From Showers to Shine, The Inaugural Head in the Clouds New York: Day One

Every East Coast fan of the artists under the 88rising umbrella and their Head in the Clouds Festival (aka HITC) was cheering when it was confirmed that the event would take place in New York for the first time. 88rising was born in New York under a vision by Sean Miyashiro. The festival, produced by Goldenvoice and The Bowery Presents, was aptly held at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens last weekend, May 20-21. It made perfect sense that a festival that celebrates the Asian and Asian-American music diaspora would be held in the most diverse borough in New York during Asian Heritage Month.

In HITC fashion, the festival ran on two stages while all around the festival there was food and merchandise vendors. Day one started on the main 88rising Stage with Fifi Zhang and Akini Jing, with Paravi and Spence Lee kicking off the Double Happiness stage. Though the festival was raring to go, there was a bit of a damper with the rain. More on than off rain ran throughout the afternoon, which meant poncho time. As the festival went on, the sea of ponchos grew. But rain or shine, the show must go on, and in true HITC fashion, the show did exactly that in spectacular fashion. There were many stand out performances in the lineup, but the ones that stood out to this veteran HITC attendee were ITZY, Rich Brian, and ISOXO. With hyped crowds, HITC New York ended in high spirits with everyone ready for what was in store the following day.

The 88rising Stage

By the time that Warren Hue popped onto the stage, the crowd was raring to go. In racer shades and gear, the self-proclaimed “BOY OF THE YEAR” was ready to tackle anything, including a downpour. Singing songs such as “IN MY BAG,” “candy choppa,” “WEST,” “DEMOSTAR BEENLIT,” and an unreleased song, Warren proved why he’s become a HITC regular.

MILLI’s high paced energy, with her gorgeous and vibrant face, was next to grace the main stage. In a sexy bustier of leather straps, she was more about raw energy than the elegance that she portrayed in Los Angeles last year. Supported by her back-up dancers, they danced through their sharp choreography, though even without them, her presence was large enough to fill the space. Starting with “Welcome,” she continued through her set with songs such as “Mind Games,” her popular remix of BIBI's “The Weekend.” Additional songs such as“Sad Aerobic,” “Mirror Mirror,” “Mango Sticky Rice,” plus a number of Thai songs were included in her set. Spitting rhymes between her vocals in English and Thai, she was a powerhouse pumping and dancing on stage, with the comfort of the veteran performer she’s become.

In contrast to Millie, indie Filipino-English singer beabadoobee and her band’s softer rock tunes played to the souls in the crowd. The singer who gained prominence after opening for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour paired her pure voice with rock rhythms, adding a softer dimension to the festival. A highlight was the acoustic recently released “Glue Song” that had everyone singing in tandem. The melancholia that filtered through the tunes was fitting for a crowd who looked like they had survived the rain and was due for a reprieve. Yet, like her lovely voice which contrasted the harsher lyrics of songs like “Care,” the band and music enlivened everyone’s spirits. Further songs such as “10:36,” “Apple Cider,” and “She Plays Bass” further highlighted her spirit and showed why she has gathered such attention for her music.

The rain dissipated and the sky cleared in time for ITZY to light up the main stage. The ladies came on strong with “Not Shy” flanked by their backup dancers with large flags. Greeted with barks (the latest cheering phenomenon in K-Pop), the ladies looked amazing in black, white, and silver. The song was the perfect introduction for anyone who may be unfamiliar with them, playing off to the strength of their character. Not afraid to roll their hips and show off their sexy yet sweet personas, the ladies were playful and charming. As Ryujin yelled, “Head in the Clouds, are you ready!” they immediately jumped into "Sorry Not Sorry.” The ITZY emblazoned flags dramatically came out at the start of the song, then left the focus solely on the girls. With “in the morning,” the fun choreo incorporated sexy shooting movements and fun dynamic formations. Taking a moment to chat then introduce themselves, Ryujin started off with, “The vibe here is amazing,” then stated what was on everyone’s mind, “I’m glad that the train stopped.” “WANNABE” and the fun “DALLA DALLA” followed. With “Boys Like You,” they started with a refrain acapella. Moving onto “NOBODY LIKE YOU,” they just had fun interacting with fans from the stage. Lia stated in the next ment, “I think our members were very touched with all your waves with light rings (the ITZY lightsticks) and flashlights. Thank you so much.” As chants of “ITZY” filled the venue, Yuna stated, “From today, I’m going to love Head in the Clouds!” Ending with “SNEAKERS” and “LOCO,” the group left the venue with everyone on an emotional high.

