This publish was up to date Aug. 22 at 2:57 p.m.
Head within the Clouds is floating as soon as once more.
Hosted by music label 88rising, the Head In The Clouds Music and Arts Pageant took over Brookside on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Saturday and Sunday. From 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., the two-day pageant featured a wide range of Asian and Asian American artists performing throughout three levels, along with a number of Asian fusion delicacies curated by the 626 Night time Market.
Learn on for the Day by day Bruin’s protection of day one in all Head within the Clouds 2022.
MILLI
With dynamic dance strikes, drill beats and colourful visuals, MILLI kicked off her first Head within the Clouds.
The Thai rapper made her Head within the Clouds debut on the 88rising stage Saturday at 4:15 p.m., singing her hottest hits in each Thai and English. Carrying a large cloud-shaped hat that matched the clouds above the mainstage and clad head to toe in Nike gear, MILLI opened her set with a light-weight pop quantity that displayed her ethereal vocals. Following temporary technical difficulties on the set’s begin, she fanned herself as she strutted down the catwalk flanked by two dancers in electrical blue and inexperienced outfits to a rhythmic, pulsating monitor.
“Fingers up when you’re from Thailand, that’s my fam!” she shouted to a captivated crowd earlier than launching into her third tune, which was punctuated together with her speedy circulate and fashionable dance strikes.
On each side of the mainstage, the screens displayed alternately colourful, chromatic visuals of clocks and document vinyls, overlaid with footage of MILLI herself as she swaggered throughout the stage together with her backup dancers. The artist gave a shoutout to Jackson Wang, who might be performing Sunday, and sang their latest collaboration “Thoughts Video games” solo. “Who mentioned I wish to assume it by way of?” she crooned whereas stripping off her electrical blue jacket to viewers screams.
All through the set, the first-time Head within the Clouds artist interpolated viewers interplay and expressions of gratitude for his or her response to her efficiency. “I’m going to recollect this till I die,” she mentioned close to the tip of her set, holding again tears earlier than joking that crying would possibly smash her “very costly” make-up.
Based mostly on the group’s chants, MILLI made her mark as a first-time performer on the pageant.
Jay Park
As night fell over Pasadena, Jay Park introduced strobing results and particular visitors to gentle up the Rose Bowl.
The hip-hop artist took to the 88rising mainstage at 7:35 p.m. and was greeted by the group chanting his identify. Wearing a easy black and white jacket with pink trim, Park launched into the primary tune of his set, “All I Wanna Do.” Accompanied by 4 dancers wearing all white, Park instructed the viewers it was his first time again in Los Angeles after three years earlier than performing his second tune, “Me Like Yuh.”
As Park’s set flowed from one tune to the subsequent with upbeat tempos, his choreography equally took him throughout the catwalk with boy band-esque strikes. Backed by beaming laser visuals on the screens and DJ Spray, his verses have been well-received by an viewers that saved leaping to Park’s tunes.
Park didn’t keep “SOLO” for lengthy as after he rapped that monitor, he introduced out particular visitors and previous collaborators, Korean rapper Sik-Ok – donning a crocheted ski masks – and Korean-American rapper pH-1 to hitch him in on the 88rising stage. The 2 carried out three songs alongside Park, closing with “The Purge” which was backed by a fast-paced beat. Close to the tip of the set, Park briefly thanked the viewers for his or her time and concluded with a shirtless, gyrating rendition of “MOMMAE,” full with a show of his extra sensual dancing expertise.
Park’s highlight continued to shine on the viewers because the solar went down on his return to LA.
keshi
Regardless of the quick discover, keshi stepped in as Saturday’s headliner – and never a second “2 quickly.”
Following headliner NIKI’s assertion on Wednesday that she couldn’t attend Head within the Clouds due to contracting COVID-19, Head within the Clouds alumnus keshi was introduced as her alternative. Led by flashing visuals of lightning and an electrical guitar intro, keshi left his typical lo-fi beats behind and opened with “GET IT,” a fast-paced single from his latest album.
keshi – armed along with his distinct falsetto and accompanying fireworks – gave his keen viewers a style of his older hits, crooning “SOMEBODY” and “beside you” into his microphone as followers sang alongside. Carrying a easy cream-colored long-sleeve, he sauntered a couple of comparatively unadorned stage with solely himself and sometimes his electrical guitar throughout “drunk” and “ANGEL.”
The pop artist saved interactions with the viewers to a minimal and as a substitute maintained musical momentum by solely pausing to drink water and spotlight his band members as he transitioned from one tune to a different. Because the strobe lights flickered on his viewers, keshi closed his set with “2 quickly,” an upbeat monitor for which he requested the screaming viewers to “put their fucking arms up.”
After a high-speed set, keshi reigned within the hyper crowd with a slowed-down serenade to say goodbye.
mxmtoon
mxmtoon could have sung a couple of “unhappy disco,” but her first Head within the Clouds efficiency was every little thing however.
The indie pop singer-songwriter made her Head within the Clouds debut on the Double Happiness stage at 9:15 p.m., backlit by a pixelated animation of a solar setting behind stairs and colourful spotlights. Enveloped in a puffy, pale pink babydoll costume with matching tennis footwear and wired glasses, mxmtoon opened with “Falling for U,” a gently paced tune that set the temper for her set.
Regardless of the scale of the pageant, mxmtoon addressed the viewers as in the event that they have been a detailed buddy by way of informal interactions similar to asking the group in the event that they wished to be in her BeReal publish and chatting with viewers members concerning the online game “Valorant.” She additionally welcomed new listeners by jokingly promising that they’d all know her identify by the tip of her set time. In a extra emotional second, mxmtoon expressed gratitude for her involvement within the 88rising pageant and particularly, its lineup of Asian and Asian American artists.
“To be surrounded by people who find themselves so happy with their tradition, to be by people who find themselves so happy with the music that they make, to be with people who find themselves so excited to share that music with one another – thanks a lot for being right here, this implies the world,” she mentioned.
Taking part in upbeat tracks like “fever dream” and “coming of age,” the singer twirled and sashayed her method across the stage and inspired the group of pageant attendees to show their cellphone flashlights right into a rhythmic wave of starlight throughout “bon iver.” The performer then picked up a ukulele and led an enthusiastic viewers for her breakout hit “promenade costume” earlier than ending with the bouncy tune “mona lisa” from her newest album.
With the group belting again to her, mxmtoon skipped off the stage – no crying contest essential.