Author: Ty Fox

Posted: Sep 28, 2024

Jampak got the opportunity to cover Same Same But Different for 2024. Arriving into the festival from San Diego was smooth sailing. Living downtown I got there an hour and a half which was quicker than most L.A shows I have gotten the chance to cover. Stationed right on Lake Perris near Riverside California this festival offered desert vibes combined with a relaxing beachside, sitting multiple stages on the sand of the lake. Art installations sparkling the sun off of the metallic structures. One of the unique pieces of this festival is the free camping right outside the doors. I was able to car camp right up the street from the festival grounds and got some privacy and a fire pit tucked in my little corner. Making friends with nearby campers we listened to music and sat in hammocks exchanging stories from different festivals we have all attended. Access to a little bit of privacy came at the small cost of having to hike to the festival grounds. A small price to pay! The walk overlooked desert hills as more and more palm trees appeared and the music started fading over the hills you knew you were getting closer to the party.

I entered at the ‘But’ Entrance where SSBD presented it’s own little Vegas getaway. A disco chapel where they hosted weddings and a tent of lights that offered a cool quiet getaway in the evenings. It also had the ‘But Stage’ where you could shield from the sun in a hammock while San Diego and LA indie and rock bands played in the shade. Next to the stage was the “Camp Juicy” where an LA production company gave a trippy analogue video experience where you could make a live music video effect with your hands. They also gave to the community in the form of a trinket exchange! You brought a trinket and you got one in return from a claw machine.

The daytime sets brought a wide variety in music. From San Diego’s Peach Cooler, Pocket Change and newly formed Tagious to out of state talents like Bombargo, Balkan Bump, beatboxing DJ Honeycomb and the incredible Mindchatter. This variety kept me running ing back and forth from stage to stage to try and catch all the different styles I could soak in. Some amazing other artists I would recommend were Futuresexuals, Not Not, Börscht, Dirtwire, Zingara, and Moon Panda. I also got the opportunity for the first time to sit down and ask an artist about their music! We sat down with a producer, educator and DJ, Bad Snacks.

Here is the whole interview go take a look!!

The day turned to night and a chill swept over the grounds. I turned around and a hot air balloon floated above the tents into the crowds view. The ember desert sunset framed the hot air balloon over the lake like a painting come to life. People flocked to get a chance to hop into the balloon and see the festival from a birdseye view as the lights all came on. Immediately followed by the feeling of bass in your chest and the electronic music starts playing as several stages around the grounds. I run into the photo pit to start capturing some of the largest ‘Same Stage’. There I had many amazing interactions with my peers in the friendliest pit experience I have had to date. Security was so kind and helpful and festival content creators and other media outlets gave everyone the opportunity to get the best angles and gave space for people to pass which is sadly not always the case at larger shows. I also had several rad conversations with fans on the barriers. I was given gifts of glass axolotls, rubber ducks and a ‘Hello My Name Is’ sticker where they dubbed me “Foxy Photos”. I got this photo of that fan holding hands with a friend across the barrier. The live painted art also came to life with the lights as the incredibly talented artists lights reacted to the different colored lights being projected as the art literally appeared to move in front of your eyes.

With any festival there are big headliners that draw crowds. SSBD offered a different more intimate and comfortable way to enjoy these artists. The Night one headliner, Ganja White Night gave an awesome performance that got everyone dancing. The duo played amazingly off each other and brought a great vibe that was chill but very bass heavy. Night two brought LSDream with extremely fun and trippy visuals to match the name. The bucket hat dawned DJ gave us groovy beats that nearly wore the soles of my shoe through I couldn’t stop moving. Not being too familiar with this artist I found myself having a great time during his set. Night three gave us Big Gigantic which I have been listening to since middle school. Their live drum and horns have me the happiest nostalgia and put an absolutely infectious smile on your face and every one else’s faces.

GANJA WHITE NIGHT

LSDREAM

BIG GIGANTIC

Lugging around two cameras in the 90 degree desert sun all day got me tired towards the end of the day and I was worried I was gonna crash out the first night. Wandering away from the stage I found the ‘Creation Station’ where I took a seat around a table that was doing “open creation”. Artists wrote poetry and drew with anything they could get their hands on as we all sipped sun tea that was made at that stage during the day that got me tired. The tea renewed me and I felt a second wave coming on. I went to this festival solo the first day and a half and still felt very at home and comfortable. This has definitely not been my experience on other festival grounds. Walking around I found several comfort experiences, there was a moving tree that offers a hammock of vines and a jungle gym of branches. A geometric structure outside of the ‘Same Stage’ gave an elevated view of the stage that people crowded to as well as a sound cushioned center area you had to crawl into. No matter where you were positioned you got music, the amazing stage visuals and the lasers that shined over the desert mountains.

If you ever needed a break from crowds you could step away to the beach that offered a serene show of the art exhibits provided their own show. These suncatchers brought the night landscape to life with movement and light, creating mirages in the sand as colored lights bathed the art. As the main stages came to a close each night, the crowd moved back to the beach at either ‘the Dome’ or at the ‘Coconut Cove’. House and disco came to the stage while everyone danced out the last bits of energy they had before starting the next day. ‘The Dome’ was a really amazing stage no matter when you went. They offered non stop music with DJ’s hot swapping sets and bouncing around behind the mixers. This new addition became my favorite stop day and night with a cool glow from outside ‘the Dome’ illuminating the sand with shadows of dancers. Amazing lighting inside made this enclosed tent feel like an entire underground venue.

If the music ever got overwhelming and you wanted to see what else SSBD has to give there was so much more. The Family Garden provided a shaded all ages experiences day round where you could relax and listen to chill music. The ‘Creation Station’ featured interviews with artists, open mics for poetry and a chance to get tangible with your art as there was a body painting session where you explored your body and a partner painting each other. There was also sensory experiences and “open clay play” where you got hands on and in your art. the ‘But Vegas Casino’ opened every night at the ‘But Stage’ offering fun gambles with games to win big with friends! Grandmas house also was an awesome unforgettable experience as night two Grandma herself came out with a box of vinyl and started spinning discs live! Her grey gals joined her on stripper poles as the grannies broke it down on stage so hard the police had to raid the stage and shut her down. That is until the police couldn’t resist Grandma’s beats and stripped on stage with Granny! Same Same But Different truly gave us a great time at Jampak, with amazing music day after day, great food offerings, an amazing crew running the show, and the amazing crowd this festival pulls it is undeniable they will not be seeing the last of us!

📸 ✍🏼: Ty Fox Photo @tyfoxphoto