Le Guess Who? 2016 Preview

The city of Utrecht in the Netherlands welcomes all sorts of bands from all sorts of place to venues all over the town, Thursday-Sunday, November 11th-13th....
Le Guess Who? 2016 Recap

Le Guess Who? 2016 Preview

The city of Utrecht in the Netherlands welcomes all sorts of bands from all sorts of place to venues all over the town, Thursday-Sunday, November 11th-13th:

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10th

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal
Wilco, 21:40 – 00:15
Bassekou Koutaé & Ngoni Ba, 20:10 – 21:00
William Tyler, 19:00 – 19:40

For alt-country, there’s pretty much Wilco (QRO live review outdoors), and then there’s everybody else. The Chicago stars, led by singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy, but also featuring bassist John Stirratt, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone (the two of whom also form The Autumn Defense – QRO spotlight on), guitarist Nels Cline (QRO photos), drummer Glenn Kotche, pianist Mikael Jorgensen, and more (like “Jesus, Etc.” – QRO video), have played everywhere from Conan at home to “Far, Far Away” (QRO video). They’ve also been excellent for so long (QRO live review outdoors) that their set lists are mammoth (QRO live review) and still can’t cover everything (QRO live review) from the late greats like “I’m the Man Who Loves You” (QRO video) to more recent material off of Sky Blue Sky (QRO review), Wilco (The Album) (QRO review), The Whole Love (QRO review), Star Wars (QRO review), and Schmilco (QRO review) like “Hate It Here” (QRO video). The quintessential American band (QRO live review) comes to curate & play Le Guess Who? (QRO photos at a festival) also after releasing a greatest hits set & b-sides/extras, so look for the full Wilco (QRO live review).

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora
Wand, 00:00 – 00:55
Deerhoof, 22:30 – 23:30
Steve Gunn, 21:00 – 22:00
75 Dollar Bill, 19:40 – 20:25

A band (QRO photos at a festival) that’s always hard to peg down, the prolific Deerhoof (QRO photos), led by the unmistakable Satomi Matsuzaki, come to Le Guess Who? (QRO photos in Europe).

Formerly guitarist in Kurt Vile’s Violators (QRO live review), Steve Gunn comes to Le Guess Who? on his own.

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine
Kyoka, 01:00 – 02:00
Fennesz, 23:30 – 00:30
Lonnie Holley, 21:30 – 22:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz
William Tyler, 00:15 – 01:15
Tom Carter, 22:30 – 23:20
Arnold Dreyblatt, 20:30 – 21:30

De Helling
Preoccupations, 01:20 – 02:20
Girl Band, 00:00 – 00:50
Die Nerven, 22:40 – 23:40
Repetitor, 21:30 – 22:10

Containing half of Calgary’s defunct Women (QRO photos at a festival), Preoccupations, the band formerly known as Viet Cong (QRO photos at a festival) bring a “labyrinthine post-punk” back to Le Guess Who?.

EKKO
Aristophanes, 01:55 – 02:40
Tau, 00:30 – 01:15
Nadja, 23:00 – 23:50
Les Filles De Illighadad, 21:30 – 22:15

dB’s (free)
Club 3Voor12/Utrecht, 21:00 – 00:00

 

 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11th

Tivoli Vredenburg Ronda
Tim Hecker, 01:00 – 02:00
Savages, 23:00 – 01:15
BEAK>, 21:20 – 22:15
Good Sad Happy Bad, 20:00 – 20:40

International ambient artist Tim Hecker comes to back Utrecht for his second Le Guess Who? in three years.

2013 saw London quartet Savages (QRO photos) break out in a major way with Silence Yourself (QRO review). They come to Le Guess Who? (QRO photos at a festival) ready to deliver their thrilling live experience of post-punk and noise, behind this year’s Adore Life (QRO review). They’re even curating, including recruiting collaborators Bo Ningen (see right below).

Portishead’s (QRO photos at a festival) Geoff Barrow formed side project BEAK> in 2009 (QRO photos at same festival), which also has featured female vocals from Anika.

