LouFest 2014 In Review, pt. 4

So, day one was over. Day two, though. Oh man. It was hard to believe going in that I would be seeing OutKast in a few very short hours. But back to the beginning of the day, we started things off with...

Old Salt Union

I'm not the biggest bluegrass fan in my house, but man were these guys good. Fiddles, fiddles everywhere! The upright bass was a nice touch, certainly not something common among the rest of the act. It was a sunny way to start a sunny day.

Unfortunately, we only stayed for a few songs before heading over to Pretty Little Empire and the food stations, and my only video was interrupted by my roommate talking about how proud he was that he used a waterless toothbrush to brush that day. It happens.

So, after some gyros and tacos for good luck, we decided to forego the main stage Empires set in order to get good spots for...

Glass Animals

Given how excited I was for their set, I was maybe most curious about how Glass Animals' trippy sound would translate to a live atmosphere, especially at a paltry 1:30pm time slot. But through the beaming sun and sweaty crowd, the unmistakable guitar strums of "Hazey" penetrated the thick air. Frontman Dave Bayley wasn't shy at all about showing off his falsetto, sounding just as airy and atmospheric as he does on record.

Hit single "Gooey" was an ecstatic sing-along, albeit with much less punch on the drum kick than in the studio version. Similarly, "Toes" had the crowd nodding in agreement with the mantra: "I got toes, and I can smile."

The highlight was - and I still can't believe they actually played this - a funked-out cover of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" formerly confined to a b-side on the "Gooey" single. The lads brought their all into the left-of-center rendition complete with bass plucks and "ahhh-OOH" harmonies.

We actually had the pleasure of meeting Dave after the set, and I thanked him personally for "Love Lockdown". A very nice guy. This caused us to be a bit late, but we still showed up a few songs into...

Portugal. The Man

I had missed the Portugal set in Columbia last year, so I was anticipating this one as we headed over to the tune of "Purple Yellow Red & Blue". Due to how tired we were after Glass Animals, however, Portugal became a chill set to which we swayed from sitting spots just outside of the crowd. Their loud pop-rock carried far beyond the reaches of the main stage, with the opening synths of "Modern Jesus" ringing clear even from the water station across the park.

Some bands just work well on a main stage, and Portugal fit the bill. Opting to play hits like "Purple" early on, the remainder of the set was comprised mostly of deep cuts, proving the prowess of what some may have called a one trick pony.

Just when I thought I had Portugal's set pinned down as just another festival-rock show, they changed my tune with one of the funniest cover moments of the festival - "Dayman" from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I'm not really sure how to describe just how great this was. Luckily, I have video:

We skipped out on Young & Sick in order to secure good seats at the main stage. I'll continue shortly with my reviews of Trombone Shorty and Cherub!

LouFest 2014 In Review, pt. 3

After Yo La Tengo, we waited in the crowd through the distant sounds of The 1975 in order to secure the best, front-row spots for...

Cake

Dear god. When I first heard "Short Skirt / Long Jacket" as the theme from Chuck, I never expected to see Cake live. I certainly never expected to even become a fan of theirs; "Jacket" had to grow on me from an initial annoyance of an intro to a shower-singing staple complete with shouts of "GETS UP EARLY" and "STAYS UP LATE".

When singer John McCrea came out in a trucker hat smacking a vibraphone like it was the last day of his life, the crowd morphed into one huge singing machine. Favorites like "Shadow Stabbing" and "Frank Sinatra" translated beautifully to a live setting complete with an energetic horn player (now becoming a trend at LouFest, seemingly) and keyboardist underlining every note with a thick brass sharpie.

Despite the curious absence of "The Distance", the band rolled out most of their hits proudly. When the likes of "Love You Madly" and "Jacket" started out, they were received with the warmth of an old friend who hadn't been seen in years. The na-nas in "Jacket" were transformed into a multiple-part crowd chorus which continued through the end of the song and set, even continuing as people left for Arctic Monkeys. "Madly" was especially well-received; it seemed as though every audience member knew every word.

The highlight of the powerful set was "Sheep Go To Heaven", an even better sing-along somehow than "Jacket". My friends, non-Cake fans who had followed me for lack of another option, were laughing hysterically as McCrea had us all repeat the mantra: "sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell". The set could actually be summed up well with a line from the song: "as soon as you're born you start dying, so you might as well have a good time".

