Hello Darlings….
Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 is off to an absolutely fantastic, funtastic start.
With seemingly more people than ever this year, this growing festival is still a great experience, still with plenty of room and without people fighting for their turf up front.
After catching early shows from Sugar and Gold and the mega-funky Foot Patrol (music for those with a foot fetish), I caught Shonen Knife’s set. This all female trio from Osaka, Japan showed us what women can do with guitars and choreographed stage moves. They wowed an exuberant crowd with their poppy songs and eye-popping fluorescent dresses.
I next heard Vega, a disco rock dance that put on an exciting performance with their combination of synthesizer, bass and drums. Keep your ears out for this outfit in the future.
Then came the highlight of the day for many, including me – The Sword. Playing with purpose and enthusiasm, they blew away the audience with their combination of killer tone and incredible riffs. It got me to thinking that great riffs are one of the things that are sadly lacking from rock n roll today. Thanks to The Sword for bringing them back!
Athens, Georgia’s Dead Confederate rocked me with their reverb and delay drenched sounds. Their dynamic music was both atmospheric and driving, and the members were completely absorbed in their performance, drawing you in along with them.
The much anticipated group Death started their set as night began fall, and were mightily impressive. They were nearly unheard of before their recently discovered 1974 demo was found in an attic and released by Drag City records. Proving themselves way, way, way ahead of their time, this Detroit trio played garage rock that would have sounded progressive even if it had been written ten years later.
Day 2 of Fun Fun Fun Fest promises to deliver many more thrills. Be sure to stop by Waterloo Park and catch it if you can. My picks for the day include Street Dogs, Lucero and Mission of Burma. Look out for me at those stages Darlings, and keep an eye on the Daze website for photos, interviews and more reviews.
A conversation with the clever indietronica dance band who won a spot at Coachella 2006 after a fan entered them in a Myspace contest. The rest is history.
These guys are touring with Minus the Bear and have opened for Robert Plant. They give a little insight into life on the road and their creative process.
The dust kicked up forcing many fans to place a bandana over their mouth (I had my pink paisley one on), but it didn’t seem to stop anybody from having fun, fun, fun.
The biggest highlight for me on Saturday was Killdozer. Even if you’ve never heard of them before, you have certainly heard them. Trace the lineage of the music that became known to us as grunge, and you will find this band listed as direct ancestors. Their set that afternoon was pulsating and electric. Singer/bassist Michael Gerald proved that one can actually play an instrument and drink beer at the exact same moment, and guitarist Bill Hobson raced up the scaffolding, climbed on top of the loudspeakers, and used the metal structure to play slide with. The trio left stage with amplifiers feeding back, and the crowd (including members of the headlining acts) screaming for more.Read the rest of this entry »
I am exhausted, Darling. Thank Venus we have an extra hour this weekend.
My day started with the Saints, who absolutely killed it as a trio. I was really looking forward to their performance and was not disappointed. They ripped through their classics such as “(I’m) Stranded” and songs from their new album, “Imperious Delirium,” which held up just as well. Look for an insightful interview with them in the next issue of the Daze.
I had heard a lot about Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, but never had a chance to check them out until Sunday. It was love at first listen as I was blown away by what I considered to be the best set I saw by anyone this weekend. The band had an incredible energy, and played cut loose rock n roll the way it was meant to be played.
Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues closed the weekend for me. Ms. Power was very eccentric, often stopping her singing to complain about the sound. She also stopped to declare that there was a medical emergency in the crowd, although no one could seem to figure out what she was talking about. Near the end of the set, she lamented that her label people only come out to see her when she’s having a bad night. Could you imagine what a Cat Power tour with Ryan Adams would be like?
My opinion of the Fun Fun Fun Fest concurred with many of the people I spoke with. It was very well done, at the perfect time of the year, and without many of the hassles of Austin’s bigger festivals. I am very much looking forward to Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008!
Meanwhile, look for some photos of the festival to be posted on the Austin Daze web site.
The Fun Fun Fun Fest is rocking my fishnet stockings off. My welcome was Okkervil River’s Will Sheff asking the crowd, “Are you having fun, fun, fun, yet?” It didn’t take long to see the answer was clearly affirmitive, as much of the front of the audience looked like a collection of vintage bobbin head dolls as they were grooving to the group’s bouncy feel.
Seeing the Angry Somoans brought me back to my teenage years, as I got to rock out live to songs I once listened to on a third generation cassette tape through a Sony Walkman cranked up as loud as it could go. Stage diving was prevelent as they rushed through about 25 songs in 35 minutes, playing many of their well known songs, and covering Black Flag’s “Wasted.”
The group that really put the fun into the fest for me was The New Pornographers. I needed a few moments to gather myself afterward. I almost have to start dancing again just thinking about it. Kathryn Calder, you are my hero. A.C. Newman and Neko Case both referred to our fave coffee hang Spiderhouse during the show, and were rewarded with handfuls of requested Rice Krispie Bars from their booth.
Neurosis ended my night with their forceful rawk, as heavy as an oil rig in Midland. At times Sabbath-like, but also venturing into the dark land of Goth, they put together an experience as their music combined with black and white images of a nuclear holocaust and solar elcipses projected a a big screen behind them. Not for the timid.
Tomorrow promises to be absolutely killer, with the Saints, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Cat Power, Youth Brigade and dozens more to leave you worn out for work on Monday morning, but knowing that it was all worth it. Viva la weekend!
