As Published on FestivalSnobs.com
While everyone is flocking to the Indio Polo Grounds this April to attend the 17th Annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, there is another Festival that has hit the scene in California’s neighboring state of Arizona.
From April 8th thru April 10th, the Phoenix area was home to a 3-day overnight music and arts event that brought together co-creators, festivalgoers, artists, and adventurers. Its name was Munduzer. And its slogan was, “The festival you will remember 30 years from now.”
I attended Munduzer 2016 as a volunteer, and got to see what happened behind the scenes while also taking part in the festivities of the 3-day festival. And let me tell you this: it was a very special 3 days.
A Little Background
The organization behind the festival, Desert Canvas, did not exist 8 months ago. Since DC’s inception in October 2015, they have thrown 2 festivals, the first being Rebirth–a festival thrown in Kiwanis Park in January 2016.
Rebirth and Munduzer each had diverse atmospheres, like fingerprints rather than photocopies–a true reflection of the community they are creating.
The Attendees
There were roughly 700 attendees of the event, best summed up as an intimate group of eclectic people full of creativity positivity.
There were extreme yoga enthusiasts taking their passion to the next level with acroyoga, to hiking junkies holding down camp with custom-constructed bar taps and full kegs. You could see people from the climbing community making survival bracelets and pitching hammocks left and right. Ravers walked the grounds giving out “hand hugs.”
Photo Courtesy of Lez
I sat down one night at a table with 8 other strangers and found out that none of us were from Arizona. New York, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, California, and Texas were all represented. Desert Canvas’ philosophy involves pushing individuals outside of their comfort zone, and these attendees were doing just that—some coming to the event by themselves to have a good time and meet new friends.
Also, out of the 700 participants in the event, there were no drug overdoses, which is really something to be proud of. Desert Canvas supports a drug-free environment and successfully created an atmosphere that was so stimulating that no drugs were needed. On Saturday, the 2nd day of the festival, I didn’t have a beer until 5pm–this is something that just doesn’t happen at your typical festival.
Honestly, I thought Desert Canvas got incredibly lucky with the people that attended this event. With less than 1,000 people in attendance, the range of people was still hugely diverse. But everyone had two important things in common: 1, they were there to experience new things and have a good time. And 2, nothing was going to ruin that for them.
Attendees: 10/10
The Experience
Just as the attendees spoiled the host, the host put together an event for the attendees with the infrastructure of an event 3 times the size. The result? An intimate experience with more than enough entertainment for any one visitor. I found myself wishing I had 2 more days to see and do the things I missed!
First, the workshops were fantastic. If you wanted to learn how to hula hoop, you could. You could even learn how to partner hula hoop in a separate workshop!
Did you ever play the video game Tekken? If you did, and your favorite character was Eddy, Munduzer had a real life Eddy at the festival. His name is Kino.
Photo Courtesy of Lez
Photo Courtesy of Manuel Chavez III
And Kino led an energetic workshop in the art of Capoeira that was full of laughter, kicks, and dancing, finished up by a cultural history of the Brazilian Defensive Art and a native song.
Juggling, building a dream catcher, getting a free massage, or relaxing under a shaded dome to the relaxing hush of sound healing were just a couple of the activities happening mere feet away from the campground.
(Courtesy of Pinnacle Pixel Photo
With the intention of challenging the body, Saturday’s agenda featured the Adventure Hike through Arizona’s desert with stops along the way. At the first stop, you could experience some relaxing sound healing. The 2nd stop was on a mountaintop where visitors got their faces painted with Steve Ayotte playing live just beside them. As a refreshing beverage, you had your choice of cowboy coffee, double strained for your delight, or yerba mate, an argentine tea.
Photo Courtesy of Billy Lawrence
And finally, what’s life without celebration? This was the theme for each night at Munduzer, and each night refused to disappoint. Two stages with DJs got the whole festival turnt up. A 50+ person game of flip cup at the main stage with DJ Dusted playing in the background was mind-boggling, and no one can forget the Fire Performance by Circus Farm that was 40 full minutes of “ahh”s and “woooaaah”s! A huge bonfire and a second stage kept the fun going deep into the night.
