Category: <span>Festival Reviews</span>

Festival Reviews

Favourite Artists Heard at Lightning in a Bottle

Lightning in a Bottle provided an experience for attendees that was about more than music. However, the musical lineup was one that can not be overlooked. An array of talented musicians played at this year’s LIB, and headliners of the event included Chet Faker, Grimes, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Jamie XX, Four Tet and Tokimonsta. The festival saw an eclectic mix of electronic music, from dubstep to techno to deep house to tribal house. There was a little bit of something for everyone.

Here are my favourite LIB acts, listed in chronological order.

Mija

Mija, Mija, Mi hija… Maybe it’s because I have been wanting to see this lady perform since I first heard her B2B sunrise set with Skrillex at Bonnaroo in 2014, but Mija did not disappoint with her set at LIB. She threw down an incredible performance, slaying her 80-minutes on the Thunder Stage and proving to us all her prowess as a DJ. She kept the crowd jumping and dancing the whole time, giving the chills to everyone who was there dropping their dirtiest dubstep dance moves. The highlight of her set came at the end though, when she crawled out into the crowd to share a cigarette with her fans. Thank you Mija, for being so good at what you do, and for sharing that moment with us all.

William Close and the Earth Harp Collective

William Close and the Earth Harp Collective was one of the most unique musical experiences of the weekend. This was my first experience with the Earth Harp which was set up stage left, midway to the back, with the shimmery strings of the harp extending to the top of the front of the stage. The best way to experience the show was to set up under the California stars, grab a seat on the ground and cross your legs to feel the reverberations of the harp through the earth. William Close used his Earth Harp to do a powerful cover of Mozart’s Summer Overture, one that literally gave me goosebumps, before closing out his set with a guest appearance by David Satori of Beats Antique.

Autograf

Autograf appeared to be teasing the crowd with a slow, sensual start to their set… Until they announced that the slow start was really just their soundcheck and it was time to get down! The trio revealed their individual talents through a 90-minute set to a crowd who refused to stop dancing despite the sun’s beating rays. Set up on stage with drums, a keyboard and a mixer to perform live covers of classic dubstep hits, classic house hits, and their own hits, their energetic set was happy and eclectic, and they definitely left their autograph on LIB.

Jamie XX

Oh my God… Did Jamie XX ever kill it! Opening with the song Crystallized by his musical group The XX (can you grace us with a new album yet? Please?) before mixing into one of the most melodic sets of the weekend, Jamie XX took us on a house journey unlike any other. Nothing but a shadow on the stage amidst a constant, mysterious cloud of smoke and lights, the talented producer did not look up once from his set, and barely even noticed when a naked man tried to charge his stage. He just continued to do his thing, keeping the crowd moving and grooving until 2:00 a.m.

HÄANA

If you don’t know who HÄANA is, you need to discover her. She was one of the most talented individuals I came across all weekend. Dressed in a black and gold dress, with a gold cage headpiece, HÄANA sings live, mixes live, and plays the violin live. Her nordic inspired tunes, combined with her ethereal voice and the twang of her violin create a uniquely magical sound. The beauty of her music is something that should not be overlooked and is something that everyone needs to experience at least once.

Lee Burridge Mixing Into Four Tet

Lee Burridge and Four Tet are musical geniuses, each in their own rights, so it was with complete joy that I saw on the schedule Lee Burridge playing the three-hour sunset slot at The Woogie Stage as a precursor to Four Tet’s set there. The legends did not play B2B, or with one another, but Lee Burridge transitioned his three-hour techno set perfectly as the sun went down (amidst cheers) and The Woogie came to light, into an introduction for Four Tet. Lee Burridge’s dynamic three-hour mix kept us dancing and shuffling the night away until, unknowingly, we were listening to Four Tet who took us on a two-hour journey through his unique, artistic beats. Sunday was a phenomenal day of techno at the Woogie Stage, with some of the best sets of the weekend.

Chet Faker

Chet Faker’s energy throughout his closing set at the Lightning Stage was infectious. He could be seen running around the stage, with his black coat flying behind him like a cape. At one point he was belting out his tunes from half way up the scaffolding. The talented musician took a completely different route from his DJ set at the Temple Stage, playing with a four-piece band to play songs old and new. He effortlessly weaved old songs like Drop the Game into new songs like The Trouble With Us, into some of his classics like Gold and his cover of No Diggity. To finish the night, Chet Faker left us with one of the most mind-blowing, stunning visuals of the weekend when he climbed up onto a slightly raised platform to play the piano with a white backdrop, creating a dynamic silhouette of a man and his piano.

