Category: Show Reviews
Austra: Feel It, Live
I didn’t tear up during Austra’s heart-wrenching “Home,” with Katie Stelmanis’ opera-trained vocals and strong repetitive keyboard transitioning into upbeat —but still terribly lonely— electro-pop. I wasn’t alone in my car this time; I was at a dive-bar and venue in East Atlanta called The Earl, staring at Stelmanis’ knee-length culottes and platform shoes, the neon blinking umbrella-lights, and the instruments amid the ever-glowing MacBooks…and I was dancing— I hate dancing.
My rhythm-less moves were irrelevant — Stelmanis herself dances like a football player stretching, shifting her weight between feet as she squats behind the keyboard. “So, I dance with nothing/ So, I dance for free,” Stelmanis sang, opening the set with “What We Done?,” a reminder that if music moves me, it’s my move to make. Perhaps it was this that let me lose myself; perhaps it had something to do with the comfort brought by her casual presence in the crowd during the opening band, DIANA.
If I hadn’t already noticed, DIANA’s frontwoman, Carmen Elle, still would have given away the band’s whereabouts. “Out of all the bands we’re touring with, Austra is our favorite,” Elle told the audience, pointing out the members and coiling back, admitting her ‘dad joke,’ as the two Toronto-based bands are the only ones on the tour. Elle’s conversational nature flowed throughout their set like their heavy bass, personifying the band’s dreamy chillwave not only with her ethereal airy vocals but also comments to the crowd. Slowly grooving in an oversized tee shirt and a baseball cap, while occasionally sipping from a mug rather than the usual bottled water or can of beer, Elle seemed a model for the tranquilized sleepy 80’s sound of DIANA. With only one eight-track album, Perpetual Surrender, the setlist was hardly a surprise, though the show allowed amplification and improvisation as everything got a few notches louder, faster, and more melodramatic. When DIANA closed with New House, which was cheesily dedicated to Atlanta, the audience seemed sadder to say goodbye than impatient to get on with the headlining act — a rarity as refreshing as the word “y’all” seemed to be for Elle.
This sentiment drastically reversed with the arrival of the fashionably late. Anxiety grew with cramping of the front row, and the many minutes spent waiting seemed longer as the members of Austra could be clearly seen past the corridor marked “EMPLOYEES ONLY.” Single-file, they stepped onstage — the female drummer, the swankily dressed bassist, the male keyboardist in shorty shorts and lipstick, and the beautiful face and voice of the band, Katie Stelmanis. Applause settled, and with the quiet open for “What We Done?,” Stelamanis’ vocals were naked and fresh against the humid air filling the venue — serenading an explosion halfway through the song, as what begins as shy becomes upbeat and sexy. Paving the way for the set, more songs from their sophomore album Olympia were played, though fans didn’t groan at the idea of hearing mostly newer songs — they welcomed it, especially with gems like “Painful Like,” “Forgive Me,” and their darkest pop track, “Home.” Of course, fans were also relieved to hear some tracks from their debut album, Feel It Break, namely “Beat and The Pulse,” which everybody seemed to preserve the most energy for. “The Choke” and “Darken Her Horse” also had fans enamored with the band’s understanding that all great dance tracks have to build tension before letting it break free. When slow drumbeats met the chiming high-pitch keyboard for “Lose It,” the crowd did just that, alongside Stelmanis’ wordless soprano and her duet with DIANA’s Elle in the last verse.
Numbed by Austra’s live performance of opera uniquely blended with synthesized goth-pop, it was easy to forget that the lit umbrellas lining the stage were the only visuals accompanying the show. It was easy to forget that the back-up vocalists, twins from the band Tasseomancy, were absent from the venue — leaving the drummer, Maya Postepski, to chime in. I almost forgot that a personal favorite, “The Future,” was nicked from the setlist. Though none of these missing pieces left the show feeling incomplete — Austra’s music, Stelmanis standing at the edge of the stage belting lyrics with a vocal range I can only imagine would feel truly painful after over an hour of singing, was enough. They didn’t mask their set with visual performance, because they didn’t need to.
If Stelmanis’ vocal chords hurt, she didn’t let fans know. Instead, she stood by the merch table with her bassist and members of DIANA, humoring fans wanting pictures instead of tee shirts. Rather than sneaking out early, she stayed late, saying, “I’ve got nowhere to be” as they thanked her for her time.
I left the venue feeling giddy, those lonely lyrics to “Home” still ringing in my head.
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day Three
It was another beautiful day at Lockn’ and day three opened with a fusion of ‘80s and bluegrass. Yes you read that correctly. The Charlottesville band Love Canon, comprised of Jesse Harper (Guitarist/singer), Adam Larrabee (Banjo), Andy Thacker (Mandolin), and Darrell Muller (Bass/Backing Vocals), got this music going with covers like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” ZZ Top’s “Legs,” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” Comical, yet genius. The afternoon turned funky and Black Keys-esq with The London Souls followed by The Punch Brothers taking us straight back to traditional bluegrass roots.
