This week I'm going to post about the music festival I attended last weekend. It was American Eagle Outfitters first ever New American Music Festival curated by Anthony Kiedis. It was a great time, and I can't wait until it's back next year!
(Posted originally on MelodyTrip.com)
Friday, August 8th marked the beginning of something new, fun, and different for the hipsters of Pittsburgh. American Eagle Outfitters New American Music Union Festival. Say that five times fast. Anthony Kiedis, frontman for Red Hot Chili Peppers, was given permission to go crazy and pick bands out of an endless pool for this first ever fest.
Upon arrival to the scene, I noticed that the layout was wonderfully well thought out. There was lots of room to roam about with out the feeling of being stomped over. They even had everything clearly marked, from the media tent, to the main entrance, to the first aid area. The staff was very cordial and considerate, which always makes these kind of events much more pleasant. After getting my free tee shirt and water bottle, I entered the main stage area ready for whatever came next.
First up was The Tiny Masters of Today. I looked forward to seeing and hearing what these young siblings were up to. Ada, 12, and Ivan, 14, sing songs loudly in a punk rock style while poking fun at adults, including George Bush. While I appreciate their courage and young ambition, I think they've a lot of work to do. Also, it remains a mystery to me who their drummer is. A shaggy haired guy that I mistakenly thought had a Burger King crown upon his head. Hmmmm. (Note: The drummer mystery has been solved! It's "It Boy" Jackson Pollis, a regular on the MisShapes scene.)
Though, besides that, I did enjoy some of the guitar riffs, as long as it was clear. Plenty of times it sounded like the equipment was putting a damper on their performance, and the microphone squealing and hissing didn't help, either.
Next up comes NASA (North America, South America). Picked by Kiedis as the main breakthrough band, they are sure to be making huge tidal waves through the industry. Being a synth-pop fan myself, I couldn't wait to hear them, and I couldn't believe I've never heard them before! A duo made up of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, they made their grand entrance wearing bright orange spacesuits, without the big globe domes over their heads though. They kept the crowd dancing happily while keeping them interested for more. What song would be thrown in the megamix next? They included the likes of Pink Floyd and AC/DC, Ram Jam, Rolling Stones, and some Nirvana. But, they also brilliantly threw in new, modern electronica, like new artist Santogold, Hot Chip, and Benny Benassi, as well. I loved how the pair really got 'into' the hard beats they produce, with fist pumping and everything! There was lots of other interesting things to look at, too, to prevent boredom (though, I don't know if that would be possible). Out came two 'alien' girls dancing around while painted green and donning bright silver leotards. Next in the mix came out a few breakdancing guys in blue suits. Their dance moves included the robot while dousing the crowd with water from their bright supersoakers. As if that wasn't enough, out comes this monkey guy with a dinosaur head. I am not sure exactly what one might call the species. I should try and ask them.
The crowd got impressively larger for The Black Keys. More known than the previous two acts, the Keys had lots of loyal fans ready to rock their blues out.
From Wikipedia: "The band's name was inspired by an artist friend of the band in Akron, OH with schizophrenia, who used the term "black keys" to describe people who weren't quite right."
Their fifth and newest album, Attack & Release, came out in April earlier this year. I enjoyed their choices from the album in their playlist. They included their hit "Strange Times" (which is featured in this years Grand Theft Auto IV video game), and my personal favorite, "I Got Mine".
The Roots were the last act, closing out the night. I think everyone there was most excited for them, which was proven by the amount of people. Their performance was filled with jazzy instrumentals mixed in with hip hop. What I enjoy about The Roots is that so many of their songs have a totally different sound to them. They didn't play a couple of the songs I really hoped to hear, but there were a few that I were glad to have in their set including a supersonic, fast version of "The Seed 2.0". On a few different occassions, the group psyched everyone out by playing a serious drumroll, signaling the grand finale. But, all of a sudden, like a jolt of electricity, they'd burst into another song. When they were actually done, I was glad it was for real, and they weren't messing with us again. But, only because I really had to pee. (Note: There are tons and tons of Port-a-Pottys. Little Tip: The ones way in back aren't used nearly as much as the ones in front.)
