FunFunFun Fest is here y'all! The festival gates at Auditorium Shores open tomorrow but the Nites start this evening. Yesterday, I posted a quick little guide highlighting my favorite events for this evening. In this post, I'll attempt to help you map out your Fun Fest Friday. I will say, that I am not now, nor have I have I ever been someone who listens to, or is familiar with punk, metal, hardcore or even hard rock music. I have nothing against these genres, it just never appealed to me and it mostly still doesn't. That means that I have a HUGE blindspot in my Fun Fest coverage. I am aware of that fact and I want to be plain with you about it as well. That means these highlight posts won't really talk about what's happening on the Black Stage. I'm sorry but that's just the way things are.
Like I said, the festival gates open tomorrow but you can pick up your wristband or buy a wristband right now and until midnight tonight at Auditorium Shores and/or at Holy Mountain. If you do that this evening you can attend any of the Nites shows tonight for free, you also will be able to walk into the festival on Friday, without stopping at the Box Office on your way in. The downside is you'll be sleeping with that damn wristband for one extra night. You decide what's worth it.
Active Child - Subtle featuring Mikky Ekko video via YouTube
It's tough to post highlights for Fun Fest because the whole thing is highlights for me. Not only that, the artists who I'm not highlighting are often artists that I haven't discovered yet. I had never heard of Active Child the first time they performed at Fun Fest and now they are one of my must-see artists. So, at the end of this post I'll give you three must-see acts for the day in addition to the list below this paragraph.
- 12:35 | The Tontons | Orange Stage
- 1:25 | Active Child | Orange Stage
- 2:00 | Poolside | Blue Stage
- 2:15 | Beach Fossils | Orange Stage
- 3:00 | Ceremony | Black Stage
- 3:05 | Star Slinger | Blue Stage
- 3:15 | Mac Demarco | Orange Stage
- 4:05 | The Impossibiles | Black Stage
- 4:10 | Little Boots | Blue Stage
- 4:15 | Johnny Marr | Orange Stage
- 5:15 | No Age | Black Stage
- 5:15 | Small Black | Blue Stage
- 5:20 | Patton Oswalt | Yellow Stage
- 5:20 | Kurt Vile | Orange Stage
- 6:20 | Big Freedia | Blue Stage
- 6:25 | The Walkmen | Orange Stage
- 6:25 | Thee Oh Sees | Black Stage
- 7:25 | Lupe Fiasco | Blue Stage
- 7:30 | Bill Callahan | Yellow Stage
- 7:35 | Cut Copy | Orange Stage
- 8:45 | RJD2 | Blue Stage
- 8:45 | Snoop | Orange Stage
I decided to not go to my day-job (paying job) on Friday so that I could see Active Child play the Orange Stage at 1:25p. I love Active Child so much that I lost money in order to catch his early set. So, obviously he is one of my three "Can't Miss Artists" on Friday. My second can't miss is, Mac Demarco. I'm not saying that because I have seen him before or even because I particularly love his albums. I am picking Mac because I have yet to see him perform live and I have heard really good things. Also, I like his albums but I feel like after I see him play the Orange Stage at 3:15 on Friday I'll love his albums. My third and final "Can't Miss Artist" for Friday is, Cut Copy. I'm kind of bummed that they're up against Lupe Fiasco because I would like to see him too but as someone who has seen Cut Copy twice before I can assure you that they kick serious ass live and their new record is excellent.
Cut Copy - Free Your Mind video via YouTube
Now, I'd like to make some recommendations for Nites shows as well but it's a bit tricky. As you know, the Nites are free, which means that the venues are all first come, first served. That means you're going to have to work out a plan with the evening shows. It's not going to be easy to see several sets at several venues. My top recommendation is let your heart guide you. Try to focus on one venue. Find the one set happening Friday night that you just have to attend and watch all of the sets at that venue. One of the greatest things about FunFunFun Fest is that it is a festival where you can make new music discoveries. The folks who curate the festival and it's evening shows are on-the-ball and you can trust them to curate some great line-ups.
In the spirit of let your heart be your guide, I encourage you to let your genre be your guide. I'm going ot list some artists and the venue they're playing at. Whichever of these artists speaks to you most powerfully is where you should go.
- Sarah Silverman | State Theater
- Merchandise | Red 7 (Inside)
- Mac Demarco | The ND
- Thee Oh Sees | Beerland
- Holy Wave | Hotel Vegas
- Misfits | Elysium
- Star Slinger | Belmont
- Poolside | Parish
Like I said, the above list does not even begin to touch upon all of the artists you can see after the fest closes its gates on Friday night. My thought is, you'll pick an artist from the list above, you'll choose that venue as your home-base and you'll enjoy the other artists on the bill as well. For instance, if you're drawn to the Merchandise show at Red 7, you'll also enjoy The Young, Lemuria and Chelsea Light Moving all of whom will grace the inside stage between 10:15pm and 2:00am.
Good luck, godspeed, dress appropriately and for the love of Oprah shut the fuck up while the band is playing. Thank you and happy festing.
Mac DeMarco - My Kind of Woman video via YouTube
Mac DeMarco Photo Credit: Brad Elterman