By the time the Black Crows took the stage the sun was starting it’s slow decent into the earth. Their impassioned set was filled with soul and good old rock and roll. Many classics and favorites were played including “Jealous Again” and a “She Talks to Angels” that got the entire audience singing a long. Admist beautiful segues and seamless transitions, The Crows slipped covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and their own version of Otis Reddings’ “Hard to Handle” into Billy Joe Royal’s “Hush.” The Black Crows would take the stage the following day for their second set of the weekend.
Days after Neil Young’s cancellation, it seemed that Lockn’ made the right replacement choice with the Trey Anastasio Band. Although it has been speculated that Anastasio was never a replacement choice, that Lockn’ had previously planned to add him to the lineup anyway, either way his set was a highlight for festival attendees alike. You didn’t have to be a Phish fan to enjoy TAB that evening. The set opened with a lively “Cayman Review” and included some Phish staples “Ocelot” and “Sand.” This set was also an opportunity for Anastasio to play some of his solo songs like “Valentine.” The absolute high point of TAB’s set was the cover of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood,” that got the entire audience singing and dancing. In addition to the songs, the horns, the band, and Anastasio himself, it cannot go unmentioned how songstress and trumpet player Jennifer Hartswick captivated the entire Lockn’ crowd with her incredible vocals, both on “Clint Eastwood” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” This was TAB’s only set of the weekend and the performance that was put on that evening left the Lockn’ audience wanting more.
As soon as TAB was done ramping up the crowd, Widespread Panic took the stage a few minutes later for their first of two highly anticipated sets of the weekend. For two hours not only did we get a full serving of classic Panic, but for the last thirty minutes of the set legendary American rocker and former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty took the stage with those Georgia boys. There was a “Henry Parsons Died” opener with “Pigeons” following. “Pilgrims” into “Ribs And Whiskey” got the whole crowd stomping up a dusty storm and elevated the excitement for what was yet to be delivered. After an appropriate “Ain’t Life Grand,” Fogerty joined Panic on stage and immediately delivered those time-honored CCR classics the crowd was just waiting to sing-a-long to. Those classics included “Born on the Bayou,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Suzy Q,” “Keep on Chooglin,” and of course “Fortunate Son.” After thanking “The Panics” for having him on stage Fogerty plugged and played his new song “Mystic Highway.”
The entire Widespread Panic set with John Fogerty: Henry Parsons Died, Pigeons, Travelin’ Light, Pilgrims >Ribs And Whiskey, Holden Oversoul, Dyin’ Man, Taildragger, Bust It Big > Surprise Valley > Drum Solo > Surprise Valley > Blue Indian, Ain’ Life Grand, Born On The Bayou (with John Fogerty), Bad Moon Rising (with John Fogerty), Mystic Highway (with John Fogerty), Suzy Q (with John Fogerty), Old Man Down The Road (with John Fogerty), Keep on Chooglin (with John Fogerty), Fortunate Son (with John Fogerty)
Taking the Lockn’ stage for the third time that weekend, Furthur played a complete set featuring the Grateful Dead album Workingman’s Dead. It seemed that the crowd that Saturday night was the largest it had been all weekend and there was an overall sense that the culmination of Lockn’ was about to be heard and seen. You couldn’t help but sing a long to “Uncle John’s Band” and “Dire Wolf.” Anastasio joined on stage for the last song of the album “Casey Jones,” and remained on stage for the remainder of the set. “Bertha,” “Scarlet Begonias,” and “Fire on the Mountain,” among other Grateful Dead staples, closed out the memorable festival day; a day that could never and will never be duplicated.
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day Two
Friday was a brand new day in the world of Lockn’ with all the hiccups of yesterday behind us.The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the beautiful oak tree in the middle of Oak Ridge Estate greeted us as we made our trek to the festival area. This second day of music started off with the local Charlottesville duo Founding Fathers, comprised of Andy Falco and Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous String Dusters. Following this bluegrass set, Pegi Young and The Survivors brought some country rock to that hot Virginia afternoon. With the cancellation of headliner Neil Young only a couple of weeks prior to the festival it was inevitable that Peggy’s performance at Lockn’ would fuel rumors of Neil Young actually showing up at the festival. Although she is married to the music legend, his wife of 31 years, her performance that afternoon was not overshadowed by the fanciful hopes of a special appearance that filled some festival goers that weekend.
Booty shaking, boogie funk. Need I say more? With temperatures rising in that wide open field, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Soul Rebels Brass Band turned up the heat a little more with the third set of day two at Lockn’. Both bands brought the party from New Orleans to Arrington, VA with covers like Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky and the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams.”
Where others may not be fond of story telling by musicians between songs, I do appreciate anecdotes that convey personal and deeper meaning to the musical performance. In his set following those funky bands from NOLA, Jimmy Cliff not only brought his talent but his intimate stories to the stage. Highlights of the set included “Vietnam” where he substituted Vietnam for Afghanistan, the Cat Stevens cover “ Wild World,” and Johnny Nash’s cover “I Can See Clearly Now.”
