toro y moi y afropunk

I’d like to begin this by apologizing to my coworkers for telling them that if I see them at the Toro set I do not know them.

Toro Y Moi’s set at AFROPUNK Brooklyn took place around 3 p.m. on Sunday, the second day of the festival. Now, normally there are — and I can’t stress this enough — very few moments of peace when working a festival. It is difficult to find time to enjoy the acts during the day and damn near impossible to enjoy with other staff members. I found myself surrounded by seven whole coworkers during Toro Y Moi’s performance. I credit his positive energy for our attraction to his set.

Aside from a few classics like “No Show” and “Girl Like You,” Toro stuck to his latest album, Outer Peace, the perfect album to dance to this past weekend. The introspective and fun album mirrors the vibrations of the festival. The powerful two days of the AFROPUNK are full of healing, questions, conversations, dances and overall fun. The weekend is a step into the present and an encouraging glimpse into the future with made the classically futuristic Chaz, a natural ambassador for what AFROPUNK represents.

Because of Toro’s obvious freedom, (he had a ball on stage) the audience was able to let go too. I felt a collective sense of healing watching his set with other AFROPUNK’s, the perfect end to Summer in New York.  Artists like Toro create the space for people to dance with their eyes closed in public because they lead by example. How lucky are we?

Photo by Ryan Purcell