Northside 2016 Recap

While other multi-venue ‘industry fests’ have fallen by the wayside, or were cancelled before they even started, Brooklyn’s Northside has only grown, including a full-fledged ‘Innovation’ portion that probably...
Northside

Northside 2016 Recap

While other multi-venue ‘industry fests’ have fallen by the wayside, or were cancelled before they even started, Brooklyn’s Northside has only grown, including a full-fledged ‘Innovation’ portion that probably brings in far more money than Music. But music did come, Thursday-to-Sunday, June 9th-12th, to Williamsburg & Greenpoint:

 

THURSDAY

McCarren Park

Land of Talk

Land of Talk

Elizabeth PowellClick image for full gallery

Northside’s biggest events every year are at McCarren Park, and to kick off Northside ’16 was the return of two Montreal favourites. First up was Land of Talk, a major QRO favourite (QRO spotlight on). Main woman Elizabeth Powell (QRO interview) disappeared from music in 2010-11, after issues with vocal polyps, and it’s just so great that she’s back, with a full band that includes original drummer Bucky Wheaton and husband-and-wife Olga Goreas and Jace Lasek of Besnard Lakes (QRO photos at a festival with Land of Talk).

The set itself was basically a shortened version of LoT’s recent Bowery Ballroom show (QRO review), leaning less on her new material (but there is a new album in the offing). The serious wind that day messed with the band somewhat, knocking over a guitar and putting others out of tune – Powell had to tune two guitars before one song, so Lasek could use one, and later he had to change a string. But Lizzie’s so charming, everyone forgave her…

Land of Talk + Besnard Lakes

 

Wolf Parade

Wolf Parade

Dan BoecknerClick image for full gallery

“Why isn’t this a paid show?” Many people were asking that – not to look the gift horse of a big free show in the mouth – with Wolf Parade playing the big space. The ‘Canadian Invasion’ alt-stars of the last decade had taken a serious hiatus while members pursued other projects (Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown, Divine Fits, Moonface, Operators, and more – QRO photos of Sunset Rubdown at Northside ’09QRO photos of Operators at Northside ’14), but only last month came back together for a run of five-count-‘em-five nights at Bowery (QRO review of first night), that sold out in seconds. Perhaps the free RSVP status of this show had to do with being in a city park (that was certainly why there was a cordoned of beer area far from the stage, though previous years McCarren didn’t have one), but whatever the reason, free Wolf Parade was certainly welcome to the crowd of hipsters from five-to-ten years ago.

Spencer KrugThis show was pretty much vintage Wolf, including many songs from breakthrough Apologies To Queen Mary to go with new ones (including the medley of new songs they had recently done on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), singer/guitarist Dan Boeckner jerking around like mad, and singer-keyboardist Spencer Krug fidgeting between standing and half-kneel on his stool (and trying to get a hand in the air whenever he could).

While hardly brand new acts (though they’re spring chickens compared to Friday & Saturday’s McCarren acts, Grandmaster Flash and Brian Wilson…), it was really wonderful to have these two bands back & in full form.

Wolf Parade

~

 

House of Vans

House of Vans

Click image for full gallery – Deborah Lowery

One advantage that Northside Festival has is that, being located in the north end of the borough, pretty much everything is in walking distance (i.e., the closest subway stop for everything is the Bedford Avenue station, where hipster-dom was born…), so could leave with Wolf Parade still ringing and head up to another great free show, at House of Vans (QRO venue review). Your correspondent still missed The Paranoyds and Sunflower Bean but photographer Deborah Lowery was there for them & more.

The Paranoyds

The Paranoyds

Click image for full gallery – Deborah Lowery

 

Sunflower Bean

Sunflower Bean

Click image for full gallery – Deborah Lowery

 

BADBADNOTGOOD

BADBADNOTGOOD

 

Click image for full gallery – Deborah Lowery

Only catching the tail end of BADBADNOTGOOD, was surprised at how punk the Canadian jazz band sounded. The Toronto group is better known for being experimental musicians, not to mention their collaboration with Ghostface Killah (QRO photos together). Perhaps it was the punk venue? Or the two giant cameras mounted on huge frames in the middle of the photo pit that blocked people out?

 

DIIV

DIIV

Click image for full gallery – Deborah Lowery

A few years removed from being the ‘hot new thing,’ DIIV still are youthful – perhaps a bit too youthful, joking about playing the “Vans Warped Tour” and Green Day bassist Tré Cool, but their sound was still indie-strong.

~

 

Other notes:

-First attended one of the Innovation panel discussions, because it had free drinks (and was near everything else). Still couldn’t tell you what the panel was actually talking about…

 

Unfortunately missed:

-Courtesy Tier (QRO album review) @ Bar Matchless (QRO venue review), 8:45 PM. For some reason Thursday at Northside was stacked, and QRO missed our local favorite (who also had the distinction of playing before when kicked-off-from-Northside-for-sympathizing-with-a-rapist Good English were supposed to perform).

 

 

FRIDAY

Alphaville

Libel

Libel

Click image for full gallery

Northside Festival is particularly about catching local acts at smaller, more distant spaces. Alphaville is certainly out there in Bushwick, in an otherwise residential area, with a main bar and backspace for bands.

Libel are an odd sort, post-punk with somewhat jazz-ish sensibilities (as opposed to someone being ‘jazzy’).

