(Maybe you were actually there. I just thought that title sounded more attention-grabbing than "Soundland Highlights"...)
I love music festivals because of the variety they always provide. For my money, there is no better value in live music (free might be the one exception). Where else can you catch headliners like Robert Plant, Foo Fighters, the Black Keys, Paul Simon and Arcade Fire for one price?
Last weekend's Soundland Music Festival was especially great because it didn't focus on a few large headliners. Instead, it culled countless up-and-comers, indie darlings and soon-to-be game changers. I was not able to catch every act I wanted to see - a sad reality with multi-venue festivals - but I found plenty to love.
Wednesday
Soundland kicked off on Wednesday with a lineup that included M. Ward, Dawes and Johnny Corndawg. Dawes's latest record, Nothing Is Wrong, was the soundtrack to my summer, so their performance was especially exciting for me. I knew the songwriting was solid, but what really amazed me were the intense musical chops. Singer/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith was especially impressive with his repertoire of classic Nashville-style guitar licks, something I did not expect from a California-bred musician.
It's easy to me to forget that M. Ward was the headliner. While I have not been his biggest follower, I was very impressed with his live performance. No one told me he was such a great acoustic guitar player. What did not impress me was his surprise no-photo policy, which I was rudely informed of by one of the house security staff. Although there was no announcement made about this last-minute request, the security guard had no problem berating loudly to the point that everyone around me in the crowded room knew I would be kicked out for taking any pictures.
All I can say is, "eat it, dude." I do what I want...
Thursday
Because of my work schedule, I was only able to see a small part of Thursday's outdoor 12th Avenue Block Party setup. I arrived right as the Cults starting playing. I was pretty satisfied with their sound, which was very similar to Best Coast. There was not much interaction with the crowd, but the music was right there.
The real attraction Thursday night was Foster the People, whose extremely catchy song "Pumped Up Kicks" was most likely THE hit song of the summer. I loved how the mood of the crowd instantly turned from the Cult's indie/hipster melancholy to a dance party when FTP took the stage. FTP opened with "Houdini," and they were smart to wait until the close to pull out "Pumped Up Kicks." The light show behind them added a lot to the dance beats.
Friday
I started Friday at Mercy Lounge, catching the last few songs from Keegan Dewitt. I wish I could have caught more. Quickly, we moved onto 12th and Porter to catch a short set from Nashville transplants the Bridges. This family band feature some great 3 and 4 part harmonies, along with great classic rock licks. I surprised to find out from some fellow audience members that they were really having an "off night."
My highly-anticipated show of the night was Justin Townes Earle at the Cannery Ballroom. His Harlem River Blues was listed on several Best of 2010 lists. I had already seem him a couple times already this year (Bonnaroo and Hangout Fest), so I pretty much knew what to expect.
While Earle's songwriting and acoustic blues/country guitar chops were solid, his lack of control over tempo was very noticeable. I was disappointed when personal medium/up-tempo favorites "One More Night in Brooklyn" and "I Ain't Waitin" started out noticeably slower than the record and proceeded to drag even slower (this also happened during his performance at Bonnaroo in June). In both cases, superb upright bass player Bryn Davies did her best to hold Earle to a tempo, but there was only so much she could do. I have the utmost respect for Justin Townes Earle. I am a big fan of his music, but I was more than a little surprised at his lack of time-keeping.
Saturday
Saturday was off to an early start. At 2pm, the Royal Bangs kicked off what ended up being my favorite venue at Soundland: the Neuhoff Factory Party. From what I can gather, the Neuhoff Factory was originally a meat packing plant in the early 1900's. Now, it's part renovated condos, part HQ for the Nashville Jazz Workshop and part post-apocalyptic/rust belt wasteland.
The were several of the best Nashville food trucks stationed there (Grilled Cheeserie, Riff's and Yayo's OMG). Sadly, I had been to Monell's for lunch and had zero appetite for the rest of the day... There were also three inflatable playground piece, including a gladiator-style joust podium. Here's me putting the beat-down on my friend Jess.
I am invincible.
Knoxville's Royal Bangs took the stage around 12:30, followed by Jessica Lea Mayfield. Mayfield's songs were solid, but I couldn't help noticing her lack of interaction with the crowd. It might have been shyness on her behalf, but at times it came across with a strange sense of apathy. I wasn't able to catch much of her set at Bonnaroo, so maybe this is her standard MO?
The real power of the afternoon started with local favorites the Apache Relay. I'm constantly amazed by the talent beaming from this group of young guys. I was especially impressed by the many instruments the members brought to the table. Mandolin, fiddle and a variety of auxiliary percussion pieces were constantly being switched around.
I didn't catch must of Tristen's set. Instead I took the opportunity to check out some great posters from my favorite local printer, Boss Construction. If I could afford to buy more, they posters would be all over my house.
The Black Belles, one of Jack White's latest Third Man Records protegee bands, took the stage as the sun was setting. You might remember these girls as the backing band for Stephen Colbert's Jack White-produced record earlier this year. I was expecting a lot of fluff and hype. Instead, the Black Belles put on a pretty good performance. Imagine a Salem Witch Hunt version of the White Stripes, with a little bit of the Runaways thrown in.
Speaking of the Runaways, the next act, Those Darlings, brought the vibe even closer to that ill-fated group of girl punks, albeit with a distinctively country twist. This was my first time seeing the Murfreesboro-based band, and I was definitely not giving them the anticipation they deserved.
Each of the three Darlin "sisters" took turns in the spotlight. Main vocalist Jessi Darlin did wonders pulling most of the heavy lifting, but lead guitarist Nikki Darlin and bassist Kelley Darlin also has their moments. I was especially impressed with Kelley, who handed the bass to Nikki and proceeded to wow the crowd with her sexy, over-the-top vocal performance on the last few songs. She was complimented by Jessi (now playing lead guitar), who pulled out some of the best guitar licks of the night. Seriously, you need to catch them live.
Following on the heels of Those Darlin's was a tough position. The crowd was fired up, and the next group would have to crank the Marshall up to 11 to even have a hope of topping them.
Enter JEFF the Brotherhood.
How can a 2-piece group sound like 5? How can a three-string guitar put out more sound than one with eight? I don't know, but it did. Not only that, but the two JEFF brothers managed to pull off the best rock show I've seen all year. Better than the Foo Fighters. Better than the Black Keys. Better than My Morning Jacket. Better than the Strokes.
I haven't dealt with crowd surfers in years, but I was watching my back the entire show. The was even a mosh pit, which lead singer/guitarist Jake Orrall partook of. Jake even stage-dived while still laying down pretty heavy guitar hooks.
JEFF the Brotherhood has been receiving quite a bit of hype in the last year, releasing a Jack White-produced record with Third Man Records, landing mentions in Rolling Stone and signing to Warner Brothers Records. Because of the hype, I was skeptical.
Now I'm a believer.
I ended my night at Mercy Lounge with the final set from Paper Route and a tribute to Nirvana's game-changer album Nevermind courtesy of Nashville 90's cover band My So-Called Band. After hearing honest covers of "Smells Lile Teen Spirit," "In Bloom," "Lithium" and "Poly," I went home and fell asleep with a lot of good memories to mull over. Here's to next year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment