First City Festival continues to raise bar in second year

August 29, 2014 by 1 Comment

First City FestivalPhotos by Pedro Paredes // Written by Molly Kish //

First City Festival //
Monterey County Fairgrounds – Monterey, CA
August 23rd-24th, 2014 //

First City Festival celebrated its second year this past weekend in Monterey with gorgeous weather, enthusiastic crowds and a lineup filled with incredible talent. In a setting that felt as though it was constructed to host the effortlessly engaging festival, the Monterey County Fairgrounds perfectly displayed what many of the artists and attendees quickly deemed “the most peaceful and beautiful festival we’ve ever been to”.

Even while boasting two days and three stages full of some of the biggest names currently touring in rock and indie music, FCF managed to curate an intimate experience across the board for both the bands and their adoring fans. In fact, creating an atmosphere that bridges the gap between the performers and audience members is rarely seen in a festival context and with artists of such caliber.

First City Festival

PERFECTLY PICTURESQUE SETTING

The proximity of the fairgrounds contributed heavily to the tone of this past weekend’s event, allowing casual traversing throughout the festival grounds and for crowds to escape the bustle and stress that most anticipate when trying to navigate amidst conflicting set times and stage distances. Notably, the stage positions in relation to their audience gave fans ample room to really take in and enjoy each performance, providing crowds comfortable accommodations scattered throughout the festival’s scenic surroundings. Sprawling lawns and benches under the shade of languid cypress trees, along with aesthetic touches of hanging chandeliers and multicolored spotlights, added to the natural beauty of the fairgrounds. Even in the rodeo area of the Redwood Stage, crowds could get as close as they wanted to the main attractions to elevate their experience in the seated boxes and perimeter rows, or they simply could enjoy the show underneath the glowing strings of bulbs hanging above that illuminated each evening’s final performance.

First City Festival - The National


The National’s Matt Berninger

INTERPERSONAL ARTIST EXPERIENCES

The festival’s artists even took note and spoke directly to their audiences while performing on stage, as well as took in their peers’ performances amongst the crowd. All throughout the weekend, you could saunter around the fairgrounds and catch many of the artists taking pictures, talking with fans, catching another band’s set or jumping on a carnival ride. Many artists took advantage of how intimate the venue was and set out to have personal discourses with their audience by ways of:

• commenting on attendees’ outfits (“I see you blue shorts” – Tanlines)
• encouraging audience participation (“those bubbles are really doing it for me” – Future Islands)
• holding an impromptu singalong (“Happy Birthday” – The Naked and Famous)
• incorporating the audience into their performance altogether (The National’s Matt Berninger stage diving and leading a procession, sharing the microphone and singing with crowd members throughout the entire duration of a song)

First City Festival

VIP TREATMENT FOR ALL

Most festivals go out of their way to truly separate their VIP ticket holders from the general admission crowds, segregating the very important people who choose to drop extra cash from the masses while still providing a memorable festival experience. Whereas FCF did offer perks to the VIP bracelet elite, the other ticket holders weren’t completely left out of the festival’s atypical accommodations. After all, the benefits of simply attending FCF regardless of admission status far surmounted the expectations of many audience members and truly set the bar for competing festivals nationwide.

• Cocktails, micro brews and artisan food options were available to purchase throughout the festival regardless of someone’s wristband ranking
• Access to indoor bathrooms, charging stations and seated areas at all stages we’re open to the general public
• The Monterey County Carnival was also free to everyone who attended (although VIP ticket holders could jump ahead of the line)
• Lines were near obsolete throughout the entire fairgrounds, with the worst being the 15-minute wait while security checked your belongings upon entering

First City Festival - Future Islands


Future Islands’ Sam Herring

BEST OF THE FEST

Beyond the overall successes of the festival, there were also plenty of musical moments and entertainment highlights over the course of the two days at the fairgrounds. Here are some of our favorites from the weekend.

