Hopscotch Music Festival 2014 Itinerary: Day Three Itinerary

Usually by Day Three all pre-planned schedules are off for me. It's to wherever seems the most reasonable, comfortable, less-packed, etc. That's usually lent itself to some pretty incredible nights, but alas that's not the game plan this time. Saturday is arguably my favorite day of the schedule, and while I may not garner as much interest in the City Plaza hard rock-fest as others, it's still a ridiculous lineup from top to bottom. This will be the first day of the festival that I get to check out the Day Parties and I'll likely be bouncing between the Trekky/Hometapes Party at The Pour House, Reverbnation's Party at Deep South and Legends' Let Feedback Ring Party, a trio of shows that bring together some of the best locals and touring artists of the festival. After all of the day partying it'll be time to mosey on down to City Plaza for one of the most energetic, engaging metal acts I've ever had the joy of seeing.

Photo credit: Grant Golden

Valient Thorr at City Plaza @ 5:45 pm
Last year's CAM set from Valient Thorr was one of my favorite shows at Hopscotch, the dudes simply know how to put on a show. You're liable to see Valient Himself trotting around the stage with his badass denim jacket flailing to-and-fro as he manically mounts speakers and shoots imaginary cannons, and frankly who's not down with that? They'll be an excellent way to open the heaviest night of City Plaza in history, they're an easily palatable hard rock band that's got crowd control down pat. If you're thinking about skipping out on the early City Plaza shows on Saturday, then maybe reconsider to check this crew out.

Photo courtesy of Death

Death at City Plaza @ 6:50 pm
Death is one of those bands I've always had the pleasure of hearing about, so I know how iconic they are throughout the history of punk rock and music in general. Death is credited as one of, if not the, first black punk band and really helped fuel the uprising of Detroit punk in the 70s. They'd been broken up for decades, but in the past few years a reunion and acclaimed documentary A Band Called Death has thrust the band back into the spotlight. I'd imagine a lot of drunken flailing around to be going on close up at City Plaza, and most importantly a lot of really confused non-concert goers. People watching will be in its prime here folks.

Photo courtesy of Mastodon

Mastodon at City Plaza @ 8:15 pm
Little is left to be said of the massive metal band Mastodon. They've gradually ascended to mainstream stardom thanks to their consistently excellent releases since 2002's Remission, and since their beginnings they've been slowly expanding upon their sound to create a more broad appeal for fans. With Valient Thorr and Death opening up the evening, things will surely roll easily into Mastodon's highly anticipated set as the first metal headliner of the festival. Mastodon's City Plaza set feels like a true coming-out party for Hopscotch metal, the festival has long been home to some of the genre's most celebrated acts but never before have they been blasting throughout the streets of downtown Raleigh. If only that debutante ball could see us now.

Photo courtesy of See Gulls

See Gulls at Deep South @ 9:00 pm
When this lineup dropped See Gulls was one of the new local acts I knew that I had to check out. I'd heard rumblings of this female-centric garage rock group, but hadn't had the fortune of seeing them live until a few months back. Fronted by Sarah Fuller, formerly of The Big Picture, See Gulls boasts a seriously raucous live energy that puts a grittier spin on their already fuzzed out anthems. Songs that may have started out as little folk diddies are turned into full-on punk rock bangers. With Maria Albani (Schooner, Organos) on drums and Duncan Webster (Hammer No More The Fingers, Beauty World) and Leah Gibson (Lost in the Trees, Beauty World) on guitar and bass, this local supergroup of sorts is most definitely worthy of an early leave from City Plaza.

Funkss at Pour House Music Hall @ 9:30 pm
When I first saw funkss amidst a sea of underage badkids that were boasting of the 40s and blunts they downed in the parking lot of a Yung Lean show, he served a messiah of sorts. Lifting me up from the shoulder to shoulder bro-sweat with their backwards snapbacks and psychedelic tank-tops and into a dark, yet danceable land of aggressive electronic music. It's a bit hard to categorize these songs, but there's really little need to as well. It's music that transplants you to a different headspace, allowing you to lose yourself in the deep rhythms and brooding melodies.

