Hopscotch Night 3: Boulevards seizes the moment as Hopscotch comes to an end

All photos by Kevin Norris

After six years, Hopscotch finally defeated me. By the time Saturday rolled around, I was dragging and for the first time I cut back on the shows I planned to attend. With my most anticipated artist, Owen Pallet, canceling for a family emergency and one in, one out situation at nearly every Moore Square area venue, I focused on catching a select few musicians.

Dwight Yoakam is one of the most intriguing headliners Hopscotch has every booked. Seeing his name on the lineup invokes a “Whoa. Really?” that sends one brain into a dance to reconcile how strange and awesome it was all at once. Yoakam did not disappoint, despite some early technical issues. There were sparkling sport coats, big cowboy hats and boots, but this wasn’t a night of country at Walnut Creek. Yoakam’s music appeals to a general audience, but he keeps his roots in country and rock and roll without kowtowing to Nashville’s pop influence.

Hopscotch 2015 Night 2: Discovering music in three ways

All photos by Kevin Norris

Hopscotch is about many things, but one of the most important is discovery. Discovering new music is an obvious benefit, but it goes beyond that. Hopscotch makes a habit of bringing back older artists which allows for rediscovery of old favorites. It gives musicians the freedom and ability to craft performances that wouldn’t happen elsewhere so you can see your favorite artists from a new perspective. I encountered all of those facets of discovery on Friday night.

New to me were Carlitta Durand, the compositions presented by New Music Raleigh, Luxe Posh and Mitski. Durand, an R&B artist from Durham, opened the night at the main stage in City Plaza. A 6 p.m. start time meant that the crowd was small. Durand’s enticing voice added a breathy layer over hushed grooves and funky bass lines. It was a nice change of pace from the rock and roll I consumed all afternoon at day parties and it made me think that Hopscotch needs more R&B in its lineup (or I needed to pay more attention and seek out the R&B that was available at the festival).

Hopscotch 2015 Night 1: Mac McCaughan, Bully & Battles shine after the rain

All photos by Kevin Norris

Walking into City Plaza on Thursday night, there was an uncertainty in the air. Dark clouds threatened rain and storms, an e-cigarette brand hawked its vapor to concert goers, and Ought was getting ready to take the stage in place of Deerhunter, one of the several bands who had to cancel their trips or couldn’t make it to North Carolina. It seemed foreboding. Would this be the year that Hopscotch failed to live up its reputation?

Ought proved a suitable replacement and a first step towards reassurance. The charming Canadians stuttering post-punk slowly built. Early on, jagged rhythms felt carefully designed and Tim Beeler’s vocals felt almost matter-of-fact in tone, but by the end of their set they let loose into a climax that felt spontaneous. Beeler’s friendly banter between songs warmed a cool audience that at times still seemed disappointed at Deerhunter’s absence.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 3: T0W3RS, Phosphorescent

All photos by Chris Powers

My Hopscotch ended as a music festival should: with the two performances that ended up being my favorite from the weekend.

At the Pour House, Derek Torres led a host of gymnasts and musicians for a show that will go down in Hopscotch lore. As T0W3RS, Torres is free to explore all angles of the musical spectrum. He started with a quiet solo introduction while the gymnasts danced behind him. Soon, several musicians joined him and they launched into an exhilarating, life-affirming set of pop.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 3: Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, Ava Luna

All photos by Chris Powers

When examining the schedule, there didn’t seem to be a better venue/singer fit than Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Fletcher Opera Theater. Sauser-Monnig’s delicate voice and the quiet of Fletcher’s seated space were made for each other. 

Sauser-Monnig is an incredible talent. Her singing was beautiful as expected and when she sings completely unaccompanied it’s truly impressive. While Fletcher feels intimate, standing on stage in the silence with nothing to carry you but your voice requires no small amount of bravery.

Hopscotch 2014 Day 2 Photos: Black Santa, Lonnie Walker

All photos by Chris Powers

Photographer Chris Powers was out and about snapping shots during the second day of the Hopscotch Music Festival.