Most Underrated Festival Fare: Gerard’s Paella (vegan)
Best Commitment to Character: Puddles Pity Party (crowd roaming and panhandling between sets)
Best Set to Kick Start Your Morning: Lake St. Dive
Most Crowd Inspiring Performance: Future Islands
Set Most Likely to Break the Soundboard: How to Dress Well
Snarkiest Band Banter: Tanlines
Biggest Distraction (tie): Low-flying planes preparing to land over the Cypress Stage; Phantogram lead singer Sarah Barthel’s hypnotizing hot pants and accentuated legs
Best Time Travel Moment: “Funky” Beck’s disco-fueled, throwback interlude

Best Carnival Ride: Wave swinger from Neverland Ranch (watch here)
Most Enthusiastic Marketplace Crew: Festival poster booth (igniting post-fest dance parties)
Greatest Between Set Activity: Vinyl perusing at the Beat Swap Meet
Most Unnecessary Festival Accessory: Beacon, flag or group location device
Most Memorable Moment: The National’s unlit romp through the rodeo crowd
Best Reason to Come Back Next Year: To experience the festival’s accessibility before it blows up

Future Island’s Sam Herring
The National’s Matt Berninger
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First City Festival returns to Monterey for second edition

August 18, 2014 by 2 Comments

First City FestivalPhotos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

First City Festival //
Monterey County Fairgrounds – Monterey, CA
August 23rd-24th, 2014 //

Goldenvoice’s second annual First City Festival returns to the idyllic Monterey County Fairgrounds this weekend with two full days of music, performance art, crafts and more. Following up a successful inaugural year, the beautiful 22-acre setting hosts three outdoor music performance areas and a vaudeville stage, the Unique USA Marketplace, a curated vinyl record Beat Swap Meet and a full-scale carnival.

Enter our contest below for a chance to win free tickets!

With such a fantastic roster of both well-known and buzz-worthy acts, we recommend you get to the fairgrounds early to really take in all that the festival has to offer. Beyond local vendors, artisan food and alcohol selections and a county fair’s worth of carnival rides and games, here are the toughest decisions we’ll be making after considering the musical talent on the bill this weekend.

First City Festival lineup

CONFLICTS

Saturday:

Tokyo Police Club vs. Midlake (4-5:15 p.m.)

Wrapping up the final leg of their summer tour, Tokyo Police Club will get the crowd rowdy in this late afternoon slot, pulling bounce-along favorites from their garage-pop discography to go along with new tracks from their latest album Forcefield, which was released this past March. In contrast, folk-rock veterans Midlake will be making their West Coast festival debut this year sans lead singer Tim Smith. The band has been promoting its latest album Antiphon — and first release on ATO Records — with the new lineup to create a “rebooted progressive rock” sound. In following suit with their most recent string of performances, Midlake very well could break out some acoustic material, too.

Best Coast vs. Tanlines (5:20-6:30 p.m.)

In this Day 1 pop throwdown, which team are you on? This is a crucial decision, setting up what inevitably will be the mood you will choose to embrace going into the remainder of the evening. Will you be shuffling a pair of dance shoes or gazing listlessly at them covered in the rodeo’s dust? If you’re feeling the need to bust a move, Tanlines has got you covered. Bringing their infectious, experimental dance music to the festival side stage, this Brooklyn-based duo will have the audience on fire. Call and response with calypso-infused pop, Tanlines’ Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm provide the perfect combo of guitars, vocals and various percussion instruments to invigorate an early-evening crowd before it readies itself for a big evening ahead. If you anticipate the evening’s headliner Beck to have a more melancholy setlist and feel like taking a breather from the crowds, carnival and other stimulus surrounding the first day of the festival, let Best Coast lead singer and guitarist Bethany Constantino’s croon lull you into a mellow mindset. Performing on the main stage, this also could be a good power move, setting yourself up for a spot front and center for the rest of the evening performances.

FCF SCENESunday:

Future Islands vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (4-5:15 p.m.)