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora
Container, 01:45 – 02:45
Wrangler, 00:00 – 01:00
Jessy Lanza, 22:25 – 23:15
Bo Ningen, 20:50 – 21:40
Duke Garwood, 19:30 – 20:15

London-based Japanese quartet Bo Ningen (QRO photos at an Asian festival), close collaborators with Savages (see right above), has Can or Neu! as main starting points but don’t be fooled as the range of their work goes from noise, post-punk, heavy metal and chaos that sometimes makes you feel you’re at the end of a cliff about to fall (QRO photos at a festival). They play Le Guess Who? for their second year in a row.

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine
A Dead Forest Index, 02:15 – 03:00
Don Teel Curtis, 01:00 – 01:40
I Speak Machine, 23:15 – 00:00
Hannah Peel, 21:40 – 22:25

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz
Ectopia, 00:15 – 01:00
Les Filles De Illighadad, 22:30 – 23:20
Jherek Bischoff, 20:30 – 21:30

De Helling
Drinks, 01:40 – 02:30
Klara Lewis, 00:10 – 01:00
Lee Ranaldo & El Rayo, 22:40 – 23:40
Shopping, 21:15 – 22:00

Widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest guitarist in indie-rock, Lee Ranaldo (QRO photos at a festival) has been perhaps the greatest member of one of, if not the great bands in indie-rock, Sonic Youth (QRO live review). From the group’s start in New York’s no-wave sub-culture in the early eighties, late eighties acclaim on Daydream Nation (QRO live review), through grunge-era breakthrough a decade later, from their wildly experimental outings, like last year’s soundtrack to the film Simon Werner a Disparu (QRO soundtrack review), to 2009’s last studio record, The Eternal (QRO review), Ranaldo has been maestro of Sonic Youth.

In 2011, Youth singer/guitarist Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon announced they were divorcing after twenty-seven years of marriage, and Sonic Youth’s future remains uncertain, with no new material or concerts planned – but Ranaldo (QRO photos at a festival) hasn’t stayed still, releasing his latest solo record, Last Night on Earth, in 2013.

For Le Guess Who?, he comes with El Rayo.

LE:EN
The Cairo Gang, 22:00 – 22:40
Stara Rzeka, 20:45 – 21:20

Janskerk
King Creosote, 22:00 – 23:00
Neil Halstead, 20:30 – 21:15
Mario Batkovic, 19:00 – 19:50

EKKO
Group A, 02:10 – 03:00
Bambara, 00:40 – 01:30
Yung, 23:10 – 00:00
Ulrika Spacek, 21:45 – 22:30
Nap Eyes, 20:30 – 21:10

Theater Kikker
Heather Leigh, 00:00 – 00:50
Maarja Nuut & Hendrik Kaljujärv, 22:30 – 23:15
Broeder Dieleman, 21:00 – 21:50

RASA
DJ Felagoro, 01:00 – 01:30
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids, 23:30 – 01:00
DJ Felagoro, 23:00 – 23:30

Leeuwenbergh
Peter Broderick, 22:10 – 23:00
Brigid Mae Power, 21:00 – 21:40
Heather Woods Broderick, 19:50 – 20:30

Moira (free)
King Champion Sounds, 21:30 – 22:30
Mrs. Pilgrimm, 20:45 – 21:15
Ab Baars, 20:00 – 20:30
Seamus Cater, 19:15 – 19:45

dB’s (free)
Consouling Sounds
Ortega, 00:50 – 01:35
Charnia, 23:35 – 00:20
Barst, 22:20 – 23:05
The Black Heart Rebellion, 21:00 – 21:50
Monnik, 20:00 – 20:30

 

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12th

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal
Digable Planets, 00:00 – 01:00
Elza Soares, 22:00 – 23:00
Julia Holter, 20:00 – 21:00

One of the most acclaimed alt-hip-hop outfits from back when those were a new thing, early nineties trio Digable Planets (QRO photos at a festival) – Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Viera, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving (QRO live review) – have teased with one-offs and semi-reunions, but are doing it full-fledged at Le Guess Who?. They’re “Cool Like Dat”.

