Happy’s Fun³ Fest 2009 Picks

By Happy on Nov 5 Filed In Activities, Austin, Texas, Events, Live Music Add a Comment

Wow.

Is it really already November? Where did the year go? Seems like it was only yesterday that SXSW graced us with its madness. Nonetheless, beautiful fall weather with manageable temperatures means that it is, indeed, time for some Fun Fun Fun.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is inevitably one of my favorite festivals for several reasons — it’s conveniently held in Austin of which I call home, the lineup is always a splurge of goodness, and it rounds out my festival season for the year before a few months of ‘down time’ in the industry.

90+ bands on four stages packed into two days is a tough proposition for any music head. I’m not gonna lie when I say that I honestly don’t know 80% of the bands on the bill, but I think that’s what interests me the most. FFF offers an opportunity to discover new musical talent/obsessions, and that’s the primary reason I would recommend going. Plus, there’s always a good slew of local vendors to check out offering some atypical festival eats and souvenirs. They’re gonna have some comedians and a skate ramp, too. Rad. Fingers crossed for comedians on said skate ramp.

As for the bands that I do recognize, here’s some top picks from my personal schedule:

L.A.X. The best way to describe them is as an Austin-based dance band, an interesting combo of House/R&B/Pop. Lead vocal Andrew Collin’s stage presence is intense, so bring your dancing shoes and be ready to be entertained.

Black and White Years Their continuing success in Austin and beyond is no coincidence — their live set is just as good (if not better) than their studio work, and you better believe they know how to move a crowd. Their sound is addicting, and has been described by the Austinist as “genre-blurring, squiggly synth rock” “Difficult to classify” “The Black and White Years aren’t what you’ve heard before, evenly spiking their take on contemporary rock with enough surprises to keep their debut interesting for multiple listens.” For lack of better words, I concur wholeheartedly.

Astronautalis The first time I saw Andy Bothwell perform was at the Bird’s Barbershop Grand Opening party for their SoCo location, and after seeing this guy get on the stage and set up for his set, I was completely flabbergasted. But it was a good surprise. Refreshing and addictive.

Harlem Another local Austin band with a strong following. They’ve got a lo-fi punk garage rock feel that I looooove. They have a way of making my soul twitch.

Yeasayer Self-described as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”, I can’t get enough of these guys. Based in Brooklyn, they have a funky feel that just makes ya feel goooood. Still haven’t seen ‘em live, so I’m excited to see what they can bring to the stage — if it’s anything half as good as their studio stuff, I’m in love.

Ratatat Their live set has some intense visuals, but their sound is almost identical to the album (as to be expected). Dance-y electronic Tetris-party kind of stuff. Regardless, still a fun time to cut some rugs.

of Montreal This band is just plain bizarre, but that’s what makes their live set so much fun. Pure entertainment on stage.