This is arguably the worst conflict of the weekend for the rage-faced dance enthusiast with quite possibly two of the most similar acts billed consecutively on the lineup. Both bands play to the overly enthusiastic crowd member demographic, and although mildly different in style, each evoke such passion and excitement with their respective fan bases that they would be equally disappointing acts to miss out on. H ailing from Detroit, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is the electric duo of Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott who bring a soulful blend of funk, pop and cross-genre songwriting to the stage. Their stage presence and range as a pair of performers is something that not only speaks to the crowd, but also calls for participation and will no doubt get the early-evening audience active by moving their weary feet. Future Islands, on the other hand, are the wild-card act on not only this bill, but just about any festival roster. Gaining mainstream fame with their incredible electro-rock body of work and after this past year’s impressionistic performance on the “Late Show With David Letterman”, lead singer Sam Herring danced his way into the hearts and curiosities of a nation. Beyond Herring’s guttural howls and spastic stage presence, the band has had great success playing festivals worldwide in executing some of the most memorable sets. Those who show up should be excited to be a part of a performance that everyone around them will remember as a special moment in their lifetime of concert experiences. Whether the crowd sits idly dumbfounded or actually commits to losing itself in the music, this set is sure to be a highlight of the festival and is one we look forward to catching.

Create your custom schedule here!

ATTRACTIONS

Beat Swap Meet:

A traveling record swap meet, Beat Swap Meet features dozens of invited record collectors and dealers from all over the U.S. and beyond. They’ll be selling everything from blues to funk to hip-hop to jazz to metal to punk to reggae to rock to soul, with World 12’s and 45’s on vinyl.

Monterey Carnival:

You will have full access to rides and games with your purchase of a festival ticket.

Unique USA Marketplace:

Take some time to visit this marketplace where furniture, art and fashion designers sell goods, all of them made in the U.S.

First City Festival

GENERAL INFO

With the gates opening at noon and set times starting as early as 1 p.m., we recommend getting there with ample time to park and jump in what undoubtedly will be a line wrapping around the fairgrounds’ perimeter.

First City Festival map

Parking is available with shuttles to the fairgrounds at the neighboring Monterey Peninsula College, located at 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940.

First City Festival location

Other options include parking around the neighborhoods surrounding the venue and walking a short distance to the festival location. The locals are generally friendly and accommodating, but be sure not to block anyone’s driveway. There will also be a free bike and skateboard valet near the festival’s front entrance.

If you have any issues with your tickets, you should contact Front Gate Tickets at 888-512-SHOW or on their website. We also recommend taking a peek at the festival’s list of “Dos and Don’ts” before you arrive.

Win-2-Tickets

To win a pair of tickets to the festival, enter below. You must like Showbams on Facebook and follow Showbams on Twitter to be eligible to win.

Submit your full name and email address.
Contest ends Tuesday, August 19th at 3 p.m. Winners will be picked at random & notified by email. Your email will be kept private — we will share your email with no one.

CONTEST CLOSED.

First City Festival

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FCF finds first-year success for five game-changing reasons

August 28, 2013 by 5 Comments

First-City-FestivalPhotos by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

The inaugural First City Festival was a big success over the weekend (August 24 & 25) — something most new festivals do not pull off.

There were five particular reasons this first-year fest worked so well — and these five game changers are why FCF will return for year two. Be sure to keep scrolling down to view all the magnificent eye-candy captured by Marc Fong — there are over 150 artist and scene photos to take in.

Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse

1. The Comprehensively Diverse Music Line Up
Exhibiting a wide spectrum of genre and talent, First City Festival nailed the booking of the festival’s inaugural year. Filling both days with incredible sets performed by bands both at the height of their musical game or on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough, Goldenvoice SF made sure the bill was stacked.

The fairgrounds housed three separate stages within a five-minute walk of each other, sparse conflicts and ample set spacing optimized maximum viewing pleasure. The line-up encouraged audience members to branch out of their comfort zones between sets, encouraging the discovery of new music.