Immediately following Jimmy Cliff, The String Cheese Incident began their first of two performances that evening as the sun set over Lockn’. “Outside and Inside” was the first song of the set with Billy Nershi on lead vocals and Kyle Hollingsworth rhythmically pounding the keys. In provoking the celtic spirit, they segued into the instrumental “Valley of the Jig” which set the tone nicely for their the rest of their bluegrass and electronic infused performance. “Joyful Sound” incorporated these electronic undertones as experimental improvisations broke from the cease of Keith Moseley’s vocals. Following this frenzied dance party and impassioned jams, Kyle served us a lighthearted and funky “Let’s Go Outside,” followed by a playful “This Must be the PLace (Naive Melody). SCI’s entire first set of the evening: Outside and Inside > Valley of the Jig, It Is What It Is, Yo Se, Joyful Sound > Let’s Go Outside, This Must be the Place (Naive Melody) > Restless Wind
Furthur took the stage for their first set of the week noodling around for a moment before dropping into a powerful and funky shakedown street. The crowd erupted as Phil Lesh’s opening notes rang out. An excellent choice of opener to set the tone for the weekend. Next up was The Wheel, a personal favorite of mine written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter followed by Cryptical Envelopment into a very dark Estimated Prophet. Music had been going for almost an hour nonstop by the time the band finished Cold, Rain and Snow. More great renditions of classics followed with Cassidy, Candyman and finishing the set with Jack Straw.
The String Cheese Incident’s last “incident” of the weekend included a collaboration with American country songwriter/singer/guitarist Zac Brown and his fellow band members of the Zac Brown Band. When the “Zac Brown Incident” was first announced a wave of dismissal amongst Cheese fans swept the the Internet forums about this performance. Even in the moments leading up to the start of the set uncertainty emanated from many loyal Cheese fans that surrounded me. In attempts to not make assumptions before experiencing this “incident” I went in with the mind set of expect nothing and be surprised. And sure enough I was pleasantly surprised. Of course I have seen better Cheese sets, but Brown’s talent as an artist cannot be dismissed.
The common perception of Brown as a sold-out pop country artist was shattered, for me anyway, as the set began with “Sometimes a River,” as Keith and Brown switched between lead vocals. Throughout a interlocking set of Cheese and Zac Brown Band songs, Brown’s stage presence conveyed a sense of desire to prove his worth as an artist to the ever loyal Cheese and jam-band fans. Brown took the reins on many lead vocals and his proficiency with his guitar was highlighted throughout the evening. Brown played guitar and shared lead vocals with Kyle on “Close Your Eyes.” Although sharing the spotlight, nothing could outshine Kyle’s finesse on the keys that added to the fiery jam within the song. A soulful “When I go Away” reminiscent of deep south gospel hymn was an unforgettable and beautiful tribute to the late Levon Helm. Bluegrass merged with rock on a cover of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” which was followed by a feet-stomping and hand clapping “Born Free” accompanied with a lively fiddle. The cheesiness of the set was amplified with Zac Brown Band’s song “Jump Right In.” As Cheese fans we expect some level of “cheesiness” with some SCI songs, but this song may have taken that to a whole different level and it was my least favorite song of the set. A funky “Use Me” followed and included a surprise ending taken from Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean.” Brown took lead vocals one last time on the SCI classic and fan favorite, “Colorado Bluebird Sky,” but the culmination of the song came when Billy took back lead vocals and everyone on stage finished the set with an energy filled jam. The set encored with an island vibed “Could You Be Loved.”
Furthur’s second set started kicked up as “The Zac Brown Incident” were still saying their goodbyes from the neighboring stage. The set began with a nice jam led by Phil before dropping into “Dark Star.” This song has really enveloped the spacey and abstract sounds that The Grateful Dead were well known for. An unfinished “Dark Star” transitioned into a nice up beat version of “Eyes of the World” that featured some great work from John Kadlecik on guitar and vocals before leading into “St Stephen” and “Unbroken Chain.” This whole segment featured some some of my favorite jamming of the weekend before spacing back into “Dark Star.” Zac Brown returned to the stage once more and played his song “Free” which segued into what can only be described as a magical rendition of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” Brown remained on stage for the classic “Tennessee Jed” and later returned for an encore of “Touch of Grey.”, Furthur finished their second set with the classic “Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Franklin’s Tower” trio; an excellent group of songs that often found themselves joined together.
With Contributions By: John C. Anderson
REVIEW: Lockn Festival – Day One
With the car in park and the engine turned off we got out of the car, grabbed some chairs, cracked open some beers and found some respite from the beating sun in the shade of a neighboring parked RV. Our collective group of friends was among many who had arrived at Oak Ridge Estate on that Virginia morning for the inaugural Lockn’ Festival. In these early hours, a sea of cars lined up in what was once a vast open field with the overall anticipation that entry into the festival and direction to campsites would take minimal time, perhaps only an hour or so. Assumptions proved wrong as that morning turned into afternoon and not a single car in the surrounding lines moved any closer to entry into the festival. As the hours passed, sunburns, frustrations, and aggravations grew as many were coming to terms with the fact that we were going to miss music we had come to see.
There is no denying that at the start of Lockn’ certain logistics had been over looked. It has been argued that as a first year festival it should have been presumed that there were going to be kinks in the production, but it was apparent after final arrival to our campsite and once inside the festival grounds that some efforts had been concentrated in nonessential areas. This Day One festival review and my other Lockn daily reviews that will follow will concentrate on the positive highlights and the incredible days and nights of music, but the unacceptable insufficiencies of planning in some aspects will not go unmentioned.