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Sauser-Monnig

Alexandra Sauser-Monnig at Fletcher Opera Hall @ 10:00 pm
It's always important to remember that Hopscotch is a marathon, not a race. While I'd love to stay at The Pour House and dance myself ragged until How To Dress Well/Jamie XX, it's impotant to pace yourself. That's why sets like this one are so damn important. Not only will one-third of the gorgeously harmonic folk trio Mountain Man be at Fletcher, but there'll also be cozy seats and probably quite a few nappers. But frankly, if you're literally sleeping on Alexandra Sauser-Monnig then you're making a huge mistake. This'll likely be comparable to the Angel Olsen set at last year's Hopscotch, a set filled with insanely quiet concertgoers soaking in the breathtaking sounds of this passionate folk singer.

Photo courtesy of How To Dress Well

How To Dress Well at CAM Raleigh @ 11:30 pm
I didn't think that picking How To Dress Well would be the hardest decision of my Hopscotch this year, but they're going up against the local superstar T0W3RS. T0W3RS will be pulling out all the stops with a special full-band performance at The Pour House that'll likely be filled to capacity. Unfortunately though, it's hard to always pick the beloved local over a high-profile touring artist that doesn't come through very frequently. How To Dress Well  is on the heels of What Is This Heart? a fully realized neo-soul/R&B work of art that surpasses any and all expectations I had of this highly touted songwriter. CAM is the perfect place for these low-end heavy croons to fill the airwaves, and with Jamie XX closing out the evening there's little reason to leave.

Photo courtesy of Jamie XX

Jamie XX at CAM Raleigh @ 12:30 am
For quite some time I was largely ignorant of the excellence of Jamie XX. I'd seen stories of his Gil Scott-Heron remix album, I knew he was the producer-side of The XX, but that was about it. I hadn't realized how incredible of an artist he was until I physically saw The XX at The Lincoln this past spring. The melancholy melodies up front were the last thing I was paying attention to, it was all about that thunderous bass and gorgeous synths that were making my brain shake and my teeth chatter. Jamie XX's work is crafted to envelop the listener, allow them to wrap themselves in these immense sounds that are arranged so minimalistically that it just works. Jamie XX can pick up a groove and run with it, and frankly a sweaty dance party is without a doubt one of the best ways to close out a Hopscotch. And I say that from experience.

Hear Here: Aug. 11 - 17

Dana Buoy (Dana Janssen of Akron/Family) performs at The Pinhook
with The Human Eyes on Wednesday, August 13

Last week's ridiculously packed show lineup proved a few things about the North Carolina music scene, not only did it showcase the diversity on display throughout the area, but the camaraderie as well. Spider Bags and Flesh Wounds are two local acts with a largely similar fan base, so having their own release shows fall onto the same night in two separate towns could have been a huge debacle. Instead both artists were donning shirts from their garage rock cohorts and each night went off without a hitch, packed out venues filled with adoring fans shouting along. My last minute decision to check out the ineffable Flesh Wounds/Paint Fumes combo was a fantastic call and an excellent introduction to the Cat's Cradle Backroom. But now we've got another week filled with more locally and national touring goodness all over the Triangle.

1. Dana Buoy w/ The Human Eyes at The Pinhook
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Admission: $8 (Purchase tickets here)
Fans of Sylvan Esso, the local act that's undergone a meteoric rise in 2014, will most likely be quite enamored by the sounds of Dana Buoy. Perhaps that's why the two have a tour lined up for the rest of the month (which kicks off on the 14th at Asheville's Mothlight). Oh, and it's probably notable to mention that Dana Buoy is the project of Dana Janssen, multi-instrumentalist and drummer of Akron/Family. So naturally, Dana Buoy brings together the tantalizing rhythms and enchanting melodies that one would expect from a member of Akron/Family, but it's all funneled through a sleek electro-pop wash. Buoy will be the perfect fit for local dream-pop standouts The Human Eyes, who coincidentally enough opened for Sylvan Esso's album release show. If their set back in May at Cat's Cradle was any indication, then their set on Wednesday will feature tons of incredible and energetic new material that we'll hopefully have a release date for later this year. Such a wonderfully cohesive combination of nationally and locally touring acts rarely comes together so smoothly, and it'll make a phenomenal mid-week pickup as well.