Passion Pit
Passion Pit

MGMT
MGMT

Neko Case
Neko Case2

2. Concession Placement and Prices
Given the spare time allotted between sets, sampling a variety of food and beverage choices located throughout the fairgrounds was a breeze. The general food court was set up at the midsection of the festival — food trucks, cocktails and beers could be found everywhere.

Drink prices ranged from $7-12, offering everything from the standard domestic to artisan crafted cocktails (the option to spritz your beverage with absinthe and chartreuse was available). Food prices also followed suit and presented modern spins on the traditional carnival fare.

FCF SCENE

3. VIP Perks in General Admission Area
Most festivals go out of their way to generally sanction off the VIP ticket holders from the GA masses. Although FCF reserved a special entrance, carnival perks, seating accommodations and swanky lounges for those who sprung for the VIP pass, the festival worked hard to deliver an enjoyable experience for all that attended. Ample indoor bathrooms were available for all, along with large charging stations, hard alcohol options and outdoor shaded chill areas that were well furnished. In its inaugural year, FCF ran crowd cohabitation smoothly and kept everyone in attendance happily content.

FCF SCENE

FCF 19

4. The Monterey County Carnival
Taking notes from modern day music festivals, FCF jumped on the idea that concert go-er’s enjoy alternative entertainment to suffice their down time between sets. Beyond providing eclectic acts throughout both days on the vaudeville stage, the festival utilized their fairground landscape to its full capacity.

In prep for Monterey’s upcoming county fair, the festival decided to take initiative and set up the rides and games early, allowing FCF crowds to have a complete carnival at their disposal all weekend. Boasting games, mazes and rides ushered in from Neverland Ranch, the concert attendees were able to split their time between a festival of live music and a dub step sound-tracked carnival. A smart move in crowd control, and an ingenious way to boost revenue and all around surreal experience, the carnival uniquely set FCF apart from other festivals.

FCF 2

5. Location, Location, Location
Although the Monterey County Fairgrounds have an impressive calendar of events and a historical legacy within the Bay Area music scene, there hasn’t been much recently to compete with the crowds and caliber of this past weekend.

Nestled in the small suburban coastal community of Monterey, a town that usually catches cover bands, rodeos and craft fairs at the fairgrounds, the promoters couldn’t have picked a better place to kick off what undoubtedly will become a premiere West Coast music festival.

FCF SCENE13

Even elements such as the constant overhead traffic of the adjacent small aircraft port were met with ease. Instead of being considered a distraction to the sets, musicians embraced the magical nature of each plane taking off or landing throughout their performance, usually incorporating banter and impeccable comedic timing

The weather, layout and charm of the surrounding neighborhood played a key part into how successful the FCF weekend played out. From the ample roadside accommodations and street parking within blocks of the fairgrounds, to the killer family owned restaurants and extremely congenial locals, FCF was a hospitable music festival for the books.

Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi

Beach House
Beach House

Washed Out
Washed Out6

FCF SCENE

Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart

Deerhunter
Deerhunter

Purity Ring
Purity Ring

FCF SCENE

Father John Misty
Father John Misty2

Okkervil River
Okkervil River

FCF SCENE

The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady

The Black Angels
The Black Angels

Capital Cities
Capital Cities

FCF SCENE

Lucero
Lucero

The Antlers
The Antlers

Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper

FCF SCENE

Electric Guest
Electric Guest

Civil Twilight
Civil Twilight

The Dodos
The Dodos

FCF SCENE

Akron/Family
Akron:Family

Guards
Guards

FCF SCENE

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

First City Festival: Set conflicts & resolutions

August 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

First-City-FestWritten by Molly Kish //

First City Festival //
Monterey County Fairgrounds – Monterey, CA
August 23rd-24th, 2014 //

First City Festival graces the sacred Monterey County Fairgrounds this weekend, with a jam-packed line up of indie talent. FCF Kicks off its inaugural year with two days full of hard hitting headliners and an undercard of up and coming acts. Catching such an abundance of uniquely curated artists can be a formidable task, requiring careful time management and appropriation.