Photo Courtesy of Lez
The theme of each day (challenge the body, center the mind, and celebrate life!) really made for a great structure of adventure, reflection, partying and dancing. With the array of activities and performances to choose from, I give the experience a 9/10.
9/10
The Food
Munduzer’s food vendors really reflected their sustainable mindset. Vegana Madre offered vegan Mexican food, which seems like it might not be possible, but was actually incredible. I had one of their $6 breakfast burritos, and it really hit the spot after the Adventure Hike. Killer Brothers Pizza flipped out brick oven pizza deep into the night, and Sambazon provided attendees with organic energy drinks powered by acai and yerba mate. And who can forget about food tripping with Mberry? These were just some of the standouts.
Photo Courtesy of Billy Lawrence
9/10
The Music
It goes without saying–there were no Billboard 100 artists performing at this festival. That being said, the set quality was top notch.
Colten Hood was the opening artist, playing acoustic covers as well as original pieces. His smooth voice echoed through the amphitheater and set the tone for the rest of the festival, much to the delight of the festivalgoers.
Performances by Harrison Fjord, David Avatara, Jeremiah Christo, and The Adaptive were just a few of the incredible acts. As an attendee, you get a sense that these artists are blossoming along with Desert Canvas, and will be repeat performers in the coming years.
Compared to the headliners at 50,000+ person music festivals, Munduzer’s lineup could not match the name recognition–but if you like finding up-and-coming bands and DJs, Munduzer was the place for that.
Photo Courtesy of Lez
In addition to hearing a live set from Steve Ayotte on top of a mountain and the renegade transformational stage set up by David Atara, The Next Level Radio, and Digital Permaculture that played deep into the night, there was plenty of quality music for festivalgoers to soak up.
8/10
Now, with every event, there is room for improvement.
- Being in Arizona,
you would think the weather wouldn’t be a factor, but it was. It rained on
Friday and Sunday. While this didn’t negatively affect the attendees–people
were dancing in the rain, or taking cover under their tents and enjoying each
other’s company–the weather caused problems with the main stage.
The last artist on Sunday, Bhavani Hope finished early due to the heavy rain. There was also evidence of people buying tickets but not attending the event, which could have been influenced by the weather.
Photo Courtesy of Lez
- Desert Canvas advertised that the Adventure Hike would have 4 stops. However, there were only 2 stops. None of the activities were eliminated–they were simply put together. This was the case because, at the last minute, the Rangers of Estrella Park banned amplified music on the trail. Steve Ayotte ended up playing an acoustic set on top of the mountain, and in order to enhance the experience of face painting and coffee, the locations of these stops were combined.
- On Friday, the first day of the festival, vendors were still setting up their tents as attendees began to arrive. Some art installations were not fully completed. This did not have a negative affect on the atmosphere–as an attendee, it actually felt more intimate, like there was no separation between the creators, vendors and attendees. However, officials at Desert Canvas did say that they plan to improve in this area, and at the next event, attendees can expect the grounds to be fully complete upon the gates opening.
- Lastly, there were some questions as to why this event was 18+, because Desert Canvas very much advertises that they are an inclusive community. Todd Vanduzer, Desert Canvas’ CEO, spoke directly to this point:
“We do allow kids at many of our events. Every week, we host Yoga And More In The Park, which kids are allowed to attend. They can also attend our other annual festival, Rebirth. We did not allow kids at Munduzer because it was our first three-day overnight event. We didn’t believe we had the manpower or infrastructure to create a safe environment suitable for children. It is our hope to someday be able to do so.”
All in all, for a 3-day festival that was put together in 3 months, by a community that has been in existence for less than a year, it was an amazing experience. It had elements you just don’t get at other transformational festivals like Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, and Lollapalooza. Munduzer’s strength lay in its workshops, adventure hikes, and, most of all, the attendees.
Desert Canvas’ philosophy was fully manifested at Munduzer, and you could see people coming out of their shell, making lasting connections, and simply having a really great time. This festival has a bright future. Don’t miss out next year.
Photo Courtesy of Lez
Overall Score: 9/10
