Kevin Bronson on August 24th, 2014

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Reviews: Phoenix, Interpol, Julian Casablancas, Future Islands

PHOENIX

You Should Have Been Here Because: When Thomas Mars announced half way through the set that “This is the end of the tour for us. We are going home and going to make a new album. This is our last show for awhile, so we expect a lot from you.” He was not kidding. Phoenix take their electro power-pop set very seriously. They are professionals, not a note was missed and not a hair was out of place. They didn’t get to be the biggest French band to break in the U.S. by twiddling their thumbs. “Lizstomania,” “Fences,” and “Entertainment” sounded as crisp and fresh as the first time they played them. A few stars poked through the clouds and the crowd granted Mars’ wishes and turned the parking lot into a huge dance party. Things got really funky at the back of the crowd where there was the most space. Fuzzy buffalo men romped among ladies in long tie dyed gowns. The smell of cinnamon churros wafting through the crowd blending with the weed and cigarette smoke, giving the dance floor a wistful sweetness, as this tour ends, so will this festival, so will this summer, and so will we all, so we might as well dance our socks off before we go.
Downside: It seems that Phoenix are really sick of playing “If I Ever Feel Better.” They added a giant guitar solo to the middle of it and some sound effects that sounded like a robot chanting “Monkeys! Monkeys! Monkeys!” in the middle. It was not good. Stick to the basics or don’t play it at all, guys.
Postscript: I bet Ty Segall’s L.A. debut of his new album was also wonderful. Hard choices were made that night.
– Molly Bergen

INTERPOL

You Should Have Been Here Because: Don’t know what you could say about Interpol in 2014 that you couldn’t have said about the New Yorkers in 2003 – they are exceptional at what they do, which is second-wave post-punk, and are bridled only by the limitations of the form. Backgrounded by a massive reproduction of the album art from “El Pintor,” the band’s forthcoming fifth full-length (due Sept. 9), they spent much of their set bathed in the same reddish-orange glow first seen on the cover of “Turn on the Bright Lights” in 2002. Speaking of color, Interpol’s music seemed preserved in amber too – Paul Banks’ gravitas-drenched voice cascading down on a crowd that ended up being larger than for the Phoenix set that followed. New songs such as “Ancient Ways” and “All the Rage Back Home” seem almost plucked from a catalog that includes “NYC,” “Obstacle 1,” “Slow Hands” and “Evil,” all of which made an appearance Saturday.
Downside: Getting to Grimes on The Lawn after Interpol’s set? A pipe dream. [See “pedestrian traffic jams”]
Postscript: Interpol must have seemed like classic rock to a lot of the first-timers at FYF.
– Kevin Bronson

JULIAN CASABLANCAS + THE VOIDZ

You Were Wise Not to Show Up Because: Apparently, it’s not enough that the Strokes are headlining on Sunday. They’ve got to air out their side projects on Saturday as well. Amid the empty cups and pizza plates festooning the ground, the devoted fans of Julian Casablancas, sprinkled with a couple diehard Interpol fans, filled the parking-lot-turned-main-stage area. His new project Julian Casablancas + The Voidz will not release their album “Tyranny” until next month, but the hunger for Casablancas’ face was palpable. With every random shrill “I love you, Julian!” that echoed from the crowd, it became more and more apparent that the crowd was going to love this set no matter what. A red checkered background flickered on to the main screen, and black-and-white movies of factory workers, lovers and betrayal played on the side screens, as Casablancas arrived in darkness. And then? Then, they put together a set that sounded like all of the rejected Strokes songs that could ever have existed. It sounded like any one that was written and cast aside as a failure because it was disjointed or poorly thought out, Julian had picked up, dusted off, and put on this album. It was not pretty. There is not enough lipstick in this world to slap on this pig.
The upside: At least I’m not trapped outside the arena waiting to see Caribou. It could be worse.
Postscript: Julian Casablancas’ first solo project was so good! I guess they can’t all be winners.
– Molly Bergen

FUTURE ISLANDS

You Should Have Been Here Because: Business-casual aerobicist Samuel T. Herring made their happy-hour a truly happy hour. Those who arrived early were fortunate to be dancing in the shade thrown by the stage; late arrivals, gazing into the sunset, had a blistering view of the band’s typically blistering set, which approximated what we saw earlier in the week at the Fonda Theatre. That album “Singles” is swingin’ indeed.
The downside: The great thing about Future Islands is that you never think of downsides while they’re playing.
Postscript: The semi-trot to Slowdive (somebody said it was .7 miles from the Main Stage to The Lawn, and it felt longer, even on fairly fresh festival legs) was hazardous to my health.
– Kevin Bronson

Photos: Gallery by Zane Roessell; additional Future Islands courtesy of Concert Photography by Scott Dudelson