Photos by Dylan Simmons
Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is an annual Los Angeles music festival from the mind of Tyler, the Creator. Founded back in 2012, the festival has expanded over the years in both the size of its lineup as well as its attendance, with musical creativity and self-expression always at its core. This year, the festival has taken over Dodger Stadium, boasting over 40 artists and over 40,000 attendees. UCLA Radio has been fortunate enough to attend the 2023 and ‘24 editions of the festival as members of the press, and we were beyond excited to continue this tradition into 2025!
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Day 1: Saturday, 11/22
Geese by Dylan Simmons
We descended into the Dodger Stadium parking lot as Geese’s blaring guitar chords reverberated through the asphalt, the cotton candy-pink clouds of a 4 p.m. sunset as their backdrop. Geese is a Brooklyn-based band of early 20-somethings who first came together in high school: Cameron Winter (vocals, keys, guitar), Emily Green (guitar), Dominic DiGesu (bass), and Max Bassin (drums). Their 2025 record, Getting Killed, is a critically acclaimed, existential exploration of life, death, spirituality, and love. With lyricism exuding a sense of wisdom beyond their years, this record struck a chord with audiences and has accelerated the band’s rise into indie stardom. This success was also propelled by Winter’s rising solo career. The unique, mature voice of Geese’s frontman is a defining aspect of the band’s sound; hearing him live for the first time, he evoked a sense of nostalgia for early 2010s indie rock while also possessing an angsty melancholy akin to Thom Yorke’s vocals for Radiohead. I was pleased to find that Getting Killed made up the majority of their setlist. The band’s harmonic instrumentals and wistful guitar melodies on songs like “Taxes” stirred a complacent swaying and singing along from the crowd, while tracks like “Trinidad” — featuring Winter shrieking into the mic (“There’s a bomb in my car!”) — were surprisingly moshable. Though markedly different from most of Camp Flog Gnaw’s lineup, Geese was indiscriminately beloved by the audience and clearly echoed the festival’s innovative musical spirit. Despite being a relatively new fan, Geese’s set was definitely one of my highlights from the weekend.
Kali Uchis by Ava Bozic
Opening with “Sugar! Honey! Love!” Kali Uchis reigned over the main stage, immediately filling the atmosphere with her signature breathy, dream-pop vocals. She lulled the audience into her trance through angelic choreography accompanied by a set of silky bedding and soft feathers. Uchis’s distinctive persona is produced by the contrast between her dreamy sound alongside fierce lyricism and an unshakable confidence, embodied in her poise and self-love. Uchis’s Colombian heritage is also a defining component of her discography, which features projects in both English and Spanish. She has amassed a large Latin fanbase by embracing this identity and confronting the political implications it entails. Between “Angels All Around Me…” and “Muñekita,” a song inspired by bachata and reggaeton, Uchis’s visuals transitioned from her typical divine and dreamy imagery and plunged into reality, displaying the faces of many other Latin Americans alongside footage from her childhood. Uchis’s voiceover is strong and personal, as she declared, “Immigrants built this country and make it what it is today. Without immigrants, there is no America.” She then began to play songs from her fourth album, ORQUÍDEAS, including “Dame Beso // Muévete,” where she showcased her bachata dance moves. Finally, Uchis ended the show on an admirable note, stating, “ICE is terrorizing our community, and needs to be sentenced for their violations against human rights. I love you guys very much.”
For resources supporting LA immigrants, check out Immigrants Are LA.
Tyler, the Creator by Ava Bozic
Finally, it was time for the man of the hour: Tyler, the Creator. Having seen Tyler in concert once before and having consumed a plethora of online content from his performances, I knew we were in for an immersive and perfectly polished experience. Tyler’s attentiveness to detail and theatrical nature began with a perfectly timed Marty Supreme blimp flying over the main stage, highlighting the upcoming film that stars Tyler himself.
Tyler is a true renaissance man, excelling across various creative industries from his streetwear brand, Golf Wang, to luxury fashion and fragrances by Golf le Fleur, to his filmography, to, most famously, his music. Tyler’s detail-oriented nature comes to fruition at Camp Flog Gnaw, an amalgamation of all his creative endeavors and inspirations in its eleventh year. Seeing the world he has created was nothing short of inspiring, and made for a highly anticipated performance following his latest album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS, released this July. The record emphasizes putting aside your ego and baggage and instead embracing the joy of dance — a sentiment the crowd was eager to embody.
When his hour began, our rules were delivered via the electronic voice heard at the start of “Big Poe”:
“Welcome / Number one, body movement / No sitting still /
Number two / Only speak in glory / Leave your baggage at home /
Number three / Don’t tap the glass”
Simultaneously, visuals flashed onstage, filming Tyler in Los Angeles subway stations, establishing his love for LA — a consistent theme throughout the set. The buzz of excitement in the crowd grew into screaming cheers as Tyler approached the stage and the music began. Immediately, Tyler established why it’s his name that is tied to the festival. In a glorious tailored red leather outfit, he exuded a confidence and dominance that reverberated through the whole of Dodger Stadium. He then played crowd favorite “Sugar on My Tongue,” jumping on top of a subway car decorated with graffiti-styled momentos: lyrics, album names, and phrases spanning his career, representing all of his eras and his precise attention to detail — qualities Camp Flog Gnaw has come to embody.
Further exemplifying his detail-oriented, polished nature, Tyler’s production design and choreography were perfectly curated to bring his songs to life. My favorite instance of this was when Tyler’s love interest coyly strutted around the stage, bothered by Tyler as he desperately sang “Ring Ring Ring” to her. His set design depicting the Hawthorne subway station added to this theatricality, creating a cinematic scene during “Tomorrow,” when Tyler hung off the edge of the train car with fans blowing wind to create the illusion of a moving train.
The soul he poured into his performance is echoed in his appreciation for fans. He thanked everyone for coming out, as the original weekend had been rained out and required a lot of coordination to reschedule. He mentioned that he’s had a very busy year, but owes all he has to his fans, culminating in the love letter that Camp Flog Gnaw is to his supporters. He closed the show with a more sentimental track: my personal favorite, “I’ll Take Care of You,” which felt like a direct message to fans. The crowd was singing the lyrics to Tyler as he was singing them back, ending his set with a mutual sense of love and community.
Childish Gambino by Dylan Simmons
Renaissance man Donald Glover’s musical persona, Childish Gambino, was far and away my most anticipated act of the festival. The mere fact that he was day one’s headliner — closing out the night after Tyler, the Creator himself — demonstrated a strong reverence from Tyler and spoke to Glover’s immense influence. I’d never seen him in concert before; Childish Gambino’s 2024 tour was abruptly cut short before his LA appearances. Despite this, I’ve been a long-time fan: I started listening to Childish Gambino back in middle school and fully explored his discography throughout high school, making him consistently one of my top artists each year. His non-musical pursuits are equally iconic; he stars in two of my favorite TV shows, Community and Atlanta, the latter of which was also created and produced by Glover. With my long-held and borderline parasocial admiration for Glover as an artist, I was over the moon at the chance to finally witness his talents in person, and I’m happy to report that he did not disappoint.
Despite only having a short hour to perform, Glover was sure to make the most of it with the ultimate crowd-pleasing setlist, jam-packed with deep cuts and fan favorites alike. Suddenly, the songs I had spent hours driving to and singing along with my friends in high school came to life as we sang and danced the night away. Featuring hits spanning his entire discography, the setlist included some personal favorites like “Les,” “Bonfire,” and “Heartbeat.” He also featured several tracks off Because the Internet — one of my all-time favorite albums — as well as his more recent LPs, Atavista and Bando Stone and The New World. To further cater to his doting fans, Glover prompted us to choose between “So Fly” and “Do Ya Like” for the next song; the crowd unequivocally cheered for “Do Ya Like,” an iconic remix of “Resonance” by Home that has amassed significant popularity despite being unreleased.
The most notable moment from the show was an intimate monologue in which Glover revealed, for the first time, the true reason for his tour’s sudden cancellation last year. He explained how he’d checked into a hospital mid-tour, discovering he’d suffered a stroke and had a hole in his heart. This health scare rightfully put a pause on his live shows, not only to shield himself from the strenuous nature of touring, but to prioritize his role as a husband and father over that of a performer. Glover did not elaborate on his plans to continue touring (he previously announced that his career as Childish Gambino would be concluded with his 2024 record), and he left us with this (paraphrased) message: we only have two lives, and the second one starts as soon as you realize you only have one.
