popwreckoning

Saturday of Sasquatch began a theme I noticed for the next three days. The smaller stages rocked this year. I’d go as far as saying that the acts that graced the Bigfoot and Yeti stages were better than the main stage.

My day began at with local band The Globes on the Yeti stage, who just released their debut album on Barsuk Records Future Self, and I can say that I do prefer them in a smaller venue, but they did attract quite a nice crowd for 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Basically, local bands ruled Sasquatch this year. It makes me proud to be a Washingtonian.

Speaking of locals – the Head and the Heart were at the main stage next. To be honest, they were one of only three bands I saw on the main stage that day, and the one I was most excited for. Not because I hadn’t seen them – because this was the fourth time I’d seen this lovely band play, but because they are so inspiring. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, an amazing group of people came to the main stage to see them play – just over a year after they’d even started playing together.

Drummer Tyler Williams told a little story during the set about that very thing. He was wearing a wristband that he’d gotten at the festival last year, not from playing, but from attending. He said that last year he told himself that he wasn’t going to take that wristband off until they played Sasquatch. Lo and behold, a year later, the little band that could was playing the main stage of one of the biggest festivals in the country (certainly the most beautiful). I was in awe, and I can’t praise this band enough, so I’ll move on.

Not only was the festival full of lovely Seattle locals, but the Canadian crowd this year was surprisingly large. I haven’t heard so many “ayes” in one weekend. So naturally, Vancouver native Dan Mangan got lots of love during his set. But it was well deserved, because not only were his songs awesome live, his charisma was infectious and adorable. The folk rock crooner, with his Seth Rogan-esque curly locks can really get a crowd going – and only with some energetic acoustic guitar. You would have thought we were at a Matt & Kim show. Wait, that came later.

The Antlers graced the Bigfoot stage next, and they pleasantly surprised me. I hadn’t heard much of their music before hand, and I loved their set. It wasn’t just because the lighting was gorgeous either. This was when I started to see that the Bigfoot Stage would outshine the main stage. Jenny & Johnny played the same stage a little bit later, bringing a charming rockabilly vibe to the mid-afternoon sun.

Serial collaborator Jenny Lewis wore a retro red frock with an over-the-top pointed collar and some fashion-forward bug-eye sunglasses, and boyfriend Jonathan Rice sported some matching shades. I certainly hope Rice and Lewis don’t break up anytime soon, because they’re making some catchy summer tunes.

Before settling into the Bigfoot stage for the night, I caught Wye Oak and The Thermals back the Yeti stage, both of whom were fantastic in different ways. The duo Wye Oak brought an insane amount of sound between the two of them, and I wish my camera battery hadn’t died so I could have stayed at their set longer. I’ve seen the Thermals four times since September, so I knew exactly what I was getting, but they never cease to entertain. Seriously, their songs may be simple and many are quite similar, but seeing the Thermals is some of the most fun you’ll ever have at a show.

But the fun kept coming, as Matt & Kim were up next at the Bigfoot stage. The couple ran out on stage, smiling ear to ear, standing up on their seats hyping up the crowd – as if they needed any more hyping. I’m just thankful that there was a steel barrier between the crowd and me. The beauty of the Gorge didn’t fail to make any appearances during several sets that day, but Matt & Kim were the most insistent in expressing their excitement about being at Sasquatch. It was their first time here, and even I’m still in awe of it three years running. I can’t even remember what I thought the first time I went.

It was at this point where the schedule went out the window for all three stages. That was the only negative about this year’s festival. Timing apparently wasn’t on anyone’s mind, as Robyn was half an hour late to the Bigfoot stage. I’m not sure whether there was a legitimate reason why she went on late, or that she wanted to wait until the sun went down, but once she started playing I didn’t really care. That girl is crazy on stage.