Over the four day festival there was no music overlap so that no attendee would miss performances they wished to see. Two main adjacent stages provided the “interlocking” sets and with these side by side stages, performances were able to start immediately one after the other. This set up which is rarely seen at many other big name festivals today allowed for artists to feed off of each other when starting their own sets. Thursday’s schedule started with Keller & The Keels followed by Warren Haynes Band, The String Cheese Incident, Gov’t Mule with Grace Potter, and closing out the day was a second set by The String Cheese Incident.
The hellish “gridlockn” caused many to miss the first set of the festival. Virginia’s own Keller Williams performed with husband and wife duo Larry and Jenny Keel, and opened with a bluegrass set and Keller on his acoustic guitar. As lines of cars still crept along the festival borders slowly making their way to campsites, the soulful Warren Haynes Band took the stage for their rock and bluesy festival set complete with horns and of course Haynes on his guitar. Accompanying him on stage was keyboardist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ron Holloway, and vocalist Alecia Chakour. The soulful set comprised of songs off of Warren’s solo release “Man in Motion” and a number of covers including Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic”
String Cheese kicked off their set in high gear with “Desert Dawn” as many fans were still filing into the venue. A nice high energy song to get the party started. “Black and White” featured a nice jam that segued into “So Far from Home;” A new tune of Billy Nershi that has almost a country feel to it. Up next was “Mouna Bowa”, an instrumental song that really lets every member of the band shine. They found themselves in a nice exploratory jam out of “Mouna Bowa” that led to probably the biggest dance party of the set with “Colliding.” This song has really blossomed into a nice electronic jam since its debut appearance almost two years ago. “Song In my Head” followed, another new song from Nershi to be featured on their upcoming album. Keller Williams was then brought out to sing his own “Best Feeling” which was arguably one of their best versions of this song in years. A short and to the point Texas rounded out this set nicely.
Immediately following the first of two String Cheese sets, Warren took the stage again with Gov’t Mule. As expected we heard a set filled with southern rock and blues and a delivery of songs the emulated complete passion from Haynes that seemed to captivate every listener that night. From the reggae influenced “Step Lightly” to the rocking “Broke Down on the Brazos” to the soulful “Banks of the Deep End,” Gov’t Mule was quickly becoming a highlight of Lockn’. The real magic of this set manifested when the always beautiful songstress Grace Potter joined Mule and delivered memorable covers of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman,” Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s “Find the Cost of Freedom,” and Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” With her flowing bohemian garb and powerful mesmerizing vocals, Grace Potter was an essential element in one of the most culminating musical performances of the entire weekend.
“Rosie” opened up Cheese’s second set with a bang; a newer track from Kyle Hollingsworth. The bluegrass staple “Black Clouds” followed and featured the Michael Jackson hit “Shake your Body Down to the Ground” sandwiched in the middle which was definitely a nice treat. A short drum segment built up to “Can’t Wait Another Day”, another Kyle song written for his daughter. “Bollymunster” and “Sirens” followed with an excellent version of John Coltrane’s “Impressions” that found its way in a dubbed out rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” An excellent version of “Just One Story” brought this set to a close sealing the deal on an excellent first night of music.
With contributions by: John C. Anderson
REVIEW: Forecastle Festival Day Three
The last day of Forecastle was sweltering, and inclement weather loomed for later in the day. Waking up that morning, we were in for a bit of an unpleasant surprise. We had been made aware of Animal Collective’s cancellation days prior to the festival, but it seemed that Dan Deacon suddenly just disappeared off of the schedule. Besides these disappointments, there was much to look forward to including Toro Y Moi, The Forecastle Incident, Purity Ring, and the legend Robert Plant.
Toro Y Moi
I first saw Toro Y Moi during his SXSW set this year where I thoroughly enjoyed his set of chill pop, and sounds of R&B, jazz and funk. His Forecastle set was no different. Walking up to the main stage there was a decent crowd gathered who were getting down to his music in the late afternoon. He set the tone and was an appropriate act to be placed before Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Greensky Bluegrass
Greensky Bluegrass was the optimum choice as opener for The Forecastle Incident on that afternoon. Fast-paced blue grass with hints of rock and roll amped up the crowed, if you couldn’t tell already by their name for what you would be in for. A cover of Prince’s “When the Doves Cry” was a pleasant surprise.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Leaving Greensky Bluegrass and walking over to the main stage to catch Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the noise overlap from stages was incredibly evident. All weekend the overlap had been bad, and is one of my biggest complaints about this festival, but for some reason Sunday during the late afternoon it was just the worst. Making my way halfway down the Grace Potter crowd to the soundboard, sound overlap from the Red Bull Ocean Stage was intense. Every word coming from El-P & Killer Mike could be heard crystal clear- annoying is an understatement.
But knowing how Grace Potter brings it to the stage, either way, noise overlap or not, this audience was about to get a real afternoon treat. Her stage presence is always amazing and on point. Her energy is incredible as she dances around on stage in a sparkling ensemble, killing it on her guitar, laying on the ground to flick off her shoes, and her piano skills are addicting. It’s hard to be in the audience at a Grace Potter show and not be drawn into her music and lyrics by her genuine emotion, it’s quite addicting.