 

Heavy Birds

Heavy Birds

Click image for full gallery

Heavy Birds brought heavy psych, with a definite doom element, thanks to drumming with mallets on the tilted bass drum, but no cymbals or snares.

 

Del Caesar

Del Caesar

Click image for full gallery

The country-jangle garage-pop of Del Caesar was a nice change of pace at the show, as these sorts of shows can get a little heavy in the artsy.

~

 

Other notes

-Attended the Northside Innovation closing party at The Paper Box – if it only runs two days (was at the opener the day before), does it really earn a closing party?

 

 

SATURDAY

McCarren Park

The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers

Click image for full gallery

Northside went country for Saturday at McCarren Park, starting with the roots-revival of The Felice Brothers. The group is years removed (and one Felice down) from their early rockin’ days, presenting a sadder face, even slightly listless (save for singer/accordion player James Felice – QRO interview), but still had a few tub-thumping numbers (though no “Whiskey In My Whiskey”…). Their new album Life In the Dark comes out June 24th.

The Felice Brothers

 

Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst

Conor OberstClick image for full gallery

Maybe The Felice Brothers had to conserve some energy, because they were doing double-duty on the day & this tour, also serving as backing band for Mr. Bright Eyes himself, Conor Oberst.

Remember when Conor Oberst was insufferable and annoying? When he did heavy-handed anti-war songs & lame country-rock in between his usual job being too precious?

Well, Oberst has gotten older & gotten better. While the millennials can weep & can’t even, he’s grown into his status and skill, balancing emotion & beauty with country-roots. Having The Felice Brothers as his backing band hasn’t hurt, either. Indeed, they all did a Felice Brothers song, “Rockefeller Druglaw Blues” – and closed with return of the “lost Felice Brother,” former member Simone!

Oberst also welcomed co-headliner Kacey Musgraves on stage for one of her songs – and yes, he still did “First Day of My Life”…

Conor Oberst & The Felice Brothers

 

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves

Click image for full gallery

Sweet (and pretty) songstresses are oh so hot right now, and Kacey Musgraves certainly fits that bill. She definitely does have a great Texas twang, right down to the neon cacti behind her & her band. Fans sang along to her songs like “Follow Your Arrow”, plus covers such as Bob Marley’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”, TLC’s “No Scrubs”, Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” (with guest Oberst), and, hardly a surprise-but still welcome, close with “These Boots Are Made For Walking”.

Kacey Musgraves

~

 

Other notes:

-At McCarren Park there was some sort of obstacle course sponsored by Jack Link’s Jerky, to win a year’s supply of jerky. Not exactly the food of Williamsburg (Kashi Vegan’s free truck was more appropriate), and possibly the only person who’d want a year’s supply of jerky would be an end-of-the-world prepper (and he’d want it all at once, as soon as possible…).

 

Unfortunately missed:

– King Khan & The Shrines (QRO live review) @ Brooklyn Bowl (QRO venue review). Tried to enter after Kacey Musgraves, but the place had hit its badge limit – not the first time this has happened at Brooklyn Bowl during Northside ’16.

 

 

SUNDAY

McCarren Park

HINDS

HINDS

Click image for full gallery

Opening the final day at McCarren Park was HINDS. Their garage-pop is certainly sweet, but hardly revelatory considering the amount of press that they’ve been getting. It seems like the most interesting aspect of them to some is that they’re an all-girl group from Spain (with an on-stage persona reminiscent of J-Pop garage-rock).

HINDS

 

Rostam

Rostam

Click image for full gallery

Rostam Batmanglij may no longer be in Vampire Weekend, but he is doing his own solo thing. He played McCarren with a string quartet, though more of the music seemed to actually be coming out of his computer. Batmanglij did start with two brand new songs, and also later brought out Wesley Miles (QRO interview) of Ra Ra Riot to do a piece from their side-project team-up, Discovery (QRO album review), as well as later Hamilton Leithauser (whose Walkmen headlined McCarren for Northside three years ago – QRO photos) and Deradoorian.

Rostam

 

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson

Click image for full gallery

Possibly the biggest ‘get’ ever since Northside started, McCarren Park closed with the legendary Brian Wilson, who was playing his seminal Beach Boys record, Pet Sounds, and more. Wilson had a full ensemble behind him and his piano, including original Beach Boy Al Jardine (making up a bit for it being hard to actually see Wilson behind his piano).

Jardine even brought out his son Matt to do Wilson’s falsetto on a few old numbers, with the singer getting on in years. Yes, they did Pet classics like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, plus other songs you know such as “California Girls”, “I Get Around”, “Good Vibrations”, “Barbara Ann”, “Surfin’ Safari”, and “Fun Fun Fun”. There was also “Hang On To Your Ego” (which nineties alt-rock fans know from Frank Black’s cover), the Pet Sounds instrumental (“Nobody sings!”), even “Row Row Row Your Boat” with the crowd (not the only time the audience sang along).

No, it wasn’t a discovery of new music, but a reconnection with where so much of today’s music comes from.

Brian Wilson

 

 

Other notes:

-After the tragic shooting at an Orlando nightclub the evening before, everyone’s bags were being checked before entering McCarren Park, which created a line that went around two corners.

 

Unfortunately missed:

-Slang King (QRO photos) @ The Gutter, 8:40 PM.

-The Forms (QRO spotlight on) @ Matchless (QRO venue review), 9:15 PM. Unfortunately shows conflicted with Brian Wilson.

 

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