Whereupon we begin our musical odyssey… in the dust
It dawned a beautiful and sunny day. And we were chased from our tents at 8am, not due to any need to be anywhere, but from threat of broiling alive. There was activity throughout the night, as the hoardes ignored advice to arrive between 9:30 am and pm, and so the landscape was very much different upon waking up. Much less organized and much more densely packed.
The flagpole was -B’s idea, and he latched onto it right from the beginning. It was, wee think, the tallest unsupported (as in, free standing – you know, like the CN Tower) pole in our camp ground. It helped get us home in an otherwise monotonous sea of green and silver.
Given that it was early, a run into town was decided. And so we embarked on a mad quest for coffee, breakfast, and other bevvies in that order. Luckily, VIP parking was put us in walking distance to the vehicle, and we could avoid the inconsistent (or non existent) shuttles. Ten minutes put us into our transport, and another ten into town.
Pemberton was a mass of confusion, as you might expect when more than 40 000 descend on a town of only a few thou. Businesses has hired extra security, and owners called in friends and family to help out. Our first stop was the Mt. Currie Coffee Shop, where we indulged in our stimulant needs.
This is a cool and funky place, with good brew, latte arte, and some interesting products for sale. We got Ellie a little kid sized Sigg bottle, for example. Best find of the weekend, though, was the chorizo breakfast burrito, with fresh salsa.
Runs to the hardware store (styro cooler), market (consumables), and liquor store (more consumables) prepared us for our return back to the site at pretty much the same time as everyone else, and we got a solid sense of the traffic problems that would no doubt develop over the weekend.
Security checks were non-existent, and we came onsite with 6 litres of Grower’s Cider and 36 cans of brew. So much for no outside alcohol. And all in preparation for our first musical act, Minus The Bear.
So what to say about MTB… ASIB – another Seattle Indie Band. Their latest album is entitles They Make Beer Commercials Like This, and they have songs like “Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked,” “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!,” and “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs”. But to be honest, they’re a lot less quirky than their titles might suggest.
A solid, indie sound which is pleasant enough to listen to, but which really didn’t grab me for the entirety of their set. But it was the first band I heard, and it did bode well for the rest of the weekend. I was trying to pace myself…
Next up, one of my favourite bands, Canadian, indie or not, Metric. Fronted by Emily Haines, they’ve got a sound and a vibe that I love. True story: I first got turned onto them after hearing their song Dead Disco, on a Scrubs soundtrack. In fact, Scrubs has been responsible for a number of good finds.
(Truer story… as I write this, I’m listening to Emily Haines’ solo effort, Knives Don’t Have Your Back. Good breakfast music.)
We had a little survey, over at the PemFest Fora, in search of the hottest festival performed. I predicted Emily to be that gal, hands down.
They were a gracious, humble, and energetic opening for the main stage, playing mostly hits, as bands are wont to do at festivals. They only had 45 minutes and took as through seven or eight songs, including Dead Disco (the opener), Poster of a Girl, Combat Baby (which really stood out for me, and the newly dubbed National Anthem of Metric, Live it Out.
Really, quite a brilliant opening act, memorable both for the tunes (of course) and Emily’s metallic silver mini dress.
But no rest for the weary… off I went to catch a bit of Secret Machines. Unfortunately I can’t remember what I heard, even if I was looking forward to it a bit. Damn; too much off site beer. And then, I’m afraid I got distracted by the Bacardi B-Live Tent, and our first (successful) circumnavigation of the official lineup for entry therein.
A bit dusty inside, as in out.
And nothing much going on in the late afternoon. Enough, though, to distract and miss Wolfmother, an Australian band that I had been looking forward to. A recurring theme, as it turned out.
But I was back in front for Serj Tankian, formerly of System of a Down, who offered up a seriously outrageous set.
This is one seriously hard rocker. And although he has a sound that you either love or hate (I happen to love it, myself), you cannot doubt his passion nor question his onstage energy. Hand gestures, facial expressions, and a damned unique voice, with both a range and quality that you don’t hear very often.
And real funky facial hair. It seemed to go well with the hard edge of the music. As did the energy of the mosh pit, some of themost intense I’ve seen.
Intense as all get out. And not nearly done for the day, either.
Next up, alt-country hipster, Kathleen Edwards. She’s a diplomat-brat, having travelled the world and trained on classical violin before switching to guitar. Or maybe she always chopped the axe, I don’t know. I do know that on the boards, there was some question about her fit in a festival atmosphere. I think she dispelled that pretty easily.
Kathleen’s an artist I looked up and learned a bit about just for Pemberton. She has a few catchy tunes, including Asking for Flowers, Oh Canada, and The Cheapest Key, which she closed her set with.
That song, by the way, is one that you should get to know. It’s a great sing-out-loud tune, and it’s on my to learn list. Witty too… this is the bridge:
Don’t get me wrong
Here comes my softer side
And there it goes
‘Cause I’ve been on the road too long to sympathize
With what you think you’re owed
So with Kathleen down (she closed down the Lillooet Stage) there were just two shows to go. Just two for the evening, and somehow, I managed to miss one of them. Sadly, I totally forgot about Interpol (or got distracted, or thirsty, or something). I imagine we snuck back into the Bacardi Tent, and I have a vague recollection of hearing My Chemistry in the faint background.
I imagined that it sounded pretty damned great. And this is what I imagine I would have wrote had I actually been up front (from Rolling Stone):
Against a mountainous backdrop, Interpol emerged, business-like, in black button up suits (save Carlos D, who chose a white alternative). Playing towards the setting sun, the band at first resisted and then reveled in the contrast between their slick, cloak-of-night songs and the sunny, hippie-filled crowd. This loosening effect was most evident in Paul Banks, whose typically stone face melted to a near-tickled smile as his band backed him on tracks largely taken from last year’s Our Love to Admire (â€Pioneer to the Falls,†the Pixies-like “Rest My Chemistryâ€). He even undid a few buttons on his shirt for good measure during “Heinrich Maneuver.†For his part, Carlos D stayed buttoned, didn’t smile and double-fisted Red Bull and white wine. “There are lots of beautiful people here today,†Banks said, eyeing a gaggle of hot girls on shoulders down front before ending on Turn on the Bright Lights‘ “Roland.†“Thank you, Pemberton!â€
I didn’t miss Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, though. In fact, I got right up front for it.
Now, I’m not a huge NIN fan. I know a few songs, but don’t routinely seek out their latest and greatest. I can sing along with March of the Pigs, Closer, and Head Like a Hole. Doesn’t that make it feel better?
Well they played those and, according to maskedrolla at the PemFest Forums, 19 others to close out the evening.
But you don’t go to a NIN concert just for the music. Even if you aren’t a fan (and heavy industrial is sorta hard for some, like La Fille ™, to get into) you will become engrossed by the light show. It was much hyped, this the opening of a rather long tour for NIN.
It didn’t disappoint. From the dramatic back lighting to Trent playing a black hole to a screen of white noise (hard to explain, but you’ll know what I mean if you were there) it was a luscious presentation of intensity. Eye candy is just too lame a description for it, but it was.
Magmazing, from the Pemberton Forums, took a great video of them, and it shows the energy and intensity of the evening quite well.
And as far as I could see, Trent didn’t bang up his axe at the end.
Day 1, complet.