Sun, check. Music, check. Conveniently located at the L.A. Sports Arena and Exposition Park near Downtown, albeit on Trojan territory, check.
Saturday of the two-day FYF Fest had all the makings of the perfect L.A.-based summer music festival and in most ways it delivered. That is, once you navigated through a seemingly M.C. Escher-inspired parking and check-in system that resulted in impatient concert-goers jumping fences and bickering about line priority before an act had even taken to the stage.
However, once inside and past security signs so thorough as to ban hula hoops – I felt safer – good vibes and lighter heads prevailed and the scene morphed back into a quintessential music festival made for millennials. Photos were encouraged in front of a sign that said “I’m Here! Where are you?” – leave it to a little social media-induced FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, to sell out day two.
Saturday’s lineup was excellent, but as most attendees were still reeling from the struggle to make it to the main stage in the first place, it became the single and only stop for many concert-goers.
The first big name to hit the main stage was Albert Hammond Jr., best known as guitarist for The Strokes. In addition to maintaining his role as one of the five members of the band that Rolling Stone once dubbed “the saviors of rock and roll,” Hammond has composed and toured with his solo project since 2006. Late 2013 saw the release of “AHJ,” a five-song EP released on Strokes compatriot Julian Casablancas’ Cult Records. These made up the majority of Hammond Jr.’s set, which was nothing to complain about.
The now clean and sober rocker seemed to be energized and in high spirits, and it translated into a set of fast-paced, unapologetic rock. The set highlight seemed to be “In Transit,” one of Hammond’s first compositions that debuted on The Strokes’ documentary of the same name. The crowd sang along with every word, much to the pleasure of Hammond who was then burdened with the task of singing the following songs of his set through a smile.
The two Strokes spin-offs were split by Future Islands. While they were entertaining, the antics of lead singer Samuel Herring left some of the crowd looking about in confusion. Comments of “Wow, he’s really passionate” from the crowd morphed into joking speculations of what might make a man act as if simultaneously possessed by the spirits of Morrissey, Cher and the Tasmanian Devil, and channel the dance moves of Ricky Martin. After a while, the singer’s “passion” warmed on the crowd as the sun slowly passed behind the stage.
Julian Casablancas and the Voidz took the stage with high spirits, fittingly, as it was Casablancas’ birthday. The crowd serenaded the singer with “Happy Birthday,” a kindness that was reciprocated with a performance of the Strokes’ “I’ll Try Anything Once.”
Keeping a crowd’s attention with a set consisting mainly of songs they’ve most likely never heard can be tough, but The Voidz managed it somewhat effortlessly, splicing in “One Way Trigger” and “River of Brakelights” off of Casablancas’ synth-pop 2009 solo album “Phrazes for the Young.” It must be said that having two of FYF’s day one main-stage acts bid farewell to the crowd with a “See you tomorrow” seemed a bit odd, giving the festival a Strokes-a-palooza feel. Not that anyone’s complaining.
The night ended with a seven-song set by Phoenix. The main stage was packed all the way back to the beer garden in the back, but the electro-pop giants seemed to hold the crowd in the palm of their hands. Song two, “Lisztomania”, the band’s inescapable radio smash hit from 2009, revitalized a tired crowd and turned the Exposition Park parking lot into a dance party. The band closed their set with “Love like a Sunset” Parts 1 and 2. It was a long dose, but the perfect comedown and end to a fun first day to FYF.
Meanwhile at the Trees stage, Ty Segall treated his audience to some good, old fashioned rock and roll. Think a whole lot of Death By Audio Fuzz pedal and and quirky psych-punk vocals.
Southern California native Segall blessed the crowd with a set of his newer work. The flowing psych and raw guitar of the songs off this year’s “Manipulator” brought a 70’s vibe to his performance, adding to the Woodstock-esque music festival fantasies of the crowd, and sending them home on a good, heavily distorted note.
– Nick LaRosa