A Deeper Look Into Compound Sound 2019
The article you’re about to read was prepared in advance of yesterday’s announcement from the dedicated team at Compound Sound that the event would in fact be canceled. On behalf of all the hard working people who poured their heart into this event, we’ve decided to go ahead and release this content anyways, along with an honorary playlist dedicated to the large list of incredible talent that was set to rock Hummingbird Ranch this weekend. Take a deeper look into the history of this event, and all of the positivity that has always been behind it. As to the circumstances of the cancellation, we can direct you to the official facebook page here where there’s an official video. All any of us can do is know this decision was not made easily and recognize the amount of time, money, and work that was put in from the CS team for what would have been an amazing weekend for a lot of people! With everyones support, we hope to see this event back and stronger than ever.
SharedViews Media Editorial Team
And just like that, Summer’s almost gone...but there’s nothing like an end of summer party. In just a few short days, Colorado will become the adopted home of Compound Sound, a Wyoming-born event that outgrew its old shell and has found refuge in our loving little rectangle of a state. We compiled a playlist featuring our don’t-miss picks for the weekend and spoke to our friends organizing the fest about what they’re about to pull off. Bump the tunes while you get the deets!
Though new to Colorado, Compound Sound has been a spot for beloved friends & family to gather for about a decade. “This started as a grassroots thing, just a group of friends on a piece of private property playing music together. No promotion, no sponsors, none of that.” Nicole Fagan, Street Team Manager told us.
Hummingbird Ranch (the longtime home of Sonic Bloom) has opened their arms and their grounds to Compound Sound. Though, that wasn’t always the plan. Wyoming is where it began and where organizers Reid Pellegrin and Matt Schulz wanted the festival to stay but community push back led them and their team south, into Colorado. This decision, however, meant postponing the event by a couple of months, which can jeopardize a festival. Yet through unwavering perseverance, the Compound crew pulled through by securing Hummingbird Ranch and as Nicole informed us, keeping most of the original lineup. “We retained about 85% of the artists, which is incredible. Not to mention over thirty live painters and a ton of Denver performers, musicians, flow artists, painters, workshops…I can’t imagine our team navigating this any better.” The new Colorado lineup saw additions such as Kyral X Banko, Brightside, Bukez Finezt, Beardthug, and Psymbionic, making this one of the heaviest hitting festivals of the summer. The promise of a variety of art and experiences, plus a ton of workshops covering flow arts, dancing, consent, mental health, yoga and more means Compound Sound has something for everyone. They even went as far as offering discounted tickets to Wyoming residents to compensate for the unexpected changes.
Though the electronic acts on the lineup are abundant, Compound Sound is boasting a “melting pot” of music, representing hip-hop acts such as Buddhakai and Top Flite Empire, rock outfits like Evanoff, ska/bluegrass influenced artist Float Like a Buffalo, and much more. This aspect will be very different than Sonic Bloom’s almost all electronic offerings. Expect to discover something you never even knew you needed.
I was curious to know what Nicole wanted to see maintained in the move to Colorado, as she attended previous years of Compound Sound: “I would say the intimacy. Even though it’s growing, we love how it’s not a crowded festival, and want it to truly still feel like all of us know each other and we’re just hanging out, vibing.”
Anyone that’s ever attended a music festival can attest that they are welcome escapes from reality, brief breaks from the everyday world that remind us how incredible it is to gather around creativity, expression, and fun for fun’s sake. It’s often so freeing and joyous that it’s easy to forget the work that goes into bringing these parties to life. With a crew as passionate and dedicated as this, Compound Sound is sure to deliver. If you’ve been planning on going and haven’t grabbed a ticket yet, or want to make this the last minute send, use the discount code “Sharedviews” for 15% off of your ticket.