Arctic Monkeys

Finally, it was time for day one to come to a close with brit-rock darlings Arctic Monkeys. I had missed their set in Columbia at The Blue Note, so I was excited to see, as my other friend puts it, a true "middle school classic". We had sacrificed a good spot at this set for our front-row at Cake, but that was okay because the lads were loud. Damn, were they loud.

They started off with "Do I Wanna Know?", which surprised me as it's currently their "song" for much of the audience. But the rest of the hour-and-a-half set was packed with songs from throughout the Monkeys' timeline. "Brianstorm" seemed a little weird set to a light show shaped like the AM logo, but it successfully whipped the crowd into the frenzy it was always designed to incite. By the time "Flourescent Adolescent" came on, the barriers between the new and old fans had mostly dissolved.

Though I'm not the biggest fan of the Monkeys, I was very pleased to hear those mid-2000s jams that I had almost forgotten. Mixed in with their much-matured new material, it shows a band clearly unafraid to evolve and push the limits of their sound. For a band that was almost pigeonholed with the rest of the "emo" movement thanks to "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor", they made a strong case for their status as an enduring and respected rock act.

And with that, the first day was done. I'll continue shortly with day two, featuring Old Salt Union and Glass Animals!

LouFest 2014 In Review, pt. 2

After dancing our wavy hearts out to Washed Out, next up was...

RAC

You may know RAC for his remixes, and, as such, he opened the set with 3 of his best. The likes of Two Door Cinema Club ("Something Good Can Work"), The Temper Trap ("Sweet Disposition") and Lana Del Rey ("Blue Jeans") filled the air in extra-poppy editions. Just when the crowd seemed to be wondering if the group had any original songs at all, bandleader André Anjos proved his worth by breaking into the refreshingly guitar-driven "Tear You Down".

Anjos provided a bit of band trivia by informing the crowd that he had actually proposed to his wife in this very park. His wife - stationed over on keyboard - clarified that she had, of course, said yes. It was one of the only crowd interactions of their set, but it was a fun reminder of the humanity of this remix machine.

Perhaps the highlight was crowd favorite "Cheap Sunglasses", featuring up-and-coming pop singer Matthew Koma. By the time its opening keyboard notes floated through the crowd, however, the absence of a lead singer was becoming painfully obvious. Each band member had wonderful instrumental performances, but hearing prerecorded vocals on every track got a little odd after a while. When the band's name stands for "Remix Artist Collective", though, it's kind of to be expected.

Future Islands

It was back to the main stage for synth-pop giants Future Islands. Though we elected for a spot to lay outside of the crowd, the beachy melodies of the band made a hell of an impression even from afar. 

Though we only stayed for a short amount of time, we danced with our bad selves to "Seasons (Waiting On You)" like our lives depended on it. It was a fun surprise to hear post-hardcore influences in the form of a few songs featuring screamed melodies at a festival otherwise buoyed by safe pop-rock and fun dance beats.


Yo La Tengo

A good friend of mine by the name of Ryan has championed Yo La Tengo to me for years. So, when they were announced as Kelis' replacement on the lineup, I made sure to make room in my schedule for them. After hearing a few of their songs, I actually decided to leave Future Islands early in order to get the best spot possible for them. They had actually become one of my most anticipated acts solely due to my unfamiliarity with them; I had never seen a true "jam-rock" show prior to this. So I had high hopes and an open mind going into the 30-year-veteran act's set.

Unfortunately (I'm so sorry Ryan), Yo La Tengo ended up as my biggest disappointment of the weekend. However, I have to admit that it was entirely my fault that they disappointed. While they opened with my favorite song by theirs ("Mr. Tough"), the entire rest of the set was comprised of songs I didn't know and extended jam seshes. After about 10 minutes of one jam showered in distorted bass and screeching guitar, I found myself checking my watch only to see that we weren't even halfway through.

That said, even though the music wasn't quite my cup of tea, by god were they talented. And I mean talented. Each member of the three piece played each instrument and several pieces of percussion, and they played each one well. Lead singer Ira Kaplan in particular showed his guitar prowess during the extended jams, playing each note with the passion that only such a seasoned rocker can. Though by the latter half of the set I was waiting for the final note, I remained impressed the entire time with the sheer talent being displayed on the stage. Though I don't know that I'd go to a Yo La Tengo show on my own, they certainly left me inspired to pick up the guitar again.

Oh, and did I mention that they're all over 50? I cannot stress this enough - Yo La Tengo was probably the single most musically impressive act of the festival, despite not quite being what I expected genre-wise. Perhaps going into their set only knowing them for latin-tinged songs like "Mr. Tough" was a bad idea.


