CounterPoint 2014 Festival Preview

In 2012, Georgia welcomed a southern edition of the DJ-electronic festivals that dominate Europe and have moved into America – CounterPoint. The festival took off the following year,...
Counterpoint

Counterpoint Festival 2014 Preview

In 2012, Georgia welcomed a southern edition of the DJ-electronic festivals that dominate Europe and have moved into America – CounterPoint.  The festival took off the following year, but has come back in force in ’14, with three days that stretch from electronica to rock to hip-hop to DJs to world to much more, Friday-Sunday, April 25th to 27th, to Kingston Downs, just outside of Atlanta:

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 25th

Blu Freedom Stage

Pretty Lights, 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Colorado-based producer Derek Vincent Smith (QRO photos at a festival) puts some energy behind his electronic work as Pretty Lights (QRO photos at a festival), most recently with last year’s A Color Map of the Sun, where he used only self-created samples.
Pretty Lights
Big Gigantic, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM

Boulder’s Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) mix (big) electronic beats with live drums and even live saxo-mo-phone.  Known to set crowds in a writhing heap of body parts (QRO photos at a festival), Big Gigantic (QRO photos at a festival) has been showcasing their electronic fervor all across the globe (QRO photos at a festival), including the last ever New Year’s Eve at New York’s just-closed landmark venue Roseland Ballroom (QRO live review).
Big Gigantic
Moon Taxi, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Moon Taxi (QRO photos) cross the dashed lines between indie, jam, progressive, and rock.
Moon Taxi
Also:

Poolside, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PMQRO photos at a festival
Poolside

Hillside Stage

Matt & Kim, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Serious, long-time ‘Friends of the Q’ (QRO spotlight on), it’s been great watching Matt & Kim (QRO photos at a festival) blow up so seriously – without losing their infectious cheer (QRO live review).  Singer/keyboardist Matt Johnson (QRO interview) and drummer Kim Schifino (QRO interview) bring a self-described ‘onstage pizza party’ with their sugar-filled hyper-pop/rock on stage (QRO live review).  Known for spreading their giant, ever-present grins (QRO photos) to every crowd they play for (QRO live review), large, outdoor stages (QRO live review outdoors) don’t faze them, and neither do massive festivals (QRO photos at a festival), nor even foreign crowds (QRO live review overseas) or playing on holidays like New Year’s Eve (QRO live review on New Year’s Eve) or Halloween (QRO live review on Halloween).  They also stepped up their musical game on 2009’s Grand (QRO review), with Sidewalks (QRO review) the following year, and most recently with 2012’s Lightning (QRO review).  So expect them to rock the crowd (QRO photos), from old tracks like “Silver Tiles” (QRO video) and “Yea Yeah” (QRO video) to Grand ones like “Good Old-Fashioned Nightmare” (QRO video) and “Daylight” (QRO video) to Sidewalks’  “Good For Great” (QRO video), Lightning‘s “Let’s Go” (QRO video) and even a cover of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” (QRO video) – as the kids go nuts (QRO photos at a festival), and so do Matt & Kim (QRO live review).  And those up front better be ready for when Matt (QRO interview) sends Kim out to do her ‘booty shakin’ crowd surf’ (QRO photos at a festival)…
Matt & Kim
ScHoolboy Q, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Hip-hop artist Quincy Matthew Hanley – a.k.a. ScHoolboy Q (QRO photos at a festival) – followed up 2011’s acclaimed Setbacks with 2012’s Habits & Contradictions and February’s Oxymoron.
ScHoolboy Q
Also:

Deep Cotton, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Deep Cotton

Steeple Stage

Krewella, 12:30 AM – 1:45 AM

Kris ‘Rain Man’ Trindi teams up with sisters Jahan & Yasmine Yousaf – all graduates of the high school made famous by John Hughes & Ferris Bueller – as Krewella.
Krewella
Also:

Rich Homie Quan, 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Mat Zo, 9:15 PM – 10:30 PM

Green Lantern, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Pegboard Nerds, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Martina McFlyy, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Green Lantern

Underground Tent

Boys Noize, 12:45 AM – 2:00 AM

Germany, the home of electro-house, has another son in Alexander Ridha, a.k.a. Boys Noize (QRO photos), who closes out the Underground Tent on Friday night.
Boys Noize
Jonas Rathsman, 11:15 PM – 12:30 AM

From the cold of western Sweden come the hot beats of Jonas Rathsman.
Jonas Rathsman
Papadosio, 9:15 PM – 10:30 PM

Papadosio (QRO photos at a festival) expands minds with genre-defying music.
Papadosio
Also:

Tourist, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM

Infinity Shred, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM

Blkkmorris, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Tourist

 

