All photos by Panda Media (Zack Bruzgo)

 

Nothing screams spring time like a lovely afternoon full of sunshine, music, and art galore. The now annual Ode To Earth at One Art Community Center in Philadelphia returned this past weekend with a fresh lineup and expansive new layout. With the day’s shenanigans extending well into the late hours of the night, patrons still filled the villa-style venue wall to wall plenty early.

 

Humandala got the crowd moving early with some funky vibes and wacky reverberations, quickly followed up by some mellow, but engulfing deep dub grooves from Nocturnal Status. Regular set breaks between musical performances allowed for various workshops, flow performances, and other artistic expressions, including spoken word poetry. These breaks also gave patrons time to spill out of the concrete jungle into its adjoining grassy null, which housed numerous vendors, additional workshop domes, and even a schoolbus turned canvas by live painter and acclaimed artist Chris Dyer. Luckily we were able to catch up with Chris just before sunset in front of his newly completed piece for a quick conversation- be sure to check out the video below!

 

Before delving into the throttling rhythms supplied throughout the remainder of the evening, a pertinent nod should be made to this particular event’s overarching theme. Pressing environmental consciousnesses and permaculture, as well as other forms of self-sustainability, education was a consistently driven point throughout Ode To Earth through its workshops and speakers. Patrons and volunteers joined together to plant an apple tree in the same grassy plot, also adding several forms of produce to One Art’s garden, proving that true good can come out of such gatherings, even if just small steps at a time.

 

As the evening descended upon us, though, the time for play was now fully in order. Sets from Russ Liquid, Catullus, Yheti, Of The Trees, Blendmode and Tsimba kept the crowd moving in proper sway. Any lulls were properly filled by the Aspire Higher indoor Higher Ground stage, featuring an ever-growing arsenal of up and coming local DJs and producers.

 

There was more than just candy for the ears though, as We Present provided more than an appropriate visual spectacle in accompaniment. Throughout the evening’s musical performances, the crowd was further dazzled but an unrelenting cycle of flow artists dancing among flames. This was of course in conjunction to a sprawling lay of live painters from Chris Dyer to Jeremiah Allen Welch, Raf Mata, Steve Shorts, and numerous other local artists.

 

 

We Present - Website • Facebook

 

Chris Dyer - Website • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter