Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Festivals’ Category

Alex G.–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Alex G.

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I had seen Alex G. once before.  He opened for Built to Spill.

At first I was a little unimpressed.  The songs are pretty simple and short–lo-fi recordings, which I do enjoy, but were not what I was expecting.  But by the middle, he had won me over.  The last five or six songs in particular were really good.  I enjoyed the unexpected screaming part of “Icehead” which did a great job playing with quiet and loud.

Recently, he released a new album and a song that sounds so much like “Runaway Train” that I can’t stand it and I have generally had a less favorable view of him.

But my daughter has started to really like him.  So I felt bad that we couldn’t see him.  Although we did get to see him on the video screens. But like with Alvvays he was more or less drowned out by everything around him.  So, you could see him fine (it was very sunny), but very few people were paying attention to him.

He played a few songs that my daughter wanted to hear, so that was cool.  But I was struck by how weird his songs were–noisy and kind of ugly-sounding.  It’s the kind of set I would normally enjoy, but it felt so strangely out of place at this festival.  It also made me wonder if many people enjoyed his set.

Alex G.

  1. S.D.O.S ♥
  2. Runner ♥
  3. Hope ∏
  4. No Bitterness ♥
  5. Ain’t It Easy ♥
  6. Mission ♥
  7. Bug ß
  8. Brick ψ
  9. Horse ψ
  10. Blessing ♥
  11. Immunity ♥
  12. Sarah ♦
  13. Mary ♦
  14. Gretel ∏
  15. After Ur Gone §
  16. Miracles ♥
  17. Forgive ♥
♥ God Save the Animals (2022)
∏ House of Sugar (2019)
ψ Rocket (2017)
ß Beach Music (2015)
§ DSU (2014)
♦ TRICK (2012)

Read Full Post »

Arlo Parks–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] All Things Go [Day 2]

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I have wanted to see Arlo Parks for a while.  Last September I could have gone to see her, but I didn’t feel like going to Franklin Music Hall that night.

I had already purchased tickets to see her in the Spring at Union Transfer.  So I didn’t feel the need to see her.  But she was right in the middle of Ethel Cain and boygenius so we weren’t going anywhere.

I also assumed that Arlo Parks would have a bigger fan base than Ethel Cain (who I had never heard of).  Mostly this was because Arlo came after Ethel, but also, as I say, I’d never heard of Ethel.  But I was completely wrong about that.  People didn’t leave for Arlo, but the applause for Arlo was quite subdued compared to what Ethel got.

One of the reasons I didn’t want to see Arlo at Franklin Music Hall was because I feel like her music is very personal and not suited to a big stage.  And That turned out to be true more or less.  Arlo tends to hunch over and kind of squat as she sings and while it’s not a matter of lack of projection, she’s not very outward facing.

Her voice sounded great and the songs were excellent, but as a performer it was too understated for a big stadium like this.  Interestingly, later on, when she sang a song with Muna, she was far more ebullient and fun.

I’m curious to see her now where she’s headlining to see if things are any different.  And, of course, I would actually like to see her, rather than seeing her on a big screen.

ARLO PARKS

  1. Bruiseless ∑
  2. Weightless ∑
  3. Blades ∑
  4. Caroline ¥
  5. Eugene ¥
  6. Dog Rose ∑
  7. Hurt ¥
  8. Too Good ¥
  9. Sophie ♦
  10. Devotion ∑
  11. Softly §

∑ My Soft Machine (2023)
§ Single (2022)
¥ Collapsed in Sunbeams (2021)
♦ Sophie EP (2019)

Read Full Post »

Alvvays–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Alvvays

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I love Alvvays and have seen them twice.  I would have loved to see them again, but I knew that, given we wanted to be in  the proper place to get great boygenius seats, we’d sacrifice seeing them.  It was very cool that their show was (mostly) broadcast on the screens in the auditorium and was mostly audible.

It was interesting to see them playing in the bright summer sun (they all had to wear sunglasses) and were clearly very hot, while we were comfy in the shade of the amphitheater.

But really, it was hard to appreciate their set with people walking around and talking and with them being mostly a background show.

Bit of a bummer, but good background music.  I was happy to clearly hear a few of my favorite songs.

ALVVAYS

  1. Pharmacist ß
  2. After the Earthquake ß
  3. In Undertow ⊗
  4. Many Mirrors ß
  5. Very Online Guy ß
  6. Adult Diversion ∧
  7. Belinda Says ß
  8. Archie, Marry Me ∧
  9. Easy on Your Own? ß

ß Blue Rev (2022)
⊗ Antisocialities (2017)
∧ Alvvays (2014)

Read Full Post »

Ethel Cain–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Ethel Cain

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I had not heard of Ethel Cain, but my daughter said they were very popular.

