In celebration of their 30th anniversary, iconic Los Angeles record label Stones Throw Records is hosting one of the most uniquely experimental lineups we’ve seen in recent years from October 16th-18th. Taking place at The Lodge Room, Stones Throw is hosting a massive 3-day outdoor party in Highland Park with a lineup ranging from hip-hop to psychedelic rock to electronic to funk and even to experimental jazz; all in representation of the ambitious goal that the label has had of completely shattering the boundaries of genre throughout the past three decades. This is not a lineup that Janky Smooth readers will want to miss with N8NOFACE, Automatic, Los Retros, Mild High Club, Egyptian Lover, Sudan Archives, Bardo, J. ROCC and Peanut Butter Wolf- just to name a few.
You can buy tickets now or enter our social media ticket giveaway @jankysmooth for a chance to win a pair of tickets – read to the end for details.
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Stones Throw Records was founded by rapper Peanut Butter Wolf in 1996 and the Los Angeles hip-hop scene has never been the same since; with the label focusing on hosting a wide array of genres that may seem like they don’t mix, but they all find a way to blend together seamlessly with how fearlessly creative each act they sign is. Stones Throw is a sign of the times and how music factions have joined and blurred the lines of audio tribalism.
For true fans of the label, this lineup is full of incredibly rare surprises such as J.Rocc performing an exclusive set of “Donuts” to honor its 20th anniversary and Mild High Club’s first Los Angeles show in over 5 years. Each day leans towards a specific vibe with Day 1 being very punk, Day 2 being very funk, and Day 3 melting faces with its blend of psychedelic indie sounds. Even with these differences in aesthetics between days, it’s as Stones Throw as you can imagine – with none of these artists conforming to any specific sound in particular, as each act is as unpredictable and experimental as the label’s history itself.
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The festival kicks off on Friday October 16 at the Lodge Room and while the first day does start later in the evening, it manages to be one of the most stacked days of the festival even with its shorter lineup. Post-punk synth-pop band Automatic is headlining and no matter how manyt times we see them live, they get better each time with how often they are constantly reinventing their melancholic sound that somehow manages to be infectiously catchy at the same time. Another wild card artist for the first day is N8NOFACE, who has one of the most distinct sounds out of any Los Angeles artists at the moment with his blend of hardcore punk, oi, power electronics, and electro-synth sound. While on a much angrier side than Automatic, both artists are guaranteed to have all of the punks, hipsters, and backpacker hip-hop heads getting down on the dancefloor. Even on the less punk side of things however: Los Retros is going to co-headline with an absolutely mesmorizing performance, Sudan Archives is sure to be one of the most fascinating sets of the weekend with her blend of electro R&B sounds and prodigal violin skills, and Angela Muñoz is going to kick the party off in Stone Throw fashion as the first rapper of the weekend.
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Day 2 of Stones Throw 30 Fest may start much earlier at 2:00 PM, but you will not want to sleep in too late as the weekend only peaks more from here. It wouldn’t be a true Stones Throw celebration without founding artist of the label Peanut Butter Wolf headlining, as the whole label and its signature brand of blending genres effortlessly was always his vision as a hip-hop disc jockey. PBW may be headlining but the spotlight is spread throughout the entire day with J.Rocc performing his “Donuts” 20th anniversary set, Tuxedo and DāM-FunK are going to bring the funk levels of the fest up to 11 (a genre in itself that’s rare to see performed live), and Stones Throw’s most commercially successful artist Aloe Blacc is going to melt hearts with his immensely talented and soulful voice. Los Angeles’ favorite irreverant comedian Eric Andre will even be there as a guest and if you know anything about how bizarrely wild his taste in music is, you know this weekend is going to be full of surprises you have never seen before.
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Mild High Club is headlining Day 3 with their first Los Angeles set in over 5 years and any true fan of psychedelic indie music could not be more excited for their return, as they are going to end the weekend off with the most hypnotic and trippy bang you could possibly ask for. And even better, experimental jazz anomaly John Carroll Kirby is going to be co-headlining before them with his bizarre and orchestrated piano skills. While Sunday night may be ending in a more trancelike and psychedelic fashion, Egyptian Lover will be escalating the dance-funk vibes from the previous day even further and Vex Ruffin is going to shake the dancefloor up with his completely original synth-punk “Original Pilipino Music” sound. This third day does lean heavy on the experimental and psychedelic side; especially with 1970’s performance artist Gary Wilson being a complete wildcard pull for the lineup, a rare performance that any fan of freaky experimental music will kick themselves for years for missing. Comedian Kyle Mooney will be the surprise guest of this third night to keep the laughter high while the vibes get bizarre. However as psychedelic and bizarre this third day may get, dancing is guaranteed throughout the entire weekend.
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Stones Throw 30 Fest is a representation of everything the label has stood for since its inception: fearless creativity, unexpected experimentation, a mix of genres you would never expect, and thinking of music outside of just sounds that represent an aesthetic. Stones Throw throws all of that typical scene-mentality out of the window to create their own aesthetic that cannot be replicated, and it was clear upon the first announcement that Stones Throw 30 Fest is sure to be a one-of-a-kind festival with an experience that can’t be recreated either. This is destined to be one of the most talked-about festivals in all of Los Angeles this year, and we can’t think of a better place than The Lodge Room to celebrate. Enter our giveaway below for your chance to be a part of this historical event in not only Los Angeles hip-hop history, but Los Angeles music history overall.
To Enter Our Giveaway:
Go to our Stones Throw 30 Fest post at any social media platform @jankysmooth for your chance to win 3 pairs of tickets.
- Like the Post
- Tag a friend (or all of them)
- Make sure you both follow Janky Smooth
Winners will be selected on Wednesday, October 7th at noon pacific. Good luck!
Words by Danny Ryan
