Hopscotch Music Festival - Friday (9/8/17)

My Friday Hopscotch started the same-bat-time, same-bat-place as my Thursday, the last day party show at BoxCar.  Like ET Anderson on Day 1, Zack Mexico are also a band of friends, and often share stages (sometimes as the same band, see ET Mexico).  Zack Mex was great as usual, and I'll report again on both of these bands' shows at the Pour House's Saturday day party.  Their fan base is growing, and they drew a solid day party show crowd.... of course, nothing like what they'll be drawing when they open for Future Islands on a European tour starting in October.

Zack Mexico...

Gotta say, Jamie, kudos on the sunglasses...

To formally start the evening's festivities, I head over to City Plaza to check out Future Islands' set, and caught the end of the Make-Up's set, who I was mildly interested in seeing.  Okay, very retro.  I got the same feeling I had after the Brian Jonestown Massacre set the night before:  a lot of people sure seem to wanna go back to the UK circa 1967.  Hey, I felt that way once.  

The Make-Up...

Onto the mighty Future Islands!  They made no secret of the fact that as much as they consider themselves a Baltimore band, they call North Carolina home.  They've played many a Hopscotch, on progressively bigger stages.  But Sam Herring has always kept that connection with the fans.  Ferocious and friendly onstage, he had the crowd mesmerized and energized, as usual.   

Future Islands...

Next up, I walked back to Neptune's for what was another of my most-anticipated sets, Asheville's Aunt Sis.  One of the great things about Hopscotch is I "discover" NC bands that I haven't gotten around to seeing (even as many shows as I go to).  They have a Pavement-y feel, but more rootsy, with some great guitar pickin'.  I also hear a hint of Mountain Goats, the Verlaines...  Sounding rather mellow on record, their live show was (as is often the case) amped up, giving a whole new perspective on their sound.

Aunt Sis...

I didn't stay very long for Brooklyn's Bellows.  Not because I wasn't interested, but you know... Hopscotch choices.  I liked what I heard though.  They were sort or in the same vein as Aunt Sis, maybe a little mellower live.  Their drummer kicked ass.

Bellows...

So the choice was that I wanted to see Canada's Preoccupations, followed by Afghan Whigs, over at the Lincoln.  WOW!  Preoccupations sound so angular and math-y on record (though I do like their reecorded stuff).  Live though, they're an explosion; much more visceral.  The usual thing, live more amped up... but to another degree here.  And talk about drummers kicking ass, no one can hold a candle to this guy.  He's a monster!  Preoccupations are like Interpol if Interpol was still good.  

Preoccupations...

Afhgan Whigs came to show the kids how it's done.  They seemed to play mostly newer stuff... and why not if you're continuing to make good music (and the Whigs have never really stopped).  Too bad they didn't bring along upfront/backup singer Steve Myers, a fellow zinester and KLSU DJ from back in the day.  But the show was great.  They DID bring up Har Mar Superstar to sing along on a tune!  He had just done a set at the massive Basement, which I hear it was great.  

Afghan Whigs...

Whenever the hell I get around to it (prob at least not until the weekend... yes, two full weeks after Hopscotch), I'll follow up with posts on the Saturday shows, day and night.  Gimme a break!  I work for a livin'!! :)

The GOOD Kinda MOAB (Mother of All Bills) - Zack Mexico, Naked Gods, Lonnie Walker - Nightlight, Sat, 4/22/17

I don't usually promote a show beforehand other than to fire off a quick facebook post, linking to the event.  But this one merits more.  To Be Heard booking have put together numerous great shows since their inception earlier this year.  But this one tops them all.  And by "all", I mean all local shows.  Ever.

Okay, maybe that's hyperbolic.  Musical taste is subjective.  But these three bands are all right in my sweet spot, and in my mind, may just be the three best bands in North Carolina:  Zack Mexico, Naked Gods, and Lonnie Walker.

If you read my blog at all, you know I'm in LOVE with Outer Banks' own Zack Mexico.  ZM is my crush... if I weren't too old to crush, and if I were gay, and if he were a person.  He's HAWT!  Just Google How Strange... and Zack Mexico and you'll see some overlap.  I hate long jams, but I can sit and watch these guys extend a song over 10 minutes and love it.  Hell, I can and often have watched them build a long set out of 4 or 5 songs, and left completely satisfied and musically satiated.  I can't count the number of times I've heard newbies gush after one of their shows, and with a series of opening dates with Future Islands, they'll be making a lot more fans soon.

