FYF Festival Review
I HATE festivals but tix were cheap enough, there were a few bands I wanted to see and it was much more accessible than most festivals are, located at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown just north of downtown, 30 minutes on the MTA almost door to door. Also took my usual festival preparations of a large breakfast and downing a bottle of Gatorade right before going in to limit rest stops once inside.
I might have went ahead and paid $30 at the ticket window but that line just wasn't moving so I hit the sidewalk, giving myself 10 minutes before finding something else to do with my day and I ended up buying one for $20 and still getting in pretty quick.
The major organizational snafu was pushing back doors from 11:30 to 12:03 but still starting at 12:10. My friend who was among the first 20 in line still didn't catch all of Magic Kids while I caught bleed thru of the 2 main stages stuck in line before getting in for the last 3 songs.
This festival had 3 stages (and a comedy tent), conflicts weren't too bad, as a matter of fact my friend was recording all the bands he was seeing and though our schedules were almost identical, I went ahead and shook mine up figuring I can always hear his later if I still care.
MAGIC KIDS, last 3 songs, real poppy and with a violin player
ABE VIGODA my 3rd time seeing them, OK enough but never really went out of my way.
THE GROWLERS after just barely missing them a few times, I caught a partial set. Now I know I will put a bit more effort into missing them if any opportunities come up. Singer's voice really grates.
THE BLOW (partial) - some chick talking/singing into a backing track including something she threatened was a Sting song. Lame.
SCREAMING FEMALES - The first great performance of the day. Lead screamer Marissa Paternoster totally wailed on the guitar.
DAVILA 666 Puerto Rican garage band with 4 or 5 people singing harmonies which just gets kinda muddy. All the songs sounded the same after awhile but still okay, probably better in a bar. Was gonna see WARPAINT an all chick band that plays shoegaze music but let my friend cover that one.
BEST COAST - the main reason I went, been meaning to see them all year and keep missing them and the shows just keep getting bigger. Great show, first time in months I was excited prior to seeing a band, they played to a huge crowd too. I mainly wanted to see this band after hearing the same few MySpace songs and also an amazing bootleg of a drunken trainwreck performance at a cancer benefit. I really liked the general sound, but the repetitive lyrical subject matter - not to so much. The kind of stuff that would mostly appeal to teenage girls. The cancer benefit bootleg will still be played regularly. Not sure if I will get all OCD and try to hit every show like I do with a lot of other local bands who catch my fancy.
AA BONDY - was going to keep walking past this stage but it was sparsely populated and I still had plenty of time until the next band so I lay down and threw some flyers over my head to block out the sun until they were over. That's really all I can tell you.
OFF! - Keith Morris of the Circle Jerks and Jeff McDonald of Redd Kross. Real short set, not quite as intense as a Circle Jerks show as Keith talked alot too. He picked a jew-frowed kid and told him he had the coolest hairstyle and to meet him by the fence after the set to get a free bottle of water. They were on stage 18 minutes tops. Also did a song he said was an obituary for Jeffrey Lee Pierce (of The Gun Club).
Prior to their set I saw some dude with a pink shirt and sailor hat who might have been Roddy Bottum but I wasn't sure. If I had another friend with me to confirm we probably would have went all Beavis & Butthead on him.
7 SECONDS - Great show by the Reno hardcore band on their 30th Anniversary tour (possibly the first to use the term too), one of the top 3 sets of the day. Wish they played longer, the brief OFF! set sorta just moved up the set times for that stage. Unfortunately I had some technical difficulties that put a damper on the day as I really wanted to hear this again and the You Tube vids just arent cutting it.
UNBROKEN - more hardcore, they were alright but all the songs sounded the same.
TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - pop punk, playing one of the big stages at sunset. I was only at this stage because my friend wasn't. All the songs sounded the same. I started wondering if I would be able to make it until Sleep played. Now seriously hungry and thirsty but not into fighting the crowd and waiting in line anymore.
MAN MAN - I only saw this band because I neglected to sample them this morning but had checked out the other sucky bands in the same time slot and decided to pass on them. Probably should have spent the 90 mins between Ted Leo and Sleep in the mile long line to get into the beer garden but I wasn't sure if the $20 I had left would cover more than one.
Since there was about 45 minutes until Sleep, I picked up an empty water bottle of the ground and got in line for the only drinking fountains in the entire park. Time for an AIDS test.
SLEEP - excruciatingly loud, one of the louder shows I have seen. Real slow. Played to a very large crowd. Could have done without the guitar player with his back to the crowd and half his ass showing all night.
At the time they ended I would have had to wait another 45 mins for the next bus home so I stuck it out a bit longer though at this point any further activities were really just a test of my endurance, perhaps a test run for any future festivals I have the misfortune of talking myself into attending.
By the time they ended I would have had to wait another 45 mins for the next bus home so I stuck it out a bit longer...
BIG FREEDIA the gay rapper but he had a bunch of booty shaking chicks onstage and did a song called Asses Asses Everywhere and a cover of Rock Around The Clock. Onstage less than 20 mins.
THE RAPTURE - NYC dance pop. I chose them over Panda Bear for this time slot because this stage was closest to the exit. They sounded good for a bit, as in good enough to keep me from laying on the grass and almost falling asleep again for a bit but then played a slow song that sucked the rest of my energy and I bailed hoping to catch a quick snack before hopping on the bus home.
The next day I was totally sunburned and wore out and by Sunday afternoon the skin on my nose started oozing but I had a great time and captured a lot of material. Best 3 bands - BEST COAST, 7 SECONDS, SLEEP
For an indepth account from another perspective and lots of pictures check out the review at the Batwings
Catwings page.
http//claytv.blogspot.com/2010/09/fyf.html
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