DAY ZERO<\/b><\/p>\n
Day Zero kicked off with a bang as the band <\/span>Keni Nije Mrtav<\/i><\/b> (Kenny is not dead) took the stage, reminding us that indie rock is still alive and well. Dressed in military jackets, they took us back to the golden years of 2001 to 2012 when this genre ruled. But then, smartphones came along, diverting both attention and musical taste. Keni Nije Mrtav delivered a powerful performance, proving that a band can create a sonically impressive and musically potent live experience even with just three members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Next up was <\/span>Luke Black<\/i><\/b>, who delivered a surprisingly short set of just over 20 minutes. Luke draws his aesthetic from Nine Inch Nails and Placebo, blending darkness with androgyny, and his sound was even more intense and powerful live than on recordings. The evening continued on a Eurovision note with a brief but striking performance by <\/span>Teya Dora<\/i><\/b>, Serbia\u2019s representative in Malm\u00f6 earlier this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The star of the night was <\/span>Baby Lasagna<\/i><\/b>. Marko, the man behind the alter ego, has created Baby Lasagna as one of his many stage personas, much like how Bowie had Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, or Aladdin Sane. However, it\u2019s uncertain how much the “machine” will allow him to explore this persona now that he’s caught up in it. Recently, he\u2019s ventured into “lighter pop waters,” earning the nickname “Croatian Ken,” but during his performance, he tore the stage apart, rightfully earning the title of the night\u2019s star. He sounded much more “Rammstein-like” than on his recordings. The night was wrapped up by <\/span>Iniko<\/i><\/b>, a rising star of New York soul-pop, who delivered an outstanding set with a modern sound, paving the way for one of the world\u2019s best party starters, <\/span>Burak Yeter<\/i><\/b>. Yeter had the crowd in a dancing frenzy with his short forms over nearly two hours, during which he was briefly joined by Kazakh sensation <\/span>Dimash Qudaibergen<\/i><\/b>, who stunned everyone with his incredible vocal range. The night was closed out by Australian hitmaker <\/span>Whyte Fang<\/i><\/b>, previously known to music listeners as <\/span>Alison Wonderland<\/i><\/b>. All in all, Day Zero was the pop celebration we anticipated, accompanied by an unreal heatwave that would continue for all five days of the festival.<\/span><\/p>\n