I can remember when she had that one hit song “Show Me Love” in the 90s, and this is light-years away from the one-hit wonder pop princess of my childhood. If Lady Gaga gets this much credit for wild antics on stage, then Robyn should at least be close. Wearing some obscenely loud stretch pants and a sweater that looked like she literally just sheered a sheep herself, Robyn strutted all around stage, shaking her booty in equally as obscene platform shoes. It makes me wonder if people actually dress like that day-to-day in Sweden. After missing her club show in Seattle earlier this year, I was incredibly thankful that I finally got to see her at Sasquatch, because it was a show I won’t forget.

I would have been happy going back to the house I was staying, but I did head down to the main stage to catch some of Death Cab for Cutie’s set, which started out splendidly. The first four songs – I’m not kidding – were all old. Two of them were actually from when Death Cab was still on Barsuk Records, which made me proud. It wasn’t the feeling all through the audience though, because the old songs, “Why You’d Want to Live Here,” “Photobooth,” and “We Looked like Giants,” weren’t particularly popular. It wasn’t until Death Cab started playing songs off Transatlanticism, Plans, and Narrow Stairs did people actually respond in a big way. And this was after they’d played a few songs off the new album Codes and Keys, which I liked on record, but was sadly lackluster live. I left before their set was even over. Maybe it was because the new songs aren’t that exciting or impacting, but after a nice and unexpected beginning, Death Cab’s set had a unfortunate case of dull.

After that, I stuck to the smaller stages for the rest of the weekend. Besides, I don’t think any band on the main stage could have outdone the Foo Fighters on Friday.

Check out Friday’s post.

Indie-pop quartet Funeral Party will be opening for Panic! At the Disco along with fun. at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City this Sunday,  June 12^th. Their debut album, The Golden Age of Knowhere (released March 29^th), was produced by Lars Stalfors (Matt & Kim, The Mars Volta) and mixed by Dave Sardy (Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Oasis). They’ve already performed on David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel, and have supported the likes of The Faint, Cut Copy, The Mars Volta, and Crystal Castles.

Amongst the insane amount of momentum they are gaining globally, Funeral Party is an Alternative Press Band to Watch for 2011 and they performed several sets at SXSW last March in Austin. With all of this press, they are definitely a band to see sooner, rather than later!

So how would you like two tickets to go see Funeral Party and fun. supporting Panic! At the Disco at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on June 12^th? Leave a comment below by 12pm on Friday, June 10^th telling us the name of your favorite Funeral Party song and why. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you about picking up your tickets.

Mad Rad, Das Racist and The Thermals brought the house down at the free Sasquatch Launch Party at the Showbox at the Market last night, where the lineup to the now four-day festival would be announced.

Put on by Livenation and Sasquatch creator Adam Zacks, the launch party was MC’d by Comedian Todd Barry, who kept the crowd entertained between sets with dry wit and some fake teaser headliners.

“If you love me now, you’ll love when I play a set between headliners Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and tickets are only $7!” Barry proclaimed sarcastically to the less-than-attentive crowd. But I guess that’s what you get when you have a free show.

After Mad Rad and Das Racist played their sets, the lineup was announced in a video like previous years, which was played twice over, most likely so people could get a second look because they were freaking out too much over the Flaming Lips.

So far the lineup includes:

Death Cab for Cutie, the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, the Foo Fighters, Robyn, Wilco, Flying Lotus, Bright Eyes, Flogging Molly, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Das Racist, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Iron & Wine, The Flaming Lips.Black Mountain, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the Head and the Heart, Mad Rad, the Moondoggies, Noah & The Whale, Sam Roberts Band, Secret Sisters, Twin Shadow, Wye Oak, Tig Notaro, Smith Westerns, Rival Schools, Foster the People, Alberta Cross, S. Carey, White Denim, Washed Out, Gold Panda, Dan Mangan, Axis of Awesome, The Globes, Cotton Jones, Jaill, Basia Bulat, Other Lives, The Bronx, White Arrows, Pepper Rabbit, Talkdemonic, Rebecca Gates and The Consortium, The Young Evils, Bassnectar, Pink Martini, Cold War Kids, Old 97′s, Ratatat, Wolf Parade, Chromeo, Guided By Voices, Yeasayer, Beach House, Local Natives, Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Mstrkrft, Trailer Park Boys, Sleigh Bells, Major Lazer, Skrillex, Fitz & The Tantrums, !!!, Archers of Loaf, Against Me!, The Thermals, Best Coast, CSS, Surfer Blood, Jenny & Johnny, Bonobo (DJ Set), City and Colour, Reggie Watts, K-Os, Gayngs, Tim Minchin, The Drums, The Radio Dept., Young the Giant, The Antlers, Sharon Van Etten, Villagers, Stornoway, Aloe Blacc.

