The most invigorating day of my life was probably glimpsing the lineup for Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2019. I’ll probably get a lot of flak for this, but The Lonely Island was on the list and I [probably] literally fell to the floor in excitement. This trio entered the pop culture stage at a time when they could really seep into my every day life. My whole family latched on to their brand of comedy from day 1 with “Lazy Sunday” and continued to release gem after gem over the years. “I’m On A Boat” was definitely on my life soundtrack in high school, and even convinced my sister and I to buy my mother a Pashmina afghan with sailboats on it when I lived in New York.
But their hits since are notable as well, and as Andy Samberg’s hair has changed shape from that original boyishly cute triangular shape, we have fallen more in love with his cohorts Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who are incredible writers with insanely diverse careers.
The evening was absolutely epic. Photographers were packed into the photo pit like nothing I — or many in attendance — have ever seen. And for good reason. Highlights below.
On Friday, June 21st, we celebrated the first full day of summer with Goo Goo Dolls under the stars at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, MO. The day started off with torrential downpours all across the metropolitan area, giving us slim hope for such a beautiful evening. But the weather subsided, and the warmth came back out to play as the soundtrack to our evening was filled with summertime favorites. Check out some photos below!
When you get to climb trees with bands at a music festival, you might say that life has gotten a little out of hand. While we didn’t find ourselves IN the tree with Jared & The Mill during our portrait session with the Phoenix-based five piece at Bonnaroo, we did find ourselves laughing while we found a fun place to photograph them amongst the trees. That, coupled with their set on Sunday and a smattering of times we ran into them around the festival, made us acutely aware of their talent.
We started our last day at Bonnaroo sleeping in a little bit more than usual. We heard a pop up performance amongst the trees at an ungodly hour in the morning, and then dozed until it was time to wander in and catch Kikagaku Moyo‘s set. The Japanese psych band was absolutely mesmerizing, and we believe you catch a small bit of that feeling from the photos alone.
The last performance we saw before the epic set from Childish Gambino on Friday night at Bonnaroo was Courtney Barnett‘s set at THAT. She came out, fiery and forceful, and the energy kick really gave us the inspiration we needed to keep partying into the night. Highlights below.
Psychedelic-laced rock band King Ropes releases their latest video today for their enigmatic track “California Stars” from Gravity and Friction, and we’ve got the exclusive premiere. Created by Keith Martinez and Dave Hollier, the video utilizes a large portion of found footage. It’s an exquisite reel, and we’re impressed with the quality of the footage, so many years after it was shot. Take a peek below!
CALIFORNIA STARS
clark flipped his hayrig into the river
lucinda singing trying to save his soul
i did some time there in the devil’s half acre
lucinda singing trying to save my soul
now i can’t shake the feeling i’m running out of time
i can’t shake the feeling i’m running out of time
becky left brooklyn a three time loser
setting her sights on those california stars
she got hung up here in the bitteroot valley
gave not one more thought to those california stars
those california stars they shine and shine
those california stars they shine and shine
becky’s still standing here in wild eyed wonder
at the land and the water and wide open skies
and all of the wrong turns that finally brought her here
to clark who left his mark on pipeorgan bridge
i can’t shake the feeling i’m running out of time
i can’t shake the feeling i’m running out of time
i can’t shake the feeling i’m running out of time
those california stars were yours
those california stars were yours
those california stars were yours and mine
Last week, indie musician Skela released a music video alongside her track titled “Elvis”. With soft light and a gorgeous color palette, the video leads us on a journey with the singer, through sprawling landscapes and simple, natural backdrops. Her dusty, captivating vocals lead the track, allowing a visual moment for the viewer/listener to breathe deeply, and truly enjoy the coming of summer.
Bonnaroo 2019 was absolutely spectacular. One of our favorite sets? Hippo Campus, of course! High energy, amazing lyrics, and a dose of that gorgeous sunlight made this the perfect set!
