It was the perfect storm—a mixture of rapid expansion, financial meltdown and bad weather—that led to the collapse of the Harmony Festival. But the late-night electronic dance party lives on.
Techno-Tribal Dance co-producers Damian Peters and Zack Darling are outspoken with gratitude for the 12-year reign as the Harmony Festival’s after-hours show. “Like a flower that dies and spreads its seeds, all these great camps sprout up,” says Darling, referring to the finite life cycle of festivals that offer up fertile soil for a positive shift in innovation. Change, it seems, is always good for a scene.
This year’s headliners Love & Light (above) introduce “love step,” a melodic adaptation of the wompy bass-heavy beats of dubstep, plus Russ Liquid, jazz musician turned DJ, who infuses live instrumentals into deep house. Inside the open-air “Silent Disco,” wild and wonderful troupes from fire dancers to swinging aerialists atop a 40-foot contraption span the tame to the risqué.
With an entirely volunteer production staff, the community benefit is meant as a collective “thank you” to support the continued survival of Techno-Tribal Dance. Be part of the new chapter on Saturday, June 9, at Hopmonk Tavern. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 9pm. $20–$30. 707.829.7300.—Jacquelynne Ocaña