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 26th

Blu Freedom Stage

Foster the People, 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM

Los Angeles’ Foster the People (QRO photos at a festival) came out of nowhere in 2010 with viral hit “Pumped Up Kicks”, followed that up with the Top Ten debut Torches (QRO review).  Their listener- and dancer-friendly electronic sounds aren’t exactly revelatory, but are sure to set the crowd on fire (QRO live review).  They come to CounterPoint (QRO photos at a festival) behind last month’s release of Torches follow-up, Supermodel (QRO review).
Foster the People
J. Cole, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM

North Carolina’s J. Cole got notice very quick with his first mixtape, The Come Up, signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label.  Two more mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights followed before 2011 debut Cole World: The Sideline Story, which came out at #1 (even if he did lose the Best New Artist Grammy to Bon Iver, prompting the “Who the fuck is ‘Bunny Bear’?” meme…).  Last year saw sophomore release Born Sinner, which debuted at ‘only’ #2, but of course rose to #1, so catch this top-selling artist.
J. Cole
Janelle Monae, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter (QRO photos at a festival) nicely crosses between the urban and alternative genres, from signing to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy Record to opening on tour with of Montreal (QRO live review with of Montreal).  She has since risen to amazing heights (QRO photos) with last year’s The Electric Lady, not to mention guest singing on mega-hit single “We Are Young” by fun. and even becoming a face for CoverGirl (QRO photos at a festival).
Janelle Monae
St. Lucia, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM

South African-born, Brooklyn-based Jean-Philip Grobler has impressed all-round as St. Lucia (QRO photos at a festival).
St. Lucia
Wild Cub, 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Burned out on life in the hustle & bustle of Brooklyn, Keegan DeWitt turned down a promotion and moved to Nashville, where he teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock as Wild Cub (QRO photos at a festival), and put out debut full-length Youth in January.
Wild Cub

Hillside Stage

STS9, 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM

The acclaimed instrumental act combines numerous influences, including funk, jazz, psychedelic, and hip-hop.  But they’re best known for their live concerts (QRO photos), which stretch to over two hours, and feature improvisational collaborative work not known in the jam-band community.  Their festival performances, however, go even bigger (QRO photos at a festival).
STS9
A-Trak, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Montreal’s Alain Macklovitch – a.k.a. A-Trak (QRO photos at a festival) – got notice when picked to be the personal DJ to none other than Kanye West (QRO album review), but has also produced for the likes of Lupe Fiasco (QRO photos at a festival) & Kid Sister (QRO photos at a festival), as well as his work with Armand Van Helden as Duck Sauce (QRO photos at a festival).
A-Trak
Rubblebucket, 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Brooklyn indie-dance outfit Rubblebucket (QRO live review) fit into any line-up, from ultra-hipster to jam (QRO photos at a festival).  Known for electric live shows (QRO live review), like just last weekend at another festival (QRO photos), the group comes to CounterPoint (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2011’s Omega La La (QRO review) and more recent EPs Oversaturated and Save Charlie.
Rubblebucket
Also:

Dan Croll, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM QRO photos at a festival

JMSN, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Dan Croll

Steeple Stage

Above & Beyond, 12:30 AM – 2:00 AM

Reaching above & beyond da club beats is Above & Beyond.
Above & Beyond
Wolfgang Gartner, 11:00 PM – 12:15 AM

Los Angeles’s Wolfgang Gartner (QRO photos at a festival) comes to spin the beats at CounterPoint.
Wolfgang Gartner
Also:

GRiZ, 9:45 PM – 10:45 PMQRO photos at a festival

Hucci, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Kill Paris, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

Butch Clancy, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Lance Herbstrong, 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Mayhem, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Chris Bushnell, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

DJ contest winner, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
GRiZ

Underground Tent

Shpongle, 12:45 AM – 2:00 AM

Simon Posford of the ambient psychedelic trance – or ‘psybient’ – Shpongle does a DJ set to close out the second night of the Underground Tent.
Shpongle
Also:

OTT, 11:15 PM – 12:15 AM

The Polish Ambassador, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

XXYYXX, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM

Nosaj Thing, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PMQRO photos at a festival

Thriftworks, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

The Floozies, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Five Knives, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Shreddie Mercury, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

The Difference Machine, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Nosaj Thing

The Floozies

 

 

SUNDAY, APRIL 27th

Blu Freedom Stage

OutKast, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM

You know OutKast.  Oh yes, you know OutKast.  André ‘André 3000’ Benjamin and Antwan ‘Big Boi’ Patton basically brought the Hotlanta sound to break up the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop duopoly.  Speakerboxx/The Love Below and especially ubiquitous single “Hey Ya!” were all over the airwaves (and introduced a post-film, pre-Instagram generation to the Polaroid picture).  After soundtracking Idlewild in 2006, the duo went on an indefinite hiatus (QRO photos of Big Boi solo at CounterPoint ’12), only to make the biggest reunion of 2014.  They’re playing seemingly every festival out there, but one of the first is CounterPoint – and it’s in their home state…
OutKast
Major Lazer, 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM

The collaboration between DJ/producers Diplo (QRO photos) and Switch (QRO photos) made a serious breakthrough in 2009 as Major Lazer (QRO photos at a festival), with Guns Don’t Kill People. Lazers Do, but since signed to indie imprint Secretly Canadian for last year’s full-length follow-up, Free the Universe – and know how to do it at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Major Lazer
Thievery Corporation, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

D.C.’s multi-cultural electronic all-star duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton (QRO live review) bring not just their expansive, chill, globe-trotting signature sound (and some revolutionary ideals often missing in the ‘party time’, apolitical attitude of electronica), like with 2011’s Culture of Fear (QRO review) and April 1st’s new Saudade, but also an eye-opening live performance with a fifteen-person band and grand light show (QRO photos) – they’re not like other computerized acts that just press ‘Play’ and collect their check.
Thievery Corporation
Run the Jewels, 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM

El-P blew up the Brooklyn rap scene with last year’s Cancer 4 Cure (QRO review of release party), and brought about his team-up with Killer Mike (QRO photos at a festival) for 2012’s ‘Into the Wild’ tour.  Mike & P have deepened that connection, working together as Run the Jewels (QRO photos at a festival).
Run the Jewels
YACHT, 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Originally one-half of The Blow, Portland’s Jona Bechtolt has since made even more of a name on his own as YACHT (QRO spotlight on), with 2007’s I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real (QRO review), 2009’s See Mystery Lights (QRO review), and 2011’s Shangri-La (QRO review), bringing in partner Claire Evans (QRO interview with both).  But it’s their exciting live shows (QRO photos at a festival) that are really breaking them through (QRO live review), whether in the club (QRO photos) or outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), featuring such items as whole songs done from amongst the crowd, question-and-answer sessions (QRO live review) – and their own signature dance style (QRO photos).
YACHT

Hillside Stage

Sleigh Bells, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Somewhere between noise and pop lies Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells (QRO photos at a festival). The duo of Derek E. Miller & Alexis Krauss (QRO photos) all of a sudden became the hottest thing out there with debut Treats, including touring with M.I.A. (QRO photos) – and they’ve kept up the heat (QRO live review) in 2012 with Reign of Terror (QRO review), last year’s Bitter Rivals, and their bigger-and-bigger headline dates (QRO live review).
Sleigh Bells
Phantogram, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Saratoga Springs’ dancetronica act Phantogram (QRO photos at a festival) got notice less for their debut full-length Eyelid Movies (QRO review) than their enchanting live show (QRO photos at a festival) – but will it work outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) in the sunlight (QRO photos in the sunlight at a festival)?  They come to CounterPoint (QRO photos at a festival) behind their new Voices (QRO review).
Phantogram
Chance the Rapper, 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Two mixtapes, 2012’s 10 Day and last year’s Acid Rap, have launched Chicago’s Chance the Rapper (QRO photos at Southern festival) into the big time (his Chicago-sponsored South-by-Southwest showcase was shut down due to massive overcrowding – QRO recap).
Chance the Rapper
Also:

The Revivalists, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Basic Vacation, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
The Revivalists

Steeple Stage

Flux Pavilion, 11:45 PM – 1:00 AM

Joshua Steele, a.k.a. Flux Pavilion, is a one-man orchestra for the twenty-first century.
Flux Pavilion
Flosstradamus, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Chicago-based DJs J2K and Autobot are Flosstradamus (QRO photos), and while they’re best known for touring with such similar techtronica acts as Chromeo (QRO live review), they’ve also shared the stage with indie groups like Matt & Kim (see above) on more than one occasion (QRO photos, again on the bill with Matt & Kim).
Flosstradamus
Also:

Congorock, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM

GTA, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Minnesota, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Kap Slap, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Bagheera, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Ployd, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM

Skrause, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
GTA

Underground Tent

Tycho, 11:45 PM – 1:00 AM

Ambient electronics come to CounterPoint in the form of Scott Hansen (QRO photos at a festival), a.k.a. Tycho (QRO photos), who is touring (QRO photos from a week ago) off of this year’s acclaimed Awake (QRO review).
Tycho
Thundercat, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM

Known for his psychedelic excursions, Thundercat worked with the likes of Flying Lotus (QRO live review) on his newest album, Until the Quiet Comes.  He has been compared to the likes of Jaco Pastorius for his precise and experimental basslines.
Thundercat
Also:

Watch the Duck, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

Cashmere Cat, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Ratking, 4:45 PM – 5:30 PMQRO photos at a festival

Roman Gianarthur, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Real Magic, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Chrome Sparks, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Ratking

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://www.counterpointfestival.com/

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