Festival Reviews

The Lightning in a Bottle Community Experience

High fives when crossing bridges, spirit animal yells resonating across the grounds, stumbling upon karaoke hidden away in a ravine. These are some of the incredible memories I have from Lightning in a Bottle. But the most unique memory I have from the festival is the community that was built over the weekend, allowing for attendees to have a spiritually awakening experience.

I went into the festival with an open mind and an open heart, having educated myself on the festival beforehand and being aware that it is a festival known for the experience it provides. This allowed me to explore the various music, non-music and self-discovery components that make up Lightning in a Bottle. Every day there were new discoveries, new adventures, and new parts of the festival to explore.

Yoga sessions took place multiple times each day at the two yoga stages Yoga Om and Yoga Namaste. They did wonders to stretch out those tightened up festival muscles. I had the pleasure of attending a yoga session with Kishan Shah under the Earth Harp. Set up at the Lightning Stage, William Close played his mystical Earth Harp as Kishan Shah led a class under the big, blue afternoon sky. The reverberations of the Earth Harp gave me the strength and concentration to move and flow while fully embracing the heat of the day and the brightness of the sun.

Photo by Zipporah Lomax

Lightning in a Bottle provided festival goers with the opportunity to attend workshops and listen to speakers in The Village. Topics varied from exploring the history and effects of music on the world, and learning about ecological sustainability and environmentally conscious nutrition, to learning about the benefits and effects of essential oils on our bodies and minds.

Photo by Courtney Smith

The festival had a Sacred Fire in the middle of The Village that remained lit throughout the weekend so it makes sense that Fire by Friction would be one of the available workshops. Hosted by Icarus Zuare, attendees learned how to make a fire using only wood. No flint, no matches, no lighter. Just you, Zuare, and a twig. He sat patiently with duo after duo giving every one hands-on assistance and advice as they worked to start a fire using only friction. And every one successfully did it.

LIB is also known as an environmentally friendly festival, encouraging sustainability. It won the Outstanding Award from A Greener Festival Foundation multiple times in the past few years. It is a “leave a positive trace” festival. This means what you take in with you, you take out. LIB works to educate attendees on what they can do to help the environment, and how to maintain sustainability at a festival through educational workshops, talks and booths. To this end, Lightning in a Bottle provided compost bins next to the trash and recycling bins.

Every day of the festival provided a new and incredible experience. The music was phenomenal, with the main stages – Lightning Stage, Thunder Stage and The Woogie – hosting some of the most talented individuals in today’s electronic music, while the Pagoda Bar and Favela Bar kept the beats bopping and the party hopping through the night. It was fairly easy to get caught up in the music until you remembered the large size of the festival, and how much more there was to explore.

From the art structures scattered throughout the grounds, to the smaller areas that hosted more music and games like the Grand Artique, to the different games that could be stumbled upon across the festival like the renegade bowling contraption, it was easy to get caught up in the adventure that was LIB before watching the sunrise from where you were: Temple Stage, Meditation Lookout, a hammock in one of the trees, or your campsite.

Photo by Dan Krauss

Festival Reviews

Five Favourite Moments at Lightning in a Bottle

My feet have not fully touched the earth since the spiritual journey that was Lightning in a Bottle, so to help ease my float back down to reality, I’ve pieced together a list of my favourite moments from this year’s LIB Festival.

1. LIB Opening Ceremony


One of the most touching moments from the weekend was the LIB Opening at Sacred Fire. The opening ceremony was a way for festival goers to give thanks for the use of the land over the five-day weekend. It helped set the tone of respect for one another and for oneself, for Mother Earth and for water in a California drought, and of community that became synonymous with the LIB experience. The ceremony commenced at 7:30 p.m. on the Thursday evening in The Village with traditional native music, a speech by a member of one of the local tribes, a kiss to the earth, and then a slow, silent walk down the hill to the fire. As the sun began to slowly descend on the mountains, thanks were given and a feeling of gratefulness and appreciation appeared to wash over the crowd. Every one began to chant and then, as the sun took it’s last breath before hiding behind the mountains until the morning, the fire expert, Icarus, lit the sacred fire that remained lit all weekend. And so the festival began in one of the most enchanting ways possible.

