Recess' Josh Stillman and Jessie Tang trekked to Asheville this Halloween weekend to cover MoogFest 2010. The musicians were wild, the people were wild, the costumes were wild—everything was pretty wild. To get the inside scoop on the electronic festival, check out Josh's feature for the Chronicle here.
Photo Credit: Jessie Tang
By Josh Stillman
Friday, October 29:
Big Boi kicked off the weekend’s headliners with a fun set that featured a full band with drums, horns, a bassist, backup singers and a DJ. The show was a real treat for old-school Outkast fans, hitting such staples as “B.O.B.”, “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik”, “Player’s Ball”, “Elevators (Me & You)” and “The Way You Move.” He didn’t totally ignore his solo career, though, ending the set with the raucous “Kryptonite (I’m On It)”, which had the whole Asheville Civic Center jumping. MGMT was up next but proved to be a disappointment, playing their songs exactly as they sound on the albums and failing to maintain Big Boi’s energy. Fortunately, RJD2 rocked the house at the Orange Peel, demonstrating a certain virtuosity by mixing live on four separate turntables with a vast collection of vinyl. At some points his set was even too much for the venue to handle—“The Horror” was so bass-heavy that the house speakers almost blew out. Then, finishing out the night back at the Civic Center was popular mash-up artist Girl Talk. Inviting around 60 people to join him on stage, he proceeded to remix hundreds of songs from all over the musical spectrum into a rousing dance party that lasted until 2 a.m. Girl Talk himself was having as much fun as anyone in the crowd, so engrossed in the moment that he stripped his shirt off, jumped onto his stand and knocked the cord out of his laptop. Say what you will about his music’s artistic merit, or lack thereof—the man knows how to throw a party.
Saturday, October 30:
We started the second night off on a very different foot, catching the all-female folk trio Mountain Man at the intimate Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. They performed a short set—only half an hour—filled with haunting vocal harmonies, sometimes accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar and other times singing a cappella. For the last song they abandoned their microphones and stepped to the edge of the stage to sing directly to the audience, a testament to their impressive voices. Caribou was the first big act of the night, and they wowed the crowd with extended, psychedelic rhythmic workouts that drove both the artists and the audience to a fever pitch. Their high-energy show set the stage for the remainder of the night’s performers. Thievery Corporation followed with an exceptional concert, utilizing a bassist, sitar player, drummer, horn section, and a number of vocalists to complement their unique blend of down-tempo hip hop grooves and world music. Covering their whole catalog, from the classic “Lebanese Blonde” to the new “Radio Retaliation,” the group generated an incredibly vibrant, kinetic atmosphere, enticing the entire audience to dance along with them to a host of Latin, Eastern, and reggae rhythms. The highlight of the night, as well as the festival overall, though, was Massive Attack. Widely regarded as pioneers of trip-hop, the duo’s live show included two drummers, a bassist, guitar player, and several singers. Even more impressive was the LED light show in the background, which blasted a mix of psychedelia and socio-political commentary throughout the entire two-hour performance. The music and visuals combined to create an immersive, entrancing live experience that stands among the most impressive concerts I’ve ever seen. After Massive Attack was Shpongle, the reclusive psy-trance DJ who has played live only ten times in a 14-year career. His devoted fans stuck around and danced their hearts out to his bizarre but irresistible grooves, which draw heavily from Eastern influences and advocate the ingestion of hallucinogens (song titles include “DMT” and “Connoisseur of Hallucination”). Finally, the truly hardcore attendees worked their way to the tiny Moogaplex to catch Iknonika, a dance and dubstep DJ who kept the party going until 3am.
(Other noteworthy performances Jessie endorses: Nosaj Thing, Jonsi, Four Tet)
Sunday, October 31:
Canadian dance group Shout Out Out Out Out played first, putting on a fun, high-energy show in the vein of LCD Soundsystem. They were followed by Sleigh Bells, who packed the house with their loud, intense noise rock that felt more like heavy metal than electronica. Due to sheer exhaustion, we had to head home before Pretty Lights came on to headline the Halloween show.
Overall, Moogfest 2010 was a resounding success. It took place in some great venues, was very well organized, and featured an impressive lineup. Asheville is a wonderful town with an incredibly unique vibe and, as the home of Moog Music, is the perfect place to hold an event like this. Here's to hoping MoogFest occurs again next year, and is just as good.
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