The Forecastle Incident
After an absolute high was implanted in the audience from Greensky Bluegrass, there was an overall feeling that anyone at the Boom Stage for The Forecastle Incident was about to be treated to something special that afternoon. How could this set not be special when you have The String Cheese Incident, Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Jason Carter, and Andy Thorn all on one stage. The set was a mix of Cheese and bluegrass favorites, completely instrumental. With so much talent packed on the stage, the music that was produced that afternoon was memorable and impeccable. At the end of the set I left feeling absolutely content and fulfilled, but also unsure of when, and if ever, I will be treated to something like that for awhile, or ever again.
Set 1: Blackberry Blossom > Rivertrance > Quicksburg Rendezvous, Blue Moon of Kentucky, MLT, Bollymuster, Stingray, Birdland > Wheel Hoss > Birdland
Robert Plant presents The Sensational Space Shifters
He’s a legend, what else can I say? Black clouds loomed in the distance and it was only a matter of time before the skies opened up and torrential rain, accompanied by thunder and lightening, would cut Plant’s set short. Songs included, “ Tin Pan Valley,” “Black Dog,” “Going to California,” and “What Is and What Should Never Be.” Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and there were a lot of wide eyes as this was a first time for seeing Robert Plant for many. When the rain came there was no stopping it, “Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall…It’s just a little rain.” (Led Zeppelin)
Overall the festival was jam packed with incredible music, (for the most part) some beautiful weather, and it just was a memorable experience. The pros defiantly outweighed the cons this weekend, and if the 2014 lineup looks promising, I wouldn’t mind making the trek all the way back to Louisville.
REVIEW: Forecastle Festival Day Two
Saturday’s lineup packed in the most music and variety of the festival with acts from Shovels & Rope to Foxygen to Dawes to Matt & Kim to Jim James…the list goes on. So much to see and so little time to do it all in. The day started off with some cloud coverage, a light breeze, and a smoother entry into the festival grounds.
Needless to say, even though the day started without a hitch, the weather had a plan of its own. With the sun shining and not a dark cloud in sight the festival was evacuated around 4:40PM for about an hour after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunder storm warning cautioning wind gusts up to 60 MPH and hail. With neighboring Indiana close by and the 2011 Sugarland stage collapse still heavy in the heart of the music industry, the evacuation, although annoying to some, was an appropriate call on behalf of festival organizers.
The evacuation caused a shift in the schedule and sets were pushed back nearly 45 minutes to an hour past original start times. Conflict caused by this shift occurred for those hoping to catch headliner The Black Keys and make it to one of the late night shows as those had and maintained their original start time of midnight. Besides this minor hiccup, Saturday proved to be one full of impressive music and one of the best days of the weekend.
AMTRAC
While taking in the sights and sounds of the Forecastle grounds I came upon AMTRAC laying it down on the Red Bull Music Academy Ocean Stage, an afternoon party under the freeway if you will. Full of diverse remixes, and house with disco sounds, he set the tone for the Ocean Stage for the rest of the day. Acts to follow on this stage included MNDR, TOKiMONSTA, Nosaj Thing, and the festival favorite Matt & Kim.
Shovels & Rope
This South Carolina duo served up an afternoon set full of Southern rock, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll. The stage presence, charisma, and chemistry between was mesmerizing and sucked the crowd deeper into their songs- Then again they are husband and wife. Shovels & Rope kicked Saturday off on a high, toe tapping, southern note and treated us to set that left us pleasantly surprised and wanting more. (P.S. Please come to Athens, GA? Thanks!)
Foxygen
You must be doing something right if Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips) shows up to watch your set. Part musical experience and part theatrical performance, Foxygen delivered and the crowed enjoyed.
Alabama Shakes
“WE LOVE YOU BRITTANY!” resonated throughout the crowd before the Shakes even stepped on to the Mast (main) Stage that Saturday evening. A jam packed crowed stretched the entire width of the grassy field and far back past the soundboard. It seemed that this was the largest crowd the main stage had seen so far all weekend. As the Alabama Shakes took the stage a huge smile came over lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard. Throughout there set which consisted of, “Rise to the Sun,” “Hang Loose,” “Hold On,” I Found You,” “Boys and Girls,” “Be My Baby,” and “I Ain’t the Same,” Brittany conversed with the audience, not to fill, but to simply interact. Howard’s demeanor was that of appreciativeness and delight and the crowd fed off of her enthusiasm for her craft.
The Joy Formidable
I can always respect someone who can curse like a sailor and make it sound classy and fun. First impressions of The Joy Formidable were literally, “Shit, I’d love to be friends with these people.” Saturday was my first time being introduced to The Joy Formidable which was formed in North Wales in 2007. The energy produced by this trio was high and unexpected for that early in the evening. They performed their song “Whirring” and some others off of their The Big Roar (2011) album and a mixture of new material. This set was a highlight for me this past weekend and would absolutely loves to see The Joy Formidable again.
Jim James
Wearing his infamous purple suit, My Morning Jacket’s front man Jim James took the Mast (main) stage and started off the set with “State of the Art.” From twirling around stage, to head banging and shaking is flowing hair while shredding his guitar, to raising his golden bear to the heavens, and his backing band bringing absolute heat, his stage performance was complimented with the sounds of James’ debut highly acclaimed solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God. He closed out the set with a memorable “Let It Be Cover.” Leaving his set, and after seeing him in action for the very first time, I understand what all the hype is about, I totally get it now.
