Second Sky 2022: Porter Robinson’s electronic music festival returns to Oakland
The third rendition of Porter Robinson’s Second Sky Music Festival was a day to remember. The weather in Oakland was tranquil, the music was consistently spellbinding, and fans came dressed for the Halloweekend occasion, bursting through the gates at 11:00 AM in hopes of purchasing one of 100 posters signed by Robinson himself. With spirits high, DJ Potaro kicked off the festival with a fun and sometimes funny set, and salute followed with a hard-hitting collection of originals (see my conversation with salute here). Kyary Pamyu Pamyu kept things light with vibrant colors and choreography, but it was the following band that took the festival to the next level.
Magdalena Bay was the fourth act to hit the stage, and they delivered a performance that cemented them in my mind as one of the most exciting up-and-coming synthpop groups. The duo generated a lot of buzz last year with the release of their first album, Mercurial World, which spun many subgenres together into a euphoric, spinning odyssey of a debut. I was lucky enough to see them open for Charli XCX in Chicago this year, and while their matching pajamas did make my night, their show at Second Sky blew that set out of the water. Each song was groovy, fun, and filled with shimmering layers of synths and guitars. At moments, the guitars came through so forcefully that a confused audience member might’ve forgotten they were at an electronic music festival. I hope Magdalena Bay continues to play with heavier guitar tones on their next record.
After a euphoric 45 minutes, Hudson Mohawke kept the vibes up with a DJ set that incorporated a number of songs from his newest project, Cry Sugar. He took the crowd from the highs of “Intentions” to the calm bliss of “Stump,” and wrapped it all up with the notorious “Bicstan,” to which the crowd went absolutely wild. Bladee was next in line, delivering an on brand mix of low-effort dance moves and falsetto crooning. If you know me, you know how I feel about this (I love it). He played a number of songs from his newest album Spiderr, as well as cuts from the more minimal Exeter and Ecco2k collab project Crest.
Unfortunately, Bladee’s set was cut short at around 35 minutes. The previous few acts had begun to run a little long, and my best guess is that there was something important about Skrillex starting at the scheduled time. The transition was a bit jarring, but things mostly smoothed out afterward, the one caveat being a few more technical difficulties that reared their heads during Skrillex’s set. Regardless, he recovered well and kept spirits high. It was exciting to see Skrillex, as he had been announced as a replacement for Fred again.. only a week earlier (Fred had to pull out due to an unfortunate timing conflict related to the release of his newest installment in the Actual Life series). At the end of his performance, Robinson joined Skrillex on stage to thank him both for performing and for being a mentor and friend. It was a heartwarming moment, setting a warm tone that permeated the rest of the evening.
Virtual Self B2B G Jones followed Skrillex with some of the most mind-expanding dance music I have ever heard. This was another of my favorite sets of the festival, as almost every song reached higher heights than its predecessor, but the first song set the bar in the clouds. I hope Robinson releases more music under the Virtual Self name, as this set was wilder than anything else I’ve heard from the project. If him and G Jones release that set or continue to work together in some capacity it will be a treat for electronic music fans.
The penultimate act, RL Grime, brought his usual energy and insanity to the stage. His easily identifiable brand of trap-EDM shook the crowd, with festivalgoers dancing from start to finish. Famous for his yearly Halloween DJ mixes, RL Grime accompanied his set, whose theme was “Dead Space,” with some hauntingly frantic visuals. With UFOs flying around on screen to the beat of his fast-paced music, and pyrotechnics to match the energy, RL Grime’s show was as much of a spectacle visually as it was audibly. All that chaos, interspersed with some choice Playboi Carti vocals, coalesced in the perfect electronic-dance high to precede the grand finale that was the live band premiere of Nurture (find my thoughts on the original album here).
Robinson, dripped out in a comfy red and white sweater, opened with “Look at the Sky.” Instead of opening with a vibrant beat drop like the studio cut, this version opened up with a piano and some light drumming, welcoming the somewhat fatigued festivalgoers into Robinson’s world. The following songs, “Mirror” and “Something Comforting” reinforced the feel good vibes emanating from the stage. It felt like Robinson was in sync with the crowd almost immediately, and by the end of “Something Comforting,” he remarked, “I didn’t think I was gonna cry three songs into the set…”
It was all just so damn wholesome. There was a moment where the music got very quiet, and a hush came over the crowd—a hush so tangible that Robinson stopped and thanked the audience for being so quiet. Some performers don’t get so lucky, but that night it really felt as though everyone was on the same wavelength. Robinson also took time during the show to thank everyone involved in making Second Sky possible, from the security team to the food vendors. It was another heartwarming moment in a sea of good vibrations
Robinson also took a moment to discuss his intentions behind the live show. He explained, “When I wrote Nurture, I had this vision of writing music that felt like I was surrounded by delicate musical instruments in a meadow or by the campfire.” This is what the show had felt like metaphorically, but this feeling turned literal as Robinson subsequently performed “Lifelike” and “Shelter” in a campfire-esque circle with his band.
I’ve noticed that Robinson has been experimenting with more unprocessed vocals in recent shows, but live Nurture saw him take his singing to the next level. He has an emotive voice and it was wonderful to hear it showcased in these live versions, as most of the singing was unaffected. It will be interesting to see if Robinson will incorporate more live instrumentation and raw vocals on future projects.
I could rave about Second Sky for a thousand more words, but to spare you from my rambling I will touch on a few other highlights and then bid you farewell. Well into the show, Robinson half-joked that “Trying to Feel Alive” is underrated, stating that he thinks it's the best song he’s ever written before launching into an extended jam of the tune. It was all fun and games, but I think he meant it and I would like to take a moment to echo Robinson’s sentiment. That song is the perfect culmination of all the stunning moments on Nurture, wrapping up the album in the most transcendent yet grounded way possible. Porter, you aren’t alone in your love of “Trying to Feel Alive.”
I also have to shout out “Wind Tempos,” as it feels like every time Robinson does a new version of this song it somehow ascends to new euphoric highs. That was once again the case, as Robinson debuted a live looped version of the song that featured some of the most heavenly vocals I’ve ever heard from the artist. Robinson also performed “Clarity,” a song by Zedd and Foxes that many may not know Robinson helped write. This was a surprising choice, but it somehow fit in perfectly with the rest of the set, and served well as the penultimate track. “Everything Goes On,” the concluding song of the night, couldn’t help but make many emotional, including Robinson, who was once again shedding tears on stage. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to have been at Second Sky and live inside Robinson’s world for a Saturday.
edited by Sha Frasier, Editor-in-Chief.
photography by David Feigelson.
paragraph on RL Grime written by Rajeev Doraswamy.
