Show Review: Denzel Curry & Deniro Farrar at The Cat's Cradle Backroom

Deniro Farrar at the Cat's Cradle Backroom

This was the second night in a row in which I was at the Cat's Cradle, however, this time I was going to the Backroom. When I first entered the venue, they were mixing LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean" with A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation". I knew the night was going to be very interesting after delving into their pre-show playlist.

Opening the show were Greensboro rappers, Big Whiskey and Pscril. Without a DJ to mix their music, BW was left to play their music off his laptop. Regardless of the DJ situation, BW and Pscril sufficiently warmed up the crowd with some of great tracks such as "Hideaway" featuring Chapel Hill rapper Skyblew, "The Man of my City" featuring Spanish Harlem rapper Dave East, and Pscril's self-produced track, "Keep Strivin'". They ended the night with an awesome track called "Scottie Pippen", which got the crowd jumping and moshing. You can check out both rappers catalog of banger tracks on Big Whiskey's YouTube channel and Pscril's SoundCloud page.

Unfortunately, the next act, Body Games, was unable to make it due to "logistics beyond [their] control." I had first seen this Carrboro group perform at Kennedy Theatre during the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh. At their show back in September, they were joined on stage by Charlotte rapper, Well$, who was the act that followed Big Whiskey and Pscril. I was not too familiar with his raps, but he drew a pretty good crowd for his set. Well$ did some acapella raps in the middle of his set, which is always impressive. At the end of his set, he told the crowd to come see him at the merch table by saying "Come talk to me, I swear I'm not awkward."

Well$ left the stage soon after I finished my second Pabst, and the atmosphere in the Cat's Cradle Backroom was getting quite 'turnt'. Flat brim hats, basketball jerseys, and saggy skinny jeans were abound in this young crowd. Lana Del Rey was playing in the background as I ascended the stairs to the upper level to get a better view of the primary acts. Gazing down at the sound guy, Deniro Farrar's manager Meko was using his phone to illuminate the setlist (SCORE!). DuRu Tha King was up next followed by JK the Reaper, and closing the night was Denzel Curry with a 40 minute set and Deniro Farrar with a 45 minute set. As I was leaning over the railing, I looked to my left and caught a glimpse of Deniro Farrar and his crew hanging out in the green room.

A few minutes later, DJ Trap hit the stage to warm up the crowd with some of his beats. He is Deniro Farrar's road DJ and enjoys playing some EDM-rap fusion. When he dropped tracks at Kennedy Theatre, they fell on deaf ears, as the crowd was fairly empty as most had been drawn to The War on Drugs show. However, he dropped several tracks that had a dubstep / brostep vibe that got the crowd jumping and moshing again.

DuRu Tha King came out to a warmed up crowd, and started dropping his own tracks. There were a few tracks that stood out above all else, one of which was "Smoked Out". You could smell a hint of ganja in the air. He ended his set with a track he played with Deniro Farrar at Hopscotch, "Social Status", however, this time it was sans-Farrar. Check out DuRu Tha King's 12-track mixtape Indoor Plus + on his DJ Booth page.

JK the Reaper, another Greensboro native, followed DuRu's set with his own DJ, Posh Shabbat (who also DJs for Denzel Curry). He had some serious sound issues, with some truly horrible reverb. One girl shouted "Don't let that get you down!" and others started a "JK" chant. The one line that stuck with me was "I feel like the rarest Yugioh card". The energy in the Backroom was palpable, as you see many locals dap each other and other friendly gestures. From atop by perch, I had a full view of all the different social groups and cliques in the venue, and overall, the crowd was VERY diverse. Before JK The Reaper's set ended, Denzel Curry came out on stage in his Xanax hoodie and started with one of his biggest tracks, "Parents".

Soon after hitting the stage with his backwards Darth Vader mask, he took off his Xanax hoodie to reveal a Stankonia shirt (major props). Many times during his set, Denzel would climb up on the leftmost speaker and eat bars like a pill-head. Halfway through Denzel's set, he picked two guys from the front row and split the crowd in two. He then instructed that the two lucky guys were the 'leaders' of the left and rights sides of the crowd, respectively. Once the beat dropped, the crowd went WILD and started moshing! I took a video of it, but it did no justice to truly express the insanity that was unfolding a few feet below the balcony, as people were getting knocked around, hitting the floor, pushing and shoving. Denzel closed his set with his biggest hit, "Threats", which is one of his trappiest bangers. Trap arms and bow-flexing soon followed.

DJ Trap came back out a few minutes after Denzel Curry's set came to a close and started dropping more of his EDM/Rap fusion tracks. The 'VIP' balcony next to me emptied out, which signaled the start of Deniro Farrar's set. His crew came out on stage first, but were quickly followed by the Charlotte-native, Dante Farrar a.k.a Deniro Farrar. He brought the bangers out first, with tracks such as the Ryan Hemsworth produced track "Big Tookie" and "Kill Your Idols". Much like his set during Thursday's Hopscotch lineup, he performed an acapella version of "Days Go By". His next track, "Fears", uses a slowed down version of Schoolboy Q's "Man of the Year", which got the crowd absolutely HYPE. Deniro commanded the crowd to wave "left, right, left, right". Deniro started handing out water bottles to the front row and said "Gotta keep you kids hydrated". After finishing one of his more recent releases, "Rebirth", Denzel Curry ran back out on stage! Deniro and Denzel closed out the night with their collaborative tracks "Bow Down" and "Feel Like That". These two young rappers have just blown up in the past year and just finished up the last stop of their Bow Down Tour, so expect some new collaborative work from them sooner rather than later.

Show Review: The War on Drugs w/ Peter Matthew Bauer

The War on Drugs performed at Haw River Ballroom on
Friday, October 17

The night started out slow. Familiar for Haw River Ballroom. Long walk from the car to the door, grab a beer past the entrance, decent crowd, not too many yet we’re too far from all the major cities. Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why. Peter Matthew Bauer started the occasion. I expected a lot of Bauer—something gentle and soothing as compared to his prior sounds with The Walkmen. I had heard he’d been studying astrology, offering readings on his website for 150 a pop, the older rock star finding peace and I was excited to see how his live set would reverberate his experience.

Bauer had a 50’s vibe, surf rock mixed with indie pop and just the slightest dash of psych rock. For me it all clicked with his track “I was born in an Ashram.” Bauer has never been a vocalist; in this track I started to see whats been on his mind all those bass-thumping years. As he chanted with band in tow “let’s leave it behind, the future is ours, let’s leave it behind, all that we say, let’s leave it behind, nothing’s illusion.” I heard the triumphant dirge of a rock star bent on striking his own chord, forming a band whose frontman would sing the songs he had been holding inside. Bauer didn’t disappoint. By the time his set was winding up, the room was full of people eager to defy Kozelek and get to a The War on Drugs show. Bauer had set the room up right. Beers flowed, old friends embraced, the haw river’s characteristic “thrills” signed pointed to a stage that promised we’d see something between psych rock and indie pop hit the stage in 1!5, maybe 20 minutes.

