The 605 Summer Classic is Sioux Falls’ annual unofficial kickoff to summer – embodying many of the things we love about the season. From outdoor music and beer tasting to collaborative art projects and food trucks, the event has been honed over the years to capture the sense of community and freedom we long for during the winter months. in its ninth year, presented by University Center and Carnaval Brazilian Grill, the event promises more of the same, bringing a distinctly festive vibe with a lineup full of electronic dance music (EDM) heavy hitters and rising stars of the hip hop world.
THE LOWDOWN
Friday, June 22
5-11:30 pm
Saturday, June 23
2-11:30 pm
All-South Dakota Beer Tasting
2-5 PM
Location
Cherapa Place, Sioux Falls
Day pass
$10 (Saturday pass includes beer tasting)
Weekend pass
$15 (includes beer tasting tickets)
Unlimited beer tasting
$20
Weekend pass + unlimited beer tasting
$35
Parking
North Cherapa Place lot and Lutheran Social Services lot (across 6th Street)
BONNIE X CLYDE
Los Angeles-based Bonnie X Clyde blends together genres like house, trap, and electropop for a unique sound that’s simultaneously complex, high energy, and incredibly danceable. They call it “vocal bass.”
The EDM duo started in Fairfax, Va., where vocalist/producer Paige Lopynski and DJ/producer Daniel Litman attended high school together. Individually, Lopynski appeared as a contestant on NBC’s The Voice and Litman honed his chops as a DJ at clubs and parties in the Washington, D.C. area.
The pair collaborated musically through college and beyond, forming BXC in 2015. Soon after, they became fixtures on the Miami festival scene, before opening for Skrillex, and embarking on their own 10-stop tour of Florida. BXC signed to Interscope Records in 2016, and spent a busy 2017 releasing EPs Wanted, In the City, Out of My System, Tonight, Hooked, and Bass Jam – the title track of which reached number one on Sirius XM.
SKIZZY MARS
Skizzy Mars is a New York-based songwriter, rapper, and producer. His style is often categorized as “alternative rap,” to account for the “slightly left-of-center” approach he takes to his craft. He draws inspiration from modern rock bands, groups like A Tribe Called Quest, and rappers like Kanye West and Kid Cudi.
Skizzy Mars’s releases include a 2016 solo album, Alone Together, which landed at number 50 on the Billboard 200. Other releases include EPs The Red Balloon Project and Are You Ok?, which features singles American Dream and 2006.
P.O.S
P.O.S is a prolific musician who is deeply entrenched in Minneapolis’s thriving indie hip hop scene, as a founding member of Doomtree Records. With a background as a member of several punk rock bands and collaborations with other hip hop artists, he draws from a deep well of inspiration. He’s cited Aesop Rock and Mos Def among his most important influences.
In addition to solo work supported by both Doomtree and Rhymesayers Entertainment, P.O.S remains active in the Twin Cities punk scene, fronting acts like Wharf Rats, Building Better Bombs, and Marijuana Death Squad. P.O.S is also a member of the Minneapolis indie supergroup Gayngs, which also features members of Bon Iver, The Rosebuds, and Solid Gold.
His solo albums include Ipecac Neat, Audition, We Don’t Even Live Here, and 2017’s Chill, Dummy. He also participated in creating Doomtree’s collaborative album, False Hopes.
MEGAN HAMILTON & THE BERMUDAS
Minneapolis-based Megan Hamilton brings the world into her music. The singer and producer has collaborated with artists like the UK’s Ghetto Funk, Westwood, Mixmash, and Audiophile, demonstrating the breadth of her abilities – which she sums up as “causing funky riots and catchy house tunes.”
Hamilton has a busy festival season ahead of her with appearances at Wisconsin’s Secret Circus Music Festival and Colorado’s Sonic Bloom and ARISE Music Festival, in addition to the 605 Summer Classic. Her releases include 2015’s full length, Forty Warm Streams to Lead Your Wings, plus dozens of collaborations and singles.
SOUTH DAKOTA BEER TASTING
Here are just some of the breweries attending on Saturday, June 23 | 2-5 pm
BEN’S BREWING CO.