2. The Funk Hunters Afterhours at The Grand Artique

Once again, The Funk Hunters quickly became a highlight of the weekend. These boys can do no wrong in my eyes, always throwing down one of the most energetic sets of the weekend. With some of the funkiest beats you’ll hear, from jazz to hip hop, to swing to classic rock, if you ever have an opportunity to see The Funk Hunters, put on your comfiest dancing shoes and go dance them off. The Funk Hunters were scheduled to perform on the Thunder Stage from 5:25 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. and, of course, threw down a phenomenal dance-worthy set. But it was the lesser known, late night performance (this time at the carnival themed stage of The Grand Artique) that captivated this gal. From 1:45 a.m. until 2:45 a.m. the boys took the stage at The Grand Artique putting on one of the best sets of the weekend and keeping the crowd dancing the whole time. Some swing dancing was done, lots of twirling was had, and the grooves just kept on going. While the set was phenomenal, and the smaller crowd made for a wonderfully intimate experience, it was the smile and pure joy on the duo’s face that was the most memorable. Their apparent love for the music they were playing for the crowd to jam to was infectious.

3. Late Night Bingo

Also known as LIB’ingo, this fun activity didn’t start until super late (or early in the morning), after most of the music had stopped for the evening. You could wander by the tent but, more likely than not, if you were passing by the LIB’ingo, you were going to be drawn in by the loud music being played out across the picnic tables, and the obnoxiously hilarious bingo hosts dressed in their zany outfits. You knew you were going to have a good time as soon as you walked into the tent and got a bingo card from one of the dancing disco ladies. Watch out for a tie though… A quick game of Twister was used to determine the winner. But if you stayed until the final score card? You became part of a post LIB’ingo dance party, dancing on the picnic tables with your new bingo buddies.

4. Sunset Gratitudes

The gratitude for the sun continued throughout the entire weekend. Sunset gratitudes were held nightly at 7:30 p.m. at the Sacred Fire, and again with sunrise honourings every morning at 5:45 a.m. Another area that was used to honour the sun was the Meditation Lookout. The Meditation Lookout was a big hill, with a tree on top overlooking the entirety of the festival. In the evening, festival goers climbed the hill, and sat facing west to watch the sun go to sleep for the night. The best part of watching the sunset on the Meditation Lookout was how many people you connected with as you released your spirit animal sound into the fading purple sky, then cheering the sun for being the brightest star in the sky. And if you couldn’t make it to the Meditation Lookout for the evening show, chances were you grabbed ahold of your new family and, together, howled the sun to bed. It was a nice reminder that we should all take a moment every day to enjoy the beauty of the world around us.

5. Chet Faker’s DJ Set in the Temple

Chet Faker was one of the headliners of the weekend, scheduled to close out the festival at the Lightning Stage on the Sunday night of the event. If you paid close enough attention though, you might have been one of the lucky few to realize that Chet Faker was also playing a DJ set at the Temple stage during the wee hours of the morning. The festival booklet did say that attendees could “get intimate with headlining acts during late night ‘Encounters’ series at the Temple Stage,” and the schedule for Saturday at the Temple Stage revealed a Chet Faker Afterhours DJ Set at 1:45. However, it didn’t appear that very many people were aware of this musical appearance (myself included until a bouncing Tigger informed me of the event). There were maybe 50 people in the tent watching the performance! Chet Faker on the Lightning Stage was incredible, but a Chet Faker DJ set in such an intimate environment was something unforgettable. And yes, Chet Faker slayed his 90-minute set with a huge grin peaking out from under that beautiful, burly beard.

Notable Mentions

Baseball with The Crows at The Grand Artique, lime jalapeño margaritas, hugs, hugs, hugs and more hugs!

Festival Reviews

Further Future – The Dark Side of Burning Man

It’s safe to say that Further Future founders Jason Swamy and Robert Scott have the support of Robot Heart fans and Burners alike. With the majority of attendees at this year’s sophomore event having had been to Burning Man at least once (if not five or more times), Further Future was dubbed by many of those attending as “The Dark Side of Burning Man.”