In addition to the photos of St. Vincent, Spoon, Ghostt Bllonde and Purling Hiss which have already been posted HERE, HERE and HERE, check out photos of Black Santa's day party set at Nice Price Books and Lonnie Walker's set in City Plaza to the right and below.

Check out the rest of our coverage of the 2014 Hopscotch Music HERE.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 1 Photos: Jenny Besetzt, Lilac Shadows, Drag Sounds, White Laces, The War on Drugs

All photos by Chris Powers

During the first night of the 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival, photographer Chris Powers was on the scene documenting the happenings in downtown Raleigh.

Below and to the right you'll see photos of day parties featuring Jenny Besetzt and Lilac Shadows as well as official nighttime sets featuring Drag Sounds at the Pour House and White Laces and The War on Drugs at Lincoln Theatre. Check out Chris' other photos from night one HERE and HERE.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 2: Tony Conrad, Purling Hiss/Spacin'

In Vintage 21 (formerly the Longview Center), Tony Conrad performed a fascinating set that could be used as an educational tool for what is good and bad experimental music.

The good was on display in Tony Conrad’s solo performance. The master violin player shook the foundations of the old church with constantly building tones. He played them with direction and enthusiasm. He explored the sound he created, altered it purposefully, and responded based on the results. Through experimentation he revealed deeper qualities of the notes and tones. 

When he finished, Conrad pumped his fist in the air several times in triumph and the audience washed him in applause. At its finest, experimental music can make you fist pump just like rock and roll or hip hop.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 2: Ghostt Bllonde, Open Mike Eagle

All photos by Chris Powers

Raleigh’s Ghostt Bllonde looked like they were having more fun than any other band at Hopscotch. The young pop band was clearly thankful for the opportunity to play the Contemporary Art Museum at their hometown’s showcase festival.

Lead singer Marc Kuzio was dressed to the nines with a dapper vintage jacket and busted out a ton of 50s-style dance moves on stage. Drummer Billy Barnes did not stop smiling during the entire set.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 2: St. Vincent, Spoon

All photos by Chris Powers

St. Vincent and Spoon should put on better live shows than they do. Both are talented musicians with plenty of catalog to pull from and dedicated fans, but in City Plaza on Friday night they fell flat.

Annie Clark shields herself with the St. Vincent character and her performances lack the excitement that comes with not knowing what’s next. Her Hopscotch set was nearly identical to her set at the Haw River Ballroom in March right down to the stage banter. While that was no surprise, it still felt strange.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 1: Body Games, New Music Raleigh, IIII

All photos by Chris Powers

As the rain continued to pour down, drenched fans made their way to the Duke Energy performing arts complex to take in an interesting trio of acts that lived up to Hopscotch’s reputation for experimental music, but were outside of the typical ambient and drone genres the festival is famous for.

Chapel Hill’s Body Games lit up the Kennedy Theater with psychedelic projects of Johah Hill and various romantic scenes from Disney films (I spotted The Lion King and Robin Hood). Like moths to a flame, this attracted the glow stick crowd that has become an annual tradition at Hopscotch and a dance party began.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 1: De La Soul, Professor Toon and The Real Laww

All photos by Chris Powers

Hopscotch 2014 officially kicked off with the first Thursday night City Plaza show and it was a sign of things to come. If one thing was different about the fifth installment of Hopscotch, it’s that there was a lot more rhythm all around. More hip hop, more non-drone experimental music, and more dance music. This was a welcome change and I think the festival hit the right balance of genres across the board.

Durham’s own Professor Toon and The Real Law shared the stage as the opener for De La Soul. The duo’s no-frills show was the perfect intro to the night, much more appropriate than the Love Language/No Age combo that led into Public Enemy back at 2010’s Hopscotch. 

Merge 25 Day 4: Caribou, Neutral Milk Hotel

All photos by Kevin Norris

The sounds emanating from the Cat's Cradle parking lot shifted dramatically on Saturday evening as the Merge 25 festival's penultimate act took the stage.

As the four members of Caribou dressed in all white and grouped around the center of the stage launched into "Leave House," the festival was transformed into a dance party.

