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, many local and underground artists performed at various 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 a lack of volunteers to organize the event each year.  This year will be the last time Columbia residents can experience the festival. The performances brought out local Columbians eager to watch artists like J2M, Tri-County Liquidators and Rome Streetz. 

The Maneater reports on the concerts part of the Columbia Experimental Music Festival that took place throughout the week, speaking with concert-goers and performers. 

On Nov. 3, night two of the Columbia Experimental Music Fest commenced, with local band J2M, or Joe2Morrow, showcasing their music at Cafe Berlin in downtown Columbia. 

J2M’s musical style could be described as an alternative R&B. They incorporate vocals, guitar and drums in their music, however they experiment with how they play their instruments to create new upbeat and catchy songs. 

Although J2M is still relatively new to Columbia, guitarist and vocalist Joey Ferber and drummer Zach Morrow have a long history of performing together. 

Ferber and Morrow are originally from St. Louis, however, as they both developed as musicians, they pursued individual music careers apart.

Ferber and Morrow recently formed J2M after reconnecting at a recent  True/False Festival in Columbia. As time passed, they stayed connected and performed together on certain occasions. While continuing to grow and perform together, people wanted to hear more of their music. 

“I was mixing the sound for a show they (Ferber and Morrow) did at Hitt Records and I thought it was just incredible,” John Crisp, friend and producer, said.  “So, I asked them what they were doing and they said it was just a fluke that they got together.” 

Ferber and Morrow’s connection provided them with opportunities to collaborate and create more of their own music. While J2M has not released any music so far, they plan on releasing a couple songs within the years to come. Although J2M have performed at other locations such as Hitt Records and The Dark Room, according to the band, they took this festival as an opportunity to try new things and make it their own.  

“We’re always improvising, but at the same time we are considering the structure of a set,” Ferber said. “Just the nature of it being an Experimental Music Fest, we felt the freedom to really try some new things and to see what happens.”

Performing at the Experimental Music Fest allowed J2M to not only showcase their own talents, but provided an audience that was willing to appreciate their music and talent.

“I feel like anybody who plays there is getting an audience of people who actually want to listen,” Crisp said. “So I think you know anybody who plays here plays for the right audience.” 

 During their performance J2M  performed all original pieces that had a unique and alternative side to them. While performing, Ferber and Morrow experimented with different melodies and sounds with their instruments. Some of their songs included lyrics, however some were just showcased as instrumentals. The audience seemed to love how J2M performed and gave positive feedback all throughout their show. The band received applause many times during their performance, and throughout the show, fans especially enjoyed the upbeat drum solos by Morrow and the intricate guitar serenades performed by Ferber.  

According to the band, J2M is looking forward to future performance opportunities together and growth as musicians. As they continue to expand their platform, as a band and as individuals, they have a desire to continue learning from each other and others around them. 

“Even though we normally do different styles of music, music is a universal language so the more exposure we get to different things, that allows us to become better musicians,” Morrow said. 

Edited by Annie Goldman | agoldman@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com