Graphic by Emma Kumer / North by Northwestern
It's official: 100 days from now, the sun will (hopefully) be out, the school year will be coming to a close and we'll be dancing to the next up-and-coming music artists at Dillo Day. Late last quarter, Mayfest sent out its annual Dillo Day survey, featuring over 80 potential Dillo artists for the student body to endorse or ignore. Here at NBN Entertainment, we decided to make it a bit easier on Mayfest this year and take matters into our own hands. So, we created our own dream Dillo Day lineups (starting with the headliner and moving down to the main stage opener, like a festival poster) based off the survey. Mayfest, if you're reading: Take notes.
A Dillo Day fronted by all women, because it's about time – Justin Curto
It's no secret that music festivals have a tough time booking women. The Huffington Post, after looking at 10 festivals' 2016 lineups, found that 78 percent of the acts were all-men groups or men performing solo. And at last year's Dillo Day, the only woman to perform on the main stage was The Mowgli's vocalist Katie Earl. While she's definitely amazing (I've seen The Mowgli's four times, so I'm a bit of a fan), and also a vocal feminist, that doesn't justify following The Mowgli's with four acts' worth of men.
Some of the most up-and-coming women in music right now are in alternative rock, hip-hop and electronic music, the three staple genres for summer festivals. So, I'd love to see Mayfest make a Dillo lineup fronted by all women – not because we need ~diversity~ or ~politically correctness~, but because there are so many talented, artistic women who are overlooked in music. (Plus, all I want in life is to hear CHVRCHES play "Leave a Trace" live, and this could be my chance.) From R&B superstar Tinashe to lyrical genius Courtney Barnett, the future of music really is female, and Dillo has a chance to pave the way.
The Dillo that could realistically happen – Milan Polk
Seeing the Dillo Day survey piqued my interest. Names I loved popped out at me – Sufjan Stevens, Gallant, MGMT – but I knew I had to keep a reserved list and lower my high expectations. So, I researched who was currently on tour, who had just released new material. In the end, I chose five artists I thought would be likely candidates for a great, well-rounded Dillo Day 2017: Grimes as a headliner with St. Lucia and Smallpools for three different types of electronic and pop music, Playboi Carti to add hip-hop, and an unknown indie band, Hinds.
Past Dillo Days have shown lineups with some questionable acts (read: Smash Mouth) and artists I would've loved to see live (Anderson .Paak, OK Go, Chance the Rapper). Interestingly, it looks like unknown artists usually get big after they've performed, so it makes sense to have up-and-comers.
Grimes is already well-known, but has yet to be appreciated. Her artpop can be difficult to grasp at first listen, but live concerts usually help audiences notice the intricacies of artists' music, so having her headline would be enjoyable. My real excitement is for Hinds, a Spanish all-woman indie band that has yet to really make it big. With only one album out, Hinds has the potential to be an underestimated hit at Dillo Day 2017.
chill-o day – Stacy Tsai
Can we admit that this school has no chill? Even on the coldest of Winter Quarter days, Northwestern is home to the least chill, most extra people I have ever seen. Everyone out here pretending like they're living like frat stars, when we all know the real #TrueNorthwestern is huddling in Main Library on a Sunday night trying to turn in papers before 11:59 p.m. This Dillo Day, let’s be real.
For one day, we can cut the work hard, play hard act; admit that most days, working hard in this academic-industrial complex leaves no time for playing hard, or that playing hard can sometimes be performative and toxic. We don't need another vapid DJ or bland indie rock set – we need sunny stoner songs, we need vulnerability in pop music, we need lyrics that make a statement, we need MF CONCEPT ART. Sylvan Esso and Mac DeMarco for a mellow morning, Blood Orange at high noon, Solange at sunset (*swoon*) and Kaytra under cover of darkness. A chill-o to remember.
Let's give Coachella a run for its money – Kathryn Mohr
Dillo Day is about anthems. There are other, lesser days on the calendar to hone that perfect "Chill Indie Folk" Spotify playlist. But I don't want to stand around listening to a chill artist at Dillo – I want to get up and sing with my (slightly inebriated) peers. So, at the risk of stretching the budget to the absolute maximum, I present: The Ultimate Dillo Lineup.
We start off light with the Strumbellas, because who isn't going to be feeling happy Canadian indie-rock when the sun is high in the sky? After we've all got "Spirits" stuck in our heads, we can move on to CHVRCHES, whose bubbly synthpop songs just seem to work with the daytime concert vibe. Joey Bada$$ and Flosstradamus follow up as the sun sets; Joey Bada$$ mostly because he was on Mr. Robot once, and how cool is that? Also, he's got awesome music – maybe we'll get lucky and pick the next Kendrick again? Flosstradamus is from Chicago, and we definitely owe the city we see from the Lakefill some love.
