Fun Fest Recap: Nathan.Lankford Edition
So I’m up to bat here, giving out my two cents to the masses on the weekend that was. Fun Fun Fun Fest is always a blast, and I always appreciate the fact that Transmission Entertainment is able to get the best of my two side, both punk rock and indie, toss them together and give me memories to take away.
Top 5 Bands
1) Refused – So RayRay stole this, but I’m on board with the man here. I’d dreamed of this day since I was a teenager in the 90s, and when it came to fruition, it was more than I expected. Dennis threw down like only he could, and sure, they’re old and might not have moved around quite as much as they used to, but come one, dudes are old.
2) Cult of Youth – I love everything about what Sean is doing, especially after witnessing the live set. The dark pirate-folk came to life unexpectedly, blasting through the songs with the same amount of passion that the band has on record, only much much louder. Oh, and I met Sean back stage and the guy was as nice as can be.
3) Disappears – This band was one of my secret picks for the weekend, and it’s unfortunate not to many people got a chance to see them; I think they were better than many of the other acts on the main stages. They sounded incredibly tight as a unit, and their energy and guitar playing completely outdid many of the sets I caught.
4) Against Me – I know a lot of people, myself included, were interested in seeing lady Tom on the microphone, but their set was definitely not lady-like. They played some solid gold oldies, and some of the hits off the newer records, giving fans like myself precisely what we were looking for. If you’ve caught the band in the past, they haven’t missed a beat, sports bra or not.
5) Trust – I’m not huge on dance music in the live setting, but the timing and sound of the group won me over. It was a darker version of the dance-pop that I heard throughout the weekend on the blue stage, and I’m planning on getting my hands on the record later this evening at the store. Might not have been a lot to look out, but I’d take this as my dance soundtrack any old day.
Honorable Mention: FIDLAR, Cursive, Givers, The Sword, Helio Sequence and The Promise Ring.
Band Letdowns: Daughn Gibson, Class Actress, Tanlines, The Spits.
Things I Could Do Without: I know sponsorship is super important to running a large festival, but promoting smoking to impressionable kids is not ideal; I wish I could quit, but I probably got coupons from an event like this back in 96. Shuttle lines were a bit longer than last year. Crowded exits, prompting line cutters to battle out the APD.
Things I Liked: Torchy’s Tacos in the press area never fail, nor do free haircuts from Sailor Jerry. Cheap water is definitely a bonus when that cloudless sky beats down upon you. The spirit–the most important aspect of any festival.
Closing Thoughts: I’m more of an intimate club sort of guy (thus my undying SXSW love), but that being said, Fun Fun Fun Fest continues to progress. The staff is always excellent, and the people genuinely seem to care about the music (rather than merely a sunny booze fest). I do appreciate the fact that the festival seems to encompass all of my tastes into four stages, allowing me to maximize my time; there wasn’t an hour where I couldn’t find something I wanted to watch. There’s still a few small tweaks that might be necessary, but we have to keep in mind, Fun x 3 is still pretty much in its infancy.
Thanks dudes for a solid good time.