What to say about seeing The War on Drugs. As a wise man once said, “If you can do a half- assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind.” The War on Drugs offered up tunes, but it wasn’t my favorite show (or second favorite show) that I’d seen that week. There was no consensus among the crowd. Seemingly half-hearted woo’s sounded periodically, signifying that one song had ended and another would no doubt soon begin. Some of the people around me would leave, allowing others to shuffle forward. I myself left before the encore, by the time they played "Red Eye," third or fourth song, a characteristic hit, I felt like I had gotten a sense of the whole show I would see from then on.

I may be drunk on our local music scene, starving for each show to radiate an intensity of wonder, musicians amazed at the supportive scene they play to here in Central NC. For this reviewer, The War on Drugs lacked this intensity. Not to say they were bad, they certainly weren’t. The instruments played were played well, the band’s sound was cohesive. It was that I had come expectant of a psych rock show—a genre quite open for interpretation and my personal favorite. I had heard The War on Drugs associated with the sounds of bands like Woods, Spiritualized, The Beta Band, etc. By the time they hit "Red Eye," I was losing interest in the live show which offered very rehearsed performances of studio tracks. The drum beats were kept simple, the instrumental breaks and guitar solos were played exactly similar to studio recordings. If that’s your type of thing, I would highly recommend a The War on Drugs show. If it’s not, the show may still be worth checking out, you’ll hear familiar songs and be able to put faces and movements to a sound, but it won’t be the best show you see that week.

-Joe Wright

Show Review: Shakori Hills Fall 2014

Paperhand Puppet Intervention Harvest Parade

Every festival one attends has the capacity of becoming a learning experience. Many learn their limits, like how much music you can fit into one day or how many tacos you can eat in one sitting. Many learn how willing they are to stand in the middle of a rain storm to see a band they've never heard of, but for some reason strangely connect with at this point in time. But most importantly a lot of folks learn how to let go of the little things, kick off your shoes and run around in the mud, and soak in the joys of humanity. Shakori Hills is a festival that celebrates all things good in life, music, friends, family, arts and crafts, food, beer, diversity. Really the list goes on. From all around the country folks travel to this 74-acre farm that becomes a temporary mecca for people from all walks of life. Walk around the woods in the middle of the day and you're liable to find a man with peppered grey hair and a braided beard discussing music, life and everything in between with a group of drunken twenty-somethings covered in dirt. Take another turn in the same woods and you can find a couple making french toast for any festivalgoer that's willing to sing them a song. It's a place where everyone feels at home, everyone feels like family and most importantly, everyone can get down.

Whether you spent your days on a back and forth dash between tents, posted up in a lawn chair in the middle of a field, or huddled up in your campsite recovering from the night before, you've got memories and experiences you'll likely cherish for the rest of your life. Getting the chance to see members of Lost in the Trees, Loamlands, Sylvan Esso and Butterflies on stage all at once leading a massive singalong to Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long," is something that will always stick with me. I got to watch a fur-coat clad Jonny Tunnel lead a trap-fueled dance party inside of the same tent that I saw Frank Fairfield performing hundred year old songs with a fiddle and banjo in tow. Shakori Hills provides an opportunity for people to get out of their comfort zone and listen to something they may not have heard before or befriend a stranger because you obviously enjoy the same music. It's a place where you can gladly fit fifteen people underneath an E-Z UP because it may or may not be hailing, but that doesn't matter because you'll likely be seeing music in another half hour anyways.

Loamlands

This isn't particularly a very conventional festival review, but Shakori isn't really a conventional festival either. Sure there's plenty of absolutely incredible acts that performed throughout the festival's four stages throughout the weekend. Lobo Marino put on a riveting performance at Carsons Grove that blended enchanting instrumentation with passionate, soul-shaking vocals. Lowland Hum somehow made a stomp box feel like a cannonball as they punctuated their heartfelt tunes with brisk, sharp knocks on the wood beneath their feet. Laura Reed put on an R&B clinic, from the moment she began her soundcheck to the end of her star-studded set that featured members of Chit Nasty Band, Saints Apollo, The Beast and more, she had the crowd dancing and shouting along to every song in a joyous fashion. Dark Water Rising, as always, kicked the early afternoon on Saturday into high gear. The band started out with their anthemic song "Love Me" one that always draws folks in thanks to Charly Lowry's soaring vocals and unforgettable melodies. By the time you sprint out of the woods to see what's going on you can see people bouncing around in a field with drinks, hoops and smiles aplenty. Fans drew in close and the show continued to connect with more and more people as the crowd gradually grew. Of course after Dark Water Rising came another one of the festival's highlights, the puppet parade. Lead by an ensemble of local musicians with horns and drums and batons, a seemingly endless line of children, teens and adults alike don absurd masks and carry towering puppets throughout the festival grounds in one of the zaniest yet enjoyable parades I've ever seen. That led into another gorgeous main stage performance from Swear & Shake with absolutely perfect weather conditions.

So obviously there was a lot to love musically about Shakori, but that's only what brings everyone onto the campgrounds. But don't get me wrong the lineup is continually stellar, it features some of the most impressive musicians I see throughout each year of shows. But it's not the lineup that keeps people coming back to this festival tucked away in Chatham County, it's the people. It's the sights and sounds and smells. It's the memories you've made and the ones in progress. It's the experience of shedding yourself of your real world problems, putting life on pause, and simply getting back to your roots. And it's the duck tots. Always the duck tots.

Show Review: Slow Magic w/ Kodak to Graph & Daktyl

Slow Magic at Kings on Sept. 21

Electronic shows can really be a crapshoot sometimes, especially if you haven't checked in on the artist and researched what their live set-up is. It's really easy to end up seeing a handful of dudes in backwards fitted caps slamming pads and spinning knobs on an MPD for about twenty minutes, and frankly after three sets of that you're kind of done for the evening. But what took place at Kings was far from that, it was one of the most engaging and exciting performances I've seen in quite some time. While Daktyl and Kodak to Graph had markedly similar styles, and Daktyl may have fallen a little bit into the first category, there was enough versatility throughout the night's performances to keep things exciting until the main event of the evening came around.

Daktyl started things off with a set filled with crunching bass lines, jittering synths and dreamy yet disjointed vocal samples turned into syncopated rhythms. It was a set built on quick build-ups and even swifter breakdowns, there was bukus of noise sweeps and bass drops, but it felt natural rather than formulaic and expected. With releases set in the near future for Mad Decent and some obvious talent under his belt, I'm excited to hear more from Daktyl as he evolves as an artist. There's some exciting possibilities that lie beneath these danceable tracks, hopefully he's willing to dig deeper into the rabbit hole to really define his style amidst a sea of Mad Decent-hopefuls.