For the closing act, I admittedly chose a crowd favorite. But isn't that what a closing act should be? Nearly every student here has to know two or three Cage the Elephant songs, meaning the crowd can stay hyped for the whole show instead of waiting for that one song everyone knows during the encore. And, speaking from experience, Cage the Elephant brings amazing energy to stage. So, if we had an unlimited budget (Morty, help us out?), this is the Dillo Day we deserve.
A Seat at Dillo Day – Marco Cartolano
Last year, I only wanted to see two of the main acts at Dillo. So, in my lineup, I decided to throw caution (and money) to the wind and chose the five artists that I wanted to see the most – any of which could headline Dillo.
MF Doom would open Dillo Day. His album Madvilliany was one of the first albums that made me the hip-hop fan that I am today. Expect leftfield beats, dense rhymes and more comic book references than you can count.
After Doom opens the main event, get ready for more underground hip-hop from super producer Flying Lotus, whose albums take you to space and back with far out beats.
Once Flying Lotus takes us to space, some traditional hip hop will help us come back to Earth with D.R.A.M. Concertgoers can get hype to his half-sung flow.
After D.R.A.M.'s wild set, I think it would be nice to chill with some indie folk. Sufjan Stevens, the man that wrote an entire album about Illinois, is not afraid to experiment musically, and that playful side also comes out in his elaborate live shows.
Finally, the headliner of all the headliners has to be Solange. She attacks racism and sexism while never giving up the her funk and soul grooves. Solange offers a voice for hope and resistance in this trying time. That voice is why nobody is better suited to headline Dillo.
Lions, tigers, and arma-Dillos Day – Kira Fahmy
We always seem to forget the true hero and history of Dillo Day – the armadillo. Since the festival is rooted in a love of animals, I've chosen my lineup solely on the band's ability to incorporate animals into its name. Lucky for me, this method resulted in a pretty ~wild~ lineup.
Cage the Elephant – which is apparently pro-captivity – would be a headliner that appeals to the masses. With the release of the album Tell Me I'm Pretty, the band's sets have become more diverse, but are still peppered with just enough popular songs to fulfill everyone’s dream Snap story.
Foals and Glass Animals are both indie-rock bands from Oxford. (Are they friends? Did they go to the zoo together as children?) Foals is a band as sweet as the little baby horses of their namesake, and would provide a more typical indie set than the more alternative stylings of Glass Animals.
LOLAWOLF will bring a different sound to the Dillo stage. We can’t all be alt-pop-hipster-EDM lovers at Northwestern, can we? The combination of R&B and electropop is just as cool and unique as the band's lead singer, Zoë Kravitz, Divergent star and daughter of Lenny Kravitz.
Jagwar Ma definitely wins for most creative way to tie in an animal to their name. Described as an "Australian psychedelic dance band," this trio will tie in beautifully with the likes of Glass Animals, but also bring the extra bass that's needed for students to inevitably create a life-threatening mosh pit on the Lakefill.
Namewestern – Mia Zanzucchi
I am always drawn to people, places and things with weird names. My dream Dillo lineup is no different. I've never heard of most of these artists, so I'm going entirely based on how much I like their names. Here we go.
Is Joey Bada$$ related to Kes($)ha? Is he twice as good? I have no idea, but ideally, he will come to Dillo so I can find out. I used to ride the bus with a kid named Joey. Maybe it's him.
Sticky Fingers? This one was hard to research. There's Sticky Fingers, the "#1 Ranked International Rolling Stones Tribute Band," but then there's also Sticky Fingers, a band that describes itself as "a melting pot of psych, rock, reggae and bourbon." Both seem like a fun time, but my real question is: Why are the fingers so sticky?
Curt Cameruci, aka Flosstradamus, is a Chicago-based DJ who apparently performed at Dillo Day in 2008. He seems like a nice enough guy, with a set he once described to NBN as "fun," but I hate his Instagram aesthetic.
I really phoned it in with Foals, my fourth pick. You see, I really like horses, and a foal is a baby horse. After doing some light research, I learned this band isn't messing around. They performed at Coachella in 2016 and also took a dump on the festival, calling it sanitized and not up to par with the UK's Glastonbury.
And Clean Bandit? Wildcat Welcome 2014 forever.