Woodsist: 2014, Day One: Sights and Sounds

WOODSIST FESTIVAL 2014

HENRY MILLER LIBRARY

BIG SUR, CA

05 AUGUST, 2014

Returning to Big Sur for the annual Woodsist Festival is more and more like coming home. Nestled in the redwoods along Highway One, the Henry Miller Library opened its doors to a two-day long celebration of the Woodsist label and various fellow travelers. With a permanent stage now fully in place, the Library is pretty much institutionalized as a music venue, and given the small cap on the venue, and their experience, it made for a joyous day out, with no chance of the vibe being harshed. Highlight wise, Angel Olsen came out to grace the fest, perrenials White Fence threw a Ty Segall-sized curveball at the audience, and gracious hosts Woods brought things to a noisy climax.

ANGEL OLSEN

WHITE FENCE

WOODS

 

the scene...

Father John Misty: Further Adventures...

FATHER JOHN MISTY

WHITE FENCE

GLASS HOUSE, POMONA, CA

22 JUNE, 2013

Last time we caught up with Father John Misty, it was an intimate show at the Soho nightclub in Santa Barbara, heralding the end of his winter tour. After a break, he regrouped to perform at Coachella, and shot through a string of dates across the country. In June, he stopped in Pomona, CA at the Glass House, and put the flame to the heat with a show that kept the bar high, introduced another new song, and ended with one of his wide-ranging covers. As heard in the videos below, it was a home crowd, hooting at his lines, even on the new songs. He wasted no time getting comfortable, wading into the crowd during the opening "Fun Times In Babylon", grabbing an audience member's cell phone, and proceeding to debate the merits of different models.
One of the highlights was the inclusion of the rarely-heard 'bonus verse' to "Everyman Needs A Companion", complete with it's winning line about "matching friendship pentagram tattoos", captured in all its glory below. This I first heard at last fall's benefit for Aaron Embry.

At Soho, we were treated to two new songs from what has been confirmed as a new work in progress: the title track "I Love You Honey Bear" and "We Met At The Store". This evening gave us the gift of "Bored In The USA".

It wouldn't be a Father John Misty show without a notable encore, and this was no exception, as he cherry-picked "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", from The Beatles White Album.

 It was the perfect end to another scintillating performance, with the band hitting on all cylinders, and kind of bittersweet, not knowing when the full unit will reappear. As for the previously mentioned new project, tracking has commenced on the new LP, with info/photo courtesy of the good Father.

White Fence kicked the night off, this time the lineup was just mastermind Tim Presley and a drummer. Our last encounter was at the Woodsist Festival in 2012, and this performance was more obviously focused on Presley, than the band/jamming dynamic that held form there. It was an uneven set, with them wrestling to control the sound, but the weight of his catalogue dictates that, when they were on, everything was going to be okay, and the last half of his set more than lived up to form.

Woodsist Fest 2012: Sights and Sounds (day one)

WOODSIST FESTIVAL 2012

HENRY MILLER LIBRARY

BIG SUR, CA

DAY ONE-05 AUGUST, 2012

Brooklyn based Woods throws the backyard party known as the Woodsist Festival at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur.  Now in its 5th year, it's still a family affair in feel, but a truly a festival in talent and execution, celebrating the Woodsist label.  This year's lineup featured Real Estate, Pierced Arrows, Woods, White Fence, and Mantles on day one. Despite the gray gloom lurking overhead, the consistency of bands carried the day, with each band standing out in their own way.

Highlights of the day included hearing cuts from Woods forthcoming LP, Bend Beyond.  The always engaging White Fence set one of the day's higher bars with their guitar interplay.  Mantles was new to me, but utterly enjoyable, with concise, rocking songs.  Pierced Arrows drew the day's first crowd to clog the main stage, battering the ears beautifully with a well-placed stack of Marshalls.  Real Estate, fresh off of headlining the Fonda Theater in L.A. the previous night, brought things to a close with a well received set that included drawn out versions of their songs that captured the audience.

Real Estate

Real Estate

Pierced Arrows

Pierced Arrows

Woods

Woods

Woods

White Fence

White Fence

White Fence

Mantles

Mantles