photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Of Montreal / Ducktails @ Savannah Stopover, 3/8/2013

Amazingly, Athens-based of Montreal's gig was their first ever in Savannah.

Of Montreal's show in the park was also the first time the sweeping backdrop of our so-called band shell was used to full effect. Surreal and colorful, the dancing images looked almost as wonderful from a distance as the ridiculous stage theatrics appeared up close.

That event might have been the signature event of the third annual indie music festival that lures many bands headed to Austin for SXSW, but there were plenty of other gems.

Thursday's opening night lineup was especially impressive.

To get the festival rolling, the rich sounds of The Last Bison filled up the glorious North Garden at the Ships of the Sea Museum. The music ended about six hours later, with Mac DeMarco finishing his set by crowd surfing at The Jinx.

In between, a couple of dozen acts played at a variety of downtown venues, including Thurston Moore and his new band Chelsea Light Moving in the beautifully renovated ballroom at the Knights of Columbus on Liberty Street. - [Savannah Now]

As mentioned, the Savannah Stopover happened over the weekend in its namesake Georgia town with bands from all over the world playing on their way to SXSW. BV photographer Dominick Mastrangelo was there the whole weekend and here are pics from Friday (3/8), including shots of Of Montreal, Braids, Ducktails, Chris Cohen and more. Check them out below.

Continue reading "The Savannah Stopover: day 2 in pics (of Montreal, Ducktails, Braids and more)"

SXSW is no doubt a great way to see a lot of bands in a short amount of time and can be a lot of fun. But it can also be a little much for some. If you'd like to see many of the same bands but in a more genteel setting, you might be interested in The Savannah Stopover which happens the weekend before SXSW (March 7 - 9) in at various clubs in Savannah, Georgia. Over 100 bands will play, including Of Montreal, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Chelsea Light Moving, Hunters, Braids, Delicate Steve, Turbo Fruits, Ducktails and loads more.

Tickets ($30 per day or $75 for three-day pass) are on sale now and more info is at Savannah Stopover's website. The full announced lineup is below.

Continue reading "of Montreal, Chelsea Light Moving, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, & more playing Savannah Stopover before SXSW"