Tickets go on sale on Feb. 14th starting at $79.50 per day and $285 for three-day passes.

Go to http://sasquatchfestival.com/ for more information or to purchase tickets.

Even though I’m a relatively young person, sometimes I do feel quite old. When I went to go see Matt & Kim on Tuesday, I felt old.

Why?

Well, there was no way I could match the energy of the couple duo, and the constant pushing by the teenagers behind me could not have annoyed me more. It was like we were at a Jay-Z show.

The odd, but intriguing lineup started with one of Seattle’s best hip-hop acts Champagne Champagne. Matt actually proclaimed that Champagne Champagne was his “favorite Seattle band, even more than Nirvana!”

I don’t know if I’d go as far as saying that, but Champagne Champagne are surely one of the best Seattle has to currently offer.

Mixing hip-hop and electro, Champagne Champagne is what Seattle is all about these days, and the sweaters also add to the local vibe. Quite literally, the band shed a total of 5 layers of clothing, and 3 of which were Pearl Dragon’s denim jacket, his sweater, and button-up shirt. Underneath all those layers actually, he was sporting his own band merchandise.

As the trio rhymed their way through an enjoyable setlist, they engaged the crowd with their familiar two-way chant.

“Champagne Champagne!” The guys would shout.

And the crowd would reply wildly, “Champagne Champagne!”

After Champagne Champagne finished their set, the positively unstoppable math rock band Fang Island took the stage, adorned with a plethora of Halloween paraphernalia, even though it was over a month early for the holiday decor.

Fang Island played through most of the songs off their critically-acclaimed debut, but honestly it seemed to drag on, as the crowd was waiting (not-so-patiently) for Matt & Kim. And most of Fang Island’s songs contain little lyrics and were at least 5 minutes long of pure, loud jamming.

Fang Island’s raw energy made for a really good live set, they just didn’t have a lot of range within the songs.

With one more intermission to go, the roadies came out and literally took everything off the stage. All the amps and mics and guitar stands – gone. Instead they wheeled out a platform with Kim Schifino’s drumkit stocked with an arsenal of drum sticks and Matt Johnson’s keyboard and microphone.

With such an easy set-up, Matt & Kim stepped out on stage frantically, both giving rounds of high-fives to people in the front row. Starting off with the ecstatic “I Wanna” off their second album Grand, Matt & Kim put on a fantastic show – one that seriously made Tuesday not seem like a Tuesday.

Matt & Kim’s happiness and energy was infectious, and it was impossible not to smile a long with Kim’s constant megawatt grin.

She was so excited that she was breaking drum sticks at an alarming rate. She beat the symbols so hard that you could see the bits of wood flying off them before she’d toss the broken stick behind her and grab another one from the bag hanging off her floor tom.

“Lessons Learned” was one of my favorite moments of the night, when the band first instructed the crowd, “you just have to sing da da da da. That’s it!”

“Ladies, you never want to see your ass bouncing from behind,” Kim advised us all, in reference to the music video for “Lessons Learned,” where the two of them walked through Time Square and stripped down to their skivvies. And then, because he’s a guy, Matt said guys, we always want to see their ass bouncing from behind, or something like that.

Along with the broken drum sticks, as I stood off to the side, I could see the speakers stacked adjacent to the stage shaking back and forth, and the floor had easily turned into something close to a trampoline.