Cain is a fascinating individual.

In mid-2017, Cain began experimenting with writing, recording, and producing her own ethereal style, inspired by Christian music and Gregorian chants.

We had initially planned on arriving during Cain’s set to get really good seats for boygenius.  Turns out that Cain has a MASSIVE fanbase and the crowd was 100% there for her.

A reviewer from Nippertown said of Cain

Ethel Cain is truly a showstopper in regard to her performance. Between her rich vocals, fantastic storytelling, incomparable stage presence, and fan interaction, Cain is an artist that everyone should get to experience live at least once in their lives.

I would agree with this but with a caveat.  Seeing her from as far back as we did, a lot of that personal touch was lost.  However, the video screens showed her interacting with fans in the front rows–holding hands, singing directly to fans.  It was surprisingly intimate.

I felt like a lot of the music was lost in the big festival setting–her music is kind of slow and ponderous.  I found some of it rather dull, honestly.  But the fans in front of me hung on every word.  So I suppose if I had heard the songs before I may have enjoyed them more.

But I think in an intimate venue, her music would overwhelm in the best of ways.  I guess a small show is a recommendation going forward.

ETHEL CAIN

  1. A House in Nebraska
  2. American Teenager
  3. Family Tree
  4. Hard Times
  5. Thoroughfare
  6. Sun Bleached Flies
  7. Crush ⊗
⊗ Inbred (2021)

Read Full Post »

Leith Ross–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Leith Ross

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I hadn’t heard of Leith Ross before this set.  I listened to a song or two and liked them.  So who is this singer? (more…)

Read Full Post »

Meet Me @ the Altar–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Meet Me @the Altar

I had tickets to see Meet me @ the Altar a while back and decided against going.  I felt a little bad about it, but assumed the show/crowd might skew too young for me.

But when I saw that they were playing this Festival, I knew this was my chance to see what I missed.

I told my daughter that after this show, the day was hers and we’d do what we wanted.

She went off to the side a bit to sit in the shade and I stayed in my shady standing spot and moments later a young woman with green hair came up on stage.

I actually thought that Meet Me @ the Altar were really really young, but Edith Victoria announced that it was her birthday (what a fun way to spend your birthday) and that she was now 23.

Meet Me @ the Altar are a trio with Téa Campbell on guitar and Ada Juarez on drums.

They play an amazing version of feminist pop punk.  I loved everything about this band.  I loved the sound of the guitars, I loved Edith’s voice and I loved their attitude.

They have a new album out and they played a bunch of songs from it.  Most of them are about 3 minutes long.

Then they acknowledged how much they loved women rockers from the early 2000s.   They played three covers (mostly the first verse and the chorus).  I only knew Complicated, and their version was fantastic.

The crowd was totally into it and since most of the rest of the day was full of quieter bands, I feel like this was a good opportunity to get some dancing out.

They have since announced a headlining tour and they’re coming to Philly next year.  I’m definitely going.

MEET ME @ THE ALTAR

  1. Same Language ⇔
  2. T.M.I ⇔
  3. Try ⇔
  4. Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson) (Shortened)
  5. Complicated (Avril Lavigne) (Shortened)
  6. Take Me Away (Christina Vidal) (Shortened)
  7. Hit Like A Girl §
  8. Say It (To My Face) ⇔
  9. Garden Ø
  10. Kool ⇔

⇔ Past//Present//Future (2023)
§ single 2021
Ø single 2020

Read Full Post »

Tommy Lefroy–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Tommy Lefroy

I had not heard of Tommy Lefroy before this Festival and I assumed that he was a singer songwriter.

And I was very wrong.

Tommy Lefroy in in fact, Thomas Langlois Lefroy (8 January 1776 – 4 May 1869), an Irish politician who is thought to be an inspiration for the character of Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice.

And the band is based in London although the members are Canadian singer Tessa Mouzourakis and American singer Wynter Bethel.

The duo first met in Nashville, Tennessee in 2017, where both were trying to establish themselves as professional songwriters. They began to work together as a duo in 2018 after Bethel was exposed to Mouzourakis’s online cover of boygenius’s “Ketchum, ID.”

They were played on the screens at the Chrysalis Stage since they had earned the Main Stage.

