FYF: D'Angelo Gallery

D'ANGELO and the VANGUARD

FYF 2015

EXHIBITION PARK, LA

23 AUGUST, 2015

Last December, with no notice whatsoever, D'Angelo dropped Black Messiah, his long-awaited followup to 2000's Voodoo. Putting together a crack band dubbed the Vanguard, he proceeded to hit the road, and his booking on the FYF bill became a must-see. There's an element of baited breath as well, especially when one has been off the road for that amount of time, but there was no cause for worry. With the Vanguard hitting on all cylinders, D'Angelo marched through his catalog soul-revue style, not pausing between songs, just unleashing. In a festival of surprise performances, it was an amazing grace note.

 

FYF: Sunday Gallery

FYF (DAY TWO)

EXHIBITION PARK, LA

23 AUGUST, 2015

Sunday at FYF did not veer far from the template of Saturday, save for the change in faces performing. (For a full update, see my written coverage for The Owl Mag here for both Saturday and Sunday). From the strength of Girlpool, through the noisy attacks of Hop Along and Title Fight, a late afternoon dance party w UMO, a turn to the weird with the full-on assault of Health, and a closing one-two punch of Belle and Sebastian followed by the one and only Morrissey, it was a day of memories made. D'Angelo's set was the clear winner of the day, if not the entire fest, and will have its own separate post.

GIRLPOOL

HOP ALONG

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA

TITLE FIGHT

 HEALTH

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

MORRISSEY