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FYF Fest 2010 in pics & review

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Chris Juarez & Rachel Carr

Local Natives & the crowd @ FYF Fest Saturday
Local Natives

Yesterday was FYF Fest. We know all the problems… The lines… And are addressing them now. In no way are we sleeping on these problems. The bands were amazing and the turn out was unreal. I’m speechless. -Sean Carlson & FYF Fest

That’s how the FYF Fest organizers started their post-fest email, which also outlined new, cheaper pricing to the three “fan fest” shows it hosted on Sunday in LA. For all the organizational problems on Saturday, FYF still managed to put on a highly enjoyable day of bands, around 37 total across three stages (plus a comedy tent), at LA State Historic Park.

The day’s short sets kept you wanting more from nearly every act, many of whom played for a half hour or 35 minutes (which expanded in 5 minute increments up to an hour for the headliners). That made for tough decisions between overlapping sets. Ted Leo and band blew through their 45 minutes, and Titus Andronicus could’ve continued for another 35 at least with the momentum from their Monitor songs. Those two, along with Screaming Females, were part of what Ted Leo termed the “New Jersey Takeover” – three punk bands with Garden State roots who all played great sets at the fest.

Ariel Pink
Ariel Pink

Los Angeles represented with a number of notable hometown acts. Growlers, in grey facepaint, brought an earthy, ramshackle sound and lots of friends. Best Coast, Abe Vigoda, Local Natives and Ariel Pink also repped their hometown – the latter two with mezmerizing late afternoon sets.

Other acts brought some nice surprises. A chorus of kids, costumed as zombie versions of dead historical figures, backed Dead Man’s Bones’ Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. The Blow introduced some of her new songs written for an unnamed celebrity (and played recognizable earlier songs too, including one “written with Sting…when [she] was 7”). And Big Freedia, the fest’s only act with any trace of hip-hop, shocked the crowd with a short pre-headerliner dose of “Azz Everywhere.”

Big Freedia
Big Freedia

There was plenty of garage rock (Thee Oh Sees brought the man responsible for their cover art, William Keihn, to play tambourine), punk and metal. A reunited Sleep, in New York this week, grinded away, as !!! had people shaking their ass on the sister stage. On the fest’s third stage, hardcore band 7 Seconds reminisced about their first time in LA almost 30 years ago and lead a spirited circle pit. Add to those bands, breezy folk from AA Bondy, the jams of Warpaint and Delorean to name a few.

If FYF’s organizers are a bit defensive above, it may be with good reason: the few critical organizational errors were fairly memorable. A long line at will call (an hour would be a short estimate) kept many waiting in the 90 degree sun while the first bands of the day (Magic Kids, Let’s Wrestle and The Goat) could be heard starting in the distance. Water inside was also an issue, with limited access to free drinking water and bottled water at $4 (which, according to Noah Lennox, ran out).

By the end of the night, the two final acts – The Rapture and Panda Bear – set up on competing stages. Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox interspersed his dreamy lullabies with patches of noise and dissonance while videos and images that could be described only as “trippy” played behind him; I think your response to the set depended largely on your state of mind after the long day: exhausted or ready for a patience-testing string of songs and sounds. He and The Rapture provided, alternately, a place to dance or doze.

Unsane also played a rare runion set at the festival where Off! shared a bill with Lower Dens. School of Seven Bells, Davila 666, Cults and Ceremony were there too.

Read what Noah thought about his own set, HERE. More pictures from the entire day, below…

Abe Vigoda by Rachel Carr

Abe Vigoda

Growlers by Rachel Carr

Growlers

Growlers

Growlers

Cults by Rachel Carr

Cults

Cults

Cults

Screaming Females by Rachel Carr

Screaming Females

Screaming Females by Chris Juarez

Screaming Females

Screaming Females

Screaming Females

Screaming Females

Screaming Females

Davila 666 by Rachel Carr

Davila 666

Davila 666

Davila 666

Davila 666

Davila 666

Davila 666

Davila 666

Warpaint by Rachel Carr

Warpaint

Warpaint

Best Coast by Rachel Carr

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast by Chris Juarez

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Best Coast

Thee Oh Sees by Rachel Carr

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees

Titus Andronicus by Rachel Carr

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus by Chris Juarez

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus

The Soft Pack by Rachel Carr

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

Wavves by Rachel Carr

Wavves

Wavves

Wavves

Wavves

Wavves

Wavves

Wavves

Local Natives by Rachel Carr

Local Natives

Local Natives by Chris Juarez

Local Natives

Local Natives

Local Natives

Local Natives

Local Natives

Ariel Pink by Rachel Carr

Ariel Pink

Ariel Pink

Ariel Pink

Dead Man’s Bones by Rachel Carr

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man’s Bones by Chris Juarez

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones

!!!

!!!

!!!

!!!

Big Freedia by Rachel Carr

Big Freedia

Big Freedia

Big Freedia

Big Freedia

Big Freedia

Big Freedia

Vetiver by Chris Juarez

Vetiver

Vetiver

Vetiver

Ceremony by Chris Juarez

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

AA Bondy by Chris Juarez

AA Bondy

AA Bondy

AA Bondy

AA Bondy

AA Bondy

Unbroken by Chris Juarez

Unbroken

Unbroken

Unbroken

Unbroken

Unbroken

Unbroken

Unbroken

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists by Chris Juarez

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Mountain Goats by Chris Juarez

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Sleep by Chris Juarez

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep

Rapture

Rapture

The Rapture by Rachel Carr

Rapture

Rapture

Rapture

and the Panda Bear pics are HERE.

and the Off! pics are HERE.