They sounded great–their two voices melding together very nicely.  I believe we caught most of their set (as I feel like we heard them singing about a Trashfire).

It’s hard to get into a band when they are on screen, but when you’re standing amid the crowd and the sound is really clear (and sometimes you have to watch the band on the screen anyhow), it was easy to get into this fun band.

I’d like to learn more about them and maybe see them open for someone on tour next year.

SETLIST

  1. Trashfire ⇑
  2. The Cause ⇑
  3. Slick ⊗
  4. Vampires ⇑
  5. Jericho Beach ⊗
  6. Flight Risk ⇑
  7. Worst Case Kid ⊗
  8. Dog Eat Dog ⊗

⊗ Rivals EP (2023)
⇑ Flight Risk EP (2021)

 

Read Full Post »

Vundabar–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Vundabar

My daughter had “Alien Blues” on a playlist and I immediately loved it.

I have had many opportunities to see Vundabar play (this Festival was actually the 8th time they were on my radar).  We caught one song of theirs when they opened for Mother Mother (why were we so late?)

So I was pretty psyched that they were playing this Festival.  Especially since they were playing in Philly (opening for The Front Bottoms–two other times I could have seen them) on both Saturday night and Sunday night.  So they drove down from Philly, played their set and then drove back for Sunday night.

I enjoyed their set from the get go.

They are fun and goofy.  Their songs are a little weird, with slides and unexpected stops and starts.

I was also intrigued that Brandon Hagen had a big bandage on his strumming finger (he apparently cut himself).

While most bands put their name on the marquee above them, Vundabar just had a big smiley face.  They were also one of the few (perhaps only) bands that was all guys.  Zack Abramo (bass) and Drew McDonald (drums).

I think “Alien Blues’ is a big enough hit to get them side stage at a Festival.   “Alien Blues” was great and got the crowd moving (on a rather hot day in the sun).

I really liked the bouncy Ash in the Sun.  And, indeed, all of the set.  I think my daughter didn’t enjoy them as much as she thought she might.

I do hope to see them again in a club, rather than in a field.  They were a ton of fun and a headlining spot I’m sure would be wonderful.

SETLIST

  1. Chop Ö
  2. Acetone ≈
  3. Tonight I’m Wearing Silk ≈
  4. Nosferatu Δ
  5. Ash in the Sun Ö
  6. Darla Ö
  7. Alien Blues Ö
  8. Oulala Ö

Ö Gawk (2015)
≈ Smell Smoke (2018)
Δ Devil for the Fire (2022)

Read Full Post »

Juliana Madrid–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Juliana Madrid

Our plan for day 2 was to arrive in time to see Vundabar.  I think that Juliana Madrid was running late, because we arrived close to the end of her set but we got to hear three songs.

She stood center stage in a bright green dress with her guitar.

The rest of the music was all on backing tracks, but it sounded good–big and full–and filled up the grassy area nicely.

I was really impressed with her set.

I have since listened to her records and found them more on the poppy side than the sound she was making on stage.  But that doesn’t really negate how fun her three songs were.

SETLIST

  1. Afterlife Æ
  2. Savior ℜ
  3. Madonna ℜ
  4. Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)
  5. Satisfied Æ
  6. big plans Æ
  7. Trackstar Æ
  8. Pretend ℜ

Æ Afterlife EP (2023)
ℜ Juliana Madrid (2022)

 

Read Full Post »

Free Range–All Things Go Music Festival [Day 2] (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MS, October 1, 2023)

Posted in Alex G, All Things Go, Alvvays, Arlo Parks, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Columbia MD, Dayglow, Ella Jane, Ethel Cain, Flecther, Free Range, Hemlocke Springs, Jensen McRae, Juliana Madrid, Lana Del Ray, Last Dinosaurs, Leith Ross, Lizzie McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Meet Me @ The Altar, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mt. Joy, Muna, No Vacation, Peach Pit, Raye, Samia, Sudan Archives, Suki Waterhouse, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Lefroy, Vacations, Vundabar on October 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Free Range

It’s not really fair to include Free Range in the list of bands we saw during the Festival because we didn’t actually see them.

But as we arrived on Sunday, Free Range was playing on the main stage and their music was broadcast around the grounds.  They sounded great and I immediately recognized them (I had forgotten that they were playing).

So I really enjoyed hearing their songs again–they sounded bigger and, well, just bigger.  I think it would have been fun to check them out, but there was no time.

There’s also no setlist online for them (one of the few bands to not have one).

 

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »