Chicago.com
North Coast Music Festival
Hello Chicago.commers, I wanted to take some time to let you know about another music festival that’s right here in Chicago – in case there are some people out there that still don’t know.
North Coast Music Festival (NCMF) will have its second run this Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2nd – 4th in case you are like me and frequently mix that up with Memorial Day) at Union Park. The festival gained a ton of good publicity last year and this year they claim to be the fastest selling Groupon ever… In just 9 hours eager fans scooped up all of the 3,750 three-day passes for $45 each! To say this festival is gaining steam would be an understatement.
In its inaugural year NCMF boasted nearly the same attendance as Pitchfork, another festival held earlier in the year at the same location, at 48,000 (Pitchfork had 49,000).
So what’s up this year? Good question. There are over 60 bands from around the globe playing at 4 different stages. Seeing as you can just go to look at the schedule to find out which days are for you, I will spare you of the rundown. I have my plans pretty well laid out, let me know what you think or if I am DEFINITELY missing something, according to you.
Friday the 2nd kicks off at 3:30 pm with a couple hour long shows by 40oz. Kings and Orchard Lounge and will continue with an array of other bands which I will spare you from describing.
I have to mention Lotus, who I have been seeing since probably around ’04. They will have a 90 minute spot on Friday as well, just before the headliner. Make sure to go check em out at The Red Bull Grove Stage at 7 pm sharp.
Day 1 closes up with David Guetta, a three-time chart-topping, most-hyphenated-description, house-DJ from France. He collaborated a US favorite “Sexy Bitch” with Akon and “Memories” with Kid Cudi, so expect some hip house (get it?) tied in there.
Saturday is jam packed with 26 shows, starting at 1:15. Definitely going to go check out The Werks, I spent a little time there at Electric Forest and had been wishing that I didn’t miss most of the beginning… Redemption time.
Later will be a tough decision between Big Gigantic and Lettuce. I have seen “Big G” before with Sound Tribe and they bring a pretty unique aspect to the electronic music scene. Producer Dominic Lalli busts out a saxophone regularly to bring together his electronic beats and live drummer. They truly stand out in this scene and it will be hard to miss them. On the other hand, I have hear a lot of great things about Lettuce and need to see them as well – thankfully this isn’t Lollapalooza and its actually possible to run to the other side to see 2 acts sharing the same timeslot.
A few deep breaths will be in order for STS9. As one of the headliners they will bring a pretty big, diversified, crowd. They have been around long enough to have some devote older fans but have been keeping their style up to date, attracting droves of younger kids as well. Their regular electro style is unmatched by other full bands in the scene, and they prove they can play what they want and how they want as shown by their “Axe the Cables” sets (acoustic, if you couldn’t figure that one out on your own). I have never been fortunate enough to actually see the ladder, but I have come across a soundboard recording and it is to date one of my favorite live shows to listen to. But I digress, STS9 will be playing a regular set both at NCMF and their after party show with Big Gigantic.
STS9 fans and friends were saddened early this year to hear the news of Bass player / Keyboard, etc. player David Murphy’s diagnosis with a type of skin cancer in his sinuses. I can think of no better way to support them through these hard times by offering support at their shows and in my prayers – get well soon Murph!
Come Sunday, aside from pounding 5 Hour Energies, I will wondering around until Loyal Divide. Having gone to school with them and still seeing them all the time I might be a bit biased, but these guys rock. These guys have a truly profound sound, having remastered their tracks countless times into the perfection you will hear on stage. Plus, Drummer Andrew McCarthy “Thundarr” might take his shirt off, a sight I can only compare to seeing Falcore flying about, pooing magical jellybeans across a sea of unsuspecting ewoks. Seriously.
Of Montréal is next on my docket. Have you ever seen Dinner for Schmucks? “I am having a hard time describing what I’m seeing” utters Steve Carrell while watching this crazy artist try to, uh… oh wait I can’t describe it either. Super pop, costumed-out, theatrical dance-party is what we all will be in store for – pretty standard Sunday afternoon in Chicago, if you ask me.