Dan Snaith stood at the front of the cluster leading the band with samples, vocals and drumming. They hit their new single "Can't Do It Without You" from their new Merge album Our Love along the way.

Merge 25 Day 4: Bob Mould, Teenage Fanclub

All photos by Kevin Norris

Kicking off the second half of Saturday's big outdoor party was indie rock icon Bob Mould with Jason Narducy on bass (his second performance of Merge 25) and Jon Wurster on drums (his third performance of Merge 25.

The band hit the ground running with "The Descent," "Little Glass Pill" and the oh-so-catchy "I Don't Know You Anymore." The entire set was high energy, turned up to eleven and incredibly melodic. The band rolled through a few more songs from Mould's latest album Beauty & Ruin before jumping back to the Husker Du days for "Hardly Getting Over It."

Merge 25 Day 4: Ex Hex, Mikal Cronin

All photos by Kevin Norris

The second quarter of Merge 25’s outdoor show began with a needed breeze and some brief cloud cover rolling in. Ex Hex took the stage with host Margaret Cho to take a photo with the crowd in the background before performing songs off of their anticipated debut record, Rips, coming out this fall on Merge.

Mary Timony, Betsy Wright, and Laura Harris are already in excellent form. Wright and Timony play off each well on stage and are clearly having a ton of fun in this new group.

Merge 25 Day 4: Vertical Scratchers and The Love Language

All photos by Kevin Norris

With a giant stage positioned on the west end of the Cat’s Cradle parking lot and enough volume to be heard anywhere in Carrboro, the outdoor portion of Merge’s 25th anniversary festival, hosted by comedian Margaret Cho, definitely had the feel of a big time music fest.

Vertical Scratchers were the first band to take the stage around 1 p.m. while the crowd continued to trickle in. With the temperature climbing into the 90s and decibels punishing in close proximity, most of the early crowd gathered in shaded areas toward the back of the parking lot.

Merge 25 Night 3: Wye Oak, Destroyer

All photos by Kevin Norris

The penultimate act of night three of Merge 25 was Wye Oak, the formidable duo that just five years ago at XX Merge were relative newcomers to the Merge family and who had just released their sophomore album The Knot. The band returned to celebrate their second Merge anniversary showing off their incredible growth as songwriters and musicians.

Jenn Wasner skipped onto the stage giddily and then they launched into "Before" from their latest album and hit the crowd with one fantastic song after another. While the new music sounds incredible live, there is still the undeniable ferociousness of the song "Holy Holy" that landed in the middle of the set and followed by "Glory."

Merge 25 Night 3: David Kilgour and The Heavy Eights, The Mountain Goats

All photos by Kevin Norris

Friday night continued on with one of the heaviest bands currently on the Merge roster or, at least, that’s what they sounded like during their performance.

David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights brought a wall of sound and an aggression to their performance that was surprising and energetic. It continued the trend at Merge 25 of bands that may sound lighter on their records, but were really bringing it for the festival.

Merge 25 Night 3: Hospitality, Imperial Teen

All photos by Kevin Norris

Friday night at Merge 25 was a showcase of some of the reasons the label has been successful: variety, quality, and bands that don’t fit into a cookie cutter mold.

Hospitality kicked off the night at the Cat’s Cradle. The Brooklyn band often sounds delicate and coy on their records and was anything but on stage in Carrboro. Live, the songs had a lot of power to them, but didn’t lose any of the catchiness that has made the band a critical darling.

Merge 25 Night 2: Reigning Sound, Superchunk

All photos by Kevin Norris

The Reigning Sound were the penultimate band to hit the Cradle stage on night two of Merge 25 and even though they had a set plagued with technical issues, mostly revolving around Greg Cartwright's guitar, they still rock and rolled.

The band opened with "North Cackalacky Girl" from their new album Shattered. They also played "Never Coming Home" and "Falling Rain" the album. They also played an awesome version of "Stop and Think It Over" from Cartwright's old band Compulsive Gamblers. The band sounded great even if Cartwright did say at one point during the set, "Seriously, we're a pretty good band. Check us out next time."