MAGFest 2020: A Growing Community
Videri String Quartet performing at the concert hall.
If you’ve been in the VGM community for any length of time, you’ve probably heard tall tales of MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival), a geek utopia with something for everyone. For many people, MAGFest is a place to hang out with friends from across the country, and sometimes, across the world. It’s a place to share music, food, games, and drinks with each other. It’s a place where you can be almost anything that you want to be from a gigantic Snorlax to a space marine. If I had to distill MAGFest 2020 into a single word or idea, it’s this—community.
I’ve written a few articles about MAGFest, so I won’t waste time explaining the basics. Instead, I’ll focus on why MAGFest 2020 was my favorite MAGFest yet.
PERFORMANCES
One of the main reasons that I attend MAGFest is for the concerts and shows which take place on a variety of stages from the main concert hall to smallest jampods. This year, I caught several shows on the main stage, including Mariachi Entertainment System, Disco Cactus, The David Wise Trio, and Videri String Quartet. While I could wax poetic about each one of these artists, I’ll focus on two—Mariachi Entertainment System and Disco Cactus.
I’ve been fortunate enough to know David (the mastermind behind Mariachi Entertainment System) for several years, and I know the dedication and passion that he has for music. When I found out that he was playing MAGFest 2020, I was ecstatic. Having seen the footage from PAX South, I knew what this group was capable of, and I am happy to say that they delivered on my expectations.
During their show, I saw couples dancing, people moshing, and even a line dance. When MES plays, you simply want to move, and that speaks volumes to the power of their music. I was fortunate enough to catch a second, more intimate show at the Belvedere Lounge, and despite the different atmosphere, they still managed to capture the crowd’s full attention. If I’m being honest, I give them large credit for making MAGFest 2020 my favorite one yet. They are skilled musicians with huge hearts, and I can only hope that I’ll see them again soon.
The second band I want to mention didn’t just exceed my expectations; they obliterated them. Disco Cactus is a name that you might have seen floating around the community, and it’s a super group composed of several musicians. I had seen them perform at MAGFest a few years prior, and while they were clearly talented, I don’t remember them being this talented. From the opening moments of “Last Surprise”, it was clear Disco Cactus was going to rock our world.
Let’s take a second to single out one of the most talented members of Disco Cactus, Laura Intravia. Her vocal performances were not just breath-taking, they were a revelation. One of the most memorable moments of the concert was also the most frightening. A bizarre rendition of Doki Doki Literature Club! Left me confused and fearful, but her power over the audience was undeniable.
It’s not fair to single out only one musician in this group because every single one is a powerhouse performer, including the guest musicians (again, too many to name). Perhaps, Disco Cactus’s greatest strength is their versatility. They can perform jam songs as well as more intimate affairs like a Hollow Knight medley that literally left one of my good friends in tears. After their show finished, I said to my friend “I don’t know what I just witnessed, but it was an experience.” The Disco Cactus experience is something that I would recommend to everyone.
And that’s just the main concert hall.
The Belvedere Lounge is one of my absolute favorite places in MAGFest. If the main concert hall is the house party, then the Belvedere Lounge is movie night with a few friends. It’s more relaxed, there are plenty of drinks to be shared (Manhattans, for example), and plenty of comfortable seats. I had the great pleasure of witnessing several bands in this space, including the Wind Brigade, DS Music, and The Game Brass. Carlos Eiene aka insaneintherainmusic put on a magnificent one-man-band performance with live drums, a keyboard, a sax (of course), and an EWI. I also had one of the most rewarding conversations at MAGFest with a certain art director, but I’ll have more on that later ;)
As for the side stage, I was able to witness the pure awesomeness of Lame Genie VGM with several of my friends. Having seen them on the main stage at a previous MAGFest, I actually preferred them in a smaller, rowdier setting that was perfect for moshing. Being a metal fan that I am, I had to partake in the moshing, and was delighted to see how respectful everyone was (even the guy in a hockey mask with a fake chainsaw). For a band with only three members, Lame Genie VGM certainly knows how to bring down the house.
Finally, I was able to catch a late night jam space show for Family Jules (sorry ToxicxEternity for missing your set). On one half of the stage stood the VGM godfather, Family Jules, and on the other, a massive projector screen playing videos that matched the music. The highlight of the set had to be a 19-minute medley dedicated to the history of video game music, complete with video game footage. Despite the late hour (2 am to be exact), plenty of fans poured in to the jam space to show their support for a VGM icon.
Disco Cactus performing at the concert hall.
PANELS
As you can probably tell, I spent most of my time at concerts and performances at this year’s MAGFest, but I did manage to catch one panel, hosted by Dr. Christopher Cayari. You might remember him from an interview that I did a few months ago, but if you aren’t familiar with him, he’s a researcher interested in video game music and online communities. For his MAGFest panel, Video Game Music and Music Learning Research, he was joined by Dr. Jared O’Leary, Dr. John Peasant, Jr., and Jon Stapleton. Together, these four spent an hour talking about their research into the world of video game music.
For most of us, video game music is a hobby. We don’t realize the skills and disciplines required to build a YouTube channel, a Twitter account, or an online community (like this one). We simply do it. For these four (and others like them), video game music creates interesting opportunities for research. For instance, Dr. O’Leary studied an online community that produced chiptune and chiptune-related hardware (e.g. modified GameBoys). What he found was interesting enough to produce a dissertation. While I would love to talk about each one of these presenters, I’ll simply say this—whether you’re a fan, a musician, or an educator, we all have a lot to learn from VGM.
Video Game Music and Music Learning Research panel.
PEOPLE
Probably the most rewarding part of MAGFest is the people. This is my fifth MAGFest in a row, so I’ve come to know quite a few members of the VGM community. It’s impossible to articulate how much I value the time I spent with every single person, so I’ll simply say that MAGFest wouldn’t be MAGFest without the people. I’m grateful for old friends and new (Vector U and the Soundrop team), and you all have inspired me to make GameGrooves even better in 2020. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for making MAGFest such a welcoming, magical place, and I hope to see you next year!
