Review + Gallery: Viva! Pomona Reminds Us of the Value of the Community Music Creates

Jan 7

☆ BY Alex Free ☆

OVER THE MIDDLE WEEKEND OF DECEMBER - 9th-year festival Viva! Pomona took place at The Glass House venue in downtown Pomona, with two outdoor stages and a stacked line-up from 4-10pm both days.

Centering DIY artists with mixed musical heritage (many who are cutting unconventional and pioneering routes through the music industry), Viva! also aims to bridge the space between English and Spanish-language popular music, highlighting artists from the Latinx community. Rising stars and young legends Jean Dawson, Danny Lux, Angel Du$t, Eyedress, and Magdalena Bay headlined this year.

To name only a few on the line-up feels like shortcutting the brilliance of Viva’s energy—46 artists performed this year, and all took the stage with equal enthusiasm, skill, and personality. Special flowers to AJRadico, Sonoda, and Meth Math for especially entrancing performances, and to Soul Glo for the safe, explosive mosh pits.

For such a stacked bill, the festival was relatively small due to another surge in Covid concern, feeling intimate and connected in a way that we’re unlikely to experience again. Friends were made freely among the crowd, artists joined the festival-goers in the dark main room of the Glass House before and after sets; people danced, sang along, and took care of each other.

Amidst concerns over Omicron and heartache over violence at other festivals, Viva! Pomona was stand-out for being the opposite: the safe haven from the rest of reality that festivals are supposed to be. It was the most sincere gathering of community I’ve seen all year— people coming together over music and, whether they knew each other or not, celebrating the fact that we were all there to experience and enjoy the same thing. It was a strong way to end 2021, and an encouraging reminder of why we make, support, and build community around music.

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bennytheghost brings a warm & upbeat energy for your friday with his new track “Say Something” ☀️ His genuine enthusiasm for music shines through the single & allows him to express a lively, emotional & self-deprecating introduction into his upcoming EP. 🎶Exploring a non traditional instrumental & lyrical style with the new single, bennytheghost continues to establish his spot in the indie pop scene. Read our full interview with the rising artist on the site now - link in bio ✨

Meet our latest Luna Sweetheart, Yulissa Benitez 💓 Pulled towards the revivalistic phenomenon of 90’s counterculture & music, Yulissa captures a spectrum of human nature: a self that is unhinged; held back by nothing. Her photography embodies a frenetic rawness, in which color & lighting are both aesthetic & meaningful, & a fleeting movement & expression are held still in time 🎞 💫Check out more of her work on our story now + our full feature on the site - link in bio ✨

“I know it sounds cheesy, but music makes me feel so whole & gives me such a genuine & unfiltered joy. When you do something you love, the internal pressure of “having to make it” lessens because success becomes redefined. Success is getting up in the morning and knowing I get to make music today.” - kristiane 💓 🎶Her latest EP ‘I Miss Myself’ serves as an incredible insight into the growing artist’s talents & passion. Read the full feature on our site now featuring photos by our fav Carina Allen ⭐️