Fields of Funk Raises Hairs at Elings Park

Fields of Funk 2023 did not disappoint. Thrills and chills abounded — monsters and pop-culture figures and everything in between masqueraded around Elings Park on Saturday, showing off a level of creativity and pizzazz in their costumes that I was not expecting. 

Attendees relaxed on blankets during breaks from dancing in front of stages highlighted by streams of bright, colorful light. Others were the light: Mushroom hats featured luminescent caps and glowing jellyfish left streaks of brilliance in their wakes.

Elings is not very large, but the organizers managed to make the most of it. Retail vendors cushioned the space between the main stage and the RDA stage; a ring of bars and food trucks wrapped around the outskirts of the park; a One Plant–sponsored, canopied lounge area sat near the entrance; and inflatable thorns (or tentacles?) boarded the main stage. 

The stages themselves were big enough to accommodate both bands and deejays, as well as LED screens, Halloween-themed accents, and, on the main stage, a huge disco ball. Festivalgoers still had enough space to spread out without losing sight of the onstage action. There was even room for a neon party boat to cruise through the crowd at the end of the night. 

While the sun was still in the sky, bands took to the main stage. Hometown artists, such as Brayell and The Framers, competed for their spots in the lineup. It was clear why they won out over their competitors. 

Brayell was electric. He and his band’s diverse mix of funky, poppy, soul-filled rhythms embraced the crowd like an energetic hug. In the middle of his popular song, “Made Her Feel Good,” he asked for that energy back, saying, “I want y’all to party with me.” He easily set the scene for a good time. 

When I spoke to organizer Logan Goldberg about the headliners, he told me about STRFKR, an Oregon-based indie band. “Even if you don’t recognize the name, you’ve probably heard their music before,” he said. 

He was completely right. I didn’t recognize their name but when they started their set, accompanied by dancing astronauts and waves of light, I was sent back in time. Their catchy, familiar songs have graced the chill playlists of laidback teenagers, the soundtracks of TV series and movies including The Fault in Our Stars,  and the deep recesses of my brain that hold onto nostalgic sounds. 

Their music is cocooned in a bouncy beat and elevated by dreamy synth. It feels like a portal into a feel good coming-of-age movie. 

I was caught off guard when they played the first few notes from “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” because the perky melody is so instantly recognizable. Josh Hodges’s airy vocals delivered the chorus that felt like a summer breeze: “All my life, there you go / Oh, please stay just this once / Anyway.” The entire set list was mesmerizing and completely unexpected.  

Although I didn’t spend too much time at the RDA stage, which was exclusively for deejays, I did make my way over for the electronic dance duo Walker & Royce. Someone dressed as the Grinch danced next to me under the glow of the blood moon hanging above the stage. Two menacing, 12-foot skeletons illuminated by red lights watched over us as Walker & Royce spun tracks beneath a canopy of leaves. 

The Grinch’s green, hairy gloves obstructed my view quite a few times, but I couldn’t blame him; we were listening to the kind of music that requires your hands to be in the air. The set had a solid, funky beat with punchy bass drops layered with smooth vocal samples. It was different from other house music I’d heard before; a little quirkier, dreamier, and more experimental. It synced perfectly with the flowy, bright butterfly wings and ribbons swirling around the crowd. 

I have to admit that I was jealous of the Grinch and his Santa Claus suit. I didn’t plan accordingly for the chilly weather. My cowgirl costume was cute, sure, but absolutely useless in the cold.

For the last few electronic sets, the main stage’s disco ball started spinning. Headliners Boombox and Fleetmac Wood brought the out-of-body party sound that could bring the dead back to life. I mean, there were quite a few skeletons in the pit.  

Flashing lights accentuated the fast-paced, bass-boosted, synthesized remixes of Fleetwood Mac’s classic hits. Fleetmac Wood turned the band’s folk-rock stylings into an audio-visual experience fit for a rave. 

Stevie Nicks’s ethereal voice and mystical musings would trail in and out, masterfully intertwined with hard-hitting techno twists and heavy bass. Behind the musical pair on stage, old footage of Fleetwood Mac performances and other visuals danced across the screens, edited to bleed colors and fit the trippy atmosphere. 

Rhiannon was one of my personal favorites. Deejays Roxanne Roll and Alex Oxley tweaked and amplified the song’s bass line and drum beat, tailoring Nicks’s vocals to make them echo-y and psychedelic. They put classic rock through a funk-ifier and it couldn’t have sounded better. With a unique marriage of genres, they ended the night on a high. 

Fields of Funk was the Halloween party of the year, full of goosebump-worthy experiences. By the way, water bottles were only $2 (the cheapest I have seen at any music festival). 

I’ll end on a note to future funkers: Wear something that will keep you warm. You won’t regret it.