FYF Fest 2010 Photos and Review

Photos by Courtney Rickett

FYF Fest 2010

Review by Shakti Howeth

Date:Sun, 5 Sep 2010

It's Saturday, September 4th and we have arrived at The Los Angeles State Historic Park. After an hour of burning in the long line we make it in to the "FYF Fest". We grab our over-priced water bottles and head to the closest patch of shade. The first band we hear is "Abe Vigoda". I squint through the dust and sunshine at the bobbing head, floppy mop-top-locks and boys in tight jeans and scribble down snippets of what I think I'm hearing; something about a "scorpion", something about "tears"... The levels make it difficult to receive anything they might be offering.

Next we catch "Cults": 5 skinny, pretty boys and 1 skinny, pretty girl, warm up and check sound. Hand-claps and tambourine taps start the show and the pretty girl and boy sing with pretty voices and serious expressions. The guitarist on stage left is bounces around, lipping along with the singers. Watching him makes me giggle, he seems to be having inappropriate fun. The sounds coming from "Cults" are cool like your favorite dive bar. Flavors of sixties rock, dark rooms with red velvet walls, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the song "Poison Ivy" and David Lynch movies. We leave before they finish.

We walk aimlessly until "Vetiver" sparks out interest. This is the first group we have heard, whose sound levels seem to be properly balanced. The vocals ride atop waves of folky-smooth simplicity and the sound seems to come from far away. Song-writer/vocalist Andy Cabic delivers music with soul.

"Warpaint" is the next noteworthy act. Think, "Electrelane's" amped up LA sister. All-girls, all-talented musicians, clearly comfortable in their skin and happy to be home. They move to their own groove and bring the crowd along for the ride. A breath of [unpretentiously cool] air. Refreshing.

"The Oh Sees", here from San Francisco, perform like seasoned rockers and send surfer-punk sounds to the young crowd. People are pumped and soon I am shoved from behind into the what has become a wimpy and tentative mosh-pit. Throngs of thrashing, teenage hipsters are my exit cue.

A few more songs graze our ears as we head toward the gates. The main acts will go up when the sun goes down but we are not compelled to stay.

In terms of music, I might shout "fuck yeah!" in reference to life-changing-earth-moving-soul-rocking-sound that inspires, excites and entertains! No shouts about "FYF" here...