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Day 2: Saturday, 11/23
MIKE by Ava Bozic
We eagerly started day two with MIKE, whose booming stage presence and fervent flow lit up the crowd. Opening with “Hunger” from his 2017 album MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HUSTLE, he effortlessly commanded the stage. What I love most about a MIKE show is the way he performs with such raw intimacy, captivating the audience as he pours out his soul. He gives true meaning to the phenomenon of “spitting,” holding the mic as if it’s just the two of them– as if MIKE and the mic are one and the same (wink wink). Despite his hypnotizing love affair with the microphone, he made time to interact with and energize his audience. He best invigorated the crowd by hilariously asking them to do a very complex dance move: one hand in the air, with a single finger bouncing to the beat. Soon, a sea of bobbing pointer fingers filled the air. Beyond audience interaction, MIKE always makes sure to spread love to his fellow musicians, bringing out Sideshow for “I Am Da Captain” and El Cousteau for “YeaYeaYea.” He asked everyone to make hearts with their hands for his closing song, “Power,” by his producer alias: dj blackpower. MIKE expressed immense gratitude and love for the fans as well as to Camp Flog Gnaw for having him, and his joy radiated through the festival, starting our day on a light-hearted and optimistic note.
Blood Orange by Dylan Simmons
Blood Orange is English singer-songwriter and producer Dev Hynes, who — accompanied by a four-piece band — took over Flog Gnaw’s main stage just after sunset. The set began with Hynes alone onstage, first opening with piano before wordlessly transitioning into an upright bass solo center stage (“Thinking Clean”). The rest of his band began to trickle in as they launched into “Sutphin Boulevard,” a fan favorite. The crowd cheered and quickly started dancing along to Hynes’s iconic plucky guitar solos. Despite his bandmates’ immense instrumental and vocal talents, it was immediately clear that Hynes was running the show, his creative authority leading the band through the setlist. He hopped across the stage, cycling between lead vocals, piano, synth, electric guitar, and bass in an impressive display of his instrumental prowess. Hynes clearly served as the sonic throughline of this project, with his talented band as the foundation. His extensive releases and prolific collaborations draw on a range of genres, from instrumental-forward compositions to dance-inducing electronic beats with catchy basslines. Tonight’s setlist explored the variety within his discography, featuring tracks from his latest album, Essex Honey, alongside iconic older hits like “Charcoal Baby” and “Champagne Coast.” The band’s talented performance and Hynes’s catchy electronica beats culminated in an impressive set that had the whole crowd dancing by the end.
Thundercat by Ava Bozic
An ear-catching drum solo by Thundercat’s drummer, Justin Brown, wearing a notably cool disco ball helmet, promptly shifted the crowd’s attention to the stage. “Children of the Baked Potato” marked the beginning of the eclectic and intense show that Stephen Bruner — under the moniker Thundercat — so effortlessly provides. At the risk of sounding a bit nonsensical, staring into Thundercat’s massive six-string Ibanez bass guitar, backed by the glowing eyes of the giant blow-up cat behind him, felt as though I, myself, was inside of Mario Kart, in and out of consciousness — because I’m very bad at the game — and continuously veering off course. However, the music keeps me invested and hopeful that I will score better than last place. The blow-up cat is not solely for Camp Flog Gnaw; it is a recurring character and an integral part of Thundercat’s persona, an amalgamation of nostalgic animation with experimental jazz-funk. The stage is “Cats Lair,” a reference to the 1980s animated series ThunderCats, and one of many symbols of his love for cartoons and anime. “I Love Louis Cole” was like a psychedelic trip in the SpongeBob universe, capturing the nostalgic yet sophisticated sound of Thundercat’s jazzy, funky, R&B discography. The sounds captured my focus, as I felt waves of nostalgia as if I were personally connected to the performance. Although primarily instrumental, Thundercat’s performance made sure to showcase his incredible vocals and harmonies. His sound demands the listener to discover new genres and listen with an open heart, embodying the soul of Camp Flog Gnaw.
Doechii by Dylan Simmons
Doechii easily delivered my favorite set from day two. Her thematic set design, emcee support from the iconic DJ Miss Milan, and a team of talented dancers resulted in a production rivaling that of Tyler, the Creator himself. Her set featured all the fan favorites from 2024’s critically acclaimed Alligator Bites Never Heal, elevated further by exclusive live remixes that featured crowd hits like “America Has a Problem” (Beyoncé) and “360” (Charli XCX). To demonstrate her genre-bending prowess, Doechii also performed her “Alter Ego” remix while voguing alongside a posse of Black, queer Ballroom dancers. This provided a surprisingly empowering moment celebrating Doechii’s bisexual identity, and a personal highlight from her set. Another fun track from her perfectly curated setlist was “Nosebleeds,” which Doechii dropped the day after the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, justifiably flaunting her Best Rap Album win.
The theme seamlessly tying her set together was a schoolroom-inspired environment, complete with backup dancers rolling desks around onstage while dressed in matching uniforms. The academic motifs symbolized Doechii’s “lesson in flow,” best encapsulated by her song “CATFISH”:
“I showed the b*tch my pen, then I schooled her”
“I‘m the hardest rapper / This yo’ motherf*cking training day”
Doechii’s cocky persona comes off to me as more inspiring than gloating, especially in light of the male-dominated genre she’s situated within. Considering Doechii is only one of three women to have won a GRAMMY for Best Rap Album, she has every right to take pride in the history she’s made. Despite not being traditionally pop artists, both Doechii as well as Kali Uchis provided headliner-worthy theatrics and pop star-level choreo, stamina, and visuals, perhaps serving as important examples of how female rap and R&B artists must overperform to be seen as worthy of praise and renown. Nevertheless, Doechii’s captivating ability to dominate both the stage and the crowd provided lessons worth learning for performers of all backgrounds.
A$AP Rocky by Ava Bozic
Queue the propellers. A$AP Rocky’s entrance was nothing short of a spectacle: the screens showcasing a live news feed of the audience from an above helicopter, and his voice reigning from the skies. As soon as we heard him say “Yoooo,” the crowd instantly rushed forward, anxiously anticipating his first song. A simple “A$AAAPPP,” and he had the crowd hyped. He opened with an unreleased track, rumored to be titled “All Black (Stole Ya Flow),” as he hung off a helicopter suspended midair on stage and rapped through a megaphone — this was our first glimpse at Rocky’s aesthetic vision for the show. Visually, Rocky is always on top of his game, consistently sporting inventive outfits that fashion lovers like me love to see and proving that menswear is far from boring. He wore rollers in his hair and his signature black Ray-Ban sunglasses, a nod to his role as creative director of the company.
Rocky’s artistic vision was realized through the mosh pits reflected on stage with a group of men dressed in white T-shirts and head coverings, holding upside-down American flags, a recurrent symbol in Rocky’s visual expression. This ensemble of dancers first assembled during “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n),” backed by visuals saying “DON’T BE DUMB,” a phrase he continued to reiterate throughout the night. The interpretation of those symbols is ambiguous, but to me they seemed to reflect the use of hip-hop as a form of resistance to racism and oppression in the United States. The “DBD” motif might also be the name of his next album, paired with other hints such as his hoodie sleeve saying “01162026,” which might suggest a release date of January 16, 2026.
A highlight of the show, which I had been hoping for all weekend, was the joint performance of “Who Dat Boy” and “Potato Salad” by both A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator — a beloved friendship we were lucky to witness. Upon the first note from “Who Dat Boy,” a song off Tyler’s 2017 album Flower Boy, the crowd instantly exploded with enthusiasm, an energy that was matched by the duo on stage. That enthusiasm was sustained in a funny moment of Tyler forgetting the lyrics and yelling “I don’t know the lyrics but b*tch we gon’ turn up!” progressively louder and louder until the chorus dropped again. The love they have for each other emanated from the stage and from their boyish interactions. Tyler’s guest appearance was the cherry on top of an already incredible weekend.
To close out the evening, Rocky played some fan favorites back-to-back — “L$D” and “Sundress” — which felt nostalgic and hypnotizing as ever. To close out the night and the festival, he played “Fashion Killa” and “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 (LPFJ2),” two of his most iconic songs. For the last track, the masked performers returned to the stage, making sure to end the night with just as much, if not more energy, than it started with.
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All in all, the weekend felt like it was dedicated to all the joys of living in LA. It was filled with memorable performances, local food, beautiful sunsets, and carnival rides — all within an iconic LA landmark, Dodger Stadium. The festival reflected the diversity of Los Angeles and the plethora of artists and creatives that are drawn to this city. Each day brought its unique set of excited fans dressed to the nines, all raving about coming back day two or returning next year, uniting a community of music lovers and dedicated Tyler fans. Thank you to Camp Flog Gnaw for supporting college radio and inviting us out for three consecutive years! We hope we’ll “See You Again”; if not, it’ll be kind of… “Awkward.” Okay, that’s enough! Mwah!