“Okay, so I want all of you to take these balloons and blow them up. Then throw them way into the air, along with your dignity!” Matt shouted as Kim tossed balloons around the full room. Later on, since so many of the balloons ended up on Kim’s drums, Matt instructed us to pop the balloons. It was like a giant firecracker exploded by dozens of people.

The set was half songs off Grand, half songs off their self-titled debut, a couple of covers (I’ll get to that in a minute), and the nice addition of “Silver Tiles” off the upcoming Sidewalks out November 2. In fact, right when the doors opened, we got to hear the entirety of Sidewalks over the loudspeaker as part of the tour-long listening party.

The pre-show listening party definitely added to the whole experience, seeing that people obviously wanted to hear a lot of their old favorites, like “Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare,” “Cinders” and of course “Daylight” as the closing song.

Now about those covers. When I saw Matt & Kim play just over a year ago, I remember them playing a cover of “Just A Friend” by Biz Markie, and sure enough they played it again as a hilarious sing-along. Even though I’m pretty sure a lot of the room wasn’t nearly old enough to know the original song. What was even funnier still, we got a cover of “Better Off Alone” by Dutch dance pop group Alice Deejay (now that I looked up the song again, I realize that it’s only about 12 years old, but still), and again I’m almost positive all the people in the bar were the ones who sang along to that one.

Way to get the crowd going, Matt & Kim – pull out some obscure 90s Europop song! I’m not being facetious, because only a band with as much blistering excitement on stage as Matt & Kim could pull that off.

Surely I will be hard up to have a more fun Tuesday night for awhile.

Indie pop duo Matt & Kim will tour North America this fall, beginning September 15 at the Wescott in Syracuse, NY.

The three-month tour will take them across the country and include festival stops like the Austin City Limits on October 9. Tickets go on sale June 23. They’re also performing at Lollapalooza and Siren Music Festival this summer.

Matt & Kim are also set to release their third album this fall.

Tour Dates:
Sept 15th Westcott Theater Syracuse, NY
Sept 16th Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
Sept 17th Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH
Sept 18th Majestic Theater Detroit, MI
Sept 19th Metro Chicago, IL
Sept 21st Majestic Theater Madison, WI
Sept  22nd First Ave Minneapolis, MN
Sept 23rd Granada Lawrence, KS
Sept 24th Ogden Theater Denver, CO
Sept 27th The Rickshaw Theater Vancouver, BC
Sept 28th Showbox Seattle, WA
Sept 29th Roseland Theater Portland, OR
Sept 30th The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Oct 1st House of Blues San Diego, CA
Oct 2nd Henry Fonda Los Angeles, CA
Oct 6th The Clubhouse Tempe, AZ
Oct 8th House of Blues Dallas, TX
Oct 9th Austin City Limits Austin, TX
Oct 12th House of Blues New Orleans, LA
Oct 13th Club Downunder Tallahassee, FL
Oct 14th Culture Room Fort Lauderdale, FL
Oct 15th State Theater St. Petersburg, FL
Oct 16th Masquerade Atlanta, GA
Oct 17th Exit In Nashville, TN 19th Orange Peel Asheville, NC
Oct 20th Cats Cradle Carrboro, NC
Oct 21st The Canal Club Richmond, VA
Oct 24th Starlite Ballroom Philadelphia, PA
Oct 28th Water St. Music Hall Rochester, NY
Oct 29th Phoenix Theater Toronto, ON
Oct 30th Le National Montreal, QC
Oct 31st Northern Lights Clifton, NY
Nov 2nd Higher Ground Burlington, VT
Nov 3rd Port City Music Hall Portland, ME
Nov 4th House of Blues Boston, MA
Nov 5th Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
Nov 6th Pearl Street Northampton, MA

Arriving in the Seattle Center on Sunday proved that people don’t give a shit about the weather when good music is involved. It reminded me of a movie I recently saw – “Taking Woodstock,” where the famous Woodstock festival was almost put to a halt because of a terrible rainstorm.

