All Tomorrow’s Parties - Saturday
We at Cities of the Plain only have so much time on our hands and as such, we’re recruiting a few of our music loving friends to provide some guest posts here and there. First up is our pal Jared, who recently started Playtonic Dialogues a sometimes music, sometimes philosophy blog and is living and working in New York City. Jared headed north this past weekend for All Tomorrow’s Parties and will be providing us with his recaps of Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday - 12:00 PM
I got off the Short Line (the bus from New York Port Authority to Albany) at the Monticello Bus Terminal. The ride was uneventful. I rested uncomfortably next to a large woman and watched a Seinfeld DVD. Sitting across from me was an older woman looking to be in her 60 or 70s with blonde-dyed, slicked back hair. Her appearance and demeanor was quintessential Borscht Belt-goer. She sported a cheetah print jacket with matching zebra print shoes, and oodles of tacky gold jewelry. Of course it took her a solid couple of minutes to dislodge her orange, pastel handbag from the overhead compartment.
On the way we passed a sign for All Points West. As one may remember, the headliners for that concert were Jay Z (who replaced the Beastie Boys), Tool, and Coldplay. The headliners for All Tomorrow’s Parties? Hard to say. This show was promoted in a very different manner. All Points West sought to cater to a diverse crowd. The acts spanned genres. Conversely, All Tomorrows Parties is unapologetically catered to indie music heads. Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, and Flaming Lips are some of the Pitchfork All-Stars injected into the ATP lineup. I expected a lot of cigarettes and skinny jeans.
As we drew closer to the Catskills, signs for Kutsher’s Country Club peppered the rural landscape. The name is deceiving, Kutsher’s is essentially a hotel with a golf course Growing up I went to Kutsher’s every Thanksgiving. My aunt Mady’s parents established the hotel in the 1940s and the family still owns and operates the property. While the hotel is many years removed from its prominence in the 50s and 60s, I’ve always known and loved it for being a familiar time warp.
3:00 PM
After my aunt Mady, cousin Matt, and his girlfriend Reina picked me up from the bus terminal, we made the short drive to Kutsher’s. On the drive Mady pointed out to me that the little houses along the side of the road were bungalows that Hasidic Jews rented out for the summer. Are Super Furry Animals kosher? We arrived at the hotel with just enough time to drop off our bags, say hi to the family, and make our way to Stage 1 (aka, the Starlight Ballroom) for Sufjan Steven’s 1:30 PM performance of Seven Swans. As I posted on my blog Playtonic Dialogues, I had misgivings about Sufjan performing perhaps his most religious and sedating album. The band started promptly, entering the stage wearing tie-dye shirts. A group of four other musicians playing keyboard, bass, electric guitar, and drums accompanied Sufjan who alternated on banjo, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar. From the beginning, the spotlight was literally on Sufjan. Picking the banjo riff from the first song on Seven Swans, “All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands”, Sufjan’s voice sounded fragile, clear, and beautiful under the glow of the stage lights. When a crowd member yelled out, “You guys sound great!”, Sufjan launched into an explanation of why he chose to play Seven Swans. “It seemed like a nice early afternoon hangover special,” he said. For the most part, I agreed with this sentiment (save for the fact that I didn’t have a hangover). The crowd was transfixed by the soothing music and patiently listened as the band performed the entirety of the album. There were moments when the band rocked out, for instance on “Seven Swans” and “Sister.” My favorite song was “In The Devil’s Territory”, a melodic, bango-driven number with swells of harmonization. Overall, the performance had a hint of irony. Sufjan’s lyrics about the second coming echoed in a venue where Rosh Hashona services will held the following weekend.
Sufjan Stevens - In the Devil’s Territory
6:00 PM
Following Sufjan Steven’s performance, we made our way to the ATP food court. The sukkah style enclosure, which is used for the Jewish holiday Sukkot, sheltered the only food options in the immediate area. Matt, Reina, and I chowed down on Asian inspired hot dogs and chipolte mac and cheese. The lines were manageable and the eating area made for great people watching.
Around 4 PM I decided to detach from the group and check out Black Dice. Along the way I met Matt Allen, aka Ice Cream Man. Allen’s goal is to give away half a million ice cream treats at music festivals around the world. Why? Basically because it makes people happy. I love the vibe at ATP. As I walked back to the Starlight Ballroom with an almond crunch bar in hand, I pass vendors selling ATP merchandise. The most notable items for purchase are Michael Michael Motorcycle designed posters. I thought about buying it, but I’m stingy and they were giving away old Animal Collective posters.
I arrived in time to get to the front of the crowd for Black Dice’s 4:15 PM performance. However, ten minutes into the set, I had to leave. I couldn’t handle Black Dice’s brand of noise punk. Literally, I thought my brain was going to explode. They had an interesting visual display behind them but, even from the back of the audience, it was unbearable. Instead, I headed over to Stage 1 to get a good spot for Atlas Sound. This ended up being a good decision because I got to see Bradford Cox (the man behind Atlas Sound and the lead singer of Deerhunter) arrange his stage set-up.
For 15 minutes, Cox meticulously tuned and adjusted the many setting on his acoustic and electronic instruments. Today, Atlas Sound is created using an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, numerous guitar pedals and a drum machine. From the beginning, Cox had issues. As he tried to play the first song, he repeatedly interrupted his performance, saying “I’m fucking up man” and “It sounded so good in my mind.” Playing from his new album Logos was a challenge. Admittedly, Cox wanted to translate his mostly electronic sound into an engaging live show. However, it seems that 15 minutes was not enough time for Cox to accomplish an adequate soundcheck (crappy soundchecks were a theme for the weekend). When it worked, it was beautiful. “Kid Klimax” and “Shelia” showed hints of greatness. The end of the set was a tease. After being informed that his set was over, Cox disappointedly told the audience that he planned to play his new song “Walkabout” featuring Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear of Animal Collective). Atlas Sound’s set was a reminder that it is very difficult to transition from laptop music to a live show.
Atlas Sound - Kid Klimax
