In only its second year overall, and the first at Banc of California Stadium in the heart of Los Angeles, Adult Swim Festival has already established itself as a major event. With an eclectic lineup of music and comedy, plus Adult Swim-themed panels and attractions, the festival has no problem distinguishing itself from the many others out there.
There’s still room for improvement in a few areas, mainly in terms of handling crowd flow and shortening the ridiculous wait times for panels and attractions. I would also like to see more food options available, and some more interesting merch.
However, these were all relatively small issues and none of them prevented me from having a fantastic weekend. I was mainly there for the music, and that part of the festival was actually organized very well.
Keep reading to see the highlights of my festival experience.
Friday
Friday was a shorter day, only running from 5-11 PM. I wasn’t a fan of the first few artists playing, so I used the time to check out the Meatwad Dome and ride the Morty Slide.
Unfortunately, I never made it inside the Meatwad Dome to catch a screening – the lines were too long and none of the screenings particularly interested me. I would’ve loved to see them use the dome to screen some sort of Aqua Teen Hunger Force special, or even just old episodes. ATHF is my favorite Adult Swim show by far and even though it’s not on the air anymore, I’d like to see the festival highlight it more.
Still, it was great just to have Meatwad’s presence on the field – every time I looked at the dome, I could hear his voice echoing through my head.
Lines were long all weekend for the Morty Slide, but I decided it was worth waiting on Friday night and I didn’t regret my decision. The slide is taller than it looks in this photo, about 4 stories, and you can pick up a lot of speed coming down.
It was so much fun that I took advantage of arriving early on Saturday and rode the slide a second time.
The first set I watched on Friday was Tim Hecker & The Konoyo Ensemble. Tim Hecker is one of my very favorite artists and his set didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Enveloping the crowd in thick fog and dimly pulsing lights, he delivered a masterclass of ambient drone music.
The three-piece Konoyo Ensemble used ancient Japanese instruments to add chilling tones and thunderous percussion accents throughout the performance. It was such an entrancing experience that I literally forgot where I was for a portion of the set.
Immediately after Tim Hecker’s set was Captain Murphy, the cartoon rapper alter-ego of producer Flying Lotus. There’s still only been one full-length Captain Murphy album (Duality, released in 2012) and live shows are an even rarer event.
I honestly never thought I’d get to see a performance like this, and I especially didn’t expect Captain Murphy to be backed by a three-piece band including Thundercat on bass. The live instrumentation only added to classic tracks like “Between Friends,” “Mighty Morphin’ Foreskin,” and “The Ritual.”
The show also included eye-popping visuals, as well as guest appearances from Azizi Gibson and “MF Doom,” which turned out to really be Hannibal Burress in disguise. Overall, the Captain Murphy set was a wild experience that truly felt like a special event.
Saturday
I kicked off day 2 with the Rickflector, an immersive experience that uses motion tracking technology to transport you into the world of Rick and Morty. I ultimately found it to be a bit short and underwhelming, but it was still amusing and good for a few laughs.
The first artist to really grab my attention on Saturday was Negative Gemini. I didn’t know a lot of her music going into the set, but I’m officially a fan now. Her vocals and stage presence were awesome, and the band playing behind her provided solid support.
Next up was Clppng, the experimental hip-hop trio fronted by Daveed Diggs. Diggs’ flow is among the smoothest I’ve ever heard and the beats behind him were unrelenting, assaulting the crowd with pummeling bass and sudden bursts of noise.
The highlight of the day for me was definitely Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, who drew an absolutely massive crowd. Though the volume on Madlib’s beats could’ve been a bit louder, the duo had no trouble captivating their audience thanks to Freddie’s dynamic stage presence and Madlib’s endless arsenal of samples. The setlist was a nice mix of their two collaborative albums, PInata and Bandana.
Freddie ended the set by holing up his 4-year-old daughter to a deafening roar from the crowd, leaving the stage on a high note.
The last great performance of the festival wasn’t a musical one — it was The Eric Andre Show Live. I thought it was risky to book a comedy performance on the main stage right before the headliners, but Andre ended up drawing one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the weekend.
As a big fan of The Eric Andre Show (which returns for a final season on Adult Swim in 2020), I had no idea how he would translate his extremely bizarre and often inappropriate antics into a live experience. It worked far better than I imagined, as he delighted the crowd with uncomfortable monologues, psychedelic visuals, and guest interviews that ranged from Seth Green to a member of the audience.
Fittingly, Andre practically tortured audience members in the front rows, blasting them with everything from a super soaker to heaping scoops of chili. He also led a ranch chugging competition which he ended by exposing himself to the crowd — yes, seriously.
It’s a very rare thing for a comedian to play to a crowd this large and Andre clearly relished the opportunity, along with his invaluable co-host Hannibal Burress.
Finally, I ended the weekend with an early screening of a new Rick and Morty episode, a perfect way to close out a great festival.
As long as they keep delivering interesting lineups and a fun environment, I hope to attend many more Adult Swim Festivals in the future.