The second annual Cayuga Sound Festival, hosted and curated by the X Ambassadors, was held at Stewart Park on September 21 and 22. The festival was a celebration of music from many genres, including rock, hip-hop, alternative, and pop. Two X Ambassadors members, brothers Sam and Casey Harris, attended Belle Sherman Elementary School, Boynton Middle School, and IHS as kids. Their intentions, for both this year’s and last year’s festivals, were to give back to the community that raised them and formed them into the successful people they are today. Ithacans are more than proud that some of “our people” have made it big.
This year’s festival had a few alterations from that of last year. In addition to a change in headline performers, the festival went beyond the Stewart Park stage. A series of local events, talks, and activities preceded the two days of musical performances. These included a pre-party on Thursday and an after-party on Friday, both at The Haunt. The talk series consisted of two talks on Friday titled “Live Music and Its Impact on the World” and “From Ithaca to the Billboard Charts—The X Ambassadors Story,” in which live music was discussed within the context of its potential for positive social impact, with a focus on the history of the X Ambassadors as a local band. Moreover, in addition to the musical performances, the event planners, DSP Shows, made a special effort to go above and beyond in sculpting a more wholesome experience.
Musically, the festival was stunning. Every artist came on with infectious positive energy and a desire for a good time. The stage effects were high quality, with a multipurpose screen, lasers, and smoke. Last year, The Roots headlined alongside the X Ambassadors. This year, there were many names that I recognized, including Young the Giant, Towkio, Sofi Tukker, and Matt and Kim, although they might not have been known by everyone there. In particular, I loved hearing Towkio and other hip hop artists that came all the way from New York City. The festival was perfect in that it allowed more people to become exposed to new artists and their music. An important result of the change in lineup this year was that the Cayuga Sound Festival most definitely brought in a different sector of society this year, as The Roots had catered to a more middle-aged crowd last year.
In contrast to last year, there was only one big stage in Stewart Park. This focused the attention on the main stage, which added to the hype during performances. The X Ambassadors were, of course, amazing. Their musicality and craftsmanship never ceases to amaze. Lead singer Sam Harris belted multiple incredibly long, high notes. The band also revealed a few sneak peeks of songs they have not yet released. On a more serious note, Harris also commented on Ithaca’s inherent inclusivity. He is so passionate about his message of ‘inclusivity’ that he promised, live in concert, a full festival day dedicated to hip hop artists solely in Upstate New York. After all, the festival is largely celebratory and is meant to promote Ithacan pride in recognizing underrepresented people and musical genres.
Overall, the festival was a huge success for the second year in a row. The only improvements that could be made would be to have more food options, lower ticket prices, and more seats, especially handicapped-accessible ones. Last year there were significantly more food trucks and stalls, while this year there were fewer food trucks, only one ice cream stall, and only two other food stalls.
Besides the lack of diverse food, the prices of the tickets increased significantly this year. It does make sense, considering the first year was such a success and that organizers realized this festival could be a real money-maker. However, in order for the festival to be for all Ithacans, they should either make the festival free or at least lower the ticket prices. Lastly, the venue largely consists of grass and open areas, as it is usually a park. The majority of the people stood or brought inflatable lounge chairs. But, considering the rowdy environment, it would be nearly impossible to accommodate someone in a wheelchair or on crutches in the crowd. The solution is not clear-cut, but it would be beneficial to consider more handicapped-accessible options, so absolutely everyone can enjoy the fantastic music scene.
Though there are some minor adjustments that could be made, there is nothing like hearing live, internationally-acknowledged, local music. The festival is a tradition that I hope continues on as long as possible.