Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Two Featuring Television, Deerhunter, and M.I.A

In the beginning there was the Fest. And the Fest was good. If I haven’t said so yet, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only knows how to put together an amazing lineup but also knows how to organize bands sensibly. While the main Orange Stage might possess an amalgam of stylistically diverse artists, the Blue Stage stays true to electronic music and hip-hop and the Black Stage consistently delivers punk, metal, and hardcore acts. Rather than just assemble a succession of strangely disjointed bands just because they’re the buzz bands slapped on the bill, FFF ensures a more positive festival experience with conceptually cohesive bands.

On Saturday, the Black Stage yielded a lot to look forward to. Later in the night, legendary punk band Descendents would perform, but a group of three almost-teenagers took the stage first. Unlocking the Truth is a metal band consisting of three black twelve-year-olds. The trio was discovered on the streets of New York in what is basically a story so textbook it’s hardly believable.

Onstage, the young musicians possess a little stiffness, but occasionally you can observe them becoming completely immersed in their music and relaxing as they wail. Despite disastrous gear and sound issues, the set was filled with positive notes. In addition to the unavoidable joy in watching such young artists perform, the crowd’s support and goodhearted banter with the band during their tech difficulties was heartwarming. We’re hoping Transmission has them back for a show soon.

Bleached was the first band I caught on the festival’s Orange Stage on Saturday. Seeing them on an enormous stage felt vastly different than the last time I watched them perform on the small stage inside Mohawk. But the band delivered the same energy on both occasions—hair tossing, indie rock goodness from these three ladies and a dude. In terms of starting your festival day off right, you can’t do much better than Bleached.

From there I headed back to the Black Stage to see another group of ladies killing it. White Lung is fronted by Mish Way, also a member of Wax Idols, who commands attention with her emphatic and powerful vocal delivery. Add onto the long list of things FFF does better than everyone else having an awesome representation of powerful women. Watching Bleached followed by White Lung solidified this fact, and both groups put on phenomenal shows. See either of these bands if you can.

While White Lung is from Canada and Merchandise is from Florida, it was in Toronto that I first saw Merchandise. The band played a tiny club show in a space with about 8-foot tall ceilings, and brought a tremendous amount of punk rock energy. Although their set at FFF featured a less brash performance, the band sounded great delivering dark, synthy indie rock. I swear after this one I’m done describing bands as toeing the line between the end of Joy Divison and the beginning of New Order. Done! Promise!

Melt Banana is one of those polarizing sort of bands. You love the barrage of sonic fury or you can’t stand the completely insane shrieking. Friends who proclaimed both the band’s terribleness and their complete awesomeness both made their cases prior to their set on Saturday. You can’t argue with the band’s incredible antics onstage—it’s amazing to watch. However, the band was without their drummer, curtailing the visual fury. The only upside to that shortcoming was the handheld drum machine/beat sequencer held by lead vocalist Yosuko Onuki; with its glowing lights, the controller gave Onuki a sort of sci-fi, band-of-the-future appeal.

I had briefly caught only a song and a half of legend Thurston Moore’s new project Chelsea Light Moving at SXSW last year, so I was pumped to be able to check out a more complete exhibition of his new songs at the festival. The sun had begun to set and orange light washed over the band as they began their performance. Playing a version of indie rock less experimental than much of Sonic Youth’s work, Moore and co. still gave the crowd a bit of dissonance and distortion throughout their brief set. Extended jams and rhythmic guitar playing defined the group’s performance on the Orange Stage.

Chromatics played the Blue Stage in the waning hours of daylight, and I was surprised to discover how many friends were pumped for their set. I guess it was the Drive soundtrack and categorical blog praise that rocketed the band to new heights, but regardless, it’s well-deserved. Ruth Radalet sounded great as the remainder of the band constructed danceable electronic pop beats. If you were looking for a Saturday afternoon dance party, you found it.

As the bands share members, Glass Candy seems to pop up everywhere Chromatics does, which isn’t a bad thing for either band or for the fans that are sure to enjoy both acts. Of course, the primary difference is the captivating presence of Glass Candy’s vocalist Ida No. With pink hair and eye makeup for days, No danced in sparkling clothing as atmospheric soundscapes floated out from the stage.

Since the FFF lineup has been released, Television is practically all I’ve talked about. I tried to research the last time the band came to Austin and couldn’t find anything at all. I’m not sure if they’ve ever played here or, if so, when, but I know that most of FFF was excited as me to see these legendary artists. Tom Verlaine is, of course, aging, as is the rest of his band that now includes a new guitarist whose family is from Comanche, TX, as Verlaine pointed out to applause.

Although the members of Television didn’t move around too much, the songs sounded pristine, sending waves of electric joy through me and I assume every fan at the festival. Television’s set consisted of a predictable but welcomed series of songs including opener “Venus,” “Prove It,” “Elevation,” and epic closer “Marquee Moon.” This was a once in a lifetime viewing experience and the clear high point of the weekend.

Although I was sad that Television’s set didn’t go on all night, it’s brevity afforded me the opportunity to duck into the Yellow Stage tent and catch a few songs from Quasi. I’d seen Quasi before and remain a huge fan of all things Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), so I was happy to be able to see some of the set. Quasi’s songs are upbeat and fun, and for two seated people playing instruments, the duo wields an impressive amount of stage presence. But the band’s true strength lies in Weiss’s incredible drumming. I know the Yellow Stage was out of the way, but if you missed ‘em, you missed out.

I love Deerhunter, but I honestly just do not understand how they followed Television. Frontman Bradford Cox himself told the crowd, “We’ve been waiting thirty years to see Television” before beginning their set. Although Cox has undertaken some theatrical stage antics in the passed, such as donning a dress, Deerhunter’s set proved fairly straightforward but filled with solid garage and indie rock. Opening with the distorted and jangly “Neon Junkyard,” Deerhunter quickly jumped back in their cataglogue to Halcyon Digest favorites “Don’t Cry” and “Revival.” Even though they can’t compete with the greatness of a band like Television, it’s fair to say that Cox’s contribution to independent music has been significant and he’s certainly doing everything he can to live up to the standards guys like Verlaine set years before.

One of these things is not like the other. MIA might have been the most dissimilar artist to perform the Orange Stage on Friday, but much of the crowd was clearly there (perhaps solely) to see her perform. A few rock n roll purists rolled their eyes at the idea of MIA headlining the night, but as a fan and having never seen the Sri Lankan, avante-garde rapper, I was looking forward to her set.

After a long wait, a prolonged recording helicopter noises dramatically set the stage for MIA’s appearance. As she finally appeared on stage, the epic lighting setup illuminated in a brilliant array of colors and strobes went nuts. Wearing a shining golden tunic and a tangle of golden jewelry, MIA began blasting through a set that included “Bamboo Banga” and “Galang” early as well as hits “Boyz” and “Paper Planes” later in the night. Back-up dancers and colorful lights contributed to the visual spectacle of the elaborately staged show.

As I photographed MIA from the pit and she belted out the lyrics to “Bamboo Banga” culled from a Modern Lovers song—“Roadrunner, roadrunner, going a thousand miles an hour”—I reflected on the fact that MIA has always possessed a cultural, political, and musical awareness not often seen by our most popular performers. If you’re going to have a festival that still has credibility and isn’t a total commercial advertisement, MIA is a damn good pick for a headliner. Fun Fun Fun Fest nails it again.

All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.