Go to your calendar and mark off the last Saturday of July (7/27/24). The hottest festival to happen in South Carolina is right around the corner at Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville. This showcase of southern psychedelia, alt-country, and vaporwave is a unique blend of artistry that champions the very best at the forefront of their genres. Check out this sick flyer.
… And here are seven artists that we are most looking forward to seeing at Altered States Festival.
George Clanton:
If you’ve followed NCC in any capacity, you know we are HUGE fans of “the Clanton”. With his synthpop chilled out bangers, he commands an audience of dedicated fans (just like us)!
I’ve had the opportunity to see George Clanton twice (once in Asheville, NC & once in Charleston, SC) in the last year and they have both fallen into the category of “one of the best shows I have ever seen.
His stage presence live is undeniably charismatic, rocking out in front of swirling retro visuals and killing the mic in between songs. On top of this he’s a genuine gem of a human being.
Some of our favorite tracks from George Clanton include:
“Make It Forever,” “Dumb,” “Kill You In Bed,” “Warmspot,” “Punching Down,” “I Been Young,” “Genius,” “Heart Beats Black”, “She’s Gone,” “Slow Lover,” “Play That Thing Again,” and “Warmpop.”
The whole discography is star studded and absolutely worth listening to. Their latest album, Ooh Rap I Ya was our 4th favorite album from last year (out of 100 picks). Slide is in my personal top 10 favorite albums ever. I cannot recommend this artist enough.
I actually wrote 2.65k words dissecting every album and explaining why George Clanton is the GOAT. You can check it out here.
Wednesday:
Led by the vocals of Karly Hartzman and powered by guitar from MJ Lenderman, Wednesday are doing it fresh with intense & emotive Alt-Country, because of which the genre will never be the same. The band is further brought to life by the lap steel playing of Xandy Chelmis, and the rhythm section of drummer Alan Miller and bassist Ethan Baechtold.
With Rat Saw God, they topped Stereogum’s “best albums of 2023” and made it into the top 15 of NCC’s year end list!
Favorite tracks: “Formula 1” and “Bath Country”
Neggy Gemmy:
An anomaly like Neggy Gemmy is bound for bigger stages. Take the opportunity and be starstruck. Her choruses are filled with shooting stars and spacey synthesizers, the composition of dreams. Her album from last year “CBD Reiki Moonbeam” is incredible- and worth every spin. Don’t miss your chance to explore the galaxy with Neggy Gemmy.
Favorite Tracks: “California,” “Black Ferrari,” and “You Weren’t There Anymore”
Wolfgang Zimmerman & Invisible Low End Power:
Charleston rockstar, Wolfgang Zimmerman takes up the stage in Greenville at the coolest fest in the state. Come check out some acid-washed guitars and masterful drumwork at Wolfie’s set. His music is characterized by far out sounding vox and enigmatic lyricism.
Fun fact: I’d had HyperFlex stuck in my head for years before it finally came to streaming and I remember having to do some reconnaissance to figure out what the track name was. Check out this old performance here lol.
Favorite Tracks: “HyperFlex (Golden State of Mind)” and “Strangers”
Persona La Ave:
Dylan Dawkins is a multi-faceted artist that explores psychedelia through sonic and visual lenses. Self described as “Eclectic sounds and ideas from a southern boy,” his music nonchalantly floats through the backrooms of the mind, from danceable to vaporous – I’m particularly excited to see what visual machinations he has in store for us. Drift off into the aether with Persona La Ave.
Favorite Tracks: “Surfer Girl,” “Vapor,” and “Power Walk”
Auragraph:
Get ready for a throwback. Grooves will fly at ya fast as you tumble through 90’s vibes in Auragraph’s set. Vaporwave sets will be strong at this fest and this one will be a total blast.
Favorite Tracks: “Semitropic 2000” and “Lucid”
Pictureplane:
Enjoy an electrifying set from Goth Star, Pictureplane, as they seamlessly combine y2k dance and darkwave into a sharp toothed fiend of breakbeats and synths.
Favorite Tracks: “Goth Star,” “Circles,” and “Avalanche”
Festival Info:
Runtime: 12 (VIP) 1 PM-10 PM
The festival is set up into two stages: The States Stage & The Altered Stage. You can check out the set times for the lineup below!
Oh, and beer! Check it out below.
All of this and more on https://alteredstatesfest.com/ !
Plus, tickets are cheap!
And if you’re looking for another way in, consider volunteering.
Learn more on https://alteredstatesfest.com/
We’ll see ya there!
