Shapes Have Fangs

It’s delightful to have an alarm clock that carries you to wakey-time with smooth jams rather than monotonous beeping. The Austin boys of Shapes Have Fangs acted as the former to a crowd that was surprisingly large for the early timeslot. Thankfully Shapes Have Fangs brought more than just a wake-up call and brought a sound that kept the crowd moving all afternoon. With Texas-twang guitar and an easy repose, Shapes elicited an unmistakable 60′s rock-n-roll vibe reminiscent of The Kinks.

The band opened with the title track off their most recent release, Dinner in the Dark, to establish the time-machine thrill kept throughout the set. While some may consider Shapes Have Fangs as conventional because of their popular era of inspiration, each song helped establish their originality. During “The Desert (Has a Place For You,” as the band hunched over their guitars and sway back and forth with eye hidden behind sunglasses, the crowd couldn’t help but begin to twist and shout to the easy-listen’ grooves. Finishing off with a romping track that kept bassist Josh Willis smiling with anticipation to share each note with every member of the crowd, Shapes Have Fangs set a satisfying tone for the rest of the long, second day.

Future Islands

“This is a story about a man who went on tour and lost everything that he loved. This is a true story,” Sam Herring noted preceding the start of “Long Flight.” This is what Future Islands is about, a story within each song with emotions taken to heart.

Future Islands’ songs are as personal as it comes, Sam Herring’s lyrics and cry-outs about heartbreaks, the stress of being on tour, the homesickness that we all share from time to time. Live, Herring has no problem transcribing this into Future Islands’ performances.

If it is possible to feel someone through their lyrics, this is what Future Islands have done. Seeing each new chord begin, Herring’s chest beats and different moves onstage reflected each of their songs. Accompanied by Welmers’ synths and Cashion’s bass, these songs are personal narratives, with what seemed like an intimate conversation between Sam Herring and the audience. Herring climbed towards the audience, staring straight towards the cameramen, asking “Do you believe in love? Do you believe in love?,” lyrics from On The Water’s “Before The Bridge.”

By the end, all could be shared between Future Islands and the audience were goosebumps and tears and shouts for more songs. It is alright to cry sometimes, and this is what Future Islands has proven.

Joe Lally

Joe Lally kicked off his US tour in an interesting setting, as filling the FFFFest booklets with reminders that Joe Lally was of Fugazi fame seemed to have misled some people as to what his performance would hold. While some of the Reggae elements of Fugazi were intact, Joe Lally, with the help of celoist Elisa Abela and drummer Emanuele Tomasi brought a sound that proved he had a lot more to offer to his musical legacy.

Lally’s first songs played heavy emphasis on the lyrics, but it didn’t take long for each instrument to build up and add to the dilaogue. Playing off of Why Should I Get Used to It, which was released earlier this year, it was evident that Lally’s live band had prepared a well-crafted style that disipated any predictions based on his earlier career. His casino-robbing style of bass fit perfectly with the dusty setting, creating the image of a James Bond desert scene balanced with intense action brought upon by Tomasi’s celan percussion. Abela’s choice of cello rather than electric guitar incresed the intimiacy of the performance and kept many entranced with her rythmic bow-strokes. Polish that bled through every song and spoke heavily for each member’s musical talent.

Joe Lally newest live iteration is a mellow, but deeply engaging experience that felt a little misplaced in a festival setting. The performance took place on the Orange Stage, the largest at the event. Forunately the small crowd was mezmerized and kept close to the stage as if being pulled by some magnetic force creating by the band’s instrumental coordination. While the start may have been awkward, through a slow and delicate process Joe Lally finished his set to many applause and a readiness to hear what else the musician has to offer in the future. We were lucky enough to talk with Joe Lally at the festival, so be sure to stay tuned for an interview post later this week.

Youth Bridgade

“We’ve been doing this a long time, thirty fucking years” shouted Youth Brigade’s Shawn Stern to a riled-up crowd, “We are old as shit”.

And while it’s true that the famous punk act from the eighties has aged, their irreverence and vigor remains relatively unchanged as they played for a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Fans moshing in front of the stage kicked up a heavy amount of dust, while others strained to keep the swirling particles from hurting their eyes.

Eventually Stern advised the crowd to calm down, mostly because of the dust.

“What you guys don’t know is that this is a dog park, so you’re not breathing just dust”.

The crowd didn’t relent, however, as people continued to push, punch, and jump around, regardless of the heavy amount of dirt sweeping around them.

In perhaps the most adept way possible, Youth Brigade proved that their songs are timeless and applicable to all, with politically charged lyrics that feel just as relevant today as they did in the eighties.

Stern mused over the fact that the world had finally reached a population of seven billion, adding “This is for the 99%, which is pretty much all of us”, before launching into
“Believe in Something”.

The crowd, expectedly, went nuts.

Before the end of the set, Stern took the time to make a few digs at Danzig Legacy’s dismal performance the evening before.

“Who was here at this very stage last night to see the Legacy?” Stern shouted.

The crowd booed enthusiastically.

“Some fucking Legacy, huh?” he added.