Kodak to Graph at Kings on Sept. 21

The evening got gradually more exciting as the subsequent artists took the stage. As Kodak to Graph's stage began to get set-up I pretty much knew I was going to dig this set. His table was packed in with a laptop, multi-colored beat pads and an analog synth that was all facing towards the crowd for some reason. I'm not quite sure as to whether this was done for aesthetic reasons or for ease of playability, but regardless it got my attention. Kodak to Graph was emanating some heavy house vibes while still making sure he didn't fall with into the new "deep-house" trends. Most of the set bounced between bass-laden tracks that were driven by either ambient vocals that were chopped into rhythmic patterns or hip-hop vocal samples utilized as percussive flair and bridges into heavy bass grooves.


Kodak to Graph had an entertaining set, but nothing was going to top the energy that Slow Magic brought to the stage. I'm very glad I didn't come into this show with expectations for what was about to happen, frankly I thought I'd be taking it easy for this show, maybe sitting in the corner and soaking it all in. I was doing a pretty good job of following that plan until I saw the Slow Magic set-up and then I immediately posted up in front of the stage. Driven by two large toms and a mixture of loops and live mixing, Slow Magic put on one of the most engaging and awe-inspiring electronic sets I've seen in quite some time. Many times acts like these are marked by their impressive lights show or their gimmicky set-ups, but Slow Magic seems to do it for all of the right reasons. Shortly into the set he raised a drum high above his head, hopped into the crowd, and lead the crowd in a tightly packed burst of dance to his tribal beats and poppy production. Shortly after that he was high-fiving members of the crowd, letting the front row contribute to his percussion pads and even had members of the crowd toying with the remote that controlled his light show. It was less of a passive viewing experience and more of an immersive event that everyone felt a part of, which is a massive feat for an artist like this. The tracks were all incredible, the live drumming was nothing short of compelling, and ultimately proved to be a phenomenal way to end what could have been a very blasé show. Kudos to this remarkable showman for putting on the show he does, he's won this writer over as a massive fan.

Show Review: Hopscotch Music Festival 2014

St. Vincent at City Plaza

I feel like every Hopscotch has just gotten better and better. Each year the lineup finds a new way to break down barriers, to pack in artists of every genre imaginable for one loaded, sometimes spastic three-day marathon of music (or four if you're some showzilla who knows no limits.) 2014, surely enough proved to be my favorite Hopscotch yet thanks to the all of its eccentricities and unforgettable performances. Though this is the first year I was unable to attend the Thursday and Friday day parties, there was still tons of music packed into that brief weekend that we all yearn so long for. Between the prodigal return of Lonnie Walker, T0W3RS' exhilarating full-band debut, and Valient Thorr bringing that Venus weirdness to City Plaza, there was plenty of local love going around downtown Raleigh. Regional acts were some of the most exciting of the festival, but that didn't stop folks like Lunice, Jamie XX, Ava Luna and others from bringing their 'A' game to this nationally acclaimed event.

Thursday

De La Soul at City Plaza
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Things started off late for me on Thursday as I showed up towards the end of an excellent display of showmanship from Toon & The Real Laww. This Durham based duo garners quite a few OutKast comparisons with their lyrical wit and brilliant, charismatic interplay. Throw in their stellar crowd participation antics and you've got one hell of a kick-off to this four-day festival. Things were immediately followed up by the hip-hop visionaries De La Soul, a set that even had the photographers in the pit dancing along with their cameras hanging down. While the evening got off to a hip-hop oriented start, I took off from City Plaza around twenty minutes in to catch the brilliant acts at Kennedy Theater. Body Games brought the venue to capacity as fans were entranced by Adam Graetz's mind-bending visuals. Last year they had one of the weekend's most memorable moments with a Michael Jackson cover, and surely enough they raised the bar once again this year with a "Kiss From A Rose" cover that everybody pretending like they knew the words to the verses. After Body Games came Marley Carroll, the Asheville-based producer with a knack for engaging yet trancey electronic sets. Carroll perfectly blends four on the floor house beats with spacey fills, turntable scratches and serene vocals. It was difficult to pull myself away from the dance marathon, but it's also important to take in some low-energy stuff throughout the weekend as well. Thus, it was next door to Fletcher to check out IIII, the drum-circle marathon that started out strong and ended up droning on.

The drum circle was rooted with an electronic drone that was gradually engulfed by the slew of drummers circled around the stage. It was a nice pause to sit down and mindlessly enjoy some instrumental music, but I'd hardly call it one of the weekend's highlights. It was a nice break regardless, and gave me everything I needed to soak in Deniro Farrar and Lunice with every ounce of energy possible. Deniro played to a small crowd, but you'd never know by the energy and showmanship that he displayed throughout the evening. Rapping about pampers while staring lanky photographers in the eyes, spitting out profanity laced statements that proclaim himself the king of cult rap. Frankly I wasn't expecting to enjoy this show as much as I did, but it was emanating heavy Danny Brown vibes, Farrar has a keen stage presence and knows how to get a crowd involved with his set. Regardless of whether he was simply sharing his brothers music or baring his soul on the mic, he's a man that knows how to get the people going. Farrar was also the perfect segway into Lunice, the early 20s trap wunderkind. Lunice provided a set filled with originals and remixes that ranged from a handful of Kanye West tracks to Future, mostly sticking to heavy rap throughout the night. While that made the pacing a bit difficult for those of us that danced throughout the whole set, it's one hell of a way to end an evening. Lunice had another surprisingly small set, but once folks planted themselves inside of Kennedy they stayed through the duration. A small pack of dedicated fans beats a crowd full of bored concertgoers any day.

Friday

Spoon at City Plaza

City Plaza once again kicked off the night's festivities and provided for some truly surreal moments. Getting the chance to see brand new Lonnie Walker tunes amidst a sea of thousands is something that fills folks like me with an immense amount of joy. I got into local music in late 2008 and Lonnie Walker were the kings of the scene, pounding out show after show of high-energy singalongs that struck your core as much as your sense of rhythm. While their newer tracks are a bit more subdued, they're just as powerful as the fan-favorites, making for an incredible comeback show for this high-profile local favorite. While the transition from hopped up, twangy indie rock into the art-rock auteur St. Vincent was a bit shaky, Annie Clark's guitar mastery more than made up for it. While I'm a huge St. Vincent fan the set felt a bit impersonal, perhaps it's the wide-open spaces of City Plaza or maybe it's the choreographed stage antics, either way the content was still precisely on-point. Fans of St. Vincent sang along in unison to favorites from her latest self-titled record, Strange Mercy and some deep older cuts as well. After what felt like a brief St. Vincent set, Spoon took the stage as the crowd was at its peak. Going into this kind of blase was the best thing I could have done, because Spoon frankly surprised the hell out of me with not only their live energy and performance but also by their songwriting. I've moved a bit past the straight-forward indie rock that they showcase but I'll be damned if they don't do it well. I left about a half-hour into the set though to trot over to The Pour House for one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend.

