The Columbia Experimental Festival took place Nov. 2 through Nov. 5 and was organized by Dismal Niche Arts, a non-profit organization and record label dedicated to “offering local residents rare opportunities to experience world class presentations of innovative and non-conventional music, art and performances.” 

Throughout the festival, local and underground artists performed at small businesses and venues in downtown Columbia, showcasing a diverse range of genres. Each day of the festival consisted of two to four performances. 

This year was the eighth annual festival, but as of right now, Dismal Niche Arts does not plan to hold the festival again next year due to not having enough volunteers to organize the event, making this year the last time Columbia residents can experience these performances. The performances brought out local Columbians eager to watch artists like J2M, Tri-County Liquidators, and Rome Streetz. 

With the venue dark and smokey, a crowd filled Rose Music Hall to hear alternative jazz as part of Columbia’s Experimental Music Fest on the evening of Friday, Nov. 3. As Montgomery & Turner began their set opening for SUMAC, it was clear that a 19-year-old girl was not part of their target audience.

Going to the Experimental Music Festival, I thought I had an idea of what I would be listening to — music that isn’t mainstream and possibly has a very niche audience — but I wasn’t expecting to be left feeling uncomfortable and almost in pain from the ongoing sound that radiated from the stage.

This was my third time watching a show at Rose Music Hall, and I’ve held the opinion since September that the loud boom coming from both sides of the stage ruins the set. The noise is something I’ve been able to get past, however not in this performance. 

The speakers muffle the sound of the instruments and make it hard to hear the music. The annoying sound from the speakers drowned out any noise coming from Montgomery & Turner, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to seeing their take on jazz music, a genre I grew up listening to and loving. 

The odd mix of a soundboard, guitar and saxophone, along with the loudspeakers, made for an unenjoyable listening experience. Moreover, the blend of sounds made a kind of buzzing noise that made you feel like a dog listening to a whistle.

For the majority of the performance, my friend and I were trying to focus on the sounds coming from saxophone player JayVe Montgomery and guitar and soundboard player Nick Turner. Sadly, throughout the 15-minute performance, we stood in the audience, struggling to hear the music.

I kept my hopes up as the set continued throughout the night. Yet, minute after minute, my head began to ache from the bass speakers, and I grew annoyed at either the tall audience members standing in front of me or the girls pushing past. With nowhere to go in the crowd to get a better view of the performers, all I wanted to do was sit in a silent room and not be bothered by anyone.

Feeling like my time and energy had been wasted at the performance, I began to look at the other audience members to the left and right of me, searching their faces to see how they were reacting to the ongoing sound. Surprisingly, they seemed to be enjoying it, leaving me feeling disconnected from the group. 

The audience seemed to be in a trance with this strange noise coming from Montgomery & Turner. While I tried to understand how an audience could find peace within this kind of music, I concluded that Montgomery & Turner has a specific audience they are trying to reach, and I am not a part of it.

Deciding to leave early, my friend and I passed by a man sitting outside smoking a cigarette. “So this is basically just one continuous noise?” he asked. Sadly, it was. 

Edited by Annie Goldman | agoldman@themaneater.comCopy edited by Natalie Kientzy and Grace Knight | gknight@themaneater.com