For your convenience, we’ve broken down the toughest conflicts of the weekend to help you sort out your plan of attack.

First-City-Festival

Saturday, August 24 VIEW SATURDAY SCHEDULE


The Black Angels vs. The Hold Steady vs. Guards

Depending on what kind of headspace you’re in, this one could be difficult. All three bands round out the first half of the day with a varying take on the modern state of rock music. The Black Angels will draw in a hardcore fan base and offer the most explosive undercard show.

However if a super psychedelic freak out isn’t your bag so early in the fest, The Hold Steady brings the same amount of energy to the stage — but in a much more choral manner. Primed for a punk rock sing along, this band will ignite the Redwood Stage with infectious energy that’ll carry over nicely into the evening hours.


If neither of these options float your boat, Guards is the perfect third choice. Falling somewhere between shoe-gaze bliss and contemporary alternative, this pop rock outfit segues perfectly into an opening night of dance heavy indie-rock headliners.


The Black Angels – 3:30 pm, Cypress Stage
The Hold Steady – 4pm, Redwood Stage
Guards – 3:55, Manzanita Stage


Delta Spirit vs. MGMT vs. Washed Out

This problematic trifecta conflict comes later in the evening Saturday. Although the bands during the magical hours contain musical elements that contribute to the overall sound of headliner Passion Pit, they contrast plenty in their musical focus as groups. Delta Spirit will be the choice for those riding high off the rock heavy vibes this year’s line up offers. Their sunny disposition and group harmonies will provide a perfect set for the seven o’clock hour – the show will also serve as a beautiful sunset transition into the follow up act on the Cypress Stage.

Taking over directly after Delta Spirit will be Washed Out, which if one chooses to stick around for effortlessly shifts the mood from pop rock into dance. Anticipate a mélange of hits from 2011’s Within And Without as well as Ernest Greene’s delightfully spacey 2013 LP Paracosm.


MGMT plays the wild card in this dilemma. Drawing from two albums – Oracular Spectacular brimmed with mainstream hits while Congratulations polarized waves of fans by bathing in psychedelic experimentalism — you never really know what you’re in for with their live show. With a third, self titled release on the way in September, plan on catching a handful of debut cuts. Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden are clearly on a mission to do what makes them happy in creating new music, scorning the search for radio hits while honing in on awesome weirdness.


Delta Spirit – 7:30pm, Cypress Stage
MGMT – 7:45pm, Redwood Stage
Washed Out – 8:30, Cypress Stage

Sunday, August 25 – VIEW SUNDAY SCHEDULE


Devendra Banhart vs. Electric Guest vs. Generationals

Three polar opposite artists provide the first difficulties on Sunday’s schedule. The FCF five o’clock hour is filled with some pretty difficult decisions as the fest showcases undercard heavy hitters, all coming from seriously divergent musical backgrounds. Devendra Banhart takes the cake when it comes to the stage that will be most dense during this time slot. Drawing influences from folk, indie, world music and pop, this multi-linguist singer songwriter will have ladies (and many dudes) from all walks of life swooning as he croons into the early evening hours. A perfect booking for a Sunday afternoon set, Banhart may be too mellow for those looking to keep the energy going into the evening.


Electric Guest conversely kicks it up a notch with their dance-heavy soul. This band’s live show is an energy packed production, and the LA outfit promises to rouse audience members to their feet for a Sunday fun day dance party with hits off of their critically acclaimed 2012 album Mondo, which was produced by Danger Mouse. This is a bit of a one off performance for Electric Guest, who are working on a second album and have more touring planned in October.

If neither of those options sound ideal, then the Generationals on the Manzanita stage will be killing it with their patented guitar driven, surf-rock party anthems. Celebrating their recent shift over to indie label extraordinaire Polyvinyl Records with their latest release Heza, this show will provide a burst of welcomed energy to any weary festival go’er.


