"Without music, life would be a mistake."
This past weekend I went to the Efes Pilsen One Love Festival. It was way better than I expected and I had a great, if not exhausting, weekend. Aside from the great music, there were various sponsors who set up interactive booths and gave you free things like t-shirts and Mentos. But the festival didn't need Mentos to make it fresh, the music did just fine on that front.
The first band we saw was M83. The music was great and there was a good vibe generally. However, Anthony Gonzalez's stage presence was lacking. He seemed insecure and it especially showed when he would start getting into the music. The moment would be ruined when he would cast a sideways glance to the crowd to see if they were getting into it too. His disappointment or satisfaction would be written all over his face. At other times he would turn and face the crowd and somehow you could feel his expectation that we should respond. It seemed as if he was waiting for a roar of appreciation or shouts professing our love. I wish he hadn't tried so hard to be cool. The music is good. Have fun! Morgan Kibby on the other hand was great to watch. She was into the music, her voice was absolutely enchanting and a few times she even managed to get a smile out of Gonzalez.
When Tricky first came out I thought maybe he was on crack. He kept licking his face and seemed a little out of it generally. Since I didn't know anything about him as an artist or performer I was working with a blank slate here. But as he went from song to song, it was clear that he was performing. I loved that he was trying. Not to come off as cool or as a musician but you could tell that he genuinely cared about the fans. He wanted to give a good show and he did. As with M83, the female presence on the stage was dynamite.
And then, there was Starsailor. I was expecting good things from a band who drew their inspiration from Tim Buckley and had a front man that was an avid Liverpool supporter but still I wasn't ready for what was about to happen. As the first chords were played, my knees began to go weak. I knew. A new favorite band. Someone who would be in my ipod, who would enter my home, be in the mixes I made for my friends. Each song was better than the one before. James Walsh interacted amazingly with the crowd. When he smiled you thought, he loves what he is doing. When he looked your way, you were sure the concert was just for you. At one point he mentioned that another band was coming on later. I willed him to be quiet! There was no act that could follow this.
Go check them out, fall in love and then buy their album. You won't regret it.
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