The Flaming Lips
Lighted tentacle tubing flowing the length of the Boom Stage up to a raised platform, LED screens behind, white smoke filled the stage, and out of its depths Wayne Coyne emerged with a fake baby doll in his arms. Like a king of some weird alien alternate universe Wayne enchants the crowd with his spectacle from atop of his pedestal. From using a search light to shine onto the crowd to blowing bubbles The Lips’ set was a delight to the eyes, but also music to our ears. The set included “Look…The Sun Is Rising,” “The W.A.N.D.,” “Race for the Prize”, and the DEVO cover “Gates of Steel.” And for those not that big of fans, yes they played “Do You Realize??”
LATE NIGHT: The String Cheese Incident
Set 1: Drums > Howard, Can’t Wait Another Day > Orange Blossom Special, Cold on the Shoulder, Sometimes A River, iBam! > Minor Swing, Just One Story, Hotel Window, Impressions > Colliding > Restless Wind
Encore: Ramble On
Late night. Cheese. The Louisville Palace Theater…need I say more? It was hard to go to a show like this and not have high expectations or feel like you were about to experience something “special” Although there are mixed reviews from fans alike concerning the song selection, personally I was down to hear anything and was just ready for a good time, and apparently so was everyone else around me. Personal highlights included Orange Blossom Special and Just One Story. I could not have picked a better ending to day two at Forecastle than with e a Cheese show at the historic Louisville Palace Theater.
REVIEW: Forecastle Festival Day One
After taking a seven-hour trek and making it through the cluster of endless lines of eager festival goers, we were finally greeted by Louisville’s 85-acre Waterfront Park overlooking the Ohio River. With a lineup including headliners The Black Keys, The String Cheese Incident, The Avett Brothers, and Robert Plant, Forecastle Festival seemed to have something for everyone. Since its start in 2002, Forecastle has evolved from a homegrown local festival to a nationally recognized and flocked-to music experience.
In addition to the four stages pumping out nonstop music all weekend, the festival grounds were host to numerous live art displays, a Kentucky Bourbon Lodge, and a poster showcase of some of today’s most recognized poster makers. Food options were abundant with local offerings like the Holy Mole Taco Truck, Heine Brothers Coffee, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, festival favorites like Pie for the People and Grateful Burrito Brothers, and chain vendors Jim ‘N Nicks’s Bar-B-Q.
As a city fest, with noise ordinances stopping music around midnight, Forecastle kept the party going with three late night shows. Kentucky native Wick-It the Instigator and Eliot Lipp hit the stage on Lousiville’s own riverboat the Belle of Louisville Friday night. The String Cheese Incident took over The Louisville Palace Theater with a midnight show Saturday night, but if Cheese wasn’t your thing, the Belle of Louisville was host to the sold out late night Houndmouth show with Night Beds and The Wheeler Brothers.
Day One Recap
We can’t start talking about Friday without talking about the horrendous lines we were greeted with at both festival entrances. After arriving around 6:30 p.m., we finally made it in 45 minutes later just in time to catch Big Boi and kick off this Forecastle weekend. With the sun shining and a breeze coming off the Ohio River, we hit up the Boom Stage just as the crowd began to sing “Ah ha, hush that fuss, Everybody move to the back of the bus”.
Big Boi
The favorites and classic Outkast songs were played: “Rosa Parks,” “Ghetto Musick,” “The Whole World,” “Ms. Jackson,” “So Fresh, So Clean,” and “The Whole World”. Even with a “Bombs Over Baghdad” tease, the crowd still loved every minute of his set. Although still in recovery from a knee injury from earlier this year, Big Boi told the crowd he was not going to miss Forecastle and braved the stage on crutches and sang from a throne ornately decorated in red velvet and gold embellishments.
Old Crow Medicine Show
As the sun began to set over the river and barges floated by, the backdrop was set for a pluckin’ good time on the Mast (main) Stage. Although murmurs could be heard throughout the crowd just wanting and wishing to hear “Wagon Wheel”, Old Crow Medicine Show delivered a set that kept the crowds dancing and stomping their feet. With covers and easy sing-a-longs to “This Land is Your Land” and Tom Petty’s “American Girl” the scene was set in anticipation for Friday’s headliner The String Cheese Incident.
The String Cheese Incident
In the cool of the night, under the explosion of pre-show fireworks, a circus of sorts was about to start on the banks of the Ohio river. Those familiar with a String Cheese show had an inkling of the party that was about to erupt out of an otherwise typical festival incident, and those seeing Cheese for the first time were unprepared for the massive dose of fun that was in store. “Rosie” kicked off the set followed by “Best Feeling” into “On the Road.” A cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” really seemed to get the crowd going. The rest of the set included “Song In My Head,” “Sirens,” “Let’s Go Outside,” and “It Is What It Is.” “Valley of Jig” and a stellar “Colorado Bluebird Sky” closed out the night. Overall, Cheese delivered fun and heightened our anticipation for the late night Palace show.
