To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Holy Ghost!
At the suggestion of my cousin, I decided to see Holy Ghost! rather than My Bloody Valentine as the last band at the festival. This turned out to be a good suggestion as I understood that My Bloody Valentine had a plethora of technical difficulties which put a damper on their set.
In reading up on Holy Ghost!’s history, I read that while dipping their feet in the rap game, Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser released an album produced by James Murphy, the founder and frontman of LCD Soundsystem. When their rap careers failed to gain traction, James Murphy suggested that they continue making music, but to make it dance music, thus planting the seed for Holy Ghost!.
In what I see as perfect timing, Holy Ghost!’s first album was released the same year LCD Soundsystem called it quits. Being signed to James Murphy’s DFA Records, it would appear that Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser’s band would be the one to fill the huge gap LCD Soundsystem left behind. Performing at the festival in support of their second studio album, my impression is that they may well be on their way in doing so.
The six member band took to the stage to the applause of a raucous audience. It didn’t seem as if anybody in the crowd was weary from the two days of stage hopping and swirling dust in the air. Influenced by LCD Soundsystem and New Order (with whom they recently toured with), their set was danceable and fun. The large band (consisting of 6 member if I recall correctly) kept the energy up throughout the set.
Holy Ghost!
In a moment of NYC cool (the founding members are from NY) during the set, lead singer Alex Frankel casually lit cigarettes onstage and smoked during a couple songs. It’s been a while since I’ve seen an artist do that, and for some reason I appreciated it. It was almost like having a smoke after successfully completing an arduous task as a symbol of triumph. After two days of great music, it was kinda what I needed.
Alex Frankel of Holy GhostAlex Frankel of Holy Ghost!Nick Millhiser of Holy Ghost!Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost!Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost!
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Members of MGMTA member of MGMT ran by me during their set back at Coachella 2008.
The last time I saw MGMT was when they played a tent at Coachella back in 2008 supporting their debut album Oracular Spectacular. The buzz around them was huge at the time, and their singles “Kids“, “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel” were getting tons of radio play. I remember their set being energetic and raucous, with the band members jumping off stage to run through the packed crowd. One of the guys ran right by me.
My interest in the band tapered off a bit with their follow up album, Congratulations, probably because it wasn’t as youthful and fun as its predecessor, but having looked at the festival schedule, I decided that I would at least catch the first half of their set before heading to the tent that was supposed to host Omar Souleyman’s performance (which in hindsight, was a bad idea as Omar’s set was delayed by about 30 minutes, meaning I could have stayed for the entire MGMT set).
The trippy visuals during MGMT’s set
Taking to the main stage, MGMT’s psychedelic video images and lighting was a far cry from what I remembered about them back in 2008. I sensed that they weren’t as carefree as they were 5 years ago, but I guess that’s just something that comes with age.
In a bit of a light moment, they called to the stage Henry Winkler (aka “The Fonz”) to play a huge cowbell for a song. Gimmick or not, it was a fun moment that indicated to me that the band still had it’s youthful playfulness that made them jump off the stage, and run through, the crowd at Coachella.
The Fonz (Henry Winkler) on Cowbell. More Cowbell!!!
Keeping an eye on the time, I was simply hoping that they would play some of the songs that I knew and loved and having played “Time To Pretend” and “Electric Feel”, I left their set with a smile on my face and skip to my step.
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Shlohmo amidst the mist.
Earlier in the day I had watched Tom Krell p/k/a How To Dress Well perform, and having done some research before the festival about different projects he had worked on, I found a video on youtube of a track How To Dress Well performed on produced by Henry Laufer p/k/a Shlohmo called “Don’t Say No”.
Intrigued by the sound and the fact that he was apparently working with Tom Krell, I decided to buy his latest LP “Bad Vibes” and after a couple spins on my record player, I decided that I’d put him on the list of acts I wanted to check out at the Festival. I’m not a big fan of DJ sets- I’m more of a live band kinda guy- but having enjoyed Flying Lotus in the past year at the Hollywood Bowl, I decided to swing by the tent where he was performing to check out a bit of his set.
