Prepare for landing, as a cosmic shift has taken place in the timeline with the conclusion of this year’s Ubbi Dubbi Fest. Hosted by Disco Presents, this two-day festival along the banks of the Trinity River embodied an intergalactic exploration of our innermost stellar imaginations. This genre-blending, cosmic-themed event featured top-notch amenities, including an immersive trinket scavenger hunt, the Amplified Minds x Outlet mental health station, a 360-degree mirrored selfie room, walk-through portals to alternate dimensions, and much more.
Arriving Saturday with full steam, my wife dropped me off at the drop-off zone, and I began my trek inside. Running slightly late as usual, I marched through the parking lot at a commanding pace. Entering the gates with my wristband in hand, entry was a breeze: smooth-flowing lines, polite event staff, and an easy search process got me inside quickly. Scurrying to the back to Dubbi’s Stage, I didn’t want to miss Common Creation.
We’re just getting started…
Down a long illuminated tunnel and just before the old iron bridge, a huge inlet spilled out, forming the area known as Dubbi’s stage. As it approached 4pm, Common Creation was a must-see for me. A psychedelic wizard with an old soul like mine, this guy captivates with his eclectic reinterpretations of acclaimed counterculture artists like The Doors, Janis Joplin, and others. His freeform magic engulfs the listener’s soul from the very first note. The definition of a vibe, Common Creation delivers just that, with smooth rhythms and a laid-back style that’ll have you grooving endlessly into the night I just had to catch his set!
Next is when things got a little wonky. Adorned in his signature black top hat, purple coat, and Johnny Depp era Willy Wonka goggles was none other than Wonky Willa. Having to make a mad dash back to the front gates to pick up my beautiful wife, I was off to the races. Pushing through the crowd in the opposite direction, fans were pouring in to see Wonky Willa. Lord knows why we briskly pushed our way back to Dubbi’s stage after retrieving my gorgeous wife. With plenty of wobbles and extreme Wonkiness, Willa’s set raged on! Concluding with his Fergi “London Bridge” flip, the crowd went nuts!
Women Do It Better
Leaving the stage in a candy-coated catastrophe, Wonky Willa exited stage left and handed over the reins to the mystic known as Zen Selekta. Cleansing the air to make way for her immense energy, her set took off to an amazing start. Creating a vibe all her own, there’s nothing like a Zen Selekta set. Dressed in all black with her jet-black hair flowing wildly in the wind, Zen Selekta commanded the crowd bravely. Her style is unmatched; a certain allure lingers in the air at a Selekta set. A mystical medicine woman of sorts, her energy is unprecedented, demanding the full attention of the crowd at all times.
Wanting to leave for a restroom/snack break, I had to stop my wife in her tracks. We’ll leave after the next one; Canabliss is up next. And boy, was she glad she stayed put. As the saying goes, big things come in small packages, and that rings true for Canabliss. Her petite stature and signature pink hair quickly got the crowd moving in a frenzy. A Canabliss set is truly a journey whenever she graces the stage. One minute, you are bouncing off the rails to hard-hitting riddim drops, and the next, she’s taking you away with a pop-enthused, dance-fueled daydream. Like a pink-haired Shakira, her hips demand full attention as she grooves behind the decks in between tracks. Ending with an elegant bow, she closed out her set with her most recent Doja Cat Flip “Go Off.”
The Aliens have landed
Crash landing onto the stage next was none other than the alien himself AHEEEEEE! Embodying the extraterrestrial spirit of the whole festival, AHEE came out swinging. Playing numerous collabs and his more recent flip “It Girl”, things quickly began to get weird—in the best possible way of course. Making a hasty retreat back to the sliced fruit station for some more finger foods and cucumber lime juice, we indulged in a little bit of Beauz’s set over at the Zoom Room. I swear we had every intention of exploring more on Saturday, but Day 1 turned into nothing but Wookness.
Making our way back through the crowd, we firmly found our spot to the left of Dubbi’s stage, perched on top of a small hill. With an excellent view, we watched the rest of AHEE’s set and prepared for Gorilla T’s performance. One of our highlighted sets from Wakaan Fest last year, we knew we were in for a pleasant surprise with Gorilla T. Bringing his usual assault of youthful energy and gnarly screaming on the mic, Gorilla T blessed us with nothing but new shit! Playing track after track of unreleased songs and newly made collabs, just when I thought he couldn’t hit us with any more new releases, he played his new Liquid Stranger collab “Movement” featuring Yana Mahal. Exuding those Stranger vibes, this was a personal favorite for me.
Give us our Daily Bread
And Just when I thought this night couldn’t get any better, it was time for the Bread Man. Sliding up to the stage with his backward 59-50 Atlanta Braves cap on was Daily Bread. Recently wrapping up his Flash Flood tour, the groove conductor embarked us on a smooth soulful journey through the South. Playing so many hits, I couldn’t keep up with, my mind was thoroughly blown. Not one for tight spaces, I quickly abandoned my wife along the fence line and headed towards center stage. Getting lost in the sauce, I somehow managed to be along the rails towards the left-hand side of the stage.
Vibing out next to another fellow tattooed heavy couple, I was completely lost in the music. Occasionally, I would glance back to check on my wife, but now being too far towards the front, she was out of my field of vision. She’ll be fine, I thought, as I danced the night away by my lonesome. Daily Bread was on, and I wanted to be center stage! And then it hit me across the face, the unique Native American sounding whistle from “ Push it to the limit” featuring Artikats! F**K! This is what I came for, I thought. I remember staring forward at the couple in front of me wearing immersive bread-like helmets. That’s pretty rad, I thought, cracking a smile.
The beauty of a festival like this is the “come as you are” spirit of the event. Dress however you like, indulge in whatever style of music you prefer, unite for the spirit of love and lose yourself in the rhythms at hand. Disco Presents events make that so easy to do with their multi-staged, multi-genre events. Too much dismay; Daily Bread eventually had to come to an end. Sprinting towards the back right, I found my wife seated in the dirt along the fence.
Time to call this little lady a night
“ Lets make our way to the front” I said with a weary smug smile upon my face.
“ Sure, easy exit “ She replied almost as a statement or a proposed question.
We shoved our way through the dense crowd and made our way to the long LED-lit installation leading back to the main area of the festival. Riot Ten was just wrapping up as Kindred was set to headline the Zoom Room on Day 1. We snagged some water bottles and headed towards Main Stage.
Hardly able to get through on the sidewalk, Subtronic’s set was underway at full steam. Dropping numerous tracks from his most recent album, Fibonaci Part 1, the Riddim God himself demolished Ubbi’s stage. With filthy riddim drops and a crowd so dense, there was no way in hell I could get near the sound booth; we stayed perched on top of the hill near the festival gates. Wearily watching as much as our poor, worn-out bodies could handle, we sadly threw in the towel 30 minutes prior to closing.
I could see the gratitude in my wife’s eyes as I suggested an early exit. Knowing she was more exhausted than I was, I wrapped my arm around her and headed through the exit gates. Starting the long trek back to our parking spot, we peacefully marched through the night with thousands of other like-minded individuals, ending this magical evening of Ubbi Dubbi Fest Day 1. It’s time for some tacos and a paloma and to call this little lady a night.