We’re Seattle, it doesn’t affect us much.

But in defiance of the sky’s will, the rain did stop and start during various times during the day – the most ironic one actually was during the Cold War Kids set on the main stage when they started playing their hit “Hang Me Up To Dry.” Seriously. Everyone had just put on their hooded raincoats, and the sun came out all of sudden. It was magical. Even the front man Nathan Willett noticed it – “clothes are just coming off all over the place.” For being the first set on the main stage, the Cold War Kids rocked Memorial Stadium. Guitarist Jonnie Russell brought a lot of the charisma to the stage, switching instruments, and beating a cymbal with a maraca. It took a little while for the crowd to build up their energy, seeing that it was early in the day, and wet, but the Cold War Kids didn’t really give a crap about the rain. They played some old songs and some new songs, but since I was pretty close to the stage, I noticed that the crowd sucked compared to Saturday. But it was early yet, so I didn’t mind.

And they were great warm up for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who were next on the main stage.

Holy crap, I’m so glad I had a second chance to see them. They came to the Sasquatch Festival back in May, and I missed them because Bon Iver played at the exact same time, and when I saw that they were playing at Bumbershoot too, I jumped to joy.

Let me tell you – that is one live show you can’t afford to miss. Karen O came bounding on stage in this multi-colored stringy, almost harness-like get up, with a equally colorful cape, and Nick came out with his ridiculously awesome hair and dark pair of wayfarers, and they killed it. The rain had started again by then, but I couldn’t count how many people crowd surfed in that hour-and-a-half. A few people around me actually were dropped because people weren’t paying attention to them enough to remember to hold them up. Karen said over and over how awesome the crowd was – and I couldn’t argue with her. We were singing along to slower hits like “Runaway” from It’s Blitz! and frantically jumping and dancing to older heavy hits like “Date With A Night.” Karen O is the epitome of a front-woman, with her melodic singing, fantastic shrieking, and something that sounds almost like an orgasm, especially during “Date With A Night” as she shouts “I’ll set you, I’ll set it off!” At this point, I was thinking to myself, “why are they playing at 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon?” The scheduling for Sunday didn’t make much sense, having Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the early afternoon and Jason Mraz being the headliner at 9:30 p.m. But that’s a testament to how great a show Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on.

During the last half of “Skeletons,” where Karen O wasn’t singing, and it was just a powerful keyboard solo, a huge gust of wind blew in and tossed the tarps lining the stage around like sails on a boat. I might have been the only one who thought it was cool, but it fit perfectly into the song. But the best part of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ set came when Nick switched to an acoustic guitar and we all knew “Maps” was coming.

“This is a song about love. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Seattle – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Seattle – love.” And Karen O put her hand on her heart. Her stage presence reminds of Freddie Mercury – with her wild outfits and insurmountable amount of energy. It’s amazing. And on this day, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs could feel the love from Seattle, and Seattle – for sure – could feel the love from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

After my sister and I left the main stage, trotting through puddles and slowly ascending the wet stairs, we took a breather to have some lunch and shop around to give my sister’s back a rest. At 6 p.m., we headed over to the Broad Street Stage to catch the Vivian Girls. The audience was quite a bit smaller than Matt & Kim or Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head from the previous day, but the crowd they did have were really into it. But I think the Vivian Girls music is more fit for smaller clubs than large festivals. I haven’t heard much of their music, but oddly enough, they were very reminiscent of late 90s indie chick rock, but with a little more grungy edge. I’d like to think that Kurt Cobain would enjoy their music. That’s basically how I can describe it, with everything from their vocal stylings, fashion, and stage presence. My sister made some odd comparison as, “the less poppy Donnas.” I personally wouldn’t go see them again live, as I like my live shows to be slightly more energetic, but I listen to their self-titled record a lot. I’m a 90s kid, so the Vivian Girls are my kinda nostalgia.

