Whither Festivus: Hopscotch 2015 Recap

In 2012 I called Hopscotch "one big warm fuzzy hug of a festival" that is "run well by good, music-loving folks." Having been to Raleigh for this year's installment of Hopscotch, I can happily say my sentiments remain unchanged. And I've got to tell y'all, the more of these that I go to, the more I think Hopscotch is angling to be my very favorite festival on the circuit. 

Sadly, work constraints kept me from enjoying the first full day of festival goodness (including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, OBN IIIs, and Bully, all of whom I would love to have seen). Having missed all the goodness of Thursday, I arrived on Friday, and by the time I left Sunday I was full of smit for all the bands I'd been lucky enough to see.


It was hot and humid most of the weekend, with the occasional shower adding to the moisture. Mmm, a weekend full of sweat. It was a constant refrain. Friday night was a really good one, filled with a pretty darned good City Plaza performance from TV On The Radio and an epic CAM showing by Moon Duo. In all honesty, after seeing Moon Duo I could have left Raleigh a sated girl, so spine-tingling was their set. I'd waited a long time to see them, and Moon Duo didn't disappoint. CAM was filled with sensational psych fuzz and overall noisiness, and it was a beautiful thing. In a pinch, I'd call Moon Duo my favorite band of the whole weekend. 


Saturday was all about the day parties, mainly the Let Feedback Ring shindig (highlights include a solo Hoax Hunters set and the impressive Patois Counselors), and the great party at Ruby Deluxe that yielded an absolutely incandescent set from the stunning River Whyless. At the end of the night, after nearly an hour in line, I was able to check out some of the insanely rambunctious King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard set at Slim's. Crowd surfing, sweat, and Aussie accents. Can't beat it, y'all. The psych rock monsters from Down Under were in top form, and they made the wait well worth it.


In all seriousness, if you ever have the opportunity to attend Hopscotch, do it. It's so well run, it offers a great variety of live music to see, and it's growing at the right kind of pace. Raleigh is an excellent host city. It makes for a hell of a weekend. My only complaint, really, is that it's sometimes a problem to pinpoint which bands to see, since there's just so dang many good ones on the lineup. But I suppose there are worse problems to have. 

Bottom line: I heart Hopscotch. And I already can't wait for next year. 


[posted 11.8.15]

[photos of Moon Duo, Patois Counselors, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard copyright Megan Petty]

Comments

  1. You are correct about everything except for the weather. It was spectacular this year. Weather gets a MVP.

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  2. Haha Tooth I must disagree! I'd be delighted by just a temp a little cooler (wouldn't even mind the drizzle that way)...

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