Big-name players are a crucial part of music festivals. They lend credibility to the event and draw a crowd from their legions of die-hard fans. At festivals that boast line-ups of dozens of bands, most music lovers can pick out a handful of bands they’re anxious to see. But sometimes even better than seeing the long-time icons or hot acts is finding the hidden gem you’ve never heard of before--and suddenly can’t get enough of.
Even the most devoted music-lover can find a performer they’ve never heard of before on most festival line-ups. Some hardcore festival rats spend weeks preparing by scouring the line-up and researching the bands they don’t know, spending hours on YouTube familiarizing themselves with every act. By opening night, the list of must-see bands could be totally different than it was on the day tickets were bought.
Others arrive on the festival scene eager to see their favorites and considering anything else a bonus. Then, by accident, by recommendation, or while staking claim to space at a particular stage or venue, the devoted music junkie finds him or herself in the middle of a set from a band or artist with an unfamiliar name, dancing in delight, and declaring a new favorite. This year, covering Moogfest as a reporter, I was assigned to cover a couple of performers of whom I had no prior knowledge. The “new favorite” I took home from Asheville was Fine Peduncle, an up-and-comer from Knoxville with loads of raw talent and an insane live show to match, and who I’m still listening to weeks after Moogfest. One staffer from The Tuned Inn "discovered” The Drums after their stripped down, heartfelt performance at Harvest Records. The final two sets on Saturday brought a couple surprises for the team, as two members of our crew could not stop raving about Brandt Brauer Frick, who performed at the Asheville Music Hall, while another member was dancing it up at the late-night party hosted by Kode9 at the Orange Peel. Working at The Tuned Inn has some benefits. One particular individual was blown away by our own footage from the festival and is practically addicted to the araabMUZIK video.
In addition to finding the band you’ve never heard of before, you might have experienced the phenomenon of seeing someone you thought you didn’t like--and realizing that they’re really, really good. For me, that was Jack Johnson at Bonnaroo in 2008. Determined to get as close to the stage as possible for Pearl Jam, I thought I’d have to “suffer through” Jack Johnson’s set first to claim my space. For whatever reason, I’d written him off as totally unoriginal, but three songs into his set, I was sold. Sometimes it takes seeing a band or performer live to really appreciate the talent.
Festivals are a great opportunity to see some favorite bands, and maybe a handful of artists you appreciate but wouldn’t otherwise pay to see. But the joy of events hosting a number of acts is that there’s frequently some similar thread that binds those acts together, and festival curators know what to look for when booking bands. Next time you attend a festival, set aside some time to check out those performers you haven’t heard of before. With any luck, you’ll go home with a new favorite artist to share with friends and keep memories of the festival alive.
Tell us about the bands or performers you’ve “discovered” at festivals in the comments section! Who was your best new-to-me band/artist of Moogfest 2011?
Comments
Undisputed Favorite Fest Discovery
My favorite discovery was also at Bonnaroo, but a year later in 2009. As the first bands took the stage on that last, hot Sunday, my friends and I saught shelter from the sun under the awning of one of the tents (I believe it was "This" Tent, but even after years of going I always get "This" and "That" confused) just as a band was taking the stage. The crazy lead singer was a ball of pure energy, jumping up and down, back and forth across the stage, and even crowd surfing several times-- and the band backed him up with just as much enthusiam. Even better--the music was good. More than good--it was awesome! I found myself wishing I knew the words so I could sing along while I danced. One song in the middle of the set stuck out--I'd heard it before, maybe once or twice. It had a great bluesy sound but with more attitude, reminiscent of Jack White's style when he plays with the Racontuers. The song was called "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked." The band was Cage the Elephant. And since that set on that hot June afternoon at 'Roo, my life has been better for having rocked that hard.
My favorite discovery
It is tough to pick out just one, since I've been fortunate enough to "discover" a ton of great artists at festivals over the years. One of my best memories over the past couple of years has to be dragging a couple of new friends who I had met a couple hours earlier to check out K'naan in the tiny "unlisted" tent at Bonnaroo '08 (can't remember the official name of it). While he was certainly an amazing find, it was the performance that sticks out - without a doubt, the most memorable performance of the weekend for all three of us.
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