If a family reunion was a music festival, it would be the Phillip Backyard Weekender. This festival has the perfect blend of beer, music, and good friends that creates a can not miss experience. This was my second year attending, and I think this year’s Tilt might be my favorite! As a photographer, I have a unique perspective of the festival which will inform this review!
Ok Charlie started off strong as the first band on the first day of Tilt. One thing that Phillips Backyard does extremely well is allow local bands and musicians to be on stage and perform in a festival environment. This year for Tilt, we have Ok Charlie, Vox Rea, Liinks, and Born Reckless representing Victoria, proving the immense talent we have locally. A perfect example of this is the absolutely fantastic rendition of “The Chain” (Originally by Fleetwood Mac) featuring Morgan Bankes of the Bankes Brothers (Playing at Reverb in August).
Saint Motel at Tilt - Katharine Brynjolfson @katiebvisionphotography
One of the big highlights of the weekend, and one that really drives home the “we are family” vibes was the engagement performers displayed with the audience. Hotel Mira’s lead singer Charlie Kerr made festival goers days by stepping on the barricade to hold hands with an audience member and sing to her. Sonreal brought the energy right to the barricade with high energy jumps and explosive dancing getting the audience hype. Teon Gibbs also deserves a shout out for being the first act of Saturday, but engaging the crowd and performing like it was a sold out stadium tour, and really bringing the energy. Orville Peck and Noah Cryus also get a special shout out for stopping their beautiful duet when a fan needed medical assistance and demonstrating true human to human care when environmental factors provide challenges.
Headliners are often what draws the big crowds, and this year they did not disappoint.
Saint Motel is a band I am only familiar with from their one viral song “My Type” (featured heavily in the Booktok communities. No judgment allowed ok people). This is always an exciting experience for people to discover more of their music since sometimes it just takes one song to draw you in! Jessie Reyes is another artist I am not as familiar with, butwas immediately taken by her stage presence, electric charm, and extremely touched when she dedicated a song to our late community leader Dylan Willows. Orville Peck is one of the headliners I was most curious about. Eagle-eyed festival goers could see him standing off stage supporting his pal Noah Cyrus (Who was iconic and amazing and IN LATEX) during her set and then called her to come on stage for their duet. I was struck by his sheer vocal strength, stage presence, and the immaculate outfits! I ended up leaving a little early, but one of my highlights was listening to Daytona Sand from the comfort of my own balcony while my photos were uploaded.
Orville Peck takes the stage at Tilt - Katharine Brynjolfson @katiebvisionphotography
Noah Cyrus on the Tilt stage - Katharine Brynjolfson @katiebvisionphotography
Overall Tilt was a magical weekend. It was different to not have Dylan Willows present, but his energy was felt and I am confident his spirit was with us all, enjoying a beer in the afterlife. All the volunteers and staff ensured everyone had a wonderful time, and it was all smiles, lots of water, and a fantastic way to kick off the first weekend of the 2024 Phillips Backyard Weekender.
Comments