Athens Popfest 2006: Friday's Final FourAthens Popfest 2006: Friday's Final Four
Athens, GA - It wasn’t all twee pop and folk rock. Four of the harder-hitting Athens Popfest bands culminated to close out Friday night (Aug. 11). It was the perfect antidote to the cute overload you’d expect from a festival put on by HHBTM Records.
Cinemechanica's apocalyptic performance took a sharp-left turn from all things pop. Interweaving guitars and intricate drums built epic post-hardcore songs best experienced live. The band's dueling guitars have always been heralded, but now their cast includes two drummers. All of them played with deliberate intensity.
Not to be outdone, Poison Control Center was the most energetic band to grace the 40 Watt Club that night. Or at least the most acrobatic. Their guitarists were almost always jumping up, rolling around or playing upside down. The Iowa-based band has become a staple of the annual Popfest, performing at the event each year so far. They called it a family reunion. Their show climaxed when spectators piled onto the stage for a massive sing-along.
We Versus the Shark brought the acrobatics to their instruments. Amid a mess of dance-punk, math-rock and frenzied pop influences lie surprisingly cohesive songs. They're as catchy as they are complex. Disjointed hooks flirt with jittery guitars. Spastic and irresistible. At the end, the band bowed out, noting that they would rather be watching Deerhoof.
And so Deerhoof brought their arty noise-pop to Athens. Drummer Greg Saunier sat perched on a milk crate, flailing behind a kick, a snare and a cracked cymbal. The perfect counterpart to John Dieterich's angular guitarwork. Satomi Matsuzaki's childlike chirps and yelps lend themselves more to the band's sonic exploration than any real narrative. I loved it all, but Taylor and Mark wanted to leave early.
Deerhoof just completed their follow-up to 2005's The Runners Four, which should be released early next year. They will be performing at Bumbershoot on Saturday, September 2nd from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Ex Hall. More tour dates after the jump.
Deerhoof Tour Dates
- Aug 31: Arcata, CA @ Humbolt State University ****
- Sept 1: Portland, OR @ Disjecta
- Sept 2: Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
- Sept 5: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
- Sept 6: Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *
- Sept 10: Boston, MA @ Bank Of America Pavillion **
- Sept 12: Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavillion **
- Sept 13: Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle **
- Sept 15: Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre **
- Sept 24: New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom **
- Oct 26: Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center ***
- Oct 27: Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum ***
- Oct 28: Buffalo, NY
- Oct 30: Toronto, ON
- Oct 31: Montreal QC
** w/ The Flaming Lips
*** w/ Fog
**** w/ xbxrx & The Husbands