Dark Rooms at Tir Na Nog

Crowdsource kicked off my night of venue shows and proved to be one hell of a way to start the night's marathon. Blending sprawling midi-arrangements with pounding rhythms and stunning visuals, Crowdsource's crowd grew swiftly throughout the set and compelled all in attendance to get some dancing on. I ducked out early to head across the block for Enemy Waves, mostly because heavy psych-rock in a church is so Hopscotch it hurts. Seeing sax-lead psychedelic jams inside of a gorgeous church hall is something you can really only experience at a festival as unique as Hopscotch. It's one of the perfect examples of a show that seems to be totally bizarre on paper but brilliant once you step foot in the door. After a bit of jammage it was off to check out Celestial Shore at Fletcher, a set that was exactly as perfect as I'd imagined. Expansive indie-pop just works inside of this opera hall and made me yearn for more shows at such a gorgeously built venue. The acoustic lent itself to Celestial Shore's reverb-washed style and made for an excellent chill set to refresh your energy at. From there it was off to Tir Na Nog for Dark Rooms, arguably one of my favorite sets of the weekend. This was an invigorating set that blended dream-inducing violin lines and Daniel Hart's earnest, evocative brand of songwriting with some melodically focused indie rock. While I only caught the first four or five songs, it was a set that relied heavily on ambition and it paid off immensely, as their gorgeous harmonies and unique arrangements stuck with me throughout the weekend. I darted off from here to check out Mas Ysa, but sadly enough I almost immediately left as I simply couldn't get down to what I was so excited to see.

After a trek out to CAM, I decided (poorly) to see what was going on with Sun Kil Moon at the Lincoln. Apparently I walked in shortly after those fuckin' hillbillies got berated because the crowd was sparse and the vibe was all kinds of odd. I took that as my cue to check out what else was happening around town. I walked in for the last moments of Purling Hiss then booked it over to CAM to catch as much of NGUZUNGUZU as I could. After vibing for a while to their skittering remixes, I decided to check out the greatly hyped Clipping. over at The Pour House to end my evening, and man was that a great call. Jarring beats with a surprisingly smooth flow lead the sizable Pour House crowd to jumping, bobbing and swaying their way through the evening.

Saturday

Valient Thorr at City Plaza

The first full festival day for me was also of course the last festival day. Things got kicked off early with some delicious brunch from Fiction Kitchen and a few sets over at Legends. Family Bike, a new project from Karl Kuehn of Museum Mouth, stood out amongst the early sets but shortly after that it was time to post up at Trekky's day party for a bit. I walked in to see Hi Ho Silver Oh in the middle of their full band set, and frankly it was one of the best sets I saw all weekend. Last year I was floored by a stripped down set from Casey Trela, but finally seeing the full band experience got me totally sold. Their cover of Tom Petty's "Time To Get Going" was without a doubt the most beautiful track I heard all weekend, a sparse arrangement of a classic tune that ends in a subdued singalong. The rest of the day was great, including some great sets from Celestial Shore, Phil Cook and Caitlin Rose and a rooftop view of Lonnie Walker at Slim's, but Hi Ho Silver Oh definitely won the day parties for me. Things swiftly changed direction though once City Plaza started and the metal fans poured in in bunches. It was one of the most unique crowds I've ever seen at Hopscotch and it was fucking excellent. Valient Thorr has become one of my favorite bands to see live because they're just such excellent showmen. I'm not really the type to sit around and listen to them in my house, but I'll be damned if I won't throw my fist in the air when prompted by some dude from Venus. Death and Mastodon were equally impressive, but really when you've got Valient Thorr opening it's hard to live up to that kind of energy.

T0W3RS at The Pour House

As quickly as I fell into the metal hole I came back out to check out the highly touted set from See Gulls at Deep South. It was one in one out and packed wall to wall, which is always a fantastic feeling when you're checking out a swiftly rising local act. I'm sure the NPR coverage didn't hurt in terms of attendance either. See Gulls' gritty garage pop was an excellent way to transition into Y'ALL, a band featuring various regional musicians producing some pretty simplistic but interesting pop-leaning indie rock. After that I surprisingly decided to forgo the soft folk at Fletcher and rock out to some orchestral metal from Subrosa. I was surprised at how in to this band I was, but I feel that for my level of intoxication I shouldn't be too surprised. My drunken self did make a pretty excellent call though in foregoing a trip out to CAM to check out How To Dress Well (which I'd have positively balked at if you'd told me a week ago), to check out Ava Luna and T0W3RS at Tir Na Nog and The Pour House. T0W3RS put on hands down the most elaborate, engaging and all-around incredible performances of this year's Hopscotch. T0W3RS has kind of grown into the Hopscotch band for me, really. It started with a shoulder to shoulder day party at The Hive, grew into a psych-rock excursion at CAM and has ended up at electronically oriented indie pop mastery. Whether T0W3RS was cranking out the brilliant tracks from the forthcoming album TL;DR or pulling out Don Henley covers (seriously though, "Boys of Summer" was the last thing I'd have expected from this Hopscotch), the band was giving it 100% the entire time. Plus some of the most talented artists in the Triangle were rotating around the stage to provide support for what is already an impressive one-man show. So getting to see the T0W3RS experience as it should be was easily the most enjoyable aspects of this year's Hopscotch.

Jamie XX at CAM

Ending the night at Jamie XX though. I feel as if I need to type out a moment of journalistic silence in appreciation for how incredibly arranged that set was. Mastering the push and pull of energy, Jamie XX's pacing allowed fans to lose themselves in the melody or dance until they fall out. Frankly there was a good bit of both. Roaming throughout the venue one could find dance circles, crowd surfers, bathroom pot smokers and pretty much every type of person you could imagine just jamming out and enjoying the music. It was the perfect way to end this year's festivities. With us all under one roof raving.

Show Review: Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival

Drumstrong's 24-Hour Drum Circle Kick-Off

It takes a lot for a music festival to come together, especially one of a multi-day magnitude. The lineup has to be just right, the pacing has to match the tone of the weekend, the promotion has to do its job, the festival grounds should be welcoming and easy on the eyes...you get the picture. It may seem to be as easy as throwing a stage and a handful of bands together, but it's far from that. Drumstrong knows that, they've held their day-long event for years on end now, but the 2014 installation marks the first expanded year of the event. From Friday to Sunday the Misty Meadows Farm was home to dozens of incredible acts from both locally and nationally acclaimed artists, fans gradually poured in throughout the weekend and by the end of the event it had evolved into a drum-fueled bonanza of brilliant music for an excellent cause. But the best laid plans don't always make for the best events, while Drumstrong boasted a mighty impressive lineup it seems like the festival is still getting its jitters out.