SHOW REVIEW: Crystal Castles at the Tabernacle
A threesome of musicians swarmed the Tabernacle stage, awash in black, taking their places before a massive, eerie depiction of a cloaked figure embracing a naked human form. The waifish, platinum blonde front woman, Alice Glass, took a drag from her cigarette as the heavy beats reverberated around the room.
Crystal Castles provided an incredibly contradictory show in the best way on April 17. Though Glass and crew entered the stage to a near riot – the audience had waited over an hour for Crystal Castles to come on – the stall proved to be entirely worth it. Opening with “Plague”, the first track off their new album, (III), it was quickly clear that this set would be all about digital, electric glamour with a wash of old-school punk ideals.
Soon enough, the trio – consisting of founding members Glass and producer Ethan Kath, and touring drummer Christopher Chartrand – dove into tunes from their previous album, including “Baptism” and “Suffocation”. This is when things became truly rock ‘n roll. Between Kath’s impressive electronic instrumentals and Chartrand’s mind-blowing drum solos, Glass struggled to pull away from a security guard and crowd surf several times, and even began taking massive swigs of whiskey and spitting it over audience members.
We were most thrilled when we heard the first few beats of some of our old Crystal Castles favorites: “Crimewave”, “Alice Practice”, and a portion of “Vanished”, to name a few. By this point, Glass knew she held the crowd in the palm of her hand. She stood before thousands of energized fans, slugging from that same bottle of whiskey and twirling the microphone in her hand, as if teasing us to beg for more.
And “more” is what we got: among the trio’s encore songs was “Not in Love”, their undeniably catchy cover featuring Robert Smith. While we danced nonstop for the last minutes of the show, we couldn’t help but think how in love we were with Crystal Castles’ live performance.
SHOW REVIEW: 2013 NCAA Big Dance Concert Series
The NCAA came to Atlanta last weekend and in addition to basketball fanatics a like, the sporting event brought with it The Big Dance concert series. High profile and sought after artists such as Muse, Dave Matthews Band, and Sting headlined the Saturday and Sunday shows in Centennial Olympic Park.
Saturday’s Coke Zero Countdown show kicked off that afternoon with the Athens’ favorite Yacht Rock Revue. Following our favorite ‘70s tribute band, was Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. In addition to making thrift stores popular as ever, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis proved their worthiness in the music spotlight not just by singing about poppin’ tags. The duo started us off with their song “Ten Thousand Hours” later followed by Macklemore (aka Ben Haggerty) draped in his now famous fur coat enthralling the audience with their chart topping hit “Thrift Shop.” That afternoon the crowd was also treated to the fan favorite “Same Love” and the recent hit single “Can’t Hold Us.”
In his hometown glory, Ludacris took the stage after Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. His charisma was the highlight of his performance (as if you have seen Ludacris perform before, you’ve seen it all) before. If his set at the Coke Zero Countdown happened your first time seeing Luda in action, it was a memorable performance as he broke out all the old favorites such as “Welcome to Atlanta,” “Act A Fool,” “Money Maker,” and “Roll Out”. Flo-Rida’s set followed.
The most anticipated act of the evening was of course the infamous MUSE. No surprise that they were headliners due to the NCAA using their chart topping hit “Madness” as the theme for this year’s March Madness. Although they gave us this single early on in their set, they were able to jam pack what seemed to be any song everyone hoped to hear from them into their hour long performance. Their stage presence was electric, captivating, and powerful. So powerful in fact that during “Follow Me” they blew the power (or perhaps just the mix board generator lost power). Following the 20 minutes of silence they continued on and Saturday in Centennial Park ended on a high and ever memorable note.
Sunday was the last day of the music festival and an early arrival to the park proved to be crucial in order to see the headliner of the Capital One Jamfest Dave Matthews Band. Before the park hit its limit of the 30,000 capacity and a small riot outside the park ensued later that day, Blind Pilot started the concert early that day followed by the ever loved Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. In her staple sparkling ensemble and spunky stage attitude she enchanted the audience with her ballads of “Stars” and my personal all time favorite “Apologies,” and then amped up the energy with the sounds of her single “Paris” and “Medicine.”
Sting took the stage next mixing in some Police favorites along with some of his top hits. He opened his set with “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” and then into “Demolition Man.” A Few songs later the audience was singing a long with “Fields of Gold,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da.” He closed out his set with “Roxanne” and soon encored with favorites of “Desert Rose” and “Every Breath You Take.”
Dave Matthews Band closed out the music festival and they did so with an energy that reminded me of their Central Park show in 2003. The Jamfest show from last weekend was reminiscent of this throwback due to both shows having the same opener “Don’t Drink the Water,” or perhaps DMB is just as good as they ever were. Their set was an all night jam fest that included crowd favorites of “Crush,” “Jimi Thing,” “Mercy,” and the ever loved “#41”. DMB brought the pure heat with their encore of “Two Step.” Whether you were in the front row or standing outside on the sidewalk after being shut out, anyone in the area of Centennial Park that night heard something special, and I couldn’t think of any better way to end this music, and basketball, filled weekend.
Vinyl Mag’s Guide to SXSW
Indescribable. But here I am, about to try to describe it.
