Britt Witt on February 17th, 2015

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The third annual FOMO Fest on Sunday at The Echo was accompanied by warm weather and 14 local artists that are expected to make noise in 2015. Dodging the Fear Of Missing Out, this festival covered everything from dreamy pop to Southern soul, names that are familiar and newbies that have broken ground in the past couple months.

• ||| Photos by Zane Roessell

While it seems most people were busy recovering from the romantic holiday, here is what you missed out on and why you should catch these names live before they’re headlining sold out shows on the other side of town. While we’re using acronyms, FYI, FOMO alumni include Kera & The Lesbians, Avid Dancer, Fever the Ghost, Gothic Tropic, Incan Abraham and more.

Nine take-aways from Sunday’s FOMO Fest

Winter
The dreamy bilingual tunes of Samira Winter and her band filled the patio with a sweet tropical distortion as the sun began to fall. Playing new tracks from the upcoming “Supreme Blue Dream” album, Winter featured special guest Glenn Brigman (Triptides) on drums.
What you’re missing: When does Portuguese not make you swoon, especially when it’s dripping from the lips of a sweet blonde (who’s hair is currently multicolored)?

Kim & The Created
The all-killer, no-filler Kim [top photo] and her band have settled in and are taking her eccentric reputation to the next level. Bending over backwards, slinking through the crowd and switching from sweet to grunge at the drop of a bassline, the only thing that will get your eyes off her gold glittering skintight bodysuit is her potent and directed gaze, right into your soul.
What you’re missing: Good ol’ girl grunge that makes you want to take over the world, regardless of gender identification.

Bobby London
A relief from cycles of garage, punk, indie and dreamy pop, Bobby London serves a dish of the South with keyboard-driven soulful tunes. Vocals reminiscent of the late locals Lemon Sun, a powerful sax and hip swinging beats, this quintet turns any room into Mardi Gras.
What you’re missing: Two words — voodoo blues.

Pageants
Can’t say no one saw this coming — Rebecca Coleman’s newest project Pageants had the back patio filled with almost the entire FOMO crowd. While her reputation resides with early Avi Buffalo, Coleman’s songwriting and earnest vocals are all her own. As the vines of the Echo patio cast a utopian shadow on her fairytale-like melodies, Coleman broke up layers of beach dreams with endearing stage banter. They’ve added a drummer now, richer, fuller, stronger. The 7-inch for sale featured “none of the songs [we] heard tonight.”
What you’re missing: Coleman is hilarious, balancing Best Coast vibes with something tangible.

Harriet Brown
If there were a FOMO awards, Harriet Brown would take the gold. Taking the stage with nothing but a guitar and electronic gear, Harriet Brown unleashed a spate of romantic funk perfection on the unsuspecting crowd. While he could benefit from a band behind him, he holds his own, especially when he hits those high notes. File somewhere between Prince and Twin Shadow.
What you’re missing: Everything.

Paul Bergmann
Standing tall in his blue crushed velvet blazer, Paul Bergmann was less dark and than his recordings imply. Accompanied by the hums of a stand-up bass, Bergmann confidently sang honest folk tales in his gentle baritone voice, introducing the crowd to his upcoming LP with a new single, “Summer’s End.”
What you’re missing: Can’t see Johnny Cash these days and if Neil Young plays he’s probably our of your budget, Bergmann fills the void with his own take.

Melted
This straight-up punk trio revived the energy of the night, rounding up the under-21 headbanging crowd. The patio stage was hardly big enough to contain them, especially wild drummer, Sam Perez, who was wearing a ‘Fuc King Tuff’ shirt. Before their last song, singer Justin exclaimed, “There should be a FOMO Fest every weekend because I always fear missing out.”
What you’re missing: More garage-punk so good it deserves the company of other contemporaries like FIDLAR and Audacity.

Talk in Tongues
Finally hearing a song that isn’t their single “Still Don’t Seem To Care” is a relief. The five-piece is strong with their neo-psych rock vibes, switching vocalists song to song and pacing the tempo to keep you from drifting.
What you’re missing: Alternative psych rock meets dancey synths for undeniable melodies that follow the footsteps of Silversun Pickups and Autolux.

No Parents
The rowdy garage-punk band was lead by singer Zoe Reign’s snarky sidenotes (“If you don’t have Presidents’ Day off, then your work is communist, because Lincoln is the shit”) and token nudity. The pace of the set was a bit skewed by being the final set of the fest but that didn’t stop them from inviting fans on stage and playing their crowd favorites like “Hey Grandma” and “You Got Snaked.”
What you’re missing: When you’re not distracted by Reign’s stage antics, the excellent musicianship behind it all will blow you away.

— Britt Witt