[Festival Review] Moogfest 2016 in Durham, NC

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Moog Like Rogue, Fest
Words & Photos by James Gilstrap

How many conversations have I had revolving around how to pronounce "Moog"?  Thanks to Moogfest FAQs, I have the knowledge to not sound like a fool.  So begins, the first step in entering my fest of Moog. Let me tell you the rest.

Thursday 19 May, 2016

8PM Dawn of Midi at Carolina Theatre

I couldn't think of a better way to start my festival.  Listening to Dawn of Midi felt like standing on a open field watching an approaching thunderstorm.  Not afraid, you stand there letting the rain piano, thunder bass, and lighting drums wash over you.  At that moment, I knew that Moogfest was going to be dope!

9PM Julia Holter at Carolina Theatre

There is still a dark cloudy sky left by the last performance.  Not problem for Julia Holter.  Her music punching progressively larger holes filled with golden light.  Endless smiles are what is left.

10PM Blood Orange at Motorco Park

I didn't know much about Blood Orange other than a few popular tracks from their latest album.  I was definitely excited about seeing them, but never thought it would be the best performance of the entire festival.  Even with a top notch band, Dev Hynes stands out as a true sex god.  The culmination of him ripping on the guitar, breaking out some perfect dance moves, and releasing his smooth voice; had the entire place grinding privates to ass.  I'm pretty sure many babies were made that night.

11:30PM Miike Snow at Motorco Park

I just want to dance!  Miike Snow let me. They brought this high energy electro pop rock that just took over my body. Many calories were burned during their set.

Friday 20 May, 2016

1:00 AM Ryan Hemsworth at The Armory

What an incredible DJ set!  The man masterfully controlled wide ranges of tempos across genres -- keeping everyone anxiously on their toes for what was next. NOTE:  Dude markets himself in a perfect manner.  His back drop projection was constant artistic representations of himself or his name.

2:00 PM

Give the non-performance festival activities the ole college try.  This lasts for about 10 minutes before I'm off to pound beers.  LIttle do I know,  drinking was a grave mistake.

4:00 PM

Pounding of beers continue.

6:40 PM

Getting tipsy.

7:00 PM Professor Toon at Motorco Music Hall

My hip hop side loves a bomb ass beat that moves your body. This was not Professor Toon.  Intelligent deep lyrics perfectly flow with the beat in the back seat just filling gaps.  He had my ear the entire set. Keep an eye on this fella.

7:30 PM

Head to The Pit rooftop for $10 buffet; and proceed to stuff my face with 2 plates of Carolina BBQ with vineagar sauce, BBQ Chicken, and green beans.  Thus begins, the great downward spiral.

8:50 PM Grimes at Motorco Park

I'm 35 and chubby.  Day drinking always wrecks me, but I always seem to forget.  Plus add on 2 pounds of food in my stomach, you do the math. Trying to muster up energy but having difficulty.  Ask anyone, Grimes put on a good show.  You can see this by just looking at the crowd move during her set.  But unfortunately, I had no energy to enjoy her show.  Must keep going.

10:15PM ODESZA at Motorco Park

The entire crowd is just jumping all around me matching the same high energy of ODESZA's performance as I make errrr sounds.  All energy has completely left the body.  I have become a zombie.

10:45 PM

I raise enough courage to call it quits and head home.  I vow again, to never day drink at a festival.

Saturday 21 May 2016

3:00 PM Daniel Bachman at First Presbyterian Church

Moogfest picked a perfect venue to hold this man and his gang.  Epic western guitar stories with a perfect back drop of dark wood paneling, large organ pipes, and the holy cross.  I anticipated a rugged cowboy kicking open the doors, shining six shooter hanging loosely at his hip, slowly walking down the center isle, boots clopping on the hard woods with a sharp ding of spurs, stopping in the middle of the church, and saying "Someone owes me 10 thousand pesos."  Daniel barking "I got your money, son" and starts wailing on his guitar.  The cowboy immediately starts doing a two step smiling the entire time.

4:00 PM Mac McCaughan at Durham Arts Council PSI Theatre

Not reading anything Moogfest wrote about his planned performance, I was caught completely off guard.  My only research was listening to his solo work on Spotify which was completely opposite of this set.  He synthesized an entire slow burn score while strangely costumed dancers moved in odd patterns with props.  Once I relaxed and just let it soak in, my enjoyment increased every minute.  The most unique performance of my Moogfest.

5:00 PM Julianna Barwick at First Presbyterian Church

Covered in warm stained glass light, standing at the focal point of spiritual energy; Julianna Barwick brought the Holy Spirit to Moogfest.  Everyone perfectly still absorbing her angelic music.  I was very surprised not to see hands raise in praise.

7:30 PM Gary Numan at Carolina Theatre

Only knowing a few tracks by Gary Numan, I was expecting a very chill and relaxed performance.  Boy was I wrong.  I would have never guessed this man screams electro Rock N Roll.  From the amazing light show, rock god poses, relentless band; I can see why there was a HUGE line. Gary Numan is the total package.

9:15 PM Son Lux at Motorco Music Hall

Each time Son Lux played a song the masses rejoiced.  Their style pretty much made it impossible not to enjoy.   It reminded me of dubstep mashed with rock.  Entire songs speckled with wonderfully synthesized sounds brief moments of dropping pure crazy.  They definitely kept you on your toes.

