Phuzz Phest Night 2 (Winston-Salem, NC, 4/16/16)

My second night of Phuzz Phest, in Winston-Salem, was limited to all North Carolina acts.   Despite big indie names like Brooklyn's Chairlift, London's Yuck, and Austin's White Denim, I was happy to stay right here at home, as it were.  If ya ask me, the talent level is so deep in this state, those national and international hotbeds have a little competition on their hands.

As with Night 1, Night 2 kicked off at Bailey Park, with the great Boone band, Naked Gods.  It felt slightly odd seeing a band like this out in the wide open, as my prior experiences had been in little shotgun bars like the Cave.  That didn't prevent singer Seth Sullivan from bringing it out into the crowd, at least a bit, as he likes to do (hugged at least one audience-member).  This band's eponymous second album was one of the best of last year, REALLY worth your listen.

Naked Gods...

After getting my new favorite sandwich from the Camel City Grill food truck (PBBJ: peanut butter, red pepper jelly, & bacon!), I had to leave Bailey Park a bit early -- choices, choices -- to catch some of Chapel Hill's Body Games.  The Milennium Center was a great setting for the visuals that accompany their dark, electronic pop.  And when just they feared they were getting a little too preachy with the graphics, they brought out the fuzzies!

Body Games...

Stuck around Millenium Center for one of the shows I was most awaiting:  Shirlette Ammons.  Her new album, Language Barrier, is a tour de force... a melange of diverse voices joining to express a cohesive vision.  Live, Ammons and her band just rock.

Shirlette Ammons...

Next, it was up Trade St. two blocks for my first visit to Test Pattern.  The location made my remaining festival choices a whole lot easier, catching two great NC bands there, and tag-teaming with the Garage across the street for two more.

It started with the psych/zen/weirdness of Carrboro's Jphono1.  This band's sound has evolved into a sound of its own, distinct from  front-man John Harrison's earlier solo version, and also from his other band, North Elementary.  The full crowd at the small venue were loving it.

Jphono1...

Patrick in the zone...

Body Games travels with their light show, apparently (at Test Pattern/Jphono1)...

I often say Zack Mexico is the best band in NC.  It's just my opinion, but I talked up this show to a few festival-goers asking for my opinion on what to see.  I also often point out that this is one of the few bands I can watch stretch out a song for 8, 10, or more minutes and not get at all bored (I hate jam bands).  They can, and often do, play a 5-song set without leaving you feeling short-changed in the least.  This time, they played four... maybe five if you count the little warm-up instrumental at the beginning.  But what I heard from people milling around in shock afterwards, it only took four songs to make a lot of new fans. "Amazing!" "Incredible!" "You were NOT wrong!"

Zack Mexico...

Having a moment with a new fan...

Packed Garage for Zack Mexico...

Staying at the Garage, I only stuck around for a few songs -- more choices --for Boulevards, the stage persona of Raleigh's Jamil Rashad.  If I had left, I wouldn't have been able to get back in as the line was around the corner.  From what I witnessed, he's all he's cracked up to be.  All over the stage, pumping up the crowd to dance and party (like it's 1979).  Heavy Chic, Sugarhill Gang disco/funk that gets everyone's feet moving.

Boulevards...

Back across the street to Test Pattern, for Durham's Brett Harris.  Harris and his very tight band played mostly songs from his excellent new album, Up In The Air.  That's good, because they're great pop songs from a polished writer who hits just the right notes.

Brett Harris...

Joe Caparo & Brad Porter:  Rhythm section to the stars! (they're everywhere, really)

To close out the night, I head two doors down the street for a quick nightcap at Single Brothers.  The back patio at this little place featured one of the best sets I'd seen at Phuzz Phest (or anywhere, ever, really), the festival-closing set from T0W3RS in 2014.  This night couldn't top that, but Winston-Salem's Mauve Angeles, the solo project of Spirit System's Eric Gilstrap.  He mines the same early-mid 90s British goth vein as his band, with a little more of an updated synth-y approach.  Suffice it to say, Bela Lugosi's still dead.

Mauve Angeles...

A couple of years ago, I would have said (and probably did) that Phuzz Phest was a great mid-year festival to hold over those who couldn't wait for the next Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh.  Now, I could just as easily say that this year's Hopscotch will make a great festival to hold over those who can't wait for the next Phuzz Phest.

