Toro y Moi to headline ‘Future Standard’ of San Diego music festivals

Indie musician Toro y Moi – who hasn’t performed in San Diego in more than five years – finally returns to the city on Oct. 12. The reason for his return? A chance to headline Future Standard: Music and Art Experience, a new festival that focuses on the alternative scene.

The all-ages event is put on by The Travelers Club, a San Diego organization that promotes local music and art. Future Standard initially began as an expansion of the group’s long-standing Warehouse Takeover, a DIY series showcasing area talent through pop-up installations, live performances and more.

These small-scale events started off in a modest 100-capacity venue, before moving to larger locations to accommodate 500, then 1,000 attendees. Future Standard – housed at SOMA with a 2,500 person capacity – will be its biggest undertaking yet.

Though large-scale music and art festivals have sprung up in San Diego recently, including KAABOO, CRSSD, and Wonderfront, The Travelers Club distances itself from these corporate giants.

Andy Coronado, lead director of The Travelers Club, said they kept the San Diego community in mind during the entire planning process. He thinks the festival’s carefully curated lineup, which mixes both national and local talent, will resonate with the city’s alternative scene.

Coronado admits it hasn’t been an easy road for the festival, which The Travelers Club and its partners have been attempting (and failing) to execute for the past two years. Yet after facing many obstacles, The Travelers Club has finally fit all of the pieces together to present a showcase they are truly proud of.

This showcase is headlined by Toro y Moi, aka indie darling Chaz Bear. Though Toro y Moi is often attributed as the “father of chillwave,” his work spans nearly 10 years and almost as many genres including synth-pop, psychedelic rock and alternative R&B.

It should be noted that Toro y Moi’s appearance might not be what fans are expecting, as a DJ set replaces his typical live performance. Coronado said it will provide intimacy between Chaz Bear and the audience, as well as show off Bear’s eclectic taste in song curation.

Along with Toro y Moi, Future Standard bills names like 143 Soundsystem, Soupersam, Elujay and TC DJ Team. The sound of the lineup ranges from indie pop to alternative R&B to hip-hop; the latter category brings the likes of Zack Fox, Allblack and YHG Pnut to the stage.

“As huge hip-hop heads, we’re long aware the tumultuous relationship local venues have had with the genre, which is why we felt it was important to not only book some of the greatest national acts currently buzzing, but also ones that we felt were necessary to see represented in our market,” Coronado said.

In addition to music, the event will have a beer garden, as well as an art exhibition hall highlighting the mixed-media work of nine local artists. The creative pieces all center on the theme “vulnerability” – perhaps a nod to The Travelers Club and the risk it undertakes with this new adventure.

Future Standard: Music & Art Experience

When: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12
Where: SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway District
Tickets: $25 to $45 online, or in person at ACD Gallery in North Park, 5&A Dime in East Village, and Re-run Streetwear store in National City