If I am still capable, I will head over to Thievery Corporation. I have never seen them, or even really listened to them – just hear about them all the damn time so I figure I’ll go see what all the ruckus is about.
If you are going to check out any after parties I seriously suggest The New Deal at House of Blues later Sunday night. They have been around for years keeping me entertained at a few different festivals, and I am sad to say this will be their LAST SHOW EVER (single tear).
Hope to see some of you guys there!
First I must apologize for the amount of time it took me to get this review up; I’d like to think I had good reasons but seeing them on paper… meh. Sorry. Second I must apologize for the wordiness; I find it hard to go to a festival for 4 days filled with so much good music and not write a 15 page detailed report. Enjoy.
If you are anything like me then you probably try to find themes in things that might not have been planned. Electric Forrest’s had to have been fire this year. Everything from the Sky Lanterns during String Cheese sets to cars exploding in the parking lot, Electric Forest had it all.
After a two-year wait for Electric Forest (Rothbury, MI) my group of happy campers jumped out of their given car within the caravan to set up our shanty town. Not 5 minutes after a Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled up behind us. The driver pulled into his parking spot and was immediately engulfed in white smoke, or maybe steam, I don’t know I’m not a scientist. It really seemed like no big deal – but again, not a scientist – until the white turned to brown and was accompanied by flames. Only one or two people in the now huge group watching were concerned with putting the fire out by throwing wet towels on it or spraying their water bottles at it, basically putting a band-aide on a compound fracture.
The fire department was eventually alerted once the flames grew a few feet and were leaping from the hood of the car and the underside, catching the surrounding very dry grass on fire. No one was hurt physically, but I imagine the damage to a certain group’s Fourth of July plans was irreparable.
A very eventful first hour, and I hoped it was not a bad omen but we all quickly built our shanty town and got excited for some music. Thursday started off pretty nice but by about 9 pm the rain came down pretty hard, bringing with it a flurry of lightning, adding even more electricity to the glowing forest. Worried fans ran back to their tents, but some troopers hung around waiting for something other than the impending hail to hit the stage.
Around 10 pm I thought that was it, lets go back to the tents and get some sleep and hope for the best tomorrow – quitter talk. The rains subsided a bit before Lotus took stage and I knew that I was in for a great weekend. I saw Lotus the first time in a smoky bar about 8ish years ago and have been listening to them steadily since, its great to see how far they have come. Blending some electro-beats in with some electric guitar isn’t the most unique thing to do these days but using some more classical sounding, relaxed guitar riffs really puts them on the forefront of their own take on electric jams. Backed with a strong light show its no wonder Lotus played day one of Electric Forest and ‘010 (oh-ten)’s Rothbury Music Festival.
Friday I awoke to the soothing pitter-patter of rain drops hitting my brand new tent, it was nice not worrying about getting wet while inside my new diggs but what does this mean for the rest of the day? The rest of the weekend? Oh well, taking advantage of the cool air and white noise quickly put me back to sleep.
The rain stopped by midday, the shanty-town was reassembled after one of the 10’ x 10’ canopies caved in from the rain, and we were off to see what the forest had to offer to the diurnal fans.
Big trees and big sounds filled the air, but maybe one of the best things was what the air was lacking – dust! Dust is maybe one of the most vexing things at any festival, drying out your eyes, clogging your nostrils, pores and airways and coating your belongs. The rain had put a welcoming stop to that problem. People will argue that the trade-off was the mud, which is a fair enough deal for me.
The forest was filled with ENO hammocks, I couldn’t come close to counting them all out but somehow it still seemed pretty tough to come by a vacant one… thankfully I had brought my own cheaper, knock-off and was able to spend countless hours under the light canopy of evergreen shade.