SXSW was intense, exhausting, physically painful at times, and overwhelming. But it was also arguably the best week of my life. I’ve never had so much productive (and thoroughly professional at all times, of course) fun in my entire life, and I’m already ready to go back. Seriously…is it next year yet?
It is important to note that, more than being the X Games of music festivals, SXSW is also a conference and an incomparable networking opportunity. Most of the day for me was spent attending parties and exchanging business cards American-Psycho-style, making connections and building mutually beneficial business relationships (such a hard life).
This was my first year at SXSW (and definitely not my last), so I had a lot to learn. Like…a lot. And fortunately, I had the presence of mind to take notes so that I could share my knowledge with you – and so I would be prepared the next time around. So here it is. My rundown of SXSW 2013:
Favorite venue: Mohawk.
Least favorite venue: The Belmont (too crowded; unless you get there four hours early and wait to be in the tiny pit, anywhere you stand provides a pretty unimpressive view of the stage).
Favorite discovery: Ginger & the Ghost.
Favorite day parties: Spotify, Yard Dog Gallery (both of which required some serious Frodo-and-Sam-style trekking, but were well worth it).
Favorite food: Taco N’ Madre food truck (I don’t know what the sauces are, but don’t ask questions and just put all of them on your tacos — you’re welcome).
Favorite live performance: Still is (and may always be) Diarrhea Planet. They make me act stupid and get sweaty, and I appreciate that.
Favorite line-up: Sirah, Charli XCX, Icona Pop, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis all played at The Belmont on Night One. Pretty epic.
Favorite app: Hail A Cab Austin (this saved me countless times when I was trying to get to an interview. Wish I’d discovered it Day One. Kind of wish I hadn’t told you guys about it. If I can’t get a cab next year, I’m blaming my readers).
Biggest show I sort of made it to (but more like listened to from far away): Flaming Lips at Auditorium Shores Stage. So crowded I would have gotten the same experience watching it on TV.
Earliest bed time: 3 a.m.
Latest I slept in: 8:30 a.m.
Best public place to regain strength, charge your phone, use the bathroom, and lay on the floor and complain about how much pain you’re in: Austin Convention Center upstairs (surprise, surprise).
Favorite street: Rainey Street.
Favorite celebrity sightings: Standing in line behind Pauly Shore at Iron Works BBQ, meeting Perez Hilton at the VH1 Cafe, and being too scared to go talk to LeVar Burton at the Sennheiser + Paste Interactive Studio & Lounge on Rainey Street.
Favorite fan-girl moment: meeting Icona Pop at the VH1 Cafe and acting extremely uncool about it (sorryI’mnotsorry for creeping).
Favorite score: Generous Unknown Girl came up to me while I was sitting pensively on a bench and asked me if I wanted the free red American Apparel skirt she got because she didn’t feel like carrying it around. If only she had a backpack (see Lesson One below). Thank you, Generous Unknown Girl. I am forever grateful to you.
Biggest rip-off: Wu Wu Fest advertising “free Wu Wu sushi” at their party if you RSVP/”Like” them on FB…what they should have said was “one tray of six pieces of free sushi to be passed around once every two hours so you probably won’t get any unless you hang out by the kitchen, suckers”…I’m bitter, yes, but I was really hungry.
Most pointless “secret show”: Justin Timberlake at Myspace. It’s not a secret show if it’s plastered all over the wall of the building in giant letters.
Now that I’ve shared my high and lowlights with you, let me move on to the valuable lessons I learned…
Lesson One: Don’t wear new shoes, stupid. Wear the most comfortable, walkable shoes you can find. I don’t care if they are Crocs (actually, I take that back — Crocs are inexcusable), but in this case, style is secondary to practicality. I seriously have blister scars on my heels from these stupidly adorable mint Oxfords that I thought were a good idea. Damn my vanity.
On that note, go with a backpack instead of a purse. Hands-free is where it’s at. And throw a sweater in there. It gets a little chilly at night.
Lesson Two: Let some things go. You will never be able to stick to the uber-strict time-crunch schedule you have made for yourself, so allow yourself to go with the flow, always have a Plan B, and remember to leave yourself some time to stumble upon some new discoveries. That’s part of what SXSW is for. It’s not just a festival to see your iPod playlist come to life (did that reference date me? Should I have said Spotify or Drinkify playlist?).
Lesson Three: Bring your phone charger with you. Bring a portable charger. Trust me. You’re gonna be InstaTweetVining the crap out of this thing, and your phone can only handle so much.
Lesson Four: Don’t wait in line for any band for more than 15 minutes. It is a waste of time. You are missing too much of the goings-on around you, and chances are the band you are impatiently waiting for will be playing an unofficial show tomorrow at 2:00. Which brings me to…
Lesson Five: Do not rely strictly on the official SXSW show schedule. Now, don’t get me wrong, this schedule is THE BOMB, and the SXSW app on your phone that allows you to make your own schedule kept me from running around like a headless chicken (more than I already was, anyway), but chances are, your must-see-or-it-was-all-for-nothing band is playing either a day party you don’t know about or an unofficial showcase somewhere. Look up your priority bands on their Twitters and websites, and chances are you’ll be able to track them down.
Lesson Six: Stalk Twitters and RSVP to absolutely everything you plan on attending well in advance.
There you have it. Now let’s do that again.