Rich Brian closed out the stage and the night. With smoke and drama, his set opened with musicians on pedestals to the side of the main stage. The drummer, in full marching uniform, grabbed the eye from the onset, and then Rich Brian rose out of a box built to look like a building with a large screen with vivid images behind him. Most memorable are the video images of him flying through the air as he sang. Those familiar with HITC might recall this at other locations, including the last Los Angeles show, but the set up was as impressive as ever. Belting out songs such as “VIVID” and “100 Degrees,” he had all his die hard fans cheering for him. With “History,” he was on the ground singing along with the crowd, getting as close as he could to make eye contact. After the more melodic “100 Degrees” showed off Rich Brian’s vocal chops, he yelled out, “Are you ready for some rap sh*t?” Moving onto the spitting rhymes of “New Tooth” and “edamame,” Rich Brian’s words flew with the house jumping on the words. The night belonged to Rich Brian, and the HITC audience knew it. There would be several more songs before the night was over, but ending the night with Rich Brian felt like a HITC tradition that needed to continue in New York.

Double Happiness Stage

A crowd rushed over to the Double Happiness stage in time to catch the third performer of the day there. Fellow LA Koreatown native (yes, I’m a LA transplant in Queens), Dumbfoundead took the stage. With his wit, energy, and flow, and with the support of DJ Zo, he killed it. Not just by verse, though. Probably the only performer that day to succumb to the wet, he took a dive and fell, which he played off not only on stage but via social media after. If there’s anyone that has no issues with self-deprecating humor, it’s Dumbfoundead. Well-loved popular tracks such as “Harambe,” “Hyung,” and “K.B.B” were just a taste of the songs he performed. Though she had been watching from the sidelines, Dumbfoundead coudn’t resist pulling his long time friend Awkwafina aka “Nora from Queens” on stage. There to say a few words in support, the crowd was thrilled to have the Queens native present.

Next, in his iconic hoodie that he keeps scrunched up ala Kenny style, Hojean has become another artist that has become synonymous with HITC. Not without reason, though. With his clear voice, the R&B Korean-American singer with roots in New York not only has a great roster of songs under his belt such as “You Ain’t Gotta” and “Hold Me,” which were performed as the rain fell, but his witty character (sometimes seen more online) has become a favorite at the festival.

I was a ISOXO newbie before his announcement on the HITC roster only to wonder how I have missed him from my life. The crowd was clamoring for him, and witnessing his unreal energy, I realized that nobody was immune from his charisma. The moment that “Nightrealm” went, the floor became a club, and whether celebrating that the rain had passed or just injected with the sound and vibe, there was no choice but to move to the sound. ISOXO was pumping up the music on the board with his whole being. Changing up to a remix of FIFTY FIFTY’s song “Cupid,” the sea of people began headbanging to the K-Pop hit. Amidst the roster of songs during his set included “Beam” and “REDloop.” Jumping up and down, with adorable smiles and a crowd that was dying for this, the set was on and a definite unexpected highlight of the night.

The last performer on this stage also has ties to Queens: Raveena Aurora, generally known as Raveena. With a strong yet sensual presence, the violet rays and tones from her attire brought a lovely glow to the stage. Her breathy voice was a healing breath amidst the chaos of the day.