Junior Astronomers

It's hard to put a finger on what felt so out of place throughout the weekend, maybe it was the $900,000 homes across the street from the pseudo-hippy festival, maybe it was the stringent searches upon entry or perhaps it was the hard festival set limits that left acts like Marley Carroll cramming their tunes into a half-hour slot. Either way, something felt a bit off about the three-day event that persisted throughout the weekend. Upon arrival on Friday evening the farmlands seemed bare, with thirty or so people standing around haphazardly swaying to the music. However, once Junior Astronomers took the stage things gradually came to life. The boisterous post-punk crew played an even mix of newer tracks from their debut full-length Dead Nostalgia and a few from their previous EPs. Festivalgoers were somehow hooping along to the jaunty rhythms while others bounced along and shouted along to Terence Richard's throaty melodies. The night mostly followed fairly cohesive order as the more melodic but sonically similar Charlotte crew of HRVRD took the stage. Miami Dice served as a bridge between the rhythmic, melody-driven punk and the dance-based acts of the evening. Miami Dice came with stage dancers in tow, but at this point of the night it felt like the crowd had kind of clocked out. A handful of folks would rush to the barriers to grab the free PBR hats thrown out throughout the weekend, but most would swiftly retreat back to their lawn chairs or the beer garden near the stage after that. When I saw roughly twenty people slowly crowding in for the evening's headliner Marley Carroll, I questioned the vibe we'd have throughout the rest of the weekend. The sound guy got cranky and the set started around 20 minutes later than anticipated, resulting in a truncated set from the incredibly impressive Asheville-based producer. Regardless of time constraints or disappointing turnouts, Carroll was hamming it up as he remixed his dazzling productions.

Marley Carroll

Friday was an odd kick-off to say the least, and as I arrived to the farm late Saturday morning I wasn't feeling much more optimistic. A small crowd gathered near the stage for Bombadil while others were dispersed throughout the farmlands at picnic tables and community painted walls. However, as the day went on the crowd grew in numbers to the point where things finally started to get a bit more of a communal vibe. Triangle favorites like The Love Language and Lost in the Trees played sets filled with fan favorites for those that baked in the sun for their stunning sets. Halfway through the afternoon The Mantras took the stage and seemingly turned on the excitement for those in attendance. Jam-bands are frankly not my thing, but the Weddington crowd seemed enamored by the band. As a matter of fact more folks seemed to be at the festival just to see the evenings main draw Railroad Earth than any other act of the weekend. The afternoon took a rootsy turn as Futurebirds took the stage and the dusty vibes continued throughout local favorites American Aquarium and Chatham County Line. I knew Saturday would be the easy highlight of the weekend, and obviously the other attendees did as well. By the time Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers took the stage, the crowd was packing in tight and gradually building in excitement. Things took a downward turn for those that don't dig the jam-vibes after the Felice Brothers though. Railroad Earth brought their contemporary twist on bluegrass with blend of expansive tunes that border between traditionalism and jam-based. Yo Moma's Big Fat Booty Band is where I drew the line though. While I love checking out new music, especially acts steeped in the funk, I'd had enough noodling for the evening and trekked back to the hotel for the evening.

The Felice Brothers

Sunday as a whole proved to be a nice low-key closing for this unique festival. Few acts on the lineup were of huge interest to me, so the crew trekked to IKEA to kill some time throughout the late morning hours. It was arguably the best and worst decision I made all weekend. However, acts like Elonzo, The New Familiars, Overmountain Men and Dom Flemons made the day all worthwhile. Sunday's bill was a bit indicative of the entire festival, there's some truly impressive acts peppered in with some that I could really do without seeing. Overall though the music throughout the weekend was pretty great, but to quote the great Kanye West..."the vibe is wrong." A three-day camping festival that's held in a city with the 3rd highest median income of North Carolina just feels odd. I literally had an event staff member tell me that "I looked out of place" as I came in amidst the sea of Range Rover driving teenagers and croakie-wearing attendees. Folks were double-taking at the VIP wristbands the press had, a few aggressively stopped and grabbed at us to make sure we were actually VIPs, and all in all the short set times made the flow of the festival feel a bit too disjointed.

But don't get me wrong, Drumstrong serves an excellent purpose and they brought a lot of excellent music to some folks that probably weren't familiar with them at all. It's an incredibly affordable festival that benefits cancer organizations, but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as the other festivals I've attended. There were no random festi-friends made, people weren't as outgoing and carefree as events like Shakori and the rules were rather extensive on the grounds. Regardless, the festival holds bukus of potential and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

Show Review: Ava Luna w/ Krill & Blanko Basnet

Ava Luna performs at The Pinhook

Last Wednesday night The Pinhook was home to a wonderfully eclectic mixture of bands. Some of the most enjoyable lineups are the ones that you don't quite think would mesh well together, but once you get to the show it all doesn't seem to matter anymore. There's a sense of spontaneity that keeps the night exciting, and that's exactly what happened in Durham on Wednesday night. Ava Luna and Krill were wrapping up their SXSW run and making their way back up north, which as a southerner that doesn't get to trek down to South-by is always a joyous time. The two acts teamed up with Blanko Basnet, a group that's become a go-to opener for buzz bands like these, and brought one hellaciously fun show to an intimate Pinhook crowd.

The evening kicked off with Blanko Basnet and a set that was filled with roving guitar licks and infectious choruses. Joe Hall's vocal melodies display a staggering sense of dynamic shifts, one minute you're hooked on the buoyant verses then the song upheaves its pre-set structure and shifts into swiftly changing chords, brisk drum beats and some subtle harmonies. Blanko Basnet played some of the standouts from their debut full length that was released last summer and threw in a new track as well, which makes me excited to know that Blanko won't just be a one-off side-project from this Hammer No More The Fingers guitarist.

Krill performs at The Pinhook

Blanko made for a smooth transition into the indie-punk leaning power-trio of Krill. Despite a set mired technical difficulties with their microphone, Krill rolled right along with it, even joking that "it wouldn't be a Krill set if something didn't mess up." But the band never lost their footing, blasting through short songs filled with heavily distorted guitar, throaty shouts and tight drum beats that drove these songs along with a headstrong sense of determination. While Blanko's brand of indie rock eased the crowd into the evening, Krill thrusted their sounds upon the crowd with the ferocity of a punk act but the smooth sensibilities of a pop-rock group. Krill's romping sense of intensity was anchored by vocalist Jonah Furman's swiftly spat vocals, tying together the entire aesthetic of this Boston-based indie punk crew.

While the openers of the evening proved to be an exciting combination of two different ends of the indie-rock spectrum, Ava Luna took the night up to the next level. Sure this self-described "nervous soul" act displays a bit of punk-rock influence in their spastic rhythmic tendencies, but most of Ava Luna's songs are firmly rooted in a far weirder territory than the previous acts. Ava Luna is defined by their eccentricity, whether vocalist Carlos Hernandez is belting out his frenetic shouts or Becca Kaufman and Felicia Douglas are smoothly crooning their way into the listener's hearts, you're guaranteed an entertaining performance. With equal parts R&B and peculiar art-rock, Ava Luna played through some of Electric Balloon's standout tracks like "Daydream," "PRPL," and "Sears Roebuck M&Ms" while tossing in some of the best tracks from their debut Ice Levels. Their set felt like an anomalous blend of the quirk and tenacity of Talking Heads and the vocal prowess of Dirty Projectors, making for a weird yet whimsical closing to this incredible night of music.