Yankton
CROW PEAK BREWING COMPANY
Spearfish
DEMPSEY’S BREWERY
Watertown
FERNSON BREWING COMPANY
Sioux Falls
FIREHOUSE BREWING COMPANY
Rapid City
GANDY DANCER BREW WORKS
Sioux Falls
HYDRA BEER COMPANY
Sioux Falls
THE KNUCKLE BREWERY
Sturgis
LOST CABIN BREWING COMPANY
Rapid City
MINER BREWING COMPANY
Hill City
REMEDY BREWING COMPANY
Sioux Falls
SICK-N-TWISTED BREWERY
Hill City
WATERTOWN BREWING COMPANY
Watertown
WOODEN LEGS BREWING COMPANY
Brookings
WOODGRAIN BREWING CO.
Sioux Falls
DENHAM
While he’s a relative newcomer to the Sioux Falls music scene, Denham McDermott (who performs as “Denham”) is practically a veteran of the local festival circuit. The Aberdeen native appeared at both JazzFest and That Sounds Decent last year. Add in the recent release of his EP, Diaries of Distress, and Denham is riding a pretty solid wave of momentum into the 2018 festival season.
His is a sound that’s difficult to assign to a genre – with elements of pop, hip-hop, and R&B knitting seamlessly to create a sound that’s equal parts catchy and melodic. Denham achieves this, in part, by minimizing his influences. While he loves seeing interesting artists with something to say, Denham mostly listens to old favorites, like neo-soul pioneer Maxwell.
“Honestly, I don’t listen to a lot of new music,” he admitted. “Not because I don’t like it, but I feel like sometimes I get caught in what’s hot and new. I’d rather focus on being as ‘me’ as possible.”
For those averse to pop music, Denham knows he can change minds – not just in Sioux Falls.
“I’m here to make a difference,” he said. “I just want people to open their spirits and accept something for what it is and not what it’s made out to be. I’m going to take this to the next level and give Sioux Falls a musician to be proud of.”
FAYDE
He may be young, but Dylan Warwick (stage name Fayde) is poised for great things. He describes his style as R&B, with some rap mixed in – and he works to bring that tried and true formula to the next level, beyond musicianship to the realm of great performers.
Fayde enjoys musicians who can bring it on all fronts, like fellow newcomer YBN Nahmir, whom he admits wasn’t his favorite at first, but has won him over with his versatility and ability to “flow on any beat.” He also counts both Michael Jackson and Chris Brown among his biggest influences.
“Michael Jackson just changed the face of music, but they both bring a flavor that no one else has done in a long time with the dancing and singing,” he said. “I want to be a great entertainer out of anything that comes with making music.”
Fayde promises to bring his all to the 2018 festival season, and says to expect his performance at the 605 Summer Classic to be one of the best of the weekend.
“I love interacting with the crowd, plus I might premier some new music to see what the people want,” he said, adding, “I want to inspire everyone that’s there to dream and do better. Also, I want them to know anything is possible if you believe and take action.”
HEATBOX
He’s known as the “One Man Entertainment System.” Heatbox has spent the past decade grinding it out and sharing his uniquely entertaining creative gifts on stages all over the world.
Heatbox is a master of vocal percussion, blending beatboxing, singing, and a host of other vocal abilities – like simulating horns, stringed instruments, and even turntables. On top of that, he writes songs to blend a variety of technologies, like live looping, for a truly one-of-a-kind show.
In addition to being a 605 Summer Classic alum, Heatbox has opened for the likes of Wu- Tang Clan, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, and Boyz II Men. His discography includes two full-length albums – Entertainment and System. Fans who’ve picked up System have been delighted to find a bonus video game on the album called Ninja Strike, which was designed and programmed by Heatbox himself.
LINEAR SYMMETRY
Hailing from Omaha, Nebr., Linear Symmetry has been commended for making “organic, electrifying dance music.” This three-piece EDM ensemble blends Huma Haq’s powerful vocals with high-energy instrumentals to create an all-encompassing musical experience. Haq’s violin dances atop an audio tapestry woven by producer and keyboardist Chris Story and drummer Andy Alback, fusing diverse elements of trap, funk, and world music.
High-energy performances at events like Electric Forest, Sonic Boom, and Dancefestopia have made Linear Symmetry staples of the EDM festival scene. For those who’ll see the trio for the first time at the 605 Summer Classic, warm up with their six-song release Native Science. On the EP, the trio demonstrates their efforts to bring listeners on a “constantly morphing sonic journey” – in a way that feels completely natural.
