Photo courtesy of Lori Paulson
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Text By: Mikela Floyd
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Ahh, Day Three. By this time, most festival-goers are seriously doubting their commitment to seeing each of the bands they’d plan to catching, and with good reason. Showers are few and far between, as are well-balanced meals and good nights’ sleep. Alas, the life of a festival-goer is a hearty one, and so they, like us, surge ahead, albeit at roughly half-steam.
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We began the day, a breezy one, by catching a set from Chicago buzz band Smith Westerns. They were unlucky enough to come on at noon, which by festival time really means 7am. Nonetheless, many rallied to catch tunes from the group’s latest album, Dye It Blonde. A few songs left the crowd feeling somewhat restless (and, let’s be honest… hungover,) but as they began their standout track “Weekend,” the crowd was most definitely singing along.
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After a self-imposed hydration break (a necessity, really) we headed back to the main stage to catch the tail-end of a set by Fitz and the Tantrums, a band recently embraced by VH1 and NPR, as well as local Seattle radio staple KEXP. While we only caught a few tracks, the crowd was up and groovin’ for their infectious single, “Money Grabber.” Fortunately, the fine folks at Red Laser invited us to a VIP acoustic session later in the afternoon, so we were treated to a full set bursting with enthusiasm, which included a surprisingly awesome cover of The Racontuers’ “Steady As She Goes.” The crowd went nuts.
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Next on deck were the youthful Canadians of Tokyo Police Club. Now, it’s been bandied about that this is a fest populated predominantly by Canadians. So, it’s no shock that this show was a frenzy of dancing and rumblings of “Oh, Canada” throughout. Seriously, these guys definitely played to their audience, as fans members belted out each and every word. Then, in a moment most people only read about, a die-hard fan shocked his girlfriend by proposing to her onstage. Tears were plentiful all around.
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As we waited (along with everyone else) for the set from lo-fi duo Beach House, we wandered over to meet up with an old friend Matt, who just so happens to be the drummer for neo-blues funk Austin outfit Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. We chatted a bit about their latest tour- they’re coming off a recent North American tour that they capped off with last night’s awesome performance. After catching a few songs from Beach House (a wonderful, otherworldly set,) we headed over to join the masses of inebriated fans ready to get down with some old school funk jams. And get down, they did. The crowd was so rowdy and enthusiastic that this set may have easily been one of our favorites of the weekend. At the end, a spontaneous concertgoer whipped out a roll of toilet paper, and a TP fight erupted like some sort of flash mob. throughout the audience.
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Still in an upbeat mood after our dance party, we headed over to meet up with our ever-so-courteous campground neighbors who made sure we got a well-balanced breakfast each morning (thanks a ton, Craig!) to catch The Flaming Lips perform The Soft Bulletin in its entirety. Wayne Coyne began the set with his usual stint inside the hamster ball, and the adoring fans went nuts. The stage was set up intricately, featuring a rainbow of lights, balloons cascading the air, and confetti aplenty. Unfortunately, as the show wore on, the band’s enthusiasm fizzled, as did the audience’s. It seemed that perhaps the full album technique wasn’t doing it for the crowd, who were perhaps patiently waiting to hear “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” or even “Do You Realize?”
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The weather cooperated more than in nights past, and by the time Modest Mouse took the stage, we weren’t the usual freezing nighttime versions of ourselves. There were a fair amount of libations that possibly contributed to that state (thanks again, Craig!) so we were ready to give the band a chance. There’s a reputation of inconsistency when it comes to Modest Mouse’s live shows, and having seen them live before, we were admittedly a bit skeptical. As they opened with an old track, circa The Moon and Antarctica days, we had hope that the show would escape the norm. While diehard fans were appeased, fans of the band’s old material (us included) were disappointed, as the new records dominated the set. We stuck it out, however, and while the show was generally enjoyable, it wasn’t a mind-blowing experience that should close a fest on Night Three. Sigh.
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Onto the fourth, and FINAL day. No one can argue with an amazing batch of live musicians, but the closer we get to a real bed and a hot meal, the better. All in the name of music, right?