At that point, the batteries in my camera died, so I had to run down the street to OfficeMax and pick up some more AAs before we got in line for Patton Oswalt at the Charlotte Martin Theater. I’ll just say this – I haven’t laughed that hard in…well I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. And I’m so glad I got to see him Sunday, because his set on Monday is during Franz Ferdinand – which is the one band I’m not missing for anything.

The last act of the night – Jason Mraz, I went merely to appease the wishes of my sister. I own one Jason Mraz album from when I was 14, and since then, my musical taste had changed a bit, so I wasn’t nearly as excited to see him as the thousands of girls and frat boys packed inside Memorial Stadium. It’s almost insane how much ladies go crazy for Jason Mraz. He has the appeal of a younger Dave Matthews, certainly with the instruments he works into his live performance. Even though it took me awhile to warm up to him, he’s awesome live. He’s way better than on his record, without a doubt. But it took him a long time to get to the more upbeat, crowd-pleasing songs. At the beginning, I was almost bored, as the songs didn’t fit the enthusiasm of the crowd and the greatness of the venue. This is where I questioned the scheduling again.

His beachy, surfer-dude, chill persona didn’t fit at 9:30 p.m. Chill music doesn’t work well with people who are already tired. But once he got to the second half of the show, and busted out with some Lionel Richie, everyone sang along to “party, karamu, fiesta, forever!” It didn’t make much sense to me, but I sang along as well. He played some more upbeat songs, “The Remedy” and “Coyotes,” which kept the energy up. By then, I was having fun, but what made me and the rest of the people around me extremely frustrated were the constant stream of people leaving. Now, we were towards the front of the crowd, and people who were much closer than we were left 20 minutes in. And they kept leaving throughout the show. I ask you – why squeeze your way to the most crowded area of the venue if you’re just going to leave halfway through? I don’t get it. The father with his 3-year-old standing right in front of me stayed all the way through. And it was adorable, especially during “I’m Yours,” when the 3-year-old sang all the words. That’s how big a spectrum Jason Mraz appeals to. You’ve got middle-aged women, frat boys, boy-crazy teenage girls, and fathers and their young sons.

By the end of Jason Mraz’s set and he played a wicked version of “Butterfly,” I was dancing along like the uber fangirl standing right next to me. From starting slow, to picking up the tempo and getting the crowd more involved, and ending with a bang – Mraz did not disappoint me. At that point, the scheduling made more sense having him as the headliner – because his fans love him.

I’ve still got one more day of this. Yes.

Bumbershoot: website | day 1

Written by: Abby Williamson

Seattle was asking for it when they named the music and arts festival “Bumbershoot.” I mean, it means umbrella, so it’s almost inevitable that there will be at least one drop of rain at one point during the weekend.

Thankfully today, Saturday, it only rained for about 15 minutes. But even the rain could not stop the upbeat feel of Bumbershoot on this day.

Saturday’s main stage lineup included Katy Perry, the All-American Rejects and Sheryl Crow, probably the three most popular artists of the festival. So naturally, the Seattle Center was loaded with everyone from tweeny boppers with their parents coming to see Katy Perry or the All-American Rejects to middle-aged moms there to see Sheryl Crow. Quite the wide spectrum for one day.

I only caught Katy Perry on the main stage, mainly because my sister wanted to see her, but surprisingly, I was much more entertained than I thought I would be. Perry rocked a one-piece with a butt tutu, even in the seemingly gloomy weather, and jumped around the stage just about as much as the huge crowd of teenage girls right in front. But what stood out most to me was how good her voice sounded today. I’ve only seen her sing live on MTV award shows and other such things, and her voice has always been a little off, not quite powerful enough to carry a huge venue, but today was totally different. Even with the jumping around the stage, Perry sang her ass off. At one point, Perry mentioned her music idols – Queen, and broke out into a fun cover of “Don’t Stop Me Now.” I’m pretty sure none of the 13-year-olds knew any words to the song, but it made me smile, and oddly enough, made me think of the scene at the end of “Shaun of the Dead” when Shaun and the other survivors smack a zombie into submission to the beat of the jukebox with pool cues. That song, in itself, was worth missing seeing Maria Bamford’s kooky comedy stylings at Comedy Stage North at the exact same time.