Devendra Banhart – 5:10pm, Redwood Stage
Electric Guest – 4:40, Cypress Stage
Generationals – 5:05, Manzanita Stage


Deerhunter vs. Toro Y Moi vs. Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks

The most eclectic conundrum of the festival comes up during the twilight hours on Sunday evening. These three acts are equally unique, representing some of the top talent of the entire weekend. Deerhunter, fronted by indie rock ingénue Bradford Cox, is simply a must see live music experience. Cox creates both touching and ecstatic music at a rapid pace with Deerhunter and his solo vehicle Atlas Sound – but Deerhunter thrives on a duality of layered psychedelic screamers and clean, to-the-point pop songs that seem like they came from a simpler time in the past — something our collective minds have manufactured. Fans will be rolling deep to this set, looking to hear live cuts from their 2013 album Monomania for the first time.


There are a couple great opening options for Deerhunter. Toro Y Moi will be on the Redwood Stage curating head-nodding pleasure loops. Blending his smooth jazz vocals with innovative samples and hip hop beats, Chaz Bundwick delivers as front man and live Dj.

This set will provide a soulful come down and polar opposite experience than the competing Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks. One of the most intriguing additions to this year’s bill, ATSF is an experimental electronic journey captained by Animal Collective’s Dave Portner. An audio-visual site to behold for the senses, this show will incorporate Portner’s affinity for sound production, crocodiles and cinematography into one giant spectacle. FCF’s most “choose your own adventure” moment of the weekend, eight o’clock on Sunday night will be a definitive moment in many festival attendees’ night.


Deerhunter – 7:10pm, Cypress Stage
Toro Y Moi – 6:25pm, Redwood Stage
Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – 6:30pm, Manzanita Stage

We recommend creating and sharing your own personal schedule on the FCF website to help coordinate via social media with friends. While there, you can purchase NO FEE tickets to the recently announced NIGHTSHOWS!

FCF

If you aren’t ready to call it a day Saturday night at the fairgrounds, FCF boasts two stellar options to continue the party post festival. Providing a second chance to catch major acts from Saturday line up, these options are factors to weigh into your day time decision making.

Both are not only affordable, but within walking distance from the festival site and WILL SELL OUT QUICK! Click here to purchase tickets and to avoid surcharges.

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First City Festival Fringe: Top 5 undercard acts for the fest’s first year

August 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment

First-City-FestivalWritten by Molly Kish //

First City Festival //
Monterey County Fairgrounds – Monterey, CA
August 23rd-24th, 2014 //

In less than one month, Monterey County’s fairground & event center will play host to the flagship year of the First City Festival. Boasting a roster packed to the brim with indie rock elite, FCF’s lineup is one of summer’s strongest on the west coast. Beyond familiar top-of-the-lineup acts Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, MGMT, Beach House, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out & Deerhunter, FCF’s second billings offer an impressive mix of underrated and up and coming buzz bands from the past few years.

We encourage you to take ample time over the course of the 2-day festival to explore the 30+ bands and attractions, along with a variety of food and local craft beer vendors. There’s a comedy/vaudeville variety stage, and the “Monterey Carnival” comes complete with rides and games. If you’ll be heading down to Monterrey early on August 24 & 25, we’ve got 5 artist recommendations to get acquainted to.

Purity Ring

The Canadian duo of Corin Roddick and Megan James mashes together glitchy hip-hop oriented beats with ethereal pop melodies and crystalline vocal tracks. Relative newbies to the indie scene, Roddick and James convey the song writing skills of seasoned veterans, attacking each track with finite detailing and production expertise.

The duo specializes in creating lush soundscapes filled with dreamlike dance tracks, and their unique stage show incorporates spontaneous lighting elements produced by a handcrafted audio visual synthesizer. Triggered by the group’s improvisational percussion, the machine is something Corin created himself, and it allows each set the band performs to be a truly individual spectacle to behold. Purity Ring will be one of the most all-encompassing and entertaining acts on the bill at FCF.

