With an equally distributed focus on art, technology, and music III Points Music Festival may be the most intriguing gathering that you have yet to hear about.
For three days from October 10 – 12 the showcase took over the Wynwood Art District.
Located just north of Downtown Miami, the second year event hosted 70 performances at more than 40 venues in the surrounding area. Most of these venues were intimate settings sprinkled through the neighborhood. Legends like RJD2 and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem provided their insights on the music industry, popup shops provided festival-goers with the chance to browse around for books and records, and artists kept it going with after parties that went late into the evening.
In just one year, the grassroots event that has stemmed from what founder Dave Sinpoli refers to as ‘humble beginnings’ has already seen a significant evolution in production.
Immediately upon entering the warehouse turned music venue, patrons were presented with a post-apocalyptic 1980’s setting. Complete with wooden structures, static televisions, a school bus turned lounge, disco balls, airplane hangar DJ booths, and face warping video projections, the tone was set for a visually stimulating experience. With some of the best underground and indie-electronic music in the scene gracing the lineup, the entire experience delivered on all accounts. Four stages provided attendees with multiple options of aural stimulation, including the Skatespace stage where you could rent out roller skates and show your best moves on the makeshift roller rink (but not without first signing a waiver).
Three days of captivating performances saw Chet Faker hypnotize the audience, Jon Talabot entrance the crowd with mind-bending visuals, and Bob Moses go dangerously deep. A loyal turnout for Cashmere Cat led to one of the wildest atmospheres of the weekend while Hot Natured and Jamie Jones induced violent dance moves in typical Hot Creations fashion. Located within close proximity of one another, no time was wasted in migrating from stage to stage. This allowed for maximum tunes and little hassle.
Approximately 5,000 attendees over the course of the weekend proved to be one of the friendliest, most engaged crowds that we have yet to encounter this year. While it may seem like a minor observation, seemingly everyone I passed by held eye contact, extended a greeting, and was quick to indulge in conversation. More than enough bathrooms ensured that there was never a wait, and the vendors provided diverse food options including burgers and fresh coconut juice. Succeeding so well at so many minor details led to an overwhelmingly amazing event. The event founders and production team deserve all the credit in the world for, what to us, was a massively successful event.
