Fun Fun Fun Fest Sunday:michaelE
I still find it a bit curious that a lot of people, when mentioning Fun Fun Fun Fest, are not aware of it’s existence. I guess that is still one of the reasons that it remains to be one of my favorite weekends of the year. While it still remains a bit of a secret, I would imagine the secret will be out soon enough. One of the more interesting blends of up and coming indie-rock, punk, comedy, dj/electronica along with some of the well established in the industry all wrapped up in an environment that is as welcoming as it is, as the name would suggest, fun.
Sunday promised to be full of all the previously mentioned, and it couldn’t have started off better than with two bands early on that are among my favorite to watch perform live.
Ume
Locals Ume, had the duty of starting off the day with a 12:25 time slot and did so effectively. A decent sized crowd gathered in the mid day sun and dust to witness the delicate rage of singer/guitarist Lauren set loose within the tight confines of each intricately crafted song. Each one building into a wave of sonic dissonance, with bassist Eric and drummer Jeff providing the rhythmic backdrop.
Frightened Rabbit
And then there was the Frightened Rabbit. I’ve always enjoyed the recorded material, but the live shows have always left an impression on me, qualifying the bands talent to craft musically sound Scottish indie-folk rock. One of my favorite performances of the festival for sure.
One night stands, the pitfalls of love, and alcohol soaked memories seem the running theme, and the two brothers Scott and Grant Hutchison do it well. The brothers Hutchison probably won’t be in this area for awhile, as Scott mentioned that they have no plans to do SXSW 2009, but they’ll be on the road well into Jan, currently performing opening duties for Death Cab for Cutie.
The middle part of the day provide so many options, that I found myself bouncing around the park catching bits and pieces of great music. The 3 hour punk gone country set of the Revival Tour was interesting enough to visit on several occasions, although Uncle Tupelo kept coming to mind. I will give Ben Nichols credit, as he’s been doing it for awhile, but I might need more convincing from Tom Gabel, Tim Barry, and Chuck Ragan.
The Annuals
Islands
Austin’s Black Angels have been one of the busiest local bands this year, releasing Directions to See A Ghost, recording and touring with legendary psych-rock icon Roky Erickson, along with a their own constant touring. The time on the road seems to have served the band well, as this was one of the best performances I have seen from them this year. The band sounded as well as they ever have and managed the stage with the ease of true professionals, exchanging instruments througout the set proving their dedication to their craft of the song. Lying close beneath the sounds of impending doom, lies hope, hope in the understanding that there are still musicians who stay true to the art of music and embrace it’s rich history.
From the tiny corner of Cheap-O Discs to the main stage of Fun Fun Fun Fest, it’s been a long, strange, wonderful trip my friends.
The Black Angels
In the interest of not boring you with the musings of a jaded old rock fan, I’ll try to keep it short. Minus the Bear once again confirmed my theory that they are one of the more overlooked bands around right now. Thank you Fun Fun Fun Fest for taking notice of them. And, I’m not sure if it was just me, or too many beers, but Clap Your Hands Say Yeah seemed like a completely different band, different in a much better way. I’m reinvesting some time in the recorded material for sure.
Minus the Bear
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
All Fun Fun Fun Fested out, I didn’t make it to what was one of the more highly anticipated acts of the festival, Bad Brains, but from what I have heard from those who have had the pleasure of seeing the band in it’s prime, it was a bit of a dissappointment.
Until next year Fx3 Fest. I’m already counting the days.