The New Deal was one of the shows I was mostly excited for, and they did not disappoint. I first caught them at Langerado in Ft. Lauderdale back in 2003 and remember thinking how “on-point” they were. These guys play like a well-oiled machine, missing no beats and are in tune with what their fans wanted – bone warming beats to get over the chills from the preceding storms. Sad to think that was one of their last shows. I congratulate the success of The New Deal’s 12-year career.
As soon as The New Deal ended it was time for the String Cheese Incident to kick off their first of 6 mind-blowing sets. Another band who was on the scene for years, forming in 1996, its no wonder so many came from 1000s of miles to see one of their sparse live shows. They are one of the best three-piece electronic bands out there, fusing blue grass string instruments like the mandolin and 6-string with some electronic bassie beats that keep everyone listening on their feet and wide-eyed (especially when giant sharks appear from behind the stage).
During the Saturday shows fans started to send up sky lanterns, which are like mini hot-air balloons, which are a beautiful sight but when the wind shifts it can send these floating fire balls into the trees or stage rigging – both of which happened numerous times. It got to the point where security had to come and rip up all the lanterns that had yet to be sent up. Hippies were getting mad, but I think it was for the best. Those things, in the wrong hands being used in the wrong conditions, are freaking dangerous.
Festival Sundays are notoriously hard to get thru – or maybe I am just starting to feel the effects of having gone to too many over the years. Relaxing at this point wasn’t just necessary… I didn’t have a choice. Thankfully Railroad Earth was there to start off the day with some mellow Blue Grass that still allowed dancing for those willing and able.
Following Railroad Earth was Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, thankfully, at the same stage. When he broke from one of his many rants and actually played one of his crowd-pleasers like “Home” people were loving it, but it was clear that Edward might have had a long weekend too. It was not a hard decision to run to The Forest Stage when we heard Derick Smith of Pretty Lights was playing a secret set with Break Science. Though you couldn’t see the Forest [Stage] through the trees it was a bumpin show, especially for a Sunday afternoon. I do have to admit I was pretty jealous of the guy who strung his hammock up about 8’ in the air right in front of the stage – have you ever seen someone try to dance and lay in a hammock simultaneously? Hilarious.
The String Cheese Incident played another 2 sets Sunday night. By this point I thought I would be a bit sick of seeing so much Cheese, but I was wrong. My excitement for Pretty Lights’ main set was stifled by a couple of classic covers like “Wild Horses” and “Jessica.” The end of the second set included a String Cheese classic, “Jellyfish” and then something finally clicked in my brain – Ohhh, those things everyone is carrying around are Jellyfish, duh!
Pretty Lights was next on stage, making it possible to do the smallest amount of moving all day – lifesaver. At this point I thought my eyes were going to close and I would drift off into a post-festival coma but Derek Smith was able to turn that around by the time he dropped the first beat. He mentioned on Twitter that he was going to go f$&*#$g huge for EF and he was not messing around. With a new light show (well, new since the last time I saw him), a few new songs in his bag and the majority of the Electric Forest goers there to support, this was not a party to miss.
By the end of the set I would have loved to get over to EOTO but I just couldn’t motivate myself to run across the festival grounds and try to catch the tail end, so Pretty Lights was the finale to an unreal weekend. I couldn’t believe how many bands had played and how much time had passed sine watching that poor guy’s car catch fire. The depression I was left with Monday was only made easier by thinking about next year – there will be a next year, right?
Its been a long, tough wait for Rothbury to host another music festival. Though “Rothbury” might be a thing of the late 00’s it is not hard to segway into its new handle, “Electric Forest.” Mostly because of the… Electric Forest, I guess. Google image search that if you haven’t yet – http://tinyurl.com/6dshoxm.
Rothbury 08 and 09 are the first and second ranking festivals I have had to the pleasure of going to – not necessarily in that order. If you can apply the old, worn out saying “third time is the charm,” I could not even imagine what this year has in store. Wait, actually I can…
Electric Forest 2011 has a killer lineup of artists playing including some big names from a variety of genres. String Cheese Incident is going to be all over the place, playing three of the four nights in tact as a lot of the older hippies remember as well as one of the SCI spinoff bands, EOTO.