Show Review: Emancipator Ensemble w/ Odesza and Real Magic

Odesza performs at Lincoln Theatre

The scene at the Lincoln Theatre last Wednesday was certainly a sight to behold. While many may thrash the EDM scene for their heavy focus on rave culture, many also forget the showmanship and talent that is on display at much of these events. Were there scantily clad tu-tu girls? Of course. Did more than one person come up asking me, "Where the party's at?" Oh, most definitely. But that's all a side-note, acts like Emancipator and Odesza and Real Magic keep the thrill alive in this continually evolving scene. I've been to plenty of electronic shows and I've seen a lot of the same stuff over and over, some Top 40s hip-hop remixes, a few nostalgia tinged vocal samples tossed in and a whole lot of predictable bass drops.

However, the trio of acts that took the stage at Lincoln Theatre displayed the opposite end of the electronic spectrum. Though I came into Real Magic's set about two songs before it ended, his music effortlessly combined elements of contemporary dance music with deep yet soaring vocal melodies. The swiftly growing crowd was locked into Real Magic with pixie-winged dancers flowing through the crowd and tank-topped snapback wearing bros muttered about how good this dude was. Missing most of Real Magic's was really the only downside of this evening for me, but alas the Bonnaroo lineup announcement was in full force and I couldn't walk out without knowing whether or not I'd be belting out "Benny and the Jets" this June on the farm.

Real Magic performing at Lincoln Theatre

When Odesza took the stage it was clear that the crowd was in for a treat. The duo set up their two Akai APCs and dazzled the crowd with a heady blend of bass heavy dance tunes and smoothly melodic structures. Whether it was a chopped and screwed vocal pattern turned into a rhythmic center or encompassing, airy synths that glide over tight percussive arrangements, Odesza's tunes were completely enthralling to the hundreds in attendance. Halfway through their set I paused my ridiculous dance routine and scanned the crowd, noticing the shoulder to shoulder dance party taking place around me. The Seattle-based production duo repeatedly noted how hyped up the crowd was and whether they were churning out favorites from their My Friends Never Die EP or brand new tracks, the fans were just as enthusiastic in their hoots, hollers and gyrations.

Odesza served as a perfect segue into Emancipator Ensemble. While I was certainly expecting an explorative live arrangement from these guys, my expectations were completely blown out of the water. I've always knocked the "jam" scene, and even when I saw Pretty Lights with a live stage set-up at Mountain Oasis last year it just simply didn't do it for me, they latched on too long to the strong melodic sections and they became repetitive and valueless. Emancipator Ensemble served as a blueprint for how to properly arrange live electronic music. Douglas Appling, brainchild of Emancipator, was planted firmly behind his laptop and beat pad, churning out heady synth melodies that were further fleshed out by the enchanting violin, drums and groove-inducing bass.

A buddy of mine soberly remarked "This music makes me feel like a jellyfish," I may have laughed and brushed it off at the time but it was almost too accurate to be hilarious. The songs felt free-form and flowing despite their structure and the infectious rhythms drove the packed out Lincoln Theatre to uninhibited dance. As the band threw out "Minor Cause" a densely packed piece of electronic wonder, the crowd's excitement reached its tipping point. Watching all of these parts come together in a live setting, with impressive video projection and light shows at that, was nothing short of whimsical and left me with an intense desire to see this set again. Emancipator have set the bar high for live electronic acts for me, it was an incredibly immersive experience that broke down the fourth wall of electronic music and made it much more than the perceived "dudes pushing buttons on stage." Any electronic detractors should check out a show like this one and then try to tell me that there's no talent involved in this genre.

Show Review: Mutual Benefit with Al Riggs

Mutual Benefit at Local 506 on Feb. 4

For a Tuesday night, Local 506 was unusually packed. The night started out slowly with the quiet drones of Al Riggs. The band had no drummer, just Al and his guitarist. Two guitars, an acoustic and an electric, intertwined in a melodic fog that was accompanied by cutesy gestures like handclaps. The doodles on Al Rigg's guitars added a layer of quirkiness to his music that set an atmospheric mood of coziness already.

Next up, in the short lineup of the night, was the headliner Mutual Benefit. When I was just expecting a one-man band, six people walked out and began tuning their instruments, which included violins and two synths. The beginning of the first song started slow and calm and kept building with sound until it felt like something was about to break. And it did. Jordan Lee's humble and soft voice broke through all the sound and "Strong River," the opening track from Love's Crushing Diamond began.

Throughout the show,  Lee's onstage banter was quiet and awkward, with a twist of dark humor that kept everyone smiling. The six piece band did a remarkable job at maintaining a beautiful haze over the whole audience. All of the instrumentation ebbed and flowed in the most calm and airy way. I felt entranced by the delicate violin melodies winding themselves around the soft drums, glittery synths and slow guitars. And I honestly couldn't stop grinning the whole time.

Show Review: Perfect Pussy with Davidians and Whatever Brains

Perfect Pussy at Kings Barcade

I am constantly surprised by the Raleigh hardcore scene which may indicate that I am not as familiar with it as I believe myself to be. This was clear to me on Thursday night's show when Davidians broke out into their set. Davidians is comprised of some former members of Double Negative, a band that really defined the hardcore scene in Raleigh.

The band is pretty much defunct as of 2012 but luckily for die-hard Double Negative fans, Davidians holds the future. When they stepped up on the stage to play their set, you could feel a surge in the crowd. They played a solid hardcore set (although I am not the greatest judge of that...) that was energetic and lively. The whole crowd seemed to sway in unison to their scuzzy guitars and frenetic rhythms.

Whatever Brains at Kings Barcade

Up next were my absolute favorites, Whatever Brains. I always forget just how talented these dudes are but every time I see them play, I am totally blown away.  As they walked out they requested the lights to be turned off and they begin weaving their magic with a gradual build up of noise. Whatever Brains manages to create this incredible wall of sound but each sound is very distinct and they constantly build on to this wall of sound with new sounds. If I totally lost you here, they are basically very talented musicians that manage to create a brand of punk-rock that is totally unique, implementing a slew of synths along with traditional punk-rock instrumentation. This show did not disappoint.


Finally, the infamous Perfect Pussy took the stage. This blog post comes so late because I had to really meditate on what I thought of this show. The band looked like very nice people but when they started playing, the only thing that was audible was their synth-noise-making machine. I came in knowing from their EP that the vocals would be indecipherable however I did not expect to hear nothing at all. All that said, the band was lively and their stage presence was really intense and I could tell they were super into it. Overall, I got the hardcore show experience but I would've loved to hear more of the female fronted vocals.

Show Review: Speedy Ortiz with Grass is Green and Blanko Basnet

I haven't been to the Local 506 in a while. As a Raleigh resident, the trek to Chapel Hill is doable, but easy to put out of mind if there's another show downtown here. That being said, I picked the coldest night in the midst of an epic polar vortex to return. The concert gods looked kindly upon me and blessed me with a parking spot right in front of the venue. It was soon after that I found out that 506 now has Tecate tallboys. You're welcome.

