# Day for Night (festival)

Day for Night was an art and music festival in Houston, Texas that "explores the deep connections between light, technology, sound and space". Producer Omar Afra co-conceived the idea of a festival experience that would reintroduce visual art back into the musical experience on a large scale when Kiffer Keegan pitched the idea of including new media installations during preparations for Free Press Summer Festival 2014.

## Conception

Omar Afra and Work-Order partners Kiffer Keegan and Keira Alexandra conceptualized the idea for the unique event while working together on Free Press Summer Fest 2014. Their ideas for incorporating visual art with music didn't fit into the model of their already-existing annual music festival, Free Press Summer Fest. Borrowing from their past experience, they began work on Day for Night in the summer of 2015 and chose Alex Czetwertynski to be the [Visual Arts] Curator.

## Production

Day for Night showcased musicians and visual artists. The production layout varied each year depending on the venue. On average, there were 3-4 stages with musicians performing in tandem, and visual art displays throughout the venue. The lineup for musicians featured artists with a heavy emphasis on stage presence and performance regardless of notoriety or genre.

## 2015

The festival took place in the six block area surrounding Silver Street Studios on December 19 through December 20, 2015. The event featured three stages for musical acts; the red stage featured the big-name acts, the green stage was for electronic or atmospheric acts, and the blue stage for the local or obscure acts. The art installations were set up in between the stages and throughout the venue. [Consequence of Sound]

### Music lineup

| Kendrick Lamar | New Order | Philip Glass Ensemble | Dillon Francis | Janelle Monáe | Flying Lotus |
| Elliphant | Battles (band) | Madeon | CocoRosie | Psychic TV | Death Grips | Jerk |
| Bart Black | Prismo | Nicolas Jaar | Dan Deacon | Mystikal | Com Truise |
| Cazwell | Amanda Lepore | Holly Herndon | Julien Bayle | Indian Jewelry | DJ FREDSTER |
| U.S. Girls | Jonte' Moaning | Prince Rama | Deru | Matt Thibideau | Roman GianArthur |
| Richard Ramirez | Christine Renee | Future Blondes | BOAN | Millennial Grave | Wrestlers |
| Children of Pop | B L A C K I E | Hearts of Animals | Josiah Gabriel | FLCON FCKER | Light Wheel | The Vanity |

### Digital artists

| Casey Reas | Zach Lieberman | Refik Anadol | Markus Heckmann | Kamil Nawratil | Gabriel Pulecio |
| Vincent Howze w/AV&C | MASOMENOS | Mark Eats | Nototak Studio | Alex Czetwertynski | Night Moves |
| Work-Order | NEIL EBBFLO | |

## 2016

The festival took place at the Barbara Jordan Post office in downtown Houston on December 18–19.

### Music lineup

| Aphex Twin | ODESZA | Travis Scott | Kaskade | Bjork | Run The Jewels |
| RZA | Stone Mecca Rider | Nick Murphy (Chet Faker) | Butthole Surfers | Blood Orange | Little Dragon | Banks |
| The Jesus and Mary Chain | Squarepusher | Blonde Redhead | Thundercat | Kamasi Washington | Unknown Mortal Orchestra |
| John Carpenter | Washed Out | Ariel Pink | Lightning Bolt | Arca | Dj Windows 98 |
| Oneohtrix Point Never | Liars | Lower Dens | S U R V I V E | Matmos | Clams Casino |
| Mykki Blanco | Marcel Khalife | Chelsea Wolfe | Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats | Welcome to Houston | SG Lewis |
| SOPHIE | Tobacco | Nothing | Soulection | Mary Lattimore and Jeff Zeigler | Fat Tony |
| Jock Club | Wild Moccasins | Buoyant Spirit | Vacation Eyes | Limb | Hevin |
| -Us. | Jerk | MNYNMS | Maramuresh | Pfaff | Splendid Emblem | Tycho |
| Kult Dizney | DIVISION | Night Drive | Josh Dupont | From Beyond | Futurelix | Daed |
| Light Wheel | Anklepants | Kam Franklin | Spit Mask | Daughters | Tee Vee | Herman Kolgen |

### Digital artists

| United Visual Artists (UVA) | Bjork Digital | Golan Levin | NONOTAK | Shoplifter | Tundra |
| Robert Seidel | Damien Echols | AV&C + Houzé | Michael Fullman | Ezra Miller | Jesse Kanda |
| Alex Czetwertynsk | Herman Kolgen |

## 2017

The festival took place at the Barbara Jordan Post office in downtown Houston on December 15–17.

### Music lineup

| Nine Inch Nails | Thom Yorke | Solange | Justice | St. Vincent | Tyler, The Creator |
| Kaytranada | Earl Sweatshirt | James Blake | Pretty Lights | Jamie XX | Phantogram |
| Saint Heron | Jenny Hval | Boots | Pussy Riot | The Jesus Lizard | Nina Kraviz |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor | REZZ | Laurie Anderson | Cashmere Cat | Cardi B | Perfume Genius |
| Sky Ferreira | En Vogue | Lil B | Of Montreal | Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois | Ryoji Ikeda |
| Princess Nokia | Kimbra | Mount Kimbie | Corbin | Shlohmo | The Album Leaf |
| DJ Tennis | Tim Hecker | Forest Swords | BabyFather | G Jones | Shabazz Palaces |
| Andy Stott | Jessy Lanza | Roni Size | Jlin | Priests | Bjarki |
| Demdike Stare | Saro | Rabit X House Of Kenzo | B L A C K I E | Marcus Marr | Hoodcelebrity |
| Faten Kanaan | True American (band) | Pearl Crush | Deep Cuts | Tyler Barber | N N O A |
| Santa Muerte | Kona FM | Narcons | Acid Jeep | Hescher | Tearz | XLX | Miguel Flaco | Collin Hedrick |

### Digital artists

| Ryoji Ikeda | Mathewe Schreiber | Conditional Studio + Processing Foundation | James Clar | Felicie D'Estienne D'Orves | Kyle Mcdonald + Jonas Jongejan |
| Ryoichi Kurokawa | Radio Soulwax | VT Pro | Hovver | The Mill (post-production) | Freeka Tet |
| Playmodes | Theodore Fivel + Freeka Tet | Ekene Ijeoma | Cocolab | Sam Cannon | Vincent Moon + Priscilla Telmon | Lina Dib |

## Controversy

After allegations of sexual misconduct with two women by festival founder Omar Afra emerged in August, 2018, the festival cut ties with Afra and foreclosed on the festival-owning entity, removing him from any involvement or ownership. An open records request from Houston Police Department summarized the incident by stating "No injuries, No evidence, No arrest." Afra denied the allegations and called them "patently false."
On November 26, 2018, an auction was held for Afra's ownership stake, due to an unfulfilled loan agreement. The ownership stake was sold to FPH Chicken Holdings, who were owed the debt. They intend to pursue additional legal action for the remaining $670,000 owed. FPH Chicken Holdings is now the sole owner of the entity that owns both Free Press Summer Fest and Day for Night. Afra additionally cut ties with Free Press Houston. The festival did not take place in 2018 and it is unclear if it will be held again.