Fun Fun Fun Fest 2014 – Day Three

Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Three was the slowest day of the festival by far, due to the fact that everyone attending was worn out from days one and two. Sunday’s lineup consisted of acts including Neautral Milk Hotel, Wiz Khalifa, The Murder City Devils, Flying Lotus and more.

In the begining of the day, The Internet played the Blue Stage. Their vibe matched perfectly with the moring: slow and steady. They played songs including “Sunset” and “She Dgaf.” Their lead singer’s voice was slightly dull sounding compared to the records, but the small crowd at the stage didn’t seem to care. The jazz/funk vibe that they give off is highly enjoyable.

At the Orange Stage, Gardens & Villa had a completely different sound, which incorporated flute and heavy guitar. For a day show, the crowd was very interactive with the band. The fans sang along while they performed “Black Hills” and “Spacetime.” Their stage performance was nothing out of the ordianary, and the band put on a pretty predictable show. Regarless, Gardens sounded good, which isn’t something one can complain about.

Angel Olsen followed their performance and the crowd shrunk significantly. She walked on stage and said a simple ‘Hi’ before begining her performance. She opened with “Free” and sounded pretty incredible. It was a very still performance on stage, and for the fans as well. She continued to play “Hi-Five” and “The Waiting,” which have sort of an oldies sound to them. Her wide range vocals made for an intriguing and beautiful performance.

Back at the Blue Stage, Cashemere Cat filled the field of people up with heavy bass, which in itself basically sums up the whole performance. The DJ helped in creating one giant dance party. Cashmere Cat is the set you go to if you feel like stomping your feet and moving your hips.

Foxygen was up next at the Orange Stage, and they certainly put on a show. They drew in a fairly decent crowd and entertained them with sexy dance moves as well as energetic back up singers. While performing “You & I,” all band members flung their long hair around and got wild, creating quite a sight. At some points the group was difficult to understand, and the random high pitched screams between songs were a little bothersome. Other than that, however, the set was a good time.

Following Foxygen’s performacne was Dum Dum Girls. The group emerged wearing all black, which contrasted with their white instruments. They played “Are You Okay” amoung many other fan favorites. Their sound and stage performance were both pretty boring and the set didn’t really seem to do anything for anyone. Despite the obvious fans in the crowd the set as a whole came off as just mediocre.

At the Blue Stage, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib were performing. They stated they perform best when together, and it was fairly obvious. They performed “Deeper” and “Thuggin’.” In between songs, Gibbs kept saying how much of a thug he was, which inherently made him seem less like a real thug. Regardless of his redundance, while playing “Harold’s” he impressively demonstrated how well he can keep a flow. The heavy bass made for a fun performance with lots of dancing, and overall the two sounded pretty great together.

Making way over to the Yellow Stage, Scott H. Biram was tearing it up by himself. He is a one man band who plays the guitar and kick drum. He performed songs like “Blood Sweat and Murder” which sound about just as crazy as he appears. Biram really knows how to shred it up on the guitar and seemed to be entertaining himself more than the crowd.

Yo La Tengo played the Orange Stage while the sun set. They played “Big Day Coming” and “Stockholm Syndrome” towards the beginning of their set, to the pleasure of the fans gathered. Their set incorporated a number of strange sounds, and definitely created an interesting performance to see and hear live.

Failure followed their performance at the Orange Stage and sounded pretty badass. They have a more rock n’ roll sound to their music, and a ton of people showed up to support them. They played songs including “Find My Way,” “Pillowhead” and “Frogs” which all sounded incredible. The lead singer’s deep, rough voice pairs well with the band’s lyrics, and really helps to intrigue the listeners. Their set as a whole was definitely high quality.

Back at the Blue Stage, Flying Lotus was coming on. The back drop of the stage was trippy for sure; geometric shapes and overlaps of different projections made the visuals pretty crazy. Flying Lotus himself was identified by lights in his hat which was almost the only part you could see of him at times. As for the music, some of it sounded like a soundtrack for a violent video game, while other mixes were more focused just around heavy bass. It was a visually intriguing set, and had a lot of people moving around to the beat.

To close out the night, Neutral Milk Hotel played the Orange Stage. They probably had the largest crowd compared to Wiz Khalifa and the Murder City Devils. They opened with “I Will Bury You In Time” which sounded incredible with their folky, psychedelic sound. The way the trumpets, guitar, drums and banjo combine in songs like “King of Carrot Flowers Pt One” were almost seamless. It truly was an incredible performance. The fans went wild for songs like “Naomi” and “Ferris Wheel on Fire.” Lead singer Jeff Mangum’s voice was a little whiny at times, but it didn’t take away from the performance. It was such a classic raw sound, and that’s in part what made it so amazing. Definitely a beautiful way to end a Fun Fun Fun weekend!

Read mxdwn’s coverage of Fun Fun Fun Fest Day One Here
Read mxdwn’s coverage of Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Two Here