As the “house lights” dimmed, and the smoke machines started pumping out a thick mist over the stage, Shlohmo came up to his DJ console and started his set. His live set was a little different than I had expected. “Don’t Say No” and “Bad Vibes” are very moody records, extremely ambient in there overall approach . The live set still carried the eerie mysticism of the music that I had purchased and watched before the festival, but during the fifteen minutes that I watched, it didn’t feel as lo-fi as maybe I had wanted. Missing was the interstitial feedback and ambient hisses that gave “Bad Vibes” its unique sound. The live show was almost too “clean.”
Don’t get me wrong. The music was good … the filled tent of bobbing heads was proof of that, and I love “Bad Vibes” (which sounds amazing on vinyl) …. but like I said, I’m more of a live band kind of guy.
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Nic Offer of !!! (ChkChkChk) getting into the audience during their set.!!!’s latest album cover.
Over the past 5 months, while perusing a local store, I kept noticing an album cover for a band that I wasn’t familiar with (see right). The band’s name was !!! (pronounced ‘ChkChkChk’) and a record store employee told me that they were from Northern California and described their style of music as dance. I didn’t ask to hear any of the music play on the store sound system, and for some reason I neglected to look them up online each time I got home, but I was often reminded of them often because the cover to their LP was always staring me in the face whenever I entered that record store .
Fast forward to the FYF Festival, I noticed that they were listed as an early evening set. I decided to check them out, and anticipated an energetic set. I was not disappointed. A large band consisting of 8 members, the music was groove centric, the band was tight, and the lead singer was singing and busting moves all over the stage. In fact, the lead singer’s energy was off the charts and it spread into the audience as everybody around me was bouncing to their tunes. My first impression was that !!!’s sound was if David Byrnes of the Talking Heads started up in the 2010s, with splashes of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip. Take a listen/look at the video clip below to make your own opinion.
Nic Offer of !!! “saluting” the crowd.
The photographers in the press pit left after their second song, and Nic Offer, the lead singer, yelled out, “Hey, where you guys going?!?! I’ll only get cuter and cuter as the set goes on!” He laughed into the mic, and the band kept the set rolling. His stage manner had a likable, cocky air to it and it was infectious, as everybody was, while eyes transfixed on the stage, moving to the rhythm. The vibe was so positive that time seemed to pass instantly. When their set had ended, I was left wanting more, and it was a good indicator that I should probably purchase that LP to add to my collection and catch them when they are back in town.
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
How To Dress Well’s double mics.
Though he released a highly acclaimed album back in 2010, I didn’t become familiar with Tom Krell’s (p/k/a How To Dress Well) music until earlier this year. While I was reviewing the various acts that were slated to perform at the festival this year, I clicked on the musician’s link from the FYF Festival website and thereafter spent the next hour playing his music. I was hooked, and circled his 5:20pm set time as “must attend”.
I spent the months leading up to the festival buying albums of all of the artists that I was interested in, when I purchased How To Dress Well’s 10” EP “Just Once”. It may be one of the best purchases I’ll have made this year. Limited to 1000 copies, that vinyl is described as a one time-only, orchestral release, part of proceeds from sale of which went to MindFreedom.com to benefit those with mental health issues. It was recorded in the memory of one of Tom Krell’s friends and was simply, amazingly, hauntingly beautiful.
Tom Krell p/k/a How To Dress Well.
I was able to get up front for his set. While the stage hands were setting up, a DJ was spinning some 90s era music. An Aaliyah song started to play and I noticed Tom offstage singing along. When he took to the stage, he was accompanied by a keyboardist and a violinist. Using the a two-microphone technique, he jumped into his set opening with a new song tentatively titled “For Cyril.” Amazing. And it kept on coming.
His music, with sparse drums and layered, falsetto vocals, set a mellow vibe as haunting as the recordings I had purchased. It may have been a rather dark set for the middle of the day- which Tom acknowledged half way in when he introduced an upbeat song with, “This is a dance song, because it’s too early to be this dark”- but I was loving every minute of it. He further made light of the dark set by also telling the crowd that it was his mom’s birthday. He mixed R. Kelly’s “I Wish” into one of his songs to his audience on their toes. At the end by telling the audience that if there was anything he would want to impart on the audience before he left, it was to be, “Be nice to people.” A simple message amongst complex, stunning music.
Tom Krell p/k/a How To Dress Well.
His set met my expectations, save but a few technical difficulties, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any more intimate club gigs that he may have in Los Angeles in the future.
Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.My favorite pic that I took of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Confetti released towards the end of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set.
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Tunde Adepimpe of TV on the Radio.
