It’s not every day that you can trade your textbooks and academic pursuits for a world of sound. Music festivals allow us to explore our boundaries, leaving behind the norms of society. The Shabang Live Music and Arts Festival brings this opportunity to the Central Coast every year, returning to Dairy Creek Golf Course May 3-4 for a weekend of performances and community festivity.
As Shabang prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary, festival attendees are making their own plans for the two-day event.
For business administration sophomore Alexia Gonzales, festival preparation is all about crafting the perfect outfit. Both a stylist and designer, Gonzales aims to use elements of everyday life to create pieces that are both versatile and appealing.
Upcycling, or creative reuse, has rapidly grown in popularity as the fashion industry and consumers become more aware of overconsumption and the rising sustainability movement. Gonzales said she knew repurposing thrifted clothing would give her a chance to promote conservation and take on Shabang with a unique outfit, and she has posted thrifting videos on her Instagram fashion page to encourage upcycling for the festival.
“Even if you show it off for only half a day, it is so rewarding designing clothes. It’s not about the compliments but feeling confident in what you make,” Gonzales said.
She is currently in the process of sewing lace inside the holes of her jeans as well as adding dangling beads and a belt made of pearls for the pant loops. Upcycling isn’t the only way attendees are preparing for the music festival, though; this form of creative thinking is also being expressed through innovative cosmetic artistry.
Scott Drouin, a political science sophomore and member of the Cal Poly Drag Club, hopes to channel his drag persona Auntie Social for the weekend. Along with bold denim-on-denim attire, he hopes to add dramatic eyeshadow and drag-inspired touches to his final look.
“Drag has allowed me to expand my comfort zone and I think it speaks to who I am as a person. I am always trying to be my most authentic self and that is something I bring to everything I do,” he said.
Drouin has been looking at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival fashion for inspiration. He hopes to actualize his Pinterest boards and embody Y2K fashion all weekend.
While clothing is a medium for self-expression often explored in festival settings, certain creatives look to the arts as a tool for documenting memories.
Jade Hoey, an Atascadero High School senior and photographer for Channel Frequencies booking and media company, anticipates having her Canon EOS Rebel T7 as a sidekick for the weekend.
As a photographer, Hoey’s festival preparations look like keeping an extra camera battery handy and scouting out lighting to set appropriate camera presets.
Though these are standards she follows before shooting any show, Hoey believes that capturing the perfect photo is less about preparation and more about using creative freedom to reflect personality through the lens.
“I’ve had this thought since I was a kid; the fact that you can capture a moment in time is so surreal. I feel like it shouldn’t be possible. So with that, I try to the best of my ability not to plan too much for shows,” she said.
Her goal is to use a zoom lens to achieve a bird’s-eye view of the crowd as well as photograph the glowing faces behind the barricade. The remainder of the images are in the hands of the festival’s energy.
It is undeniable that every photo has a narrative. Communication studies and religious studies sophomore Hannah Massey is determined to uncover the stories within the festival and preserve them through digital scrapbooking and video making.
The University of California Santa Barbara student has been planning to travel for Shabang since the lineup was released in January.
“Shabang is its own event that even people in Santa Barbara look forward to. You can plan in many ways, whether the planning goes into the outfits, the memories you want to capture or the people you hope to see,” she said.
Massey describes Shabang as the perfect culmination of the Central Coast’s art community. As an artist for WORD, Isla Vista’s arts and culture magazine, she is able to draw many similarities between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
She finds that the intersection between arts and culture creates a personality that she is pulled towards, regardless of where the individual is from.
“This festival is a great example of what happens when you bring together all of these insanely creative people who love music and love art and love having a good time,” Massey said.
While Shabang is a hub for the creatives of the Central Coast and beyond, the creativity doesn’t depart when the lights go out.
Following Shabang weekend, Massey will return to her position as the social director of WORD, integrating her media, arts and design minor into her participation with the magazine.
Gonzales will further explore the fashion realm as she continues to design for the FITS x SFC Spring Fashion Show and operate her interactive fashion page “Fashion on Fire.”
Likewise, Drouin looks forward to performing as Auntie Social around San Luis Obispo, while Hoey envisions herself shooting at more concerts and pursuing her academic journey at Cuesta College.
Though Shabang only spans a weekend, its imprint on the community has endured for a decade, only expanding with each passing year.