Blanko Basnet started off the night. The band features seasoned members of the local music scene, Joe Hall, Jeff Stickley, Brad Cook and Matt Peterson. Their personal experience shined through, working well and in sync, performing like they're not as fresh to the scene as they actually are. The beginning of their set drew out some qualities similar to older Modest Mouse tracks, a tad abrasive and raw while still being enjoyable. Their set seemed to drift from that center, and went into different arms of genres. With so much creative influence, it's expected that they haven't found a particular niche yet. Not that anything was unpleasant to hear, but a particular stream of sound for the band as a whole is still in its developing stages.

After checking out the recorded music of Grass is Green and reading some show reviews, I was stoked to see a high-energy punk set live. One guitarist was wearing a Hammer No More The Fingers shirt -- I love seeing bands support each other. They tuned, plugged in. The lead vocals/guitarist stepped up to the mic and in a flat, valley-girl-esque tone sarcastically announced the band. The songs rocked, the crowd head nodded in approval. Between songs there was little to no stage banter, creating bit of an awkward air with an open end for good-natured heckling from friends and drunks in the crowd. Grass is Green played a lot from their newest album, "Vacation Vinny (Exploding in Sound Records, 2014)," including songs aptly named "Another Song Called Supersoaker" (because there was already a song named supersoaker) and "Big Dog Tee Shirt Birthday Weekend" (it was one of the member's birthdays recently), as well as hitting a track off of their split 7" release "Split Dicks" that also features label mates Two Inch Astronaut. They had everyone laughing and having a good time, rocking out on stage and still being chill. They're a band I definitely want to keep on my radar and will keep listening to on bandcamp. 

And I just love Speedy Ortiz. Their 2013 release of Major Arcana was well-represented at the show, my favorites of which being "Pioneer Spine" and "MKVI." They also shared two new songs, including "American Horror" that is available for stream now via Entertainment Weekly. Besides digging all the songs they played, I really enjoyed the atmosphere they created. For example, lead singer and guitarist Sadie Dupuis would come off of flaming riffs and singing her heart out, then talk to the audience relaxed and friendly as if you were sharing a cigarette on the deck of a house party. Their performance didn't include any theatrics, just simply them sharing music that they obviously enjoy playing.  I was sure they'd do the annoying industry-standard "surprise" encore, as they all dispersed quickly after the last song, but that was it. Good, strong set. I look forward to catching them again. 

This show made me want to dive deeper into the Exploding in Sound catalog, which includes bands along the same sound, like PILE and Porches. That's one of the beauties of live music -- it always points you to more music. 

Show Review: Manchester Orchestra w/ The Front Bottoms and O'Brother

Manchester Orchestra

As I've grown older and older, I kind of come to dread sold out shows. There's bound to be a lot of densely packed people, probably acting like assholes, elbowing and excusing their way through the crowd to fit into a minuscule spot that's physically impossible for one person to fill. However, despite the shoulder to shoulder standing room and gawking pre-teens definitely breaking the rules of their after-9, Saturday's show at Cat's Cradle was a warmly welcomed trip down Nostalgia Blvd. This marked the sixth time I've seen Manchester Orchestra live, I've got lyrics from the band tattooed on my chest and they pretty much got me through my formative high school years. Plus, I've booked numerous shows for O'Brother back in my hometown and have shared late nights eating day old donuts and pizza that a friend acquired from a Dunkin Donuts and Little Caesers dumpster. Needless to say, these bands have a very special place in my heart.

O'Brother

As O'Brother took the stage and Cat's Cradle began to gradually fill in, I was filled with a sense of elation...followed by a bit of laughter. While I love O'Brother, the way they've grown as a band couldn't be further from what a Manchester Orchestra crowd would expect from an opening act. Those that were privy to these ambient metal upstarts were head banging and mouthing the words to O'Brothers standout track "Lo." However, lots of the fans seemed a bit perplexed by the swiftly gathering fog and moody lights that turned O'Bro into a group of hair swinging silhouettes. It seemed like right as the crowd was really warming up to O'Brother's industrial brand of post-rock, they were announcing their last song. It was a treat to hear some of the new songs from Disillusion, an album I've yet to dig into at this point. However, judging by the intensity of this live show the band has delved deeper into riff-driven amped up stoner metal while retaining all of their gripping melodic nuances that drove me to the band in the first place.

Show Review: King Khan and the Shrines w/ Hellshovel & Black Zinfadel

Hellshovel

As a first time passenger of the Bridge Bus, a bus that runs between Durham and Raleigh at night on the weekends, I wasn’t entirely sure if I would make it to the show. My bus anxieties were dissipated very quickly and I made it to Durham just in time to catch Hellshovel play.

Although I missed Black Zinfandel, I can tell you that they are a band not to be missed even though I did just that...They blend conventional punk stylings with psych-rock recklessness to create a crass, yet refined style. Regardless, Black Zinfandel gives me hope that the punk scene in Raleigh will eventually become much more visible.

When Hellshovel began to play all I could think about is how much better their shoes were than any of the shoes I own. That's actually not all I thought about but these dudes had some good shoes and very mod style that fit well with their rockabilly psych rock that was a lot more jam-band than a typical garage band, but it was refreshing to hear. Hellshovel played mellow garage tunes that still had energy infused into them to keep the crowd going until King Khan hit the stage. 

King Khan and the Shrines

King Khan's specialty lies in his live performances that tend to be over the top and exposed. Literally exposed, as most of the time, he sings in a cape and nothing else but his underwear. Because this is not what immediately happened, I was a bit surprised and maybe even disappointed to see him in a dapper suit, however the show proved to be nothing but a riot.

A moshpit formed very quickly and everyone in it seemed to be convulsing to the soulful sounds the band created. With a live band consisting of eight people, it was surprisingly tame until the encore when Khan finally came out dressed as I would have expected him, commando, with a cape. This show was first of hopefully many shows where I witnessed the span of fifteen to fifty years of age all together in the same moshpit, having a blast. And when an artist can elicit that big of a response from that wide of an array of people, there's obviously something fantastic happening.

Show Review: Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit

Pretty Lights

The (sort of) inaugural Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit was a weekend that proved to be every bit as memorable and exciting as I'd hoped it would be, which means that it met quite lofty expectations that I'd set. Three evenings filled with more electronic music than I usually see all year made for an exhausting weekend, but the diversity of the other acts peppering the lineup made the marathon of music a much more doable feat. Mountain Oasis proved itself to be an excellent representative of the current state of music, many of the acts were forward thinking electronic-based artists--whether that be bro-leaning dubstep icons, English house duos or psychedelically infused indie bands--but there were handfuls of iconic throwbacks that allowed festival goers the option of soaking in age-old nostalgia or entrenching themselves in skull-rattling bass.

