KAABOO is taking its four years of experience in Del Mar and one from the Caymans (done right, so don’t expect any documentaries) and heading to Dallas, putting on a four-stage festival at AT&T Stadium (Jerryworld!) and the surrounding areas.
The lineup is similar to those of the past four years here in Del Mar, featuring The Killers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Sting, all while adding a bit more of a country flair, with Kid Rock, Little Big Town, and The Avett Brothers on the bill.
It’s definitely not too late to grab a cheap flight and a cheap ticket – only $99 a day or $199 for all three days – to experience the combination of music, comedy, art, and food that KAABOO combines so well.
ListenSD chatted with two artists of the amazing lineup: Musician Your Smith and comedian Orny Adams.
Your Smith. Image courtesy YourSmithForever.com
Caroline Smith is a talented musician, and a people pleaser. Your Smith is a talented musician with “don’t give a fuckness” attitude. They are the personal and professional sides of one person, who is playing Sunday at KAABOO Texas.
Caroline became Your Smith last year, and has been working with Neon Gold records. Coming from the “Minnesota Midwest, LA was less community oriented.” She held off on signing with a major label, and wanted to work with people who “felt like family.” Neon Gold’s team of Lizzie, Derek, and Sara encapsulated that. Your Smith is, in her own words, “precious about my music; giving it to someone to work with is a sensitive thing, so putting it in the hands of people I know care” made Neon Gold an easy decision.
When you catch her at KAABOO, she’ll expect you to be part of a crowd that will “walk away feeling like they had fun but also felt seen.” Your Smith’s music is cool in a way that feels unattainable, yet the lyrics, and Smith herself, are completely down to earth and relatable. She’ll certainly be an act not to miss; go experience her honest songwriting that explores a complicated psyche by shining a light on it.
Orny Adams. Image courtesy ornyadams.com.
Orny Adams also plays Sunday at KAABOO Texas, along with Fortune Feimster, Whitney Cummings, and Demetri Martin. Orny is a KAABOO veteran, having played Del Mar last year, and he spoke about his desire to play another KAABOO. “I found that KAABOO San Diego was diehard comedy fans. I think it has to do with the booking of comedians. They’ve done a really good job. They’re not just doing one genre of comedy; they’ve got Demetri Martin, who couldn’t be more different from my kind of comedy, but is just super funny, and Whitney Cummings, who is great and really funny – you have three different people to choose from, or if you go to all three, which I encourage you to do – you’re gonna see comedy three different ways. It’s like music. Music, you never say hey, I’m going to go out and listen to music tonight. You say I’m going to go to see jazz, or the orchestra. It’s not the same, and it’s like comedy. People clump us together, but it’s different.”
“KAABOO knows their audience. The bands they have are bands I’d like to see; if I want to see them, it’s probably like minded people who are there and who want to see me. They’re smart about booking, and create a great environment for comedians. The way they treated us was unbelievable, and any time you make the artist feel that way the day of the show, they provide a better show. They’re very hands on; everyone cared, from the person running the venue to the sound people to the people who take you back and forth. For them to make it feel special, means a lot.”
Adams also incorporates musical elements in to his comedy, utilizing cadence, rhythm, and timing in to his act. “Each moment is different. I started off studying the Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger, enamored with his stage movement and how he prepared for shows the day of. My writing was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan. But, last week I was obsessed with this clip of Lynyrd Skynyrd; when I write an entire hour it’s usually to a symphony. Listen to how it builds, and how sneaky it is. Oh, it’s so clever, it’s exciting! Then go back and start it again, and you can’t believe that’s where it started. To me, that’s what great comics do. I use my voice, my movement; I almost fall in to the audience at times, which feels punk to me… I don’t use the mic a lot of the time, and I guess if you’re in the back, you weren’t meant to hear it.”
He goes on to state: “I’m all in. When I’m done with my show, I want to collapse.” When prompted to compare music set lists with those that comedians might use, he elaborates: “The game plan… I mean, I wouldn’t be doing comedy if a game plan worked. That wouldn’t be exciting… I play for big moments.”
If the KAABOO Texas inaugural party is anything like Del Mar’s was, it’s going to be well worth splurging for a last minute trip to check it out. And, if you don’t, you already know to check back here to read all about it.