Presenting her latest work, Have You In My Wilderness, an unconventional yet precious mix of tunes and images, Le Guess Who? is the ideal place to once again enjoy the dreamy nature of the American songwriter Julia Holter (QRO photos), who helps curate at the festival.

Tivoli Vredenburg Ronda
Wooden Shjips, 01:20 – 02:20
The Ex & Fendika, 23:00 – 00:50
Zerfu, 22:45 – 23:00
Dinosaur Jr, 20:45 – 22:15
Black Mountain, 19:15 – 20:05

Back & better than ever is Dinosaur Jr (QRO photos at a festival)! In the late eighties and early nineties, one of the biggest & best bands in the punk-grunge revolution was Dinosaur Jr (QRO live review), combining a hippie-punk ethos (and artwork) with feedback-driven guitar from the legendary J Mascis (QRO solo album review). The trio (QRO live review) was also characterized by Mascis’ controlling tendencies, leading to the departure first of bassist Lou Barlow (QRO solo album review) for his Sebadoh (QRO live review) and eventually even beloved drummer Murph (QRO photos at a festival without Murph), with Mascis retiring the ‘Dinosaur Jr’ moniker in 1997.

But then the band reunited (QRO live review outdoors) – with original line-up! – to tour their re-release of old, Barlow-era records (QRO photos at a festival in St. LOUis). And they kept going (QRO photos at a festival), putting out three new records that are some of their best yet, Beyond (QRO review), Farm (QRO review), I Bet On Sky (QRO review), and this year’s Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (QRO review) – with more to come (QRO live review playing new material). So revel in the glory (QRO photos at a festival) that is Dinosaur Jr (QRO photos), who know how to play festivals (QRO photos at a festival) – but bring your earplugs, because J’s ‘circle of amps’ is a force to be reckoned with (QRO photos at a festival), as they come to Le Guess Who?.

Vancouver’s Black Mountain (QRO photos) is a hard, heavy rock band, which, despite hard, heavy records like In the Future (QRO review), Wilderness Heart, or this year’s IV, move in the indie-sphere for some reason.

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora
The Comet Is Coming, 02:10 – 03:00
The Dwarfs of East Agouza, 00:40 – 01:30
Raime, 23:20 – 00:00
Cate Le Bon, 21:50 – 22:40
Jameszoo Quartet, 20:30 – 21:10
Ryley Walker, 19:00 – 19:50

Wales-by-the-way-of-Los Angeles, Cate Le Bon (QRO photos in U.K.) has worked with the likes of Gruff Rhys, Neon Neon, and Manic Street Preachers, but comes to Le Guess Who? all on her own.

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz
Laraaji, 00:20 – 01:20
Maya Dunietz, 22:45 – 23:30
Lera Auerbach & Netherlands Chamber Choir, 20:00 – 22:00

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine
DJ Nigga Fox, 03:10 – 04:00
RP Boo, 02:10 – 03:10
Laurel Halo, 01:00 – 02:00
Jackie Lynn, 23:35 – 00:20
Beatrice Dillon, 21:15 – 22:45

EKKO
Horse Lords, 01:50 – 02:35
Canshaker Pi, 00:20 – 01:10
Let’s Eat Grandma, 23:00 – 23:50
Whitney, 21:30 – 22:20
Entrance, 20:20 – 21:00

Janskerk
Tashi Wada & Yoshi Wada, 21:30 – 22:30
Aine O’Dwyer, 19:00 – 19:45
Circui Des Yeux, 18:00 – 18:40

De Helling
Névoa, 02:45 – 03:30
Ufomammut, 01:20 – 02:15
Oathbreaker, 23:55 – 00:40
GGU:LL, 22:40 – 23:20

Chaotic yet straightforward hardcore band from Belgium, Oathbreaker return to Le Guess Who?.

