Editor’s note: this year, Austin-based music blog Pop Press International is so lucky to showcase not one but two different articles from the perspective of native Houstonians. Read on for these highlights from PPINTL contributor Holly Griffin.
I am not a festival fanatic for a few reasons. 1) I truly enjoy the intimacy of a live show at a venue instead of in a field. 2) I want the sweat of the guitarist splashing on my face, not the sweat of the stranger I bonded with over the disgust of a beer costing eleven dollars, and 3) (subsequently) the frustration of still being willing to pay it because it is damn hot. Ultimately, I think most festivals have gotten too big for their britches. However, I’m only sharing this information to make it clear that regardless of my disenchantment, I still had a great time at FPSF 2014. I found delight in the details of this festival. The giant strings of balloons changing direction with the wind were mesmerizing, especially when they added LED lights to them at night. The sweet origami birds hanging from the trees near the Saturn stage created an air of youthfulness that reverberated throughout the festival.
Here are a few things that I thought deserved recognition.
Most Entertaining Act: Childish Gambino
Bryan Parker already wrote a bit about Donald Glover’s performance, but I have to reiterate how phenomenal he was. Performing on the largest stage, every single person watching was engrossed with his personality. He knew how to work with the crowd by having fun and letting loose. His rhythm and rhymes as well as the energy from his band were impossible to match for entertainment over the weekend.
Most Nostalgic Act: Welcome to Houston (Honorable Mention: DMX)
Originally from Houston, being able to see these legends on stage together was a dream come true for me. I was able to relive my high school experience of driving around town (just for the hell of it) listening to Mike Jones, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall. The crowd was bouncing and singing along. Everyone knew what came after “281-330” and screamed at the top of their lungs “8004!” The camaraderie that these artists brought to the stage impacted the audience ten-fold and after the set, people left grinning, still high from the experience.
Most Criminally Under Attended: Sylvan Esso
Early on Sunday Sylvan Esso took the Neptune stage and rocked hard. Their live show was sincere and fun. Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn haven’t been working together for very long, but their immediate chemistry has produced an album with chaos that transforms into bea
utiful melodies over and over. Seeing them perform these songs live made me fonder of their interconnectivity and complicated musical tendencies. Meath was adorable and funny, joking about how her outfit had armpit holes to combat the Houston heat. Sanborn seemed utterly awestruck with the kindness and authenticity of Texans and FPSF. Their crowd should have been at least three times the size that it was, but everyone who was present, contributed to the quality connection between artist and audience with an outpouring of love and continuous dancing.
Even though the first day was evacuated for a brief time for rain, and the hot, humid, Houston weather stuck around the second day, this festival pulled off a successful combination of music, food, artistry, and fun. It’s easy to complain about forces that are beyond our control, but it’s more fun to enjoy yourself at a festival like FPSF.