The mission of Further Future is “moving beyond the confines of a traditional music festival,” according to the festival website. “Further Future establishes a modern means of social movement and cultural change, engaging a conscious community through a unique curation of world-class musicians and art, alongside inspiring leaders in the areas of science, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.”

It’s an inspirational festival that allows attendees the privilege of self-discovery and soul searching. And it is the most incredible festival that I have ever had the chance to experience.

Further Future truly is so much more than a music festival. It allows for the exploration of technology, gastronomy, music, arts and wellness through an incredible lineup of speakers and activities. It is a festival where one can go and learn: about the future of the world we live in and the future that others see for our world. It is also a festival where one can go and learn about oneself with the help of like-minded individuals who are willing to go adventuring with you to the various enlightening talks of the Visionary Speakers Series, morning and afternoon yoga and mediation, and musical performances that carry on all through the night until sunrise.

The festival gives off insanely cool vibes, instantly upon arrival. Further Future is an extremely remote festival, in the middle of the desert, with the stages and tents being set up far away from any sort of civilization, surrounded by the canyons of Nevada under the big, blue desert sky. The location, while being at the mercy of Mother Nature, allows for attendees to explore themselves, discover one another, and connect in a way that is not possible unless you are in such a remote and awe-inspiring setting.

The energy and good vibes that I felt at Further Future are unlike any I have ever felt. Every Futurist that I met appeared to be on a spiritual journey and most helped to guide me on mine. Everyone affected me on my journey and, as a group, we were given the opportunity to explore, discover, and connect in a remote, Mars-like, breathtaking setting.

It is this energy and these vibes that shaped my experience at this festival. It was the people that I met along the way that made Further Future so special and such an incredible experience.

While the festival struggled a bit with organization and a lot with rain, the overall experience at Further Future was phenomenal. Especially for a festival only in its second year.

With craft Oaxaca-made and Damiana-distilled Mescal tequila, and Richie Hawtin’s own ENTER.Sake being the liquor of choice at the festival; sit-down dinners available for purchase with Frank Gorriceta of Nobu; technology talks with Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt; and headlining musical sets taking you on colourful journeys through the night and into the early hours of the morning with Lee Burridge, Caribou, Nicolas Jaar and Four Tet, it is easy to achieve a mind-blowing, life-altering experience at Further Future.

Further Future turned out to be a primo experience: it was luxurious and mature but maintained the laid-back and loving Burner mentality, with the remoteness of the festival being as humbling as the joy of dancing on the Robot Heart Bus.

The Ethos of Further Future is “to be kind and generous; to be passionate. To be innovative and not afraid to believe. To welcome a range of amazing and inspiring people to share our journey, past the future and beyond the horizon.”

I was lucky enough to experience this ethos at the festival. I came across kindness and generosity from so many people; I was able to pursue some of my own passions at the festival that brought me unabashed joy; I learned how to believe in myself and the possibilities that the future holds for me through explorations at some of the Visionary Speakers. I learned so much about myself, my values, my hopes and dreams.

And at the end of the weekend, Further Future helped me realize the possibilities that the future holds for us: the visionaries, the believers, the changers. Because it is the people and our connection with another that will change the world.

Festival Reviews

Five Best Things Seen at Further Future

I’ve barely washed off the body paint from my journey beyond Vegas at last weekend’s sophomore year of Further Future, and the reality of being back in the city is almost too much for me to handle. To help cope with this though, I’m reminiscing about the festival with a list of the five best things I saw at Further Future.

1. The Brit and the Yank

You know it’s going to be a good festival when the first two people you meet are your camp neighbours who met at the airport on their way to the festival, and, upon knowing each other for t-minus five minutes, decided to camp with one another. Enter the Brit and the Yankee. The Yank recalls seeing the Brit walking through the airport with nothing but a rucksack, looking a little lost. Upon seeing him, he knew he was heading to Further Future as well and, together, they went on a mission to find the somewhat challenging-to-find shuttle bus to the festival. Along the way, they became fast friends and decided to camp with one another, the Yank referring to the Brit as his brother by the end of the weekend. It was this kind of friendly, welcoming energy that could be felt throughout the entire weekend across the festival grounds. With the grand majority of festival attendees having attended Burning Man at least once (if not five or more times), the same sort of Burner mentality and principles could be seen at Further Future. And for someone who has never experienced energy of this sort in such a colossal way, this is enough reason to head back to the festival next year.