After I left the main stage, my sister and I took a little hiatus before heading over to the Broad Street Stage to see Seattle electro dance-punk band Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. And I must say, it’s pretty much the greatest band name I’ve heard in a very long time. My sister had never listened to any of their stuff, but it didn’t matter. The five young Seattle natives and their ridiculously infectious songs turned the entire lawn into a dance party. Since they’ve only released one album, the crowd easily knew the words to all the songs – especially the short ditty “Sophisticated Side Ponytail,” a minute-and-a-half cheer of constant – “do you like my ponytail? I do, I do! My sideways ponytail? It’s true, it’s true!” It’s so eighties, yet not outdated in the slightest – with references to Shamu, tilt-a-whirls, the use of the word “bomb,” and steel drums. The eighties have had their second coming – and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head are the leaders of that revolution. Another of their songs centered around sexy hair – “Beard Lust,” which vocalist and various percussionist Shaun Libman declared the first song they ever wrote, right around the corner, while attending The Center School in their teens. Departing from the harmonies of the other songs, “Beard Lust” featured lots of rapping.

Shaun, Luke, David, Claire and Liam were by far the most at home at Bumbershoot, which carried into their performance – causing the entire crowd to dance like maniacs. From any other band – “Iceage Babeland” and “Confections” would cause people to stand with their mouths ajar with confusion, but the campyness of the songs fit perfectly with the youthful vibe of Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. I loved it. And to top it all off, during their final song, Shaun busted out a wine bottle filled with glitter to pour all over the crowd. The whole set was so much glittery deliciousness that it made you forget that you haven’t eaten in 10 hours.

Hey, who needs food when you’ve got a sweaty dance party to enjoy?

Speaking of food – apparently everyone during Matt & Kim’s set was starving, since the crowd kept throwing tortillas up on stage.

“I don’t know who told you guys, but tacos are my favorite food. So this is perfect,” keyboardist Matt said in some fashion or another. “Really, all sandwiches.”

So naturally, someone threw a wrapped sandwich up on stage by the time they were finished.

There is only one word to describe Matt & Kim – well, an adjective and a noun – relentlessly happy. I assure you, if you ever see them play, you will never see another band smile more. Kim didn’t stop grinning, I don’t think once. Someone was always making her laugh as she ferociously beat on her small drum kit while her husband Matt rocked out on his keyboard as if he were playing a double-necked axe. Their joy was contagious, even with just the two of them alone in the middle of the Broad Street Stage. And one could not find a more humble band. Numerous times, Matt spouted off thank you and “you guys rock” and other terms of gratitude that I can’t seem to remember. About halfway through their set – that’s when the rain slowly started. As the rain reached a pour, Matt started the opening riffs of one of their biggest hits “Daylight” to give the weather a little hint of what was yet to come. Five minutes later, they did the same thing again, and lo and behold, the rain stopped. The power of Matt & Kim’s music and the crowd’s equal enthusiasm stopped Seattle rain. Now that takes some strength.

The fact that we were on a huge lawn didn’t make any difference in the intimacy of the performance. Afterward, I felt like I could walk up to Matt or Kim and start up a conversation with them. They made the crowd feel like we were all friends, which Kim took even further when she jumped onto the lawn to crowd surf with the rest of us. I haven’t had that much fun at a show since…well, 3 hours earlier when I saw Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, but that’s a testament to how Bumbershoot, along with other festivals, work. They bring people together to have fun and enjoy music that they love.

I got all of that out of one day at Bumbershoot, and I still have two days left. Goodness, I’m excited for what’s to come.