Friday
The weekend started off an hour into the first night for me. I arrived shortly after 8:00 and just in time to trek through the costumed crowds that were hiking up towards the US Cellular Center and plop in front of the stage for Purity Ring. The Canadian duo has been on my list of must sees since Shrines was released in 2012. Though the act leans towards electronic-pop, the instrumental foundation is heavily ensconced in the world of bass-heavy hip-hop. Pounding low-ends were marked by shimmering vocal melodies and a percussively oriented light show. As Corin Roddick would accentuate his beats with bright synth lines, corresponding orbs of light would illuminate as they were struck with his drum sticks, making for an incredibly well put together stage presence. Megan James' haunting vocals lingered throughout the ExploreAsheville.com Arena and a sense of disappointment filled the air once fans realized that their set was over. However, that disappointment quickly dissipated once Deltron 3030 took the stage. While I've admittedly not delved too deep into Del The Funky Homosapien's discography, this Deltron set immediately drew me into the highly revered rapper. Deltron is a hip-hop supergroup comprised of Del, producer Dan The Automater, and prolific DJ Kid Koala, but that's not the main draw of this high-energy hip-hop show. While it was fantastic to see Del and the crew pull out favorites like Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood," the real highlight of this performance was the massive orchestration that backed this sci-fi hip-hop narrative. Swelling strings and soaring horns blended with bass and electric guitars to make for a unique and compelling live hip-hop set-up. It's always a crapshoot when you're stepping into a live hip-hop set-up, it could easily be a blasé affair with a strong lack of personality, but Deltron 3030 turned all expectations upside down and provided one of the most exciting sets of the weekend.

Show Review: Shakori Hills Fall 2013

Paperhand Puppet Parade at Shakori Hills on
Saturday, Oct. 12

As another Shakori has passed I'm left here to ponder upon the Shakori's of yesterday. I feel as if every time I leave this festival I find myself saying, "that was easily the best Shakori yet." With each visit to the Pittsboro farmlands I walk away with a new band to delve into, countless stories to tell and a seemingly unescapable stench of campfire. But regardless of how many times I have to wash myself and my clothes to get that smell out of my nose, Shakori is always a festival that I will hold dear to my heart due to its sheer capacity to permeate joy. It's damn near impossible to walk around those campgrounds without a smile on your face, whether that be from the pile of duckfat tots you just far too swiftly consumed or the breathtaking music you just stumbled upon, there's always something to be glad about at Shakori.

This year I was particularly glad we weren't greeted with any heavy downpours as it has been wont to do. Most of the festival was characterized by gray fall days, a welcomed difference from the usual sporadic nature of the weekend. Maybe it's just because with each festival I become more prepared for nature's unforgiving ways, but this fall was easily one of the most carefree weekends I've spent at Shakori. Although there was a good bid of on-and-off rain when I arrived on Thursday afternoon it was just enough to cozy up under a tarp canopy and take in the sounds of the Meadow Stage as it poured into the woods.

Thursday
The Brand New Life opened the festival and it was as mesmerizing an experience as I'd remembered. The band is characterized by jaunting melodic changes to their jazz-based Afrobeat tunes and always serves as a brilliant display of some stunning musical talent. After The Brand New Life took the stage I was off to lend a hand with camp set-up, meaning I missed quite a bit of the early evening festivities. By the time I made it over to the Cabaret Tent to take in what I'd hoped to be Virgins Family Band, they'd already broken down but thankfully Driftwood was showing off their incredible folk songs on Carson's Grove stage so my heartache was briefly soothed. Morning Brigade came up next and served as a fantastic way to transition into Thursday night. The Cabaret Tent was moderately crowded for the band's set which consisted of grand displays of their rich melodies, powerful lyricism and compelling instrumentation.

Compa came up next and kicked the evening into the right late night direction. While my earlier sets had been filled with luscious folk music, Compa brought their vibrant rhythms to the Dance Tent and got the blood flowing as the night began to get chilly. I didn't stay for too much of Compa as they were playing multiple times throughout the weekend and DJ Bill Kelly was getting ready to take over Carson's Grove stage. Bill Kelly is a figurehead of the electronic dance scene in Miami, which is home to one of the largest electronic festivals in the country with Ultra. Bill Kelly slung a wide variety of dance tunes that brought thumping bass and roaring percussion to the otherwise serene farmlands. DJ Richard McVay was saved for another night though and I headed back to Camp Honeybadger for one of my many ridiculously cozy tent sleeps throughout the weekend.

Show Review: Father John Misty “Solo” with Kate Berlant

Comedian Kate Berlant opened the night for a steadily growing crowd. With an acoustic guitar in hand for the majority of her set, she would strum a few chords and go into built-up rants or observations of the moment, easily making the crowd laugh without her jokes being blatant.

There’s something to say for comics who are genuinely funny, in the sense that they can just talk, like you would to a friend at a bar over a whiskey on the rocks. Berlant didn’t have the stereotypical joke-punchline routine, it was more along the lines of storytelling and critiquing. Her sarcasm and general antics were believable and got consistent laughs from the crowd. Personally, I’m not one who will watch Saturday Night Live or go to comedy shows, but I enjoyed Berlant’s performance.

After talking a bit about the manufacturing business practices behind the obnoxiously popular rubber wristbands, she threw some of her own, reading “I Feel,” out to the audience who eagerly snapped them up. Increasingly personable as her set continued, she encouraged the crowd to talk with her after the show, tweet at her, and as she flipped her massive curly hair to one side, to take photos on phones, too.

Show Review: FUZZ w/ CCR Headcleaner and Big No

FUZZ at Kings Barcade
Photos and Write-up by Anastassia Olegovna

As predicted, Fuzz, CCR Headcleaner and Big No actually damaged my hearing and almost led me to wear a neck brace for a few days. But why would any one expect anything less from a band associated with Ty Segall’s name?  Although Fuzz arrived late and the show started about an hour later than it should have, the tension and awkwardness of waiting around for them was dissipated very quickly.

Big No started out the night, facing a crowd of well dressed people who looked like they could all be in bands, and probably were. Although a fairly young band, Big No proved that they could reign in the ranks of the loud sludge-garage bands. I was pleasantly surprised because Big No definitely sounds more aggressive and loud live, a quality that I admire in bands. The songs weren’t too long and it didn’t feel like a chore seeing this first band open up. 





CCR Headcleaner
Photo by Anastassia Olegovna

Next CCR Headcleaner restored all my faith in finding a metal band that I actually like. They trudged through a sludge-metal set that I’ve never experienced. The band looked like a combination of The New York Dolls and The Clash but the sound they were producing was very far from punk. The music hung in the air like heavy smoke, a very loud cloud of it. I wasn’t surprised that this would be an opener for Ty’s new project but I was intrigued to see the kind of audience that bands like these bring out.


Finally, Fuzz came on, with Ty positioned front and center. The energy that Ty and every band he gathers put out is truly incredible. I can’t be too sure if I like Fuzz because they are a Ty Segall project or because I really do like the music but Fuzz is definitely a band that you and your Black Sabbath loving dad could seriously bond over. Fuzz channels stoner-metal of 1970s perfectly. While the guitar riffs and the drum patterns can be too familiar at times, there is a pleasant familiarity that presides in all the songs and that is irresistibly insane. No matter how hard I tried to not convulse and head-bang, Fuzz won over my controlling mind.