I'll continue shortly with the final acts of day one, Cake and Arctic Monkeys!

A Small Project / LouFest 2014 In Review, pt. 1

So, I haven't posted on this blog in several months. I planned to write between shifts of my job, but the summer kind of sped by to be honest. I've had some terrible writer's block, too, so that definitely wasn't helping. But here I am, three weeks into my junior year of college, and I'm feeling the itch to write something. And what better to write about than the music festival I just got back from?

LouFest 2014!

It. Was. Great. I had an amazing time at LouFest last year and jumped at the chance to buy tickets to this one. It didn't hurt that the lineup included some amazing names - Glass Animals, San Fermin, Washed Out, RAC, Cherub, Cake. Oh, and OUTKAST.

I've got some videos and a decently accurate memory of the shows I saw (which will only deteriorate the longer I wait), so let's get to it!

San Fermin

So we started out Saturday with one of my most anticipated acts of the weekend. I hadn't heard of San Fermin before the lineup had been announced, but I fell in love with their song "Sonsick" almost immediately after hearing it. A little further digging into their catalog found me their song "Renaissance!", a similarly hypnotic song which I almost didn't recognize as them thanks to the lead singer switch-up. Unlike Rae Cassidy's soaring, catchy melodies, the husky voice of frontman Ellis Ludwig-Leone is firmly grounded with a low growl.

San Fermin filled the Bud Light Stage with no less than eight members including the two lead singers, a guitarist, a drummer, a violinist, a trumpeter and an impressive tenor sax player. Where the daunting task of opening the main stage at the fest got the best of Youngblood Hawke last year, San Fermin rose to the challenge. Each instrumentalist got a solo, and each displayed their immense talent succinctly.

While founder Ludwig-Leone's deep tenor was in full display, the band's previous female lead, Rae Cassidy, left about a year prior. She was replaced by Charlene Kaye, a woman with a powerful voice built for loudness. Unfortunately, this didn't translate well to "Sonsick". Where Cassidy's voice was able to easily flow through the high notes in the chorus, Kaye struggled while allowing the horn section to take center stage. Kaye's inability to match Cassidy's high range was highlighted in a few other songs, but was mostly forgotten thanks to her otherwise stunning pipes.

We hit the Nosh Pit for lunch during SKATERS, but we were still able to hear the familiarly bubblegum-rock melodies of "I Wanna Dance (But I Don't Know How)" from across the park. From afar, it certainly sounded good.


Washed Out

Back at the main stage, we closed our eyes and swayed to and fro to the waves of synths provided by Ernest Greene, otherwise known as Washed Out. In what must have been the most beach-ball-filled set of the weekend, Greene matched his reverb-soaked vocals with a very capable backup band to bring a live flair to his usually computerized instrumentals. It was particularly cool to hear songs like "New Theory" with heavily distorted guitar replacing the opening synth, or "Eyes Be Closed" with a double-layered tom/kick.

Interestingly, with three albums to choose material from, Greene mostly stuck to his debut EP, Life of Leisure. This was entirely okay with the crowd, however, with favorites like the aforementioned "Eyes Be Closed" and "Feel It All Around" turning into passionate... well, not sing-alongs. More like sway-alongs?

As a big electronic music fan, I'm always interested to see how electro-tinged bands like Washed Out fare in a live setting. For this particular set, the consensus seemed positive. I remember getting chills when the opening string samples of "It All Feels Right" boomed through the speakers over Greene's perfectly crafted live setting. For an act so heavily rooted in electric psychedelia, Washed Out at LouFest gave more of a rock vibe than I ever expected.

I'll continue my LouFest experience shortly with set reviews from RAC, Future Islands, and Yo La Tengo!

The Life of the Party

It's no crime to descry
To watch the dancers of life
Repeating the motions
With brand new associans
Who will just disappoint
But converge at a joint
It's a laughable thing
But I just have to join
A waltz through the room
To find that the door
Has been locked from within
So we turn to the floor
Let's dance til we can no more
Together, tonight
And in this single place
Our hands clasped together
My eyes on your face
And your eyes on mine
Synced perfect in time
We won't ever cry
But laugh, we will try
In this room where we'll die
As the air thins inside
We just have the night
Let's keep us in stride
3/4, Box step
Up and then a timid left
Love will tear us apart
Joy divide my weak heart
And yours just as torn
Young ambitions unborn
Inward though these walls will slide
You and I still dance in time
And though with tears your cheeks are stained
I've never seen more lovely eyes

Scratching My Head About the Monkeysphere

I'm sure we've all heard the terrible news about Tracy Morgan's limo accident. For those who haven't been updated, the hilarious stand-up comedian and 30 Rock actor was critically injured a few days ago when his limo was hit by a tractor trailer on the Jersey Turnpike. The crash sent Morgan and four others to the intensive care unit; Morgan's close friend and mentor, James McNair, was killed in the crash. Those sent to the hospital have received varying degrees of diagnoses, with Morgan's latest being that his leg may require amputation.