2. Sunrise sets with Lee Burridge


Lee Burridge is a techno king. He is known for his amazing sunrise sets on the Robot Heart bus at Burning Man, as well as for his All Day I Dream parties, and for being a pioneer in the underground club scene. He also is known for playing some of the most incredible, lengthy sets, with his sunrise set at Further Future spanning four hours, from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. It seemed that, as the sun rose over the desert, casting the large, cage-like heart above the bus in a majestic golden glow, the energy of the crowd picked up and Lee Burridge dove deeper into the sounds of the underground. More people seemed to appear, fervently dancing in front of the bus, while women in sky-high moon boots continued to dance atop the bus. And the best part of it all wasn’t Lee Burridge’s unique sounds resonating across the Valley of Fire, but the huge grin that remained plastered upon the artist’s face throughout his entire set. Discover Lee Burridge, but definitely discover him while he is performing because the man appears to be at home, in his happy spot, and his joy while he is performing is just as infectious as his beats that will make you dance until the sun has long since risen.

3. Apocalyptic rain storms

Normally, an attendee’s experience at a music festival is very dependant on the weather during that festival. Unfortunately the weather – extreme heat, extreme cold, crazy rain – is completely out of organizers’ hands. The Valley of Fire gets an annual average rainfall of four inches – so not much. Leading into the festival, there were four days of rain. During the festival, there was rain Friday night, and once again Saturday night. While Friday night wasn’t too damaging to the experience, Saturday’s intense rainstorm, filled with thunder and lightning, rivers and lakes in the campgrounds, and washed out roads, had the potential to ruin the weekend for festival-goers and organizers. Instead, the intense weather, that caused evacuations and attendees to take cover wherever they could, encouraged a sort of bonding between attendees. It was a storm one only really witnesses in the desert and it was a storm that was survived together, in the desert. Batten down the tents, take refuge under neighbours canopies or in their cars, and then, celebrate with fireworks. Mother Nature won that day, but she couldn’t put out the fire that burns brightly inside Further Future attendees.

4. Girl power with Amanda Kahlow

Further Future proved that a festival can explore so much more than just music and art. With an astounding Visionary Speakers lineup that saw the likes of Eric Schmidt of Alphabet Inc. and Bob Pittman of iHeartMedia Inc. giving intelligent talks to attendees, Further Future allowed festival-goers to expand their minds by diving into talks about the future of technology, education, food, cannabis, and so much more. Amanda Kahlow of 6sense delivered one of the most empowering talks of the weekend. Exploring the challenges of running her own business, while also being unapologetic of having to be what people sometimes consider a “bitch,” Kahlow reminded us that girl power can be the best power, to never give up on your hopes and dreams, and yes, women can be just as successful as men.

5. Sunset sets with Easy Star All-Stars

Closing the festival was reggae cover band Easy Star All-Stars, followed by HVOB. Seemed like an odd addition to a lineup that was stacked with electronic and techno artists but it worked. And it was fantastic! From trombones and saxophones, to drums and guitars, the band jammed the night away, covering old songs and new songs and demonstrating the fluidity and joy of music. With the barefoot lead singer, Kirsty Rock, who kept dancing and feeling the music throughout the entire set, Easy Star All-Stars helped close down the official festival with a fun, energetic set that embodied the good vibes of the festival and kept the crowd grooving all the way through long past the final sunset.

Adventures

Five Favourite Moments from Coachella Weekend Two

My lungs are still hacking up dust from last weekend’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and the sadness of having had to leave the Polo Fields for another year is still very fresh in my mind. To help me get through this though, I have put together a list of my five favourite moments from last weekend’s festivities.

1. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

One of the best moments of Weekend Two was being a party to the energetic and interactive performance of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. When lead singer Alex Ebert pranced out on stage barefoot to begin the evening set, he did not stop dancing during the entire 50-minute performance. Straight from the get-go, Ebert set the tone for the evening, climbing the crowd barrier to wade deep into the Coachella crowds. Throughout the performance, fans could find Ebert singing in his soothing voice right above them, or dancing and hopping around the stage, mic in hand. At one point, he called out to the crowd, asking for someone to sing the next verse. One fan nervously accepted the challenge amongst the encouraging cheers of the surrounding fans. Later in the set, Ebert tossed out a compact video camera into the crowd, informing everyone to take a video of themselves dancing before tossing it on. For the next few minutes, a tiny green camera could be seen hurtling through the air from person, to person, to person. And what better way to end such an energetic, happy set than with stories from fans as the sun slowly set behind the mountains? With such amazing energy from Ebert and the band, and such good vibes from the crowd, along with beautifully happy music all taking place during the stunning Coachella sunsets, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros put on an unforgettable performance that still brings tears to my eyes (happy tears, of course).

2. Anderson .Paak and all his surprises

Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals started off their set with some funky jams, revving the crowd up with their energetic performance and inciting all the booty popping and hip swaying that comes with their tunes. With no expectations of any surprise performances, Anderson .Paak began to build the crowd’s excitement as he announced midway through his set that the thing to do at Coachella is to bring out surprise guests. Lo and behold, Kendrick Lamar came out to perform “Back Street Freestyle” on the small stage with Anderson .Paak. As if that surprise wasn’t enough for Anderson .Paak and hip hop fans alone, the crowd was blessed with a second surprise: a performance by legendary hip hop producer and N.W.A. member Dr. Dre. Although Dre and Kendrick had already performed with Ice Cube the night before on the main stage, this surprise was so unexpected the two hip hop artists ended up performing to a smaller crowd in the Mojave tent, providing fans lucky enough to be there with a more intimate, yet highly energetic performance. And yes… California does know how to party.

3. Finding the “Big Fish” stage

Do LaB proved once again as to why their stage is my favourite stage at Coachella. With a unique crowd that vibes off one another’s positive energy, and a different lineup from Weekend One to Weekend Two of talented DJs and up-and-comers, this stage is well-worth discovering and walking over to in The Terrace. While the stage never ceases to impress with it’s pyrotechnics, acrobatic dancers and bumping beats, this year’s joy came from the energy of the artist painting on the live art wall. Anticipation for Sunday night’s surprise guest was growing throughout the crowd during Kraddy’s (incredible) set, until finally Diplo’s face appeared behind the decks being set up to takeover the stage. As the crowd grew, hordes of young electronic fans piling into the Do LaB tent, Walshy Fire picked up a microphone, and Jillionaire and Diplo started revving up the crowd in the background. Major Lazer hit the decks and, the artist hit the wall… The artist painting the live art wall had so much energy, whipping his brush on the wall to paint beautiful blue strokes and effectively creating the story of Major Lazer at Do LaB with each flick of the brush. He jumped to the music, swinging his arms in beat and flinging paint on fans nearby, with a huge grin on his face. It looked like he was loving every minute of what he is doing and where he was doing it.

4. Getting lost in Black Coffee’s Yuma set

I got yuma’d. It’s a thing. Especially during Black Coffee’s two-hour set. The struggle with the sandstorms was real Friday, and Yuma provided shelter from the dust and the wind, along with an epic set by Black Coffee. As much as you may go into Yuma with the intention of leaving after 45 minutes to go catch another artist, the energy, lack of windows, and the beauty of the disco ball shark have the power to suck you in for three times as long. While coming out of Yuma after two-hours of non-stop dancing can be a bit of a shock to the system, doing so during Black Coffee’s set was well worth it and he quickly became one of my favourite new discoveries of the weekend.

5. Water fights in the campgrounds

Camping at Coachella is not for everyone, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart. High winds this year tore down the majority of campers’ EZ-Ups on the first day of the festival, leaving many people without the much sought-after and needed shade for the rest of the weekend. Broken down metal pieces could be seen scattered around the campgrounds, looking like very large, damaged spiders. But camping at a festival, you learn to roll with the punches and make the best of any situation. The wind did not stop all weekend and neither did the party and the fun and games. One of my favourite moments camping at Coachella Weekend Two came during a (somewhat) spontaneous water fight. Armed with beers, a kiddie pool, and water guns, new friends hosted a water fight that provided lots of fun in the sun on Sunday afternoon, along with relief from the intense heat, quite a few nip slips, and fond new memories.