For Fans of: Grimes, The Naked and Famous, TNGHT

Avey Tare’s Slasher Flick’s

A side project of Animal Collective founding member Avey Tare, Slasher Flick’s brings an experimental element to the First City Festival line up. Formed with ex-Dirty Projector member Angel Deradoorian and Ponytail drummer Jeremy Hyman, Slasher Flick’s is self-described as a “group of three hippies on a road trip through the backwaters of 2013’s rural music scene, (who) fall prey to a murderous cannibalistic band making.”

The trio has made sparse appearances in New York and the UK since their conception this past April, further amplifying the buzz surrounding their Sunday set at FCF, which will mark the band’s first ever West Coast performance as a group. Anticipating live interpretations of the material off of Avey’s 2010 solo debut Down There, this show promises a unique exploration of vivid soundscapes, abstract musical production, songwriting showmanship and fantastical visual imagery. Having just returned from a coveted spot on the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival bill and just before Tare hits the road again with Animal Collective through the Fall, you’ll want to catch this rare opportunity to check out this eclectic super-group, while you still have the chance.

For Fans of: Animal Collective, Dan Deacon and MGMT

The Black Angels:

Ramping up Saturday’s scheduled line up, The Black Angels bring their aggressively modern take on psychedelic rock to the First City Festival stage. As a newly reconfigured quartet, the Black Angels have been touring in support their fourth studio album Indigo Meadow since April. They are making their last appearance statewide on this tour Saturday at FCF before a string of European dates, leading up to their scheduled sets at the Austin City Limits festival in October. Enlisting the support of acclaimed producer John Congleton (David Byrne & Saint Vincent, Clinic, Explosions in the Sky) on their latest full length, the band continues to push the boundaries of modern rock with their seductive drone vocals, resonating reverb, and audacious song structure.

At the forefront of a post-millennial acid rock resurgence, the Black Angels are facilitators to nearly all the fresh new faces emerging in this genre. The group curates the Austin Psych Fest, so the Black Angel’s can be held personally responsible for the progressive nature of the present day psych-rock scene. Ushering in a brand new era of boisterous psych rock, the Black Angels will be a difficult act to pass on at this year’s FCF.

For Fans of: The Velvet Underground, Primus and Tame Impala.

Generationals:

Celebrating their 2013 release Heza, and recent shift over to Polyvinyl Records, Generationals bring their melancholic catalogue of analog recordings to the Sunday line up of First City Festival. NOLA natives Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer formed the Generationals in 2007 after the dissolution of a previous project to start writing songs as a duo.

Embedded in the archetypes of mid-century pop, the Generationals draw upon minimalist retro formulas while incorporating underlying trends in post punk and new wave production. The band has been charming crowds throughout Europe with their infectiously upbeat stage show over the course of the past few months, returning for their first show back in the states the Sunday afternoon of FCF. A prefect addition to a bill ripe with indie talent, this set will be a highlight of the festival and one not worth missing out on.

For Fans of: Vampire Weekend, Born Ruffians, Foster the People

Guards:

Conceived with intention of producing content for an upcoming Cults album, guitarist Richie Follin, singer/songwriter Kaylie Church and drummer Loren Humphrey indirectly crafted Guards’ critically acclaimed debut album In Guards We Trust. As much of a happy surprise to both band members as it was to the online press, the album gained immediate traction and resulted in the quick formation of a group to fulfill requests for concert bookings and festival dates.

Extracting elements from three decades-worth of influence, Guards sound incorporates a strong appreciation for 50’s doo-wop, 60’s soul and Motown and echoes of choral pop decadence from the 70’s. Creating a comprehensive album that’s both distinctive and nostalgic, Guards aim to celebrate their influences while still remaining stylistically contemporary. Finishing up a string of festival dates before jumping on tour in support of Queens of the Stone Age, this FCF set is a quintessential example of a band worth latching onto early. Be sure to check them out on Saturday.

For Fans of: Cults, Real Estate and The Drums

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