Bumbershoot: website | day 2

Written by: Abby Williamson

With the summer fog and windy chill separating the locals from the ill-prepared tourists, day 3 of the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park had both moments of brilliance and powerful performances across the festival’s seven stages. If you missed day 1 or day 2, check them out now!

Matt & Kim
Almost too happy for their own good, the duo of Matt and Kim bounced through their Casio-infused set including “Daylight” and “I Wanna.”

The Dead Weather
All of the elements were in place for The Dead Weather’s mid-tempo performance on Sunday afternoon. The weather was indeed dead and gloomy and The Kills’ Alison Mosshart’s vocals were bluesy, primal and raw. While Jack White, pulling double-duty on drums and vocals, fits the personality of the band perfectly, he was overshadowed by Alison’s powerful onstage presence.

Modest Mouse
Proving that plaid may just be the new black, Modest Mouse played their set, curiously skipping their most radio-friendly tune “Float On.” While the show was enjoyable, I found that I would rather have a Modest Mouse experience which includes a comfy chair, good headphones and a copy of The Moon & Antarctica.

Loop!Station
Performing their third brilliant set in three days, Loop!Station shared part of their show with performers from the Vau de Vire Society.

Ween
Ween’s hard-core fans were out in large numbers to see the free-spirited absurdist-rockers on Sunday. Filling the spot occupied by Primus at last year’s fest, Dean Ween and Gene Ween (Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman) showed their cred as gifted guitarists.

M.I.A.
After her bratty reaction to the announcement of Tenacious D as replacement headliners for the Beastie Boys on the final day of festivities, M.I.A.’s performance did little to improve her image. M.I.A. (Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam) failed to generate much enthusiasm from the crowd, even after passing out hundreds of annoying toy horns which, coincidentally, sounded just like “boo” when played en masse. It was quite fitting that Street Sweeper Social Club’s version of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” was more inspired than her own.

Band of Horses
Shimmering with reverb, the Southern-tinged rock of Band of Horses was filled with warm and moving moments. Song such as “The Funeral” and “Ode to LRC” were part of a well-crafted and rousing set.

Tenacious D
Bringing skits, stunt doubles and shtick-heavy rock, Jack Black and Kyle Gass closed out the final night of the festival. After being named as replacements for Beastie Boys who dropped out due to the throat cancer diagnosis of Beastie’s Adam “MCA” Yauch, The D unleashed their “earthquake of rock” on the Bay Area.

We wish you the best, MCA!

Produced in association with one of Southern California’s premier rock venues, The Casbah, San Diego heats things up on August 28th & 29th with their 25th Annual Street Scene in the East Village (and adjacent to Petco Park).  In essence, it’s the ultimate two-day musical block party and the perfect way to kiss summer goodbye.  So drop those world-famous fish tacos, hop in your car or on your surf board and get in on the excitement.  Last year they managed to score Beck, TV On The Radio, and Cold War Kids, among others, but it looks like they may have outdone themselves for this year (complete lineup here.).  Boasting over 40 bands, the multi-stage street set up features some of the biggest names in indie rock, alternative rock, hip hop and pop today that I’ll probably get into mutliple arguments with myself over which bands to check out.  Here’s a little taste of what to expect, if you can handle all the action:

Friday, August 28th
Black Eyed Peas, Modest Mouse, Cake, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Band of Horses, Girl Talk, Devendra Banhart, Chromeo, Calexico, Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Holy Fuck, Anya Marina

Saturday, August 29th
M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, The Dead Weather, Silversun Pickups, Of Montreal, The Faint, Busta Rhymes, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, No Age, Ra Ra Riot, Los Campesinos!

The show is rain or shine (who are we kidding, when does it ever rain in beautifully sunny San Diego!?).  Doors open: 4pm – midnight, both nights.  For $65 bucks, you can see 20+ bands in one day and it’s totally worth it.  There are also two-day passes, or the option of  VIP treatment if you’re above all that recession talk.  For additional ticket information, go here.  So, come celebrate the end of summer at this killer rock block party.  See you there!

Street Scene: website | tickets