Phuzz Phest Night 1 (Winston-Salem, NC, 4/15/16)

Winston-Salem's Phuzz Phest has really come into its own in this, its sixth year.  While not quite as expansive as its sibling here in the Triangle (Hopscotch), there are ample venues and musical choices to satisfy the most discerning and adventurous music fan.  One thing they did exceptionally well this year was the genre-groupings at the respective venues.

Take Friday night.  Looking for indie, psychedelic, guitar pop?   The Garage had you covered with Sunflower Bean, Lacy Jags, and Shadowgraphs.  Wanted a punkier edge?  Try Reanimator.  The fancy digs of Millenium Center could fill all your EDM desires with the likes of Quilla and Neon Indian.  More garage-y rock held sway at Bailey Park, headlined by Thee Oh Sees.  Krankie's had a great lineup of twangy, rootsy, female-fronted acts like Lera Lynn and Sarah Shook and the Disarmers.

But this festival is so compact that, despite 7 or 8 venues, you could catch a little honky tonk, walk down the block for a little psych weirdness, then close out the night with some dance grooves... which I did, not in that particular order.

I started the evening off before sunset, at the wonderful new Bailey Park (a venue still under construction, but great nevertheless).  Drag Sounds are now formally a Baltimore band, but have heavy NC roots.  They got the festival proper started with their own brand of Velvety phuzz.

Drag Sounds...

As Drag Sounds was finishing, I walked the furthest walk this festival required (only about 7 blocks) up to the Garage, to catch Carrboro's Teardrop Canyon. Rootsy, psychedelic pop that can start slow but ends up grinding it up pretty good.

Teardrop Canyon...

Teardrop Canyon... from the street seats

Then I hoofed it down two blocks to catch one of the sets I had most anticipated, Greensboro's Quilla.  Her new album, Beautiful Hybrid, leans heavily on piano and acoustic instrumentation.  The live set, however, was more electronic (as almost every acts' are, but talking more dance-y type of electronic here).  Both are excellent, and her strong voice is the heart of each.  Quilla is definitely a rising talent, one that we're lucky to call local (despite her Montreal origins and French-Canadian/Peruvian parentage).  Keep an ear out.

Quilla...

After Quilla, it was back up to the Garage for another much-anticipated set... that of Charlotte's Shadowgraphs.  These guys create a very good facsimile of a late 60s/early 70s psychedelic vibe, while never sounding derivative.  I'm really digging their self-titled EP.

Shadowgraphs...

Both Skylar Gudasz's debut album (Oleander) and live show are entrancing.  I wanted to leave halfway through her sett Krankie's to see Lacy Jags back at the Garage, as I'd seen Gudasz a handful of times recently and the Jags only once.  But the music was so beautiful that it really felt like a siren had cast a spell on me.  I was frozen in place, stage front.  Sorry Lacy Jags! (it ain't a good festival without some hard choices)  Gudasz is another NC act that I'm guessing will be going places fast.

Skylar Gudasz...

It's just as well I stayed at Krankie's though, because Sarah Shook and the Disarmers were up next.  This buncha honky-tonkers from Chapel Hill are SO good, they burn up the stage every time they play.  Buzzfeed recently put Shook on top of a list of "5 Women Who Are Kicking Country Music’s Ass".  Well-deserved, and accurate.  And that band!  They definitely keep up in the ass-kickin' category.

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers...

Back to the Garage, I returned mainly for one of the festival's headliners, Sunflower Bean.  But I lucked out and caught the last couple from Spirit System.  Winston-Salem's answer to Peter Murphy, with a little Cocteau Twins thrown in.  I felt a little musical whiplash from Sarah Shook to this! (no pain, no gain)

Spirit System...

Sunflower Bean did not disappoint.  Live, they brought a much harder edge to the sometimes almost twee songs on their album Human Ceremony.  I loved it, as did the capacity crowd.  Bassists/singer Julia Cumming was fearsome, a monster onstage.  AND... their guitarist did not look nearly as much like Michael Cera in person as on the album cover! :)

Sunflower Bean...

One last stop, a few doors back down Trade Street at Single Brothers, to catch a little of Sumner James' (of Bombadil) set.  A mellow, electronic set accompanied by drums.  It was a good way to close to night one of an excellent festival.

Sumner James...

Up next, Night 2 (and some day party stuff):  Shirlette Ammons, Zack Mexico, Brett Harris, Body Games, Boulevards, etc. etc. etc.