TV on the Radio is a critically acclaimed, Brooklyn based rock group which formed in 2001. I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t too familiar with the band’s repertoire. It probably has something to do with the fact that their first album came out while I was in law school. I was pretty much out touch with everything for those three years of my life.
Playing catch up before the festival, I spent time with their 4th studio album “Dear Science” and watched some of the videos (“Wolf Like Me” and “Will Do”) that popped up on the top of the list when I googled them. It was hard rocking, complex music. It’s very hard to describe. Their music is an amalgam of styles that seems to mesh together seamlessly. Having worked with members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs on other projects, it was actually quite fitting to have them in the slot right before YYYs.
Their crowd at the FYF Festival was impressive and they played a confident set of songs, old and new. They’ve released five albums and five Eps. I’m going to have to do some more listening and pick up some of their albums. Any suggestions?
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Leaving The Locust, I headed back to the main stage to meet up with some friends and to get a good spot for both TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Performing on the main stage, as I was walking toward it, was an experimental noise rock band from Atlanta, Georgia: Deerhunter.
Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013
I wasn’t familiar with the band, but from where I was, and what I could hear, it came off pretty good. I’ll have to admit, I was a little thrown off as I thought the lead singer was a woman. After all, he was wearing a dress and a wig, and his voice was kinda Yoko Ono-ish. It was more shocking than anything when he tore off the wig half way into the set, and for a minute there I was lost in my own confusion.
Though I arrived midway through their set, I could tell that the music hit on elements of alternative, punk and shoe gazing. I was starting to get into it by the time their set came to a close, but before I knew it, Bradford Cox (the lead singer) put his wig back on, picked up a purse from the ground, and walked off stage.
Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013 shredding behind the back.Brandford Cox of Deerhunter at FYF Fest 2013
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Kim Deal of The Breeders
Since I was already up at the front of the stage for Charles Bradley, I decided to stay put for the next band to grace the main stage: The Breeders. The Breeders were very popular during my high school days in the early 90s, but truth be told, during that time my alternative rock tastes leaned more toward Nirvana , Nine Inch Nails and Pearl Jam. Don’t get me wrong, I liked The Breeders’ music a lot, I mean who can resist their hit “Cannonball”, but I think adolescent guys being adolescent guys, I was a little hesitant to hold a torch for a band that my younger sister was really into.
Knowing that the band would be playing their second album, “Last Splash”, in its entirety (which album, by the way, is celebrating its 20 anniversary, and was reissued as a “deluxe edition”, this year …. Yowza!!!), I was looking foward to hearing “Cannonball”, which I knew was the second track on the album. Because I wanted to also check out another artist whose set overlapped with The Breeders, I planned on catching at least half of their set before maneuvering away from the crowd … And a big crowd it was.
The massive crowd for The Breeders
Their fans came out in droves and cheered like mad when they took the stage to set up their equipment. The album’s original lineup was on stage: vocalists/guitarists Kim and Kelley Deal, bassist Josephine Wiggs and Drummer Jim MacPherson. There was an additional band member on stage, but I didn’t recognize who she was. I couldn’t get any photos of Jim MacPherson since I didn’t have a good angle.
Without greeting the crowd, they opened with a Guided by Voices cover of “Shocker In Gloomtown”. Afterwards, Kim Deal greeted the massive crowd and expressed the band’s gratitude for being able to perform at the festival, and with that they jumped into playing “Last Splash”. They played the album in order, so I got to hear “Cannonball”. I didn’t get to hear their other big singles (“Saints” and “Divine Hammer”), as I left after about 4 or 5 more songs, but I got what I needed to satisfy my music craving. I made a note that I was amused with how in between songs Kelley or Kim would gleefully point out that they were using some of the same musical instruments that were used for the original recordings. If that isn’t being faithful to the original album, I don’t know what it is. As I left my spot from the front of the stage, the girls behind me squealed with delight beholding their newly, unobstructed view.
As I was walking to the next band on my list, I swear could hear The Breeders sing the lyrics “Come back to me right now”. I kept walking, but I did stop to pause for a second to think about it.
Josephine Wigg of The BreedersKelley Deal of The BreedersKim Deal of The BreedersThe Keyboardist for The BreedersKim Deal of The BreedersKelley Deal of The Breeders
To check out pictures of other bands I was able to catch at the festival, CLICK HERE.
Charles Bradley’s mic.
They call him the “screaming eagle of soul”, and Charles Bradley was one of the reasons I was so pumped for FYF Fest this year. I’m a big fan of the funk the soul music Daptone Records puts out. Even though I’m a fan of all music, if you were to make me choose one genre of music to live with for the rest of my life, I’d probably pick soul music. From Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings to Lee Fields, Daptone’s catalog is a soul music lover’s wet-dream.
Even though he released a highly regarded album, “No Time for Dreaming”, in 2011, I really didn’t know about his music until someone saw my Lee Fields LP and asked, have you ever heard Charles Bradley sing? My friend mentioned in passing that there was a documentary about him released in 2012, but I apparently didn’t pay attention. More to come on that point later. I googled some videos on YouTube and I was hooked.
There was something about the way he sang. He seemed to be able to communicate so much pain and life through his music. I read up on some small articles online about his upbringing, and from what I read, he had led a hard life. When I found out that Mr. Bradley was doing an artist signing session at 3:00pm, I made it a point to get to the festival grounds early. I’m so glad I did.
Me and Charles
I got to have a chat with Mr. Bradley about his music, and about his motivation. What I asked him how he kept on pushing with music at the age of 65, all he looked me in the eyes and simply said, “The music kept calling”. He asked me if I was from Los Angeles, and when I responded yes, he told me that he once used to live on Los Angeles, but got a jaywalking ticket one day, even though there was nobody on the street, and said that that was probably a sign that he needed to move back to New York. When I asked him how it was performing with Bonnie Raitt, he told me that if I thought the day was hot, he had just arrived from Arizona and it was hotter than I could have believed. He mentioned that he loved San Francisco, and said that he was playing a small gig there soon and that if I ever had a chance to catch him at a smaller, club venue, I wouldn’t regret the decision. When I asked him why it took so long to finally get some music out there, he said that nobody had faith in him years ago, and I told him that it’s always “better late than never”. He nodded and with that the usher asked me to wrap it up as some people had just hopped in line. I asked him to sign the two LPs I had purchased (I already had one, by the way) and watched him methodically plan out what he wanted to write. He graciously thanked me for stopping by and I told him that the pleasure was all mine, and that I was eagerly looking forward to his set.
The spoils of the day.
As an aside, I was reminded after the music festival that there was a documentary about Charles titled “Soul of America”. I watched it when I got home late Sunday evening on Netflix. I may have been a little exhausted from the weekend full of music, but that movie moved me. I’ll admit, I asked some questions that easily could have been answered from watching the movie, but what moved me to tears were the little things that all made sense to me after the fact. Charles Bradley sings the truth because when he sings, he’s singing from his life. When I watched him sign my LP’s, I didn’t realize that he basically learned to read and write in the past few years. When I look at what he wrote, “Thank you Brother with Love” … I had a lump develop in my throat.
Charles’ set at FYF Festival is perhaps in my top 5, and quite possibly in my top 3, of 2013. It was all that I could have wished for and more. Hyperbole is warranted. I loved watching Charles Bradley perform. He was probably my favorite act so far this year to photograph. So much emotion. So much energy. Even at 65, he could out-perform almost all of the current pop stars under the rug. Backed by the tight sounding Menahan Street Band, his live show was truly something to behold. They call him the “screaming eagle of soul”, and he screamed that soul into the audience’s hearts and mind.
Towards the end of his set he imparted a little wisdom to his adoring fans. He said, “The Brain is a computer, you tell it what to do. Do you want to do what it wants you to do, or do you want to do what YOU want to do.” I took it as his philosophy on life. Do what your heart tells you. His heart told him to follow music. 65 years into the game, his heart proved that the little morsel of wisdom true.
Cheers, Charles. You were the first act of all the acts I wanted to see at FYF Fest, and I could have easily left right after a satisfied customer.
The “screaming eagle of soul”, Mr. Charles BradleyCharles Bradley’s horn section.Charles Bradley carrying the weigh of life on his back.Charles Bradley’s guitar section.The emotion of Charles Bradley.The key for Charles Bradley.Charles Bradley giving the audience everything he’s got.Charles Bradley’s drummer.Charles Bradely on one knee, getting dirty for us and keeping it real.You give love, you get love in return. Charles Bradley meeting the fans after his set, and getting back all the love he gave to us.
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