Hopscotch 2014 Night 3 Photos: Valient Thorr, Death, Mastodon, See Gulls, White Lung

All photos by Chris Powers

Photographer Chris Powers hits the streets of Raleigh on Saturday for the final night of the Hopscotch Music Festival and covered a lot of ground. Below you'll see photos of Valient Thorr, Death and Mastodon playing the City Plaza Stage, See Gulls at Deep South the Bar and White Lung at the Kennedy Theater.

Also check out Chris' other night three photos of Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, Ava Luna and T0W3RS HERE and HERE.

Hopscotch 2014 Night 1: Deniro Farrar, Tim Hecker

Charlotte’s Deniro Farrar produced a lot of mixed feelings. The small crowd was lively, but not nearly as into it as Farrar’s large crew who danced and shouted on the back of the stage. Farrar’s performance was strong, but the beats he rapped over weren’t as interesting as his recorded music.

Every song started and ended with nearly identical explosion and gun shot sound effects. The beats were obtuse and heavy handed whereas on his recordings they are dark, slick, and grimy. It seemed like everything was pumped up to juice the live performance, but it actually sapped some of the energy and meaning. “Old Tookie” went from sounding like a reflective warning to another boastful club song.

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 2013 Night 3: Scout Niblett, Lonnie Holley, John Cale

Photos by Kevin Norris

In the small cube of Kennedy Theater, a half-seated, half-standing crowd witnessed the set of the festival from Scout Nibett.

Niblett’s It’s Up To Emma is a brutal album, but the songs reach unbelievable levels of intensity live when paired with her burning stare and ferocious vocal delivery. This was a performance felt in the gut.

Her performance was both terrifying and cathartic. Terrifying because her anger is so palpable it’s easy to believe she might act on her macabre thoughts. Cathartic because the brooding, sparse guitar builds into gargantuan drum hits and cleansing guitar solos. She played the audience perfectly building up the tension until it just had to burst.

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, Big Daddy Kane, Waxahatchee

Photos by Kevin Norris

While tuning in the Fletcher Opera House, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper opened up the floor for questions which for one rude audience member was an invitation to loudly ask, “What do you look like naked?” It’s unfair that a wonderful musician would be reduced to a sexual object simply because she’s female and it’s unacceptable.

Lady Lamb was briefly taken aback, but quickly disarmed the situation. “That was inappropriate. Why are you here? Go see Local Natives.”

More powerful than her comeback was her voice. She was alone on stage with just her guitar, but she filled the stage all the same. It was an impressive performance considering all of the extra orchestration on her latest record, but it would have been to get the full experience. Hopefully she’ll come back for a future Hopscotch and a full band set.

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Villages, Alexander Turnquist

Early in the night the Kennedy played host to quiet and introspective artists. Villages, the project of Asheville’s Ross Gentry, opened the venue with soothing drones and sound effects.

He gradually layered tones to make harmonies and added a few accents around the edges. The music swelled until it felt like pressure would cause the small theater to pop. At the end of the decrescendo, the sound of a gentle rain took over and Gentry began to build another song.

Hopscotch 2013 Night 1: The Kingsbury Manx, The Dreebs

Photos by Kevin Norris

After starting my 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival experience with a few songs from Nathan Bowles (check out photos with Justin's write-up HERE) I made my way next door to check out local favorites The Kingsbury Manx.

The band took the stage in the vast Memorial Auditorium to play songs from their latest album The Bronze Age. Their spacious pop rock sounds fit perfectly in the lofty space as some extra reverb to their already lush sound.  Check out photos below.