GALLERY: High Water Festival
CHARLESTON, SC | APRIL 15 & 16, 2023 | BY RYLEE MARSHALL
High Water Festival in Charleston, SC, was a weekend full of good music, amazing performances and the perfect coastal vibes! Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Beck and Wilco were the headliners for the magnificent weekend. Everyone at the festival was feeling the airy and inspiring vibes including Angel Olsen who wrote a song at the festival that they later performed! The weekend was full of surprises with several special guests coming out to accompany the artists. During the beginning of Bleachers set, Jack Antonoff surprised the audience by welcoming Lana Del Rey to the stage to perform their song “Margaret" together for the first time! The entire crowd roared as she entered the stage and was mesmerized as they bore witness to that magical moment. It seemed as though most of the performers were appreciative of each other as several artists reappeared on stage to join each other. Beck came out towards the end of Bleachers’ set and got the crowd buzzing for his headlining set the next day. Beck's set the following day was visually and audibly thrilling; no matter where you were in the crowd you could feel his compelling energy!
The talent that the festival curators, Shovels and Rope, brought to the stage was electric. Their commanding presence was felt by the audience, some of which were overheard discussing how impressive and humble the band is. They were even noted to say that they would have loved to see Shovels and Rope perform on the larger stage. Several of the performers were natives to South Carolina which allowed for a connection and a sense of pride to form within the audience. The appreciation of nature was a common theme expressed this weekend through many of the songs performed, for example, Kyshona expressed how she missed hearing the native sounds of nature right before performing her song “Nighttime Animal”.
HIGH WATER FEST DAY ONE
Rainbow Kitten Surprise ended Saturday night with a magical energy that permeated through the crowd. In the back of the audience several people could be found dancing and leaning on each other. One couple was even seen holding hands, dancing together and screaming the lyrics of “First Class” to each other. Many of the performers were also amazing storytellers as they introduced most of their songs with lovely stories of how they came to be.
This festival truly is for anyone and everyone. During Orville Peck’s performance he was delighted to see that he had a young fan who was matching him by wearing her very own Orville Peck inspired mask. With each incredible performance the crowd's tangible excitement grew. With a familiar yet unique sound, Wilco delivered a brilliant headlining performance that had the crowd wanting for more. From the captivating headliners to the authentically talented up-and-coming artists, this festival truly had something for everyone to enjoy! The list of performers chosen for this festival couldn't have been any better; each and every artist there exuded magnificent talent that was felt all through Riverfront Park! The festival overall was a wonderful celebration of love, music, and the joyous nature that is humankind!
HIGH WATER FEST DAY TWO