Besides the forest being electric, a pretty good bit of the music will be too. Pretty Lights, Skrillex and Bassnectar to name a few.
If you’re like me, you’ll be up way to late every night but its all good because you can string up a hammock in the forest or go relax in the sun and check out some killer blue grass bands like Railroad Earth. These guys don’t mess around, they fill the stage with all sorts of strings and wind instruments and will be sure to keep your feet moving.
Did I mention REO Speedwagon will be there? ‘nough said.
Make the trip, it will be well worth it.
–Andrew Cassato, Music Writer, Chicago.com
If you’re looking for a different kind of a festival this coming weekend think about Turtle’s 1st Annual Street Festival as an alternative to The Peace Fest, The Taste of Randolph Street or the Wrigleyville Block Party.
Here is some info on Turtle’s 1st Annual Street Festival:
WHEN: Saturday June 18th
WHAT: Come stop by for a drink or something off the grill.
Bag tournament @ 3:00 with cash prizes. Sign up is earlier that day. Teams will be picked right before the tournament.
Live music @ 5:00. Pig and lamb roast, too.
WHERE: In the Bridgeport neighborhood
Can’t beat a great day outside in the summertime!!!!!!! This is a fun event for people of all ages!
Here is a review of the Do-Divison Fest by our contributing writer Taina Collazo:
Chi-city is heating up just in time for some of the city’s favorite fests. This weekend was all abuzz with bands, booze, and BBQ, as seen at the annual Do-Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale.
With the summer sun making its re-appearance on Chicago’s sidewalks, this summer’s fashion trends, for better or for worse, found their way into the warm spotlight. I, however, wasn’t looking for the latest looks adorned on my fellow city dwellers. Nope…my eyes were looking for fresh fashion inspirations in the vendors’ booths. I am happy to report that I was very pleased with what I found.
There were the usual suspects present – jewelry vendors, city services like car sharing and apartments searches, restaurants and food vendors, amongst others. What caught my eye, however, were the cause-based vendors. The reminder that we are all connected within our community and beyond our borders was a welcomed thought as I enjoyed my beverage of choice and listened to the featured bands spread out over a couple stages.
Featured Vendors:
i2we – This Chicago based company has one goal: To give “legally immigrated women in the Chicagoland area an employment opportunity that utilizes her sewing and crafting skills.” Items featured in this tent consisted of hand-sewn bags, backpacks, and clutch-like bags. They were all unique designs and all supporting some of Chicagoland’s newest residences. You can find their goods and support fellow Chicagoans by visiting their showroom featured on Etsy at www.i2we.etsy.com.
Alidade – A “made in Chicago” company that tailors their designs to the practical, fashion forward, eco-conscious woman. Alidade’s simple designs make their clothes easy to dress up or dress down allowing for versatility from day to night without the need for an outfit change. Alidade takes it one step further with their re-purposed designs. Textile scraps work their way back to the showrooms’ mannequins and into closets all over the city. See some of their designs at www.alidadeapparel.com.
Malia Designs – This organization brings their goods from borders far beyond Lakeshore Drive to the windy city in efforts to support women in developing countries along with supporting non-profit organizations, both locally and abroad. Featured in the tent were some unique accessories. The change purses, clutches, and wallets particularly caught my eye and drew me in. If you are looking for something unique to accent your fashion life, Malia Design may have something that meets your inner fashionista’s desires while supporting women working to provide for their families and their futures. An extra feature to Malia Designs’ cause is its support of eradicating human trafficking and providing aid to this heinous crime’s victims. See the company’s goods and learn more about Malia Designs at www.maliadesigns.com.
Do Division Fest definitely did deliver. I hope to see more local businesses present at other fests around the city this summer telling their unique stories and giving Chicagoans the opportunity to impact lives within our great city and beyond. Be sure to check out the above businesses’ websites for more information and updates.