Last year’s Wellman DJ Pit, once a feature of Davis’ Whole Earth Festival that was canceled over growing safety concerns after reports of a rape, among other charges, will be replaced this Whole Earth Festival by a performance by Tipper, Kraddy and Joe Daddy in Freeborn Hall.
The venue change from the Wellman Pit to Freeborn Hall comes less an as abolition of the “DJ pit” than as an alteration toward increased security. The pit of Wellman will be vacant and lifeless this year, but the halls of Freeborn will be, as intended, thumping.
“After hearing that the Wellman Pit would not be happening, I decided that Entertainment Council could create a safe space and hold an event in Freeborn Hall in place of the Wellman Pit,” said Entertainment Council director Henry Chatfield. “My goal is that attendees of the festival will still be able to have a place to dance and enjoy the same type of music that the Wellman Pit offered, but in a much more controlled space to make sure everyone is safe.”
Chatfield went on to make it clear that the move away from the Wellman Pit is not the only change being implemented. Entertainment Council has, he emphasized, gone the extra length to compensate for whatever loss Whole Earth fans might have felt in the wake of the Wellman Pit’s cancellation.
“We are bringing in two big and very well-respected electronic DJs and a huge sound system with twelve subs that will line the front of Freeborn Hall and professional lighting with lasers and the whole nine yards,” Chatfield said. “We also have a team of art students who are collaborating with us to build a really cool installment for the stage design. Even if you’ve never heard of the artists, it will be worth the $12 flat admission fee just to check out the extraordinary environment we are creating inside Freeborn Hall.”
The lineup will add to the robust environment that Kraddy, a previous member of Glitch Mob and a long time electronic veteran, creates.
“For anyone who likes dubstep, glitch hop or bass music in general is going to really enjoy dancing and listening to his set,” Chatfield said.
The second headliner, Tipper, is someone Chatfield explained to me as a highly respected figure within the electronic community, and is widely regarded as a sound design and bass music genius/prodigy.
“… anyone who has heard Tipper’s music, especially live, is entranced by it. His live performances are actually pretty rare,” Chatfield said. “I was very happily surprised when we were able to work out a deal to be able to bring him to Davis and this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him in this setting.”
The set will be this Friday in Freeborn Hall starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.
JAMES O’HARA can be contacted at arts@theaggie.org.