Here's a vid I took of them at Hopscotch a couple of years back, doing an older song that appears on their latest album, Get Rich and Liver Forever:


Then there's Naked Gods, from Boone.  I kind of consider them to be the mountain equivalent to the beach's Zack Mex... similar mindset, slightly more rootsy vibe.  But they got that indie-psychedelic jam thing going.  Their self-titled album is one of the best by an NC band in years.  Frontman Seth Sullivan is a force of nature onstage.  Expect bear hugs.

Here's them at Hopscotch a couple of years back with a great song from the afore-mentioned album:


Then Raleigh's Lonnie Walker.  They laid off for a while, but are back, and the recent Earth Canals was another one of the best local albums in years.   They lean even a bit rootsier (maybe twangier, really), but really it's just Brian Corum's unique style.  I link them with some of the great Ghostmeat records bands from that Athens GA label in the '90s (Sunbrain, Drip, Tony Tidwell, Dave Dondero... particularly Dondero's band Flatwheelers that predated his solo stuff...damn they were great.).    I regret that I never had time to give ...Canals its due when it came out.  Teenage Poem is perfect pop.  Songs like All Bombs Away and Baby Man are downright incendiary.  And it's all punctuated by sublime slower tunes like No Pure Light and Seasons.

Here's Lonnie Walker doing Summertime at the very same venue where this show of shows will be tomorrow night:


Any one of these bands blows up the stage.  All three, and it might just change your life.  Do not miss this show.  Zack Mexico, Naked Gods, and Lonnie Walker, Saturday, 4/22/17, Nightlight in Chapel Hill.  Mother of all Bills.

Future Islands, Lilac Shadows (Local 506, 7/20/12)

Future Islands scheduled a last-minute show at Local 506 a couple of weeks back.  They asked locals Lilac Shadows to join them... a very appropriate opener.  I've written a couple of times about Lilac Shadows and their great EP, A Shallow Madness.  Suffice it to say their dark, dreamy pop is getting better and better live.  I heard a few new songs in there, and hopefully, they'll be recorded soon.  Here's a few shots of them, and more on Future Islands below.  Thanks to Adam Graetz for the great projection, which has made for some of my best photos in the past (Lilac Shadows, T0W3RS, Jenny Besetzt).  

I hadn't gotten around to seeing Future Islands live.  This band with coastal NC roots now resides in Baltimore, and are usually bunched in with the techno/dance/pop crowd.  Not my usual thing, which probably explains my neglect.  But live, they are some other kind of animal altogether.  Heavy, emotional, almost sinister.  Harsh white floodlights from below added to this effect (as did singer Samuel T. Herring's choice of outfit, intentionally I'm sure). 

Herring's vocals are operatic, romantic, and sad... a Pagliacci for the indie masses.  They're an acquired taste to be sure.  I hated Morrissey once upon a time, and only gave the Smiths a chance because of Johnny Marr's inventive and catchy guitar.  But it didn't take long before I couldn't see one without the other.  And Herring's voice has already grown on me. 

In this setting -- despite minimal instrumentation of bass and electronic miscellany -- he is undoubtendly a ROCK singer in a ROCK band.  This is hard, heady stuff.  He speaks... nay, preaches to the audience, in between hyper-energetic, somewhat awkward jumps and dance moves.  It's an aggressive performance, almost with the feel (though not sound) of hardcore.  Future Islands have a big sound, for sure.  All the more unexpected considering the recent, rather muted, On the Water.  But I LOVE the ocean sounds and overall atmosphere of that album. 

Anyway, here are some photos of Future Islands.  Shades of Joy Division on the last one (well, for the whole show).

NC is Melting, So You Should Too (a summer mixtape)

It being the height of the summer doldrums in North Carolina, here's a little summer playlist made up (mostly) newer stuff from (all) local/regional bands.  Listen, buy some if you like, or make your own playlist.  Below is just the base.  Here's the full recipe:

- Add other ingredients (Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, Animal Collective, The Shirelles, whatever)
- Chop finely

- Add libation of your choosing
- Blend until smooth
- Chill for 1 hour
- Burn/tape/save to your favorite medium
- Ingest
- Then ride/swim/cruise/float/surf/porch-sit/melt until the summer is over

Bottoms up!

Okay, maybe Spider Bags doesn't fit with the summery vibe so much.  But I was lookin' for something to segue into Lonnie Walker's Summertime.  And anyway, they just fuckin' rock.