It's a terrible, terrible story. Of course, I send my thoughts and good vibes to those involved in the accident and their families and loved ones. But what's really interested me about the situation is the public response. For obvious reasons, news coverage has centered on Morgan, the celebrity. But what about the five other passengers - one of whom was killed? A quick browse through the relevant trends on Twitter reveal, scattered among Tracy Morgan condolence posts, several acrid tweets blasting the mainstream for "forgetting" the other five victims.

The posts mean well, but there's a reason I put quotations around the word "forgetting". See, it's difficult to forget about someone that you've never heard of. Unfortunately, the five other victims were not famous. Not even McNair, who has received by far the most coverage next to Morgan, was even close to a recognizable name. It's sad and blunt, but it's true. We won't care about the unrecognizable deaths when a familiar name stands out, especially in a situation like this.

There's a great term that applies here: the monkeysphere. "Monkeysphere" refers to a thought experiment that I'd like to explain (with the help of Cracked.com having previously explained to me). Imagine that you have a pet monkey. You care for that monkey immensely, and you have a unique bond with it. You'd care if it died, no question. So, what if you had 10 monkeys? Each has their own personality and value to you. You'd probably still mourn the loss of all 10. How many monkeys would it take before we don't care when one dies?

The answer is Dunbar's Number. The psychologist Robert Dunbar defines this as the number of relationships we as humans can individually and reliably maintain. The number is commonly thought to be between 100 and 200 people. This brings credence to the saying that one death is a tragedy and one million deaths is a statistic.

So, back to the Tracy Morgan crash. Unfortunately, our nation has a collective monkeysphere, and these five were outside of it. But why does that lessen their value? In truth, it doesn't inherently. It's us that choose to lessen their value by not acknowledging them.

I'd like to use this concept to illustrate a point about our modern world. America in 2014 has never valued the individual less. With stories like these constantly littering our news, what's another 5 deaths when 500 people are killed in Chicago each year? And what are those 500 when over 5,000 have died in conflict in Afganistan fighting for a cause that the average American doesn't even come close to understanding?

We've created a cult of impersonality. We hear so much tragedy that we just aren't able to care anymore. The exception to this lies within our monkeysphere, the limits of which are defined by us. So, how big is your monkeysphere? How much of the world do you actually care about? When you heard the news about the crash, did you only tweet to Tracy Morgan to stay strong, or did your mind wander to the others involved that won't see their names in headlines upon recovery? Or did your mind wander further to the amount of people killed by reckless driving each year? It's a difference in our understanding and our open-mindedness that very much intrigues me.

I challenge both myself and any readers to expand their monkeysphere. It's easy to stick to your personal bubble when you're scared of what you might find outside. Next time you read a story about a celebrity in some situation like this, it's okay to feel for them. But I challenge you to think not only about the others involved, but how we can take this situation as an example to change something we're encountering in our nation. Remain conscious of the limits of your monkeysphere, and remember their fluidity. Think outside of your personal world, and you just might find the way to betterment for the rest of us.

New Eyes

Take out your eyes at the start of each day

By the light of the sun as it shines on your face

You slowly lose sight, but your senses stay

The pain’s okay; it’s better this way

Your new eyes are nice

But you squint to read books

You lose not just sight

But the way that things look

Nothing is special;

That is, you can’t say

Your new eyes aren’t perfect

But you made them this way

Go through your day with your new set of eyes

Smell all the flowers, breathe the sunlight

But don’t expect much; you still can’t see right

What’s in a future if it isn’t bright?

Come home; it’s time

Your eyes are fatigued

You go to eject them

So that you can read

But try as you might

They just will not leave

And you can’t find your old eyes

Cause you still can’t see

It’s fine; you live through your new set of eyes

But colors are dulled, and so is your life

It’s hard to come down when you live on a high

But damn, nothing tempts like a new set of eyes