AthFest: Kishi Bashi, Monsoon, Five-Eight (26 June 2016)
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AthFest Day Three: 6/26/2016
AthFest 2016 was a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Athens’ stellar music and arts festival, and there was a lot to celebrate.
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Arrested Development at AthFest (06/25)
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Just to recap Saturday’s headliner: Arrested Development showed us that they’re still going strong after all these years, having come back in a slightly different incarnation after a mid-90s breakup. They played early 90s hits the crowd knew and loved- Mr. Wendell and Tennessee– in addition to some exciting new material. Their bright colors and Caribbean love vibe really brought something positive and refreshing to the festival. It’s nice to see how the music of AthFest has evolved into such a diverse collection of genres that appeal to a wide range of people. Arrested Development left the crowd happy by closing with a slightly altered cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s Everyday People, which they call People Everyday.
Sunday marked the final day of this year’s festival, with bands playing exclusively on the two outdoor stages, with the main stage at Pulaski Street.
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Five-Eight at AthFest (06/26)
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Five-Eight has not slowed down much at all during their twenty-odd years as a band; they’re still a bundle of energy and they also have a new album in the works. Mike Mantione (vocals, guitar), Dan Horowitz (bass), Patrick Ferguson (drums) and Sean Dunn (guitar) are one tight unit of rock’n’roll. The connectedness and synchronicity between these four guys is something both beautiful and rare. Dan kept us laughing with his impromptu jokes and banter with Mike between songs. It was impossible not to be blissfully carried back in time when they played the classic God Damn It Paul from 1992’s I Learned Shut Up.
Mike began the set wearing- of all things- a suit and tie. Everyone else was sweating profusely in the 90+ degree heat. He could tell we were hot, so he picked up a bottle of water and gave us a heads-up to cover our cameras. He removed the cap and hurled the bottle into the crowd, and we were thankful for a little something cool.
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Monsoon at AthFest (06/26)
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Monsoon took their rightful place on the main stage this year. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sienna Chandler, wearing her customary red attire, radiated charm and personality. She has mastered the art of stealing the show with her frenetic energy and expressive eyes. Widening her eyes at the ecstatic crowd and tackling her lead guitarist, she ran around onstage and even went airborne on a couple of occasions. The music from this band was even more impressive than at last year’s AthFest when they played the 40 Watt Club. It’s nice to see such an awesome and fun band hone their chops even further. They especially impressed with Shotgun Wedding and Ride A’Rolla.
The AthFest 2016 lineup was amazing, and I can’t think of a better headliner to close the festival than Kishi Bashi. This band is pure joy. There is no way you could watch them play and not fall in love with their music, which makes it impossible not to dance. During The Ballad of Mr. Steak, the band was joined onstage by a gigantic T-bone who danced, shook his booty and generally drove the crowd wild. The band’s founder, lead singer and violinist Kaoru Ishibashi radiated love with his dazzling smile and beautiful music.
As AthFest 2016 drew to a close, I looked around at all the people who had come to see Kishi Bashi. There were people of all ages and all backgrounds dancing together on the hot pavement of Washington Street. It was a blast, as always. We were all hot, but the music took our minds off the weather, and that’s the thing that really matters.
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Kishi Bashi at AthFest (26 June 2016) |