Adult Swim Festival Turns Two
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Adult Swim Festival turns two this year at Banc of California Stadium in downtown Los Angeles. The Nov. 15-16 event, expected to draw over 20,000 fans, includes a genre-defying blend of live performances, screenings, rides and games.
The network, while known for its adult-oriented cartoons, began promoting the music of up-and-coming artists through its Singles project with Williams Street Records in 2010. Festival lineups reflect the eclectic mix of genre and style present in the Singles releases, from electronica to indie rock to rap -- and everything in-between.
Many of the musicians included in the Singles campaign play live at Adult Swim events; artists featured in both 2019 festival and the Singles releases include noise-rock band Health and rapper Captain Murphy, the animated alter-ego of musician and producer Flying Lotus.
The fictional death metal act Dethklok, from the cartoon Metalocalypse, boasts headliner status alongside Long Beach rapper Vince Staples. Festival-goers are also able to watch a live performance of the Eric Andre Show, though the show’s guests have not yet been revealed.
This year includes a number of “experiences” hosted by Adult Swim; the phrases “Squidbillies 10 Man Bunkhouse Stampede” and the “Robot Chicken Intergalactic Power Summit” grace the flyer, without further explanation. The Meatwad Dome, a three-hundred-and-sixty degree theater themed for the network’s "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," returns to the event to air network premieres and reruns.
Similar to its previous iteration, Adult Swim Festival 2019 includes a plethora of "Rick and Morty"-themed attractions. The intergalactic animated comedy, which began in 2013 and surpassed shows like "The Big Bang Theory" in millenial network ratings during 2017, is set to begin its fourth season right before the festival. Attendees will have the chance to screen episodes of the new season in advance at the event, as well as immerse themselves in two separate virtual reality games involving the "Rick and Morty" universe.
While THE ROW DTLA worked as a venue for 2018’s festival, the event was moved to Banc of California Stadium for 2019. The stadium, which opened in April of last year, is accessible by the Metro rail Expo Line. Adult Swim also includes recommended accommodations near the stadium on their website for those planning to attend.
According to a statement from Nick Javier, a representative of the publicity company behind the festival, “There will be shade, food, and multiple stages, games and experiences...and most importantly - places to sit down!”
Four tiers of tickets are available on the festival site, from one-day general admission to VIP passes.