2. Local Band Local Beer w/ Lonnie Walker, See Gulls and Wild Fur at Tir Na Nog
Thursday, Aug. 14
Admission: FREE
When there's a free weekly event, it's really hard to be picky about lineups. On good nights you can check out a few impressive acts, maybe even one of your favorite locals every month or so. However, lineups like this don't come around very often, so I'd imagine that Tir Na Nog will be shoulder to shoulder throughout most of the evening for this powerhouse of a lineup. Lonnie Walker has gone from a regular local staple to an act that feels like a real treat to see out and about. With their upcoming main stage show at Hopscotch in a few weeks, I'd imagine the band will be performing a wide array of new material for the increasingly intoxicated folks at Tir Na Nog. Lonnie Walker alone is reason enough to check this free event out, their bizarre take on Americana-rock is tinged with a country twang and a Byrnian (that's now a word) blend of self-loathing and cynicism, but the lineup also features two of the most exciting local acts opening the evening. See Gulls is a female-centric group of garage rockers that come from a handful of highly esteemed locals. Sarah Fuller of The Big Picture takes over the core lyricism while Maria Albani of Schooner/Organos takes over drums while Leah Gibson of Lost in the Trees and Duncan Webster of Hammer No More The Fingers take over on guitar and bass respectively. Wild Fur kicks off the evening, another local supergroup of sorts that combines Nick Jaeger and Wylie Hunter's songwriting talents via an invigorating take on rootsy yet electronically driven tunes.

3. King Mez w/ Nance, Clevon Don, Well$ & Keaton at Lincoln Theatre
Tuesday, Aug. 12
Admission: $15 in advance/$18 at the door (Purchase tickets here)
While North Carolina gets the most attention for our constantly evolving indie rock scene, there's a whole lot to love about our local hip-hop acts as well. Folks like King Mez have been slowly but surely building up their repertoire, with a handful of mixtapes under his belt his most recent release Long Live The King has garnered unprecedented levels of national acclaim. Mez has an acrobatic sense of melody, his lyrics are as personal as they are punchline-y and perfectly tow the line between a party-starting vibe and introspective headphone music. Mez's opening acts are nothing to look over as well, Well$ is a Charlotte based emcee that's been following a similar trajectory to Mez, he's building up his local roots with continued shows and releases while his talents gain national attention as well. Mez's Raleigh shows feel few and far between now, so getting to see him at what's sure to be a packed-out Lincoln Theatre with a whole slew of talented artists on the lineup is a chance that you won't get too often.

4. Wildcat! Wildcat! w/ Marley Carroll at Local 506
Friday, Aug. 15
Admission: $10 (Purchase tickets here)
I've made few attempts at hiding my musical affinity towards Marley Carroll, he's become one of my favorite producers amidst a sea of IDM-leaning artists. Carroll is one of the genre's most versatile artists and his live set-up is something that fans of all genres can truly enjoy. Carroll has an immersive live show that blends mixing, scratching, analog synth-play and dreamy vocals to make an alluring display of talents. Wildcat! Wildcat! on the other hand is like the perfect Yin to Carroll's Yang. While Carroll is a DJ that's leapt into the indie-pop world, Wildcat! Wildcat!'s tunes are firmly rooted in standard pop sentiments while their soundscapes delve into intricately arranged electronics. It's refreshing to see the two teaming up together for a tour because they're brilliant counterpoints to one another and display the finer aspects of each genre while maintaining a comfortable middle ground for each artist's fans. If you're in the mood for a dancey, beat-driven Friday night then Local 506 is the place to be this weekend.

5. Miniature Tigers w/ The Griswolds & Finish Ticket at Cat's Cradle Backroom
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Admission: $12 in advance/$14 at the door (Purchase tickets here)
So maybe dancey electronic tunes and heady dream-pop isn't your thing. If so, I'm not quite sure why but I'll pretend to not silently judge you over here. If Dana Buoy isn't in the cards for you, or perhaps you just don't want to make the drive to Durham on a Wednesday night, then Cat's Cradle Backroom has one of the most agreeable lineups of the week. Miniature Tigers are a fairly middle of the road indie pop band that has some incredibly catchy tunes, and now that they've got a hefty amount of albums under their belt there's sure to be plenty of tracks that catch your ear throughout the evening.