10:15 PM YACHT at Motorco Music Hall

YACHT's pumping 80s electronic dance set the packed Motorco into a frenzy.   Plus Claire L. Evans added stage energy, speaker standing antics, and not to mention her jacket disrobe; add anymore to this pot and risk spontaneous combustion all over the place.  Last thing I wanted to was pick pieces of smelly hipster off my Cole Haan shoes.

10:00 AM Explosion in the Sky at Carolina Theatre

Every since seeing Explosion in the Sky on Austin City Limits aired on 13 October 2007, I have been a fan in waiting for a chance to see them live.  Finally, the time has come to fulfill a life dream.  I arrived a hour and 30 minutes early to ensure my dream comes true.  Tied with Sigur Rós, there is not one band that can top their ability to create such epic stories minus a vocalist.  You just have to close your eyes and let your imagination create your own vision of the song.  I couldn't have asked for a better set to close my Moogfest.

Despite some issues, my first Moogfest was amazing.  On top of the fantastic performances, I met a lot of interesting people and had wonderful conversations.  In the end, this is the goal of any festival. Bring all styles of people together to share art.

I've lived in North Carolina since '86 and experienced its slow transition from a quiet to lively character.
Lets hope that Moogfest will continue to grow as a beacon not just for Durham, but North Carolina.

Jam of the Day | Inventions - Peaceable Child

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Today is a day to make space.

We all need a little more space in our lives, don't you think? Not necessarily physical space (although that is important), what I'm talking about is mental space. Space to let your mind breathe and relax from the constant barrage of stressors we encounter on a daily basis.

To this end I present you with "Peaceable Child" from the new collaboration between Explosions in the Sky guitarist Mark T. Smith and Eluvium's Matthew Cooper. The pair are releasing a self-titled debut album on April Fools' day this year, and based on this track I couldn't be more excited. It's minimal and fragmented, and helping me find some peace right now. I hope it helps you, too.

Concert Review | Explosions in the Sky at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis

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Photo by Jason Gonulsen

"Sing, motherfuckers!"

That's what the woman was yelling behind me, midway through Explosions in the Sky's opening set for Nine Inch Nails on Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis.

Oh, ma'am. I know they're not singing any words. But, they do sing.

And, yet, I know exactly how you feel.

A year ago, right around this time, I needed something, anything, to keep me from losing my mind. Often, I felt I needed words. I needed to scream something. I had no idea what I wanted to scream.

I found my answer in something simple: patience.

And if I could huddle all of us together for a moment, perhaps we could go back in time and experience what I saw Explosions in the Sky do in real life. Of course, that isn't possible, but let's pretend, or just simply believe for a few minutes. Because imagine a band who, with careful precision, can create any sound it wants, without once using a set of vocal cords.

This is immediate music if you want it to be, but it's okay if it isn't. The beauty is found in the crucial moments when things change, when Michael James switches from bass to electric guitar, when Munaf Rayani and Mark Smith crouch down low to control feedback, when the first moments of "The Only Moment We Were Alone" hit the air.

Those moments happened on Tuesday in St. Louis, and they came after a splendid version of "Let Me Back In," which ran around 10 minutes, complete with noises that sounded like children whispering. It felt like something out of Poltergeist, only there was no white noise, and there was no television. Still, they were here, right in front of us.

More on "Let Me Back In." It's the closing track on 2011's Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, and like any Explosions in the Sky instrumental, it's a complex creation. It speeds up, slows down, does a waltz, and then blasts you with a natural convulsion of release. Then it fades, in a good way. It's a perfect way to end an album, which would have also been a perfect way to end a 45-minute performance. But, instead, it led brilliantly into The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place's "The Only Moment We Were Alone," a song that relies on pinch harmonics (thanks, Dan) for beautiful effect.

It also relies on patience from the listener, which isn't easily found in a Nine Inch Nails audience. I understand the urge to go in "just kill time mode," which I've done during during opening sets, too. It's just a shame when the opener is such a wonderful band like Explosions in the Sky, a group of musicians with guitars who need every moment to be precise in order for their creations to be presented properly.

What I'm saying is this: I believe that timing and living in the moment are both crucial elements when it comes to listening to music. In the wrong moment, the greatest song or melody may have zero effect on you. In right moment, one song that touches you can mean everything, and can lead to further discovery. Case in point, about two years ago, I happened to stumble upon Explosion in the Sky's "Your Hand In Mine," a song that wasn't played on Tuesday evening, but it's a tune I'll always carry with me.

Just remember, there is effort on your part: you must let these moments in.

For a report on Nine Inch Nails' headlining set, please jump over to the RFT Music Blog and read Allison Babka's wonderful description of the evening.

Video | Explosions In The Sky - Postcard From 1952

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Explosions in the Sky often provides instant cinema with its instrumental compositions. Case in point, the new video for Take Care, Take Care, Take Care's "Postcard From 1952," which is as beautiful as anything you'll see this year. Directed by Annie Gunn and Peter Simonite, each moment is impossibly detailed, from a burning cigarette to a floating bubble. I'm very much in awe.