COREY NOCCO (BROOKLYN, FESTISIA FOUNDER)
Who are you?
My name is Corey Nocco aka Chuck Energy on lot. I’m 35 years old and was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.
How are you involved in the music and festival space?
In 2018 I founded a creative agency called 11 Ounces and worked on everything from brand strategy to marketing campaigns with the likes of SoundCloud, RocNation, Superfly and Bose.
In 2021, I took my partnership with Superfly to the next level by joining their team internally as a founder of what would eventually become Festisia. Currently, I lead marketing strategy and creative direction for Festisia.
Can you share a story of a transformative festival moment(s)?
So, I have (3) specific moments that define my festival experience and all lead to where I am today.
Bonnaroo 2009 – My first festival and the one that would ultimately show me a new world unlike any other I had experienced prior. Bonnaroo got me out of my comfort zone which was primarily focused on Hip-Hop at the time, exploding my musical interests to include everything from EDM to Jambands. I became enamored with the expressive and positive energy that festivals embody, helping me understand their place in culture at large.
Phish, Charlotte 2010 – My first true phish show would give me deep context for the importance that community plays in the musical experience, ultimately allowing a band who existed predominantly in their own universe outside of pop culture to flourish for over 3 decades. From this point, I would dive much deeper into participation, forming my own live music focused community while also participating in larger communities focused on specific artists and festivals. Live music became my preferred hobby and the people I would see music with became family.
Burning Man 2022 – The collision course of building a festival collective with Superfly and attending my first Burn was absolutely profound. On the one hand you’re trying to create something new that roots the dynamics of a new community organization in expression, positivity, collaboration and exploration. On the other hand, you’re seeing what’s possible when all of these things come together at the highest level – I’ve never been in awe of an experience like I was and still am of Burning Man.
As a marketer and creative, one of the things I’ve struggled with is the balance between the creative process and financial gain. To see so many incredibly talented people work together to create art for the love of the game and their community, in a time like today where everything seemingly has a commercial spin was just breathtaking. It prompted me to create more freely in my daily life and reinstalled my desire to never stop exploring.
Beyond the creative process, I think Burning Man has been a huge catalyst for re-defining my own personal code and how I aspire to live life. Being exposed to a value system like BM’s that’s incredibly intuitive and human but often lost in the fast-paced craze of modern culture was profound. The notion that we all come to this ceremonial gathering trying new things, testing ideas and a willingness to b vulnerable in search of answers that we can now play out in the default/real-world, made me re-think the festival experience and it’s true purpose, categorizing it to be much more therapeutic and less just a big party.
What is your favorite festival and why?
Burning Man by far. It’s much more than simply a music festival though, embodying a full human and cultural experience.
Burning Man is the only festival I feel compelled to never miss annually as it has so much to offer. Currently, I’m focused on upping my international festival intake to make a more conclusive distinction on my favorites beyond the Burn.
Share your top 3 tips and insights on approaching a festival.
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Get out of your comfort zone – I cannot stress this enough as it’s become on of my central focuses in attending festivals, change it up. Go to different festivals, prioritize seeing new music, attend with new people and don’t overthink shit. Festivals are hyperbolic, ephemeral cultural gatherings and to maximize their output I fully believe you need to stop asking so many questions, lead with your gut and just dive the fuck in.
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Connect with others – The ability to meet new, like minded people is one of the core attractions of the festival experience for me and the gift that keeps on giving. In my opinion, you can see the best sets of all time but if you didn’t pick up a few new friends/connections along the way, the experience is incomplete.
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Create relics and bring some home – Festivals can be very therapeutic and growth inducing. I try to enter the festival experience with something to offer it. This can be a physical creation of some kind or even an idea I want to discuss with others to start a conversation and gain perspective. In turn, I always try to take something home that I can now bring into my daily life.