burned all my notebooks...what good are notebooks: FYF Fest, Sights and Sounds (sunday)

FYF FEST

LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK

02 SEPTEMBER, 2012

For the final day of this year's FYF Fest, Sunday turned out to be the nice graceful comedown to the insanity of Saturday. Just a few acts, sets in their entirety, less slogging around...cringing at what I missed, but a quality day. The day started with a tete a tete with the L.A. Owl Magazine peeps at Phillipe, a local institution that proved the perfect place for pre.gaming.
After a stroll through Chinatown, it was time to hit the bricks, and getting things going fell to one of my favorite new bands, the Allah Las, who set the tone for the day with a fun set, giving a preview of their new LP.
Wild Nothing held down the Hill St stage, doling out great chunks of their new LP, Nocturne. The band did a great job of bringing Jack Tatum's visions to life on stage. Following up Wild Nothing was Father John Misty, proving his escapades at Outsidelands were no fluke. On home turf, Josh Tillman owned the stage, and the more I see them, the more I appreciate the band, essaying the songs with both smart authority and reckless abandon, as the situation dictated. They perfectly captured that early '70's sweet spot when Gram Parsons was hanging out with the Stones. Then it was off to the Spring St stage for garage rock heaven, the one and only King Khan and the Shrines. As in your face and relentless as ever, the mighty King kept it dialed up to 'party', taking a break in mood to cover/salute fallen compadre Jay Reatard.
As the sun set, the main stage field filled up, earplugs were fumbled for, and it was Dinosaur, Jr time!
J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph blasted through the Dino catalogue. Even scaled down to festival time limits, it was a wonder to behold. Key sequence was them breaking out "Deep Wound", (from J. & Lou's old hardcore band of the same name), segueing into their unholy destruction of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven", and finishing off with "Freak Scene". Staggering. Their newest LP, I Bet On Sky, is out and well worth your time.
Making my way to the edge of the crowd as their set progressed, it was time to make my way, given the long drive home, and the 4am wake-up call that awaited. Pausing to share a smoke with a new friend, we began to edge away when the next song started, and we were drilled into place. Making eye contact and laughing, it was that simple...You just can't walk on Dinosaur, Jr.