Hopscotch Music Festival - Saturday Day Parties (9/9/17)

Saturday was my first chance to catch day parties, most of which would be part of Big Ed's Bloody Brunch at the Pour House.  However, I started with a quick stop at Kings for the OCSC/Merge Records day party, and Skylar Gudasz.  Skylar's excellent debut, Oleander, has been a calming soundtrack to what has been a tumultuous last year for me--politically and personally.  This early afternoon (although I only caught a few tunes at the end), she played what sounded like mostly new stuff.  Just as good, as I'm sure her next release will be.

Skylar Gudasz...

Next, it was over to Pour House for the rest of the afternoon (although I missed some great shows at the Merge gig... gotta get around to seeing Bat Fangs!).  Wailin' Storms provided, shall we say, a slightly different experience than Gudasz.  Once I recovered from the whiplash, I enjoyed their  metallic brand of punk.  Despite the early hour, it still worked.  Woke me up, that's for sure.

Wailin' Storms...

The great thing about the Pour House day party the last couple of years is that there are non-stop shows, alternating between upstairs and downstairs.  So it was a quick jaunt to the second floor to see Albert Adams, a drum-bass duo of Jordan Adams and Thomas (Albert) McNeely, the latter of whom has been lighting fires with the sticks as Jenny Besetzt's drummer lately.  Hyper-energetic, complex rhythms crashed non-stop in the bright daylight.  I'll say though, urging for people to get up and move was maybe a little too early... most of yer audience was still getting over their Hopscotch Friday hangovers!

Albert Adams...

Then back downstairs, my faves from down Columbia way, ET Anderson, showed off their new line-up.  As good as the Thursday day show.  If you haven't yet, go see this band!  Plus, the new line-up has definitely upped their hair game. :)

ET Anderson...

Back up the steps, for another (this time guitar-bass) duo:  Reese McHenry and the Fox.  Another scorching drummer, and in McHenry, one of the strongest, most soulful rock voices in the Triangle today.  Heard she had an incredible set singing with Spider Bags at Slim's the day before.

Reese McHenry and the Fox...

Next up (downstairs) was Acid Chaperone.  I missed their nighttime set at the Lincoln on Thursday, but yet another good thing about Hopscotch is:  miss one show, catch their later show.  Been a while since seeing them... maybe Halloween almost a year ago.  Noticed the keyboards a lot more this time (prob 'cuz they were right in front of me, and I wasn't wearing a wolf mask).  Great great set.

Acid Chaperone...

I can't really write more about Zack Mexico than I've written already on this blog.  Always fun, always good songs, crowd loves them more and more each time.  Hopefully they're about to earn a few thousand new European fans as they tour the Continent with Future Islands in October.

The surf's always up at a Zack Mexico show..

Tommy and Brett hang twenty...

Next (last) up, Saturday night.  Oh, and quite a few videos I haven't even looked at yet!

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'!! :)