LE:EN
CHVE, 23:15 – 23:55
Wymond Miles, 22:00 – 22:40

Theater Kikker
Goat, 23:45 – 00:30
Lucrecia Dalt, 22:30 – 23:15
Delphine Dora, 21:15 – 22:00

Fusing alternative, experimental, and world music is Sweden’s Goat, who’ve of course been getting critical acclaim already.

Soft-singer Lucrecia Dalt creates an atmospheric mix of lumbering drums and drawling guitar to an atmospheric mix. She plays Le Guess Who? for her second time in three years.

RASA
Rebel Up, 00:15 – 02:00
Guy One & The Polyversal Souls, 23:00 – 00:15
Rebel Up, 22:30 – 23:00

Leeuwenbergh
Weyes Blood, 21:35 – 22:30
Federico Albanese, 20:00 – 20:50
Ljerke, 18:30 – 19:30

Stadsschouwburg Grote Zaal
Club Guy & Roni Presents: Happiness, 20:00 – 21:10

Stadsschouwburg Kleine Zaal
Les Filles De Illighadad, 19:45 – 20:30
The Mandolin Sisters, 21:30 – 22:15

Louis Hartlooper Complex
What No One Knows, 16:00 – 17:00

 

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13th

Tivoli Vredenburg Grote Zaal
Junun, 23:00 – 00:15
Tortoise, 20:45 – 21:45
Patty Waters, 18:30 – 19:30
Scott Fagan, 16:30 – 17:30

Mixing post-rock modernism with jazz and electronica, Tortoise (QRO live review) are part of Chicago’s large instrumentalist community (such as labelmates The Sea and Cake – QRO live review – with whom they share drummer John McEntire). At once experimental and yet relaxed, they’re sort of a twenty-first century version of progressive rock.

Tivoli Vredenburg Ronda
Suuns, 22:00 – 23:00
Swans, 19:15 – 21:15
Pita, 17:40 – 18:30
Phurpa, 15:30 – 17:20

Montreal’s Suuns (QRO photos) are a post-industrial group (QRO photos at a festival) out this year with Hold/Still.

An influential act that’s been a regular at avant-garde European festivals (QRO photos at a European festival) is New York’s post-punk pioneers Swans (QRO live review). Fronted Michael Gira (QRO solo photos), Swans land in Utrecht behind this year’s The Glowing Man, 2014’s To Be Kind and 2012’s The Seer (QRO review).

Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora
Jlin, 22:45 – 23:45
Samuel Kerridge, 21:00 – 22:00
Marie Davidson, 19:45 – 20:30
Marching Church, 18:15 – 19:05
Patrick Higgins, 17:00 – 17:40
Brian Case, 16:00 – 16:30

Tivoli Vredenburg Hertz
St. Francis Duo, 21:45 – 22:35
Pauline Oliveros, 20:00 – 21:00
The Ex Festival, 15:00 – 19:00

Tivoli Vredenburg Cloud Nine
Alessandro Cortini, 22:45 – 23:45
Jerusalem In My Heart, 20:45 – 21:35
Wormholes Electric, 19:00 – 19:45
Anna Von Hausswolff, 17:45 – 18:25

Tivoli Vredenburg Plein 5
Doodcast Live Special, 19:00 – 23:00
Circus Debre Berhan, 14:30 – 15:00

EKKO
Amber Arcades, 17:00 – 17:50
Quilt, 15:30 – 16:15
Ryan Sambol, 14:00 – 14:40

Theater Kikker
Elysia Crampton, 16:15 – 17:05
Oliver Coates, 14:30 – 15:20

Leeuwenbergh
Lau Nau, 17:15 – 18:00
Jessica Moss, 15:45 – 16:30
Josephine Foster, 14:30 – 15:15
Karolous Magnus, 13:00 – 13:50

Louis Hartlooper Complex
Voix Du Maroc, 12:00 – 13:00

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://leguesswho.nl/editions/2016/

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