For decades, the worlds of jam bands and bass music have existed side-by-side. Musical cross-pollination from livetronica bands, DJ side projects, and a smattering of crossover events have brought the two subcultures even closer together. In the spirit of artistic evolution, Wham Bam! Festival will bring together jam bands and DJs along with elements of comic book, gaming, and cosplay culture with its debut event on March 10th–12th, 2022 at Shakori Hills Community Arts Center in Pittsboro, NC [get tickets].
Headliners The Disco Biscuits embody the natural development that saw characteristics of electronic music intertwine with improvisational rock. Lotus helped carry that tradition to subsequent emerging artists in the space like Papadosio, both of whom join the Biscuits atop the inaugural Wham Bam! lineup.
Even beyond the headliners, bands that occupy unique creative spaces somewhere between jam and electronic bass dot the festival’s roster, from future-noir ensemble Doom Flamingo featuring Ryan Stasik (Umphrey’s McGee) to instrumental powerhouse TAUK.
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The pre-eminent names in dubstep help fill out the bass-heavy side of the lineup with G Jones, Black Carl!, Toadface, DMVU, Camnah, and Josh Teed. The Wham Bam! lineup is as diverse as it is expansive, with over 100 artists including Khiva, Marvel Years, Orchard Lounge, Tripp St., Wreckno, and Yheti.
The undercard is rounded out by Actual Garbage, Avante, Be.In, Big City, Camnah, Chief Kaya, Cloudchord, DiCE MaN, Dropkick, Feelmonger, Jack The Giant, Josh Teed, KARUZA, Meduso, MISTA J, Murkury, Phyphr, Silo Effect, SNiKKA, Sol Good, The Fritz, Travers Brothershoop (unplugged), Try And Imagine, and many more.
In addition to three days of music, attendees can enjoy a video game lounge, activities and workshops, and a live art gallery. Wham Bam! Festival will offer an immersive experience as organizers have crafted an ongoing comic book narrative to encapsulate the event.
“Wham Bam takes place inside the comic book world of Synthesia,” organizers wrote. “Goodman X, our hero, discovers secrets that exist inside the limitless worlds created by the corporate conglomerate Iconiq Inc. He joins forces with a counter movement, The Sect, and year by year, the Wham Bam Festival will document his legacy and journey as he works to keep the hidden realms within the virtual world free.”
Digital copies of the comic will be available to ticket buyers and physical copies are being printed for the event. Live action characters will act out battle sequences during the weekend, and the festival welcomes cosplayers to join in the festivities.
The festival will find its home at Shakori Hills Community Arts Center in Pittsboro, NC. The 72-acre campground and events center has served as a festival site for over 20 years and is ready to transform into Synthesia. Festival tickets for Wham Bam! are on sale here. Scroll down to see the full lineup.
