Honcho Campout highlights 2024
Some notes on the one of my favorite parties on planet earth :)
The official Honcho beer being called Gremlinz 2 this year.
Curational flow for Thursday at Hemlock Hole
boxofbox opening set / Campout debut — a set I’ve dreamed of for years, fulfilling all my dreams and then some. A master at work touching on the space, the moment, and their personal musical palate with grace and poise. Autechre! Scott Walker! Aretha! Janet Jackson! Malcolm McLaren and Shep motherfucking Pettibone!
Another killer Rose Kourts set that left knees weak and hearts bursting in pride.
The Honcho Trick a.k.a. when a DJ you’ve never heard of before ends up blowing your mind (and ass) & makes you feel less alone in the world. The first of many this year being Karim Olen Ash who brought house authority and irresistible groove for a fantastic daytime HH closer.
W-E-R-K HonchoFM — an incredible idea made real by Jeffrey Sfire and Josh Bondi with mastering from Physical Therapy. Admittedly this didn’t work at our camp site at the highest point on High Meadow but I’m head over heels in love with this concept and loved hearing endless stories of folks pulled from their tents by the sounds coming through the FM airwaves.
A barnstormer set from ARCHANGEL b2b Cisne — overflowing with JOY and reminiscent to me of the best of the Brooklyn rave underground over the last 10 years. Mischievous tempo, groove laden all genre music lovers feast that took me from middle school dance memories to Myrtle ave spirals and back again. That Wayne Wonder “No Letting Go” edit… the K hole MAW / Denise Belfon “Work” edit…. #woof
Hanging with some of the Bounce House crew and catching Furtive’s wildly creative, intentional and exploratory Grove closing set on Thursday night which felt like a journey through late night techno-obsessed computer glow lit digging and featured a bizarre yet amazing Sean Mendes “There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back” moment.
Rising early to catch Savannah G’s masterful 10am opening set on Friday — my favorite exploration of Disco in four years of going to Campout. Delivered loud and smooth as a motherfucker on that superbly tuned system. Silk smooth. Like BUTTER. Oddysey’s “Inside Out.” “Rock with You” off MJ’s Off The Wall (!!!). Getting to have a profound moment with Bohannon’s “Let’s Start The Dance” — a track I’ve cherished for years <3
Dan Beaumont’s slow steamroller of a set — everything in its right place, locking each and every dancer more and more with each blend, the way the sky turned grey and the air temperature changed mid blend and tension built until the sky opened up for our first rain of the weekend. The clear joy beaming up from Dan as he cracked a smile and let loose Billy Griffin’s “Hold Me Tighter in the Rain.” Reminded me of Lakuti and Tama Sumo’s HH closer from 2022 in the best way.
Hard to put NAP’s set into words. Easily my favorite of the entire weekend. Personal expression meets masterful groove and a profoundly based POV for something my ears and ass registered as a Whole New Bag. The kinda set that’s gonna make me a lifelong fan — diving into the archives already, catch me at Mansions on Thursday for the all nighter for sure, for sure.
Charlene’s banter before and after every drag performance — a comedic voice of this and many generations!!! Queer Catskills Cutting Up style.
The way the crowd boo’d when Charlene said “she’s from Berlin” when introducing Colin Self
Colin Self’s psychedelic rock n’ roll stallion-galloping-at-sunset-mask work opus set to Sinead O’Connor.
Sweet sweet Sobolik demolishing the Grove with ease and glee — a well deserved peak time main stage moment that brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
‘Nohup’ closing set = the literal definition of “nailing it.” Intimate, groovy, veteran freak vibes that made myself and many others feel deeply at home from front to back. The Wally World moment, Daft Punk “Veridis Quo,” Jerome Hill's Itsu Uno “B Boy Rave For The Ageing Hipster" !!!
Waiting out the rain under Lexi’s tarp listening to Galaxie 500 and Freur's "Doot Doot"
Making my way down to Hemlock Hole solo on Saturday afternoon just as Jamie O’Sullivan was playing Rockers Revenge “Walking on Sunshine.” Also the sick “Stand on the Word” dub he played (think this was it but I could be wrong…)
Love Letters powerful stomping HH closer on Saturday. Talking to Maxime a few days before the set about the space and the crowd, he said “All I have to do is try to be the most me I can be.” Mission accomplished !! Paul Johnson!!! Robert Armani!!!
When Leonce closed his set with Meli'sa Morgan’s “Still In Love With You”
ST MOZELLE’s rock solid genre soup set that had me and all my friends saying “damn this DJ is goooood” over and over again.
The mischievous grounding magic of slo mo SHYBOI.
Yuqi continuing the Big Chair tradition
Sister System closing down Hemlock Hole with Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” sludged the f out.
“Legit nothing better than sunday at Honcho Campout” - Lexi
Eris and Maya’s closing set (“Bar A Tym,” Federal Hill’s “I Have Something For You,” whatever that “Whoomp! (There It Is)” sampling track was !!)
Visiting Shady Maple Smorgasbord, the largest buffet in the US, on the way home.
Endless love to the entire Honcho community — staff, artists, dancers, drag performers, and pups. Follow Honcho here.
Keep an eye on their Soundcloud account in the coming months for archived sets from this year. There’s also a huge archive of sets from previous years here.
Much love,
Nick Boyd
P.S. I’m throwing a party in Brooklyn on 9/1 at Bossa Nova Civic Club — Sorry Records with Pump Media Unlimited, Doula, Nick Boyd