TUFF ROOTS
Reggae music sounds like summer, making it a natural – and usually welcome – addition to almost any fest’s lineup. Tuff Roots doesn’t disappoint. According to singer/rhythm guitarist Jordan Knopf, the band is all about bringing positivity and love, while hopefully inspiring a whole lot of dancing.
To the uninitiated, Knopf would describe their sound as “music you’d listen to while relaxing on the beach.” Knopf draws inspiration from new bands like Iya Terra, as well as reggae staples like Slightly Stoopid, as a band, Tribal Seeds is a collective favorite of Tuff Roots.
The group’s first album, Planting Seeds, is out now, and will be followed later this year by a second effort. In addition to playing the 605 Summer Classic and recording new tracks, Tuff Roots will spend some time touring the Midwest this summer and playing the second stage at Sioux Falls JazzFest.
Knopf said, “You can expect us to be well-rehearsed, and bringing our ‘A game’ every time we hit the stage.”
AMOS SLADE
If anyone shows up to rock, it’s Amos Slade. This Sioux Falls five-piece endeavors to be a rock band, like rock bands used to be – unencumbered by subgenre, freely exploring all points between heavy and delicate. It’s a brand of rock that plays well on a festival stage.
“We play loud rock with a capital ‘R,’ laced with enough pop to keep you interested, but not enough to annoy you – all seasoned with a little home-cooked Americana. We sound like we mean it, because we do,” said guitarist and vocalist Nick Engbers.
Engbers cites old favorites like Brand New, Pedro the Lion, and Bright Eyes as influences, as well as relative newcomer Phoebe Bridgers, who he says motivates him to keep his songwriting simple.
Amos Slade exhibits this dichotomy on their freshman release Hungry Earth, which will soon be joined by a follow-up EP. Playing select shows and working on the new album will be part of a summer in which Engbers looks forward to “making music with friends, and making friends though music.”
PETE FREELY
Sioux Falls-based DJ Pete Freely has been active in the local EDM scene since 2013. He was inspired to start making his own music after seeing GRiZ live at Michigan’s Electric Forest Festival five years ago. Freely has built a following playing house parties and shows at a variety of Sioux Falls venues.
Freely likes to keep his audience engaged by putting a “funky, melodic twist” on old-school hip hop beats. He admires artists who are making something truly unique in a scene that’s “saturated with heavy dubstep and bass house,” and says he enjoys artists like Canada’s SkiiTour and France’s CloZee.
“CloZee has a super unique approach to making music,” explained Freely. “She has this one track called Koto and it legitimately takes you into an old kung fu movie, where two samurai are about to charge each other in battle. Highly recommend.”
This summer is going to be big for Freely, who plans to get a radio show off the ground, make some new music, and of course, tear it up at some great outdoor festivals. As far as the 605 Summer Classic goes, Freely is excited to see all of the artists “show this town what we are.”
INFINITE REVOLUTIONS
Audiophiles make the best DJs, and few illustrate this better than musicians Thomas Hentges and Brogan Costa. The pair are longtime fixtures of the Sioux Falls music scene, and over the years, each has amassed a vast and diverse record collection. What has resulted is a DJ collective that has something for everyone. Hentges describes it as an eclectic mix of music spanning all ages and genres. Some might view it as a hipper version of dueling pianos.
“You could hear songs from Nancy Sinatra, Ernest Tubb, Kendrick Lamar, The Kinks, and Wilson Pickett all within a 20 minute frame of time,” he said. “I often plan several small themed sets, but we usually end our gigs with what we call ‘back-and-forth spins.’ The wild card section of the night keeps us on our toes, only having a few minutes to cue up an appropriate track to follow whatever the other one just threw down.”
Southern California culture is the chief inspiration behind Infinite Revolutions. Hentges likes how many Los Angeles bars have guest DJs several nights a week, adding, “We love the juxtaposition of both music and visuals in these unique spaces and the vibe it sets.”
Hentges and Costa want to help create a positive vibe for this year’s 605 Summer Classic, and more than anything, they want to be the soundtrack to everyone’s great time.
NEW THIS YEAR
Experience even more music with 12 bands and earlier start times of 5 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday (beer tasting 2-5 p.m.).
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit 605summerclassic.com.
