This morning Day For Night took another long stride towards establishing itself as Houston’s signature cutting-edge creative festival, revealing a music lineup topped by Nine Inch Nails, a solo performance by Radiohead front man Thom Yorke, Dallas-raised art-pop provocateur St. Vincent, and Houston’s own Solange Knowles. Sold as a separate ticket (save the VIP package), the opening day of the three-day event will be reserved for the “Day For Night Summit,” a discussion of the relationships between art, technology and activism featuring Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. Army Private First Class turned LGBTQ-rights advocate who was recently denied a Harvard teaching position; UCLA professor Lauren McCarthy, designer of “rent-a-stalker” app Follower; pioneering multimedia artist Laurie Anderson; and Nadya Tolokonnikova, lead singer for controversial Russian punk band Pussy Riot.
Friday evening will conclude with "Soul Cleansing," described as a "musical meditation" featuring the Solange-fronted Saint Heron ensemble; as well as sets from Odd Future MC Earl Sweatshirt and Haitian-born DJ/producer Kaytranada. The third-year festival is scheduled for December 15-17 at the former Barbara Jordan post-office branch, now an events space known as Post HTX.
Other musical performers scheduled to appear include Earl Sweatshirt's fellow Odd Future MC, the volatile Tyler, the Creator; French electronica duo Justice; electro-R&B auteur James Blake; celebrated remixer and producer Jaime xx; atmospheric indie duo Phantogram; EDM acts Pretty Lights and Cashmere Cat; dirty-pop singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira; Baton Rouge rapper Lil B; ‘90s scuzz-rockers the Jesus Lizard; and “Free Your Mind” throwback R&B divas En Vogue.
As curated by New York-based digital artist Alex Czetwertynski, Day For Night’s lineup of digital and multimedia artists features site-specific works by Ryoji Ikeda, known for his “stage shows”at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art; Matthew Schreiber, former assistant of Houston-based light sculptor James Turrell; and Paris-based amorphic sculptor Theodore Fivel. Other artists include Conditional Studio + Processing Foundation, James Clar, Felicie D'Estienne D'Orves, Kyle McDonald, Ryoichi Kurokawa, Radio Soulwax, VT Pro, The Mill, Hovver, and Playmodes.
Tickets are now on sale at dayfornight.io. Current prices (minus fees) are $215, 2-day General Admission plus a nifty 3-D magnet; $205, 2-day General Admission (no magnet); $305, General Admission plus Friday Summit (and magnet); $295, General Admission plus Friday Summit (no magnet); $760, 3-day VIP (plus magnet); and $750, 3-day VIP (no magnet).
The remaining musical performers are listed below.
REZZ
Nina Kraviz
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (called it)
Cardi B
Perfume Genius
Gas
Of Montreal (performing Hissing Fauna You Are The Destroyer)
Venetian Snares X Daniel Lanois
Princess Nokia
Kimbra
Mount Kimbie
Corbin
Shlohmo
The Album Leaf
G Jones
Forest Swords
Babyfather
DJ Tennis
Tim Hecker
Shabazz Palaces
Andy Stott
Jessy Lanza
Jlin
Priests
Bjarki
Roni Size
Demdike Stare
Saro
Rabit x House of Kenzo
B L A C K I E
Marcus Marr
Hoodcelebrityy
Faten Kanaan
True American
Pearl Crush
Deep Cuts
Tyler Barber
N N O A
Santa Muerte
Kona Fm
Anitra, Narcons
Acid Jeep
XLX
Miguel Flaco
Collin Hedrick
Saul Williams
BOOTS
Jenny Hval
Note: this article has been changed after publication to correct the military rank of Chelsea Manning.