Dioneesus is the alter-ego of the Pittsburgh-based artist, Dennis McGrath. And it also has a resemblance to “Dionysos” the name of the Greek god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, revel, and festivity, which is somehow relevant to the latest track, “The Festival” which feels like bringing the rituals of the ancient Greeks and their notion about rave it upright to our very moment.
There are some songs that you start to expect what’s coming next just from the intro. Dioneesus is an artist who says to hell with that! You can’t ever expect his next move, and you can’t even set expectations for what he’s capable of, and his single, “The Festival,” proves my words.
Once you hit the play button, you’ll be open-mouthed. It was like the opening of the coronation scene in the Lion King. The single opens with a tribal singing vibe that instantly elevates your mood and sets it for a one-of-a-kind celebration.
The rest of “The Festival” goes in two opposite directions, and only Dioneesus knew how to create a meeting point for them. On one side, it’s a Hip-Hop track with a flowing rapping delivery, and on the other, there’s a Led Zeppelin-inspired electric guitar riff, both joined by funky drumming that gets you bouncing in between.
Being inspired by Led Zeppelin gave me the urge to take a look at the rest of Dioneesus’s music, only to find a cover of “Stairway to Heaven” and such a poignant performance. That’s when it hit me that this man isn’t a rapper; he’s a multi-talented musician who has the capacity to be any kind of performer and craft his own distinct music through shuffling genres he admires.
“The Festival” is vivid storytelling of varied cultures and genres that all gathered to bring you joy, even for some moments, and urge you to party in the festival Dioneesus threw perfectly for you.