What to pack:
Depending on the festival type, you’ll either be camping or heading home to a bed/couch each evening. In either case, you’ll want to pack light, yet comfortable. Most festivals being in the summer allow for t-shirts and shorts to dominate your festival wardrobe. I personally recommend some serious headgear. Hippies, cowboys and Jews all agree, covering your dome is crucial in that scorching heat.

Snacks. You’ll be traversing up and down amphitheater stairs till you’re content with watching Girl Talk on your back under a tree. The body needs fuel and those $8 gyros aren’t going to cut it. I’m a huge fan of the Nature Valley line of health bars. They’re everything you need and nothing you don’t. A couple fistful of these bad boys and you’ll be out-dancing even the most colorful hipsters at Thunderheist.

Shades. No point in being at the festival if you can’t see wtf is going on. Blu-Blockers, they’re hip.

Shoes. Skip the sandals people. A) Festival feet are gross. B) You’ll be walking at least a couple miles in the heat from 2-12 at night, not including the multiple dance parties you’ll be partaking in. C) Festival feet are really, really gross. If the hippie in you is dying to air out, just take those kicks off and waft around a bit. Ever try to walk 10 ft. with a busted flip-flop. Epic fail.

Homework. Festivals are the Barcardi 151′s of the music scene, best bang for your buck and you’ll have no recollection of what the hell happened come Monday morning. Hundreds of artists all packed in a couple of days for you weekend warriors looking to get loose. Do your homework. Load up your ipods, zunes, izunes, and zunepods with upcoming shows and give those artists at the bottom of the line-up page a listen. Their grueling 1pm afternoon set might be the show of the weekend.

Memory machines. Show off to all your friends Monday morning by updating your wickedly cool profile pictures. Whether you’re a pro photographer or just a top-seeded amateur, chances are if you had a good time, you won’t remember much. Forget the fancy gizmo-porn. Just take copious amounts of photos. Flickr doesn’t care if you use your iphone or a disposable camera (yes, they still make these), great shots are made from great opportunities. Think Monotonix.

Punctuality is key. Get a schedule. Print it out. Download it to your phone. Memorize it. Pneumonic device it. Whatever. No excuses. I’d hate for you to miss Deer Tick because you were too busy hover-squatting in the portapotty on the other side of the festival.

Now the trick it to stay focused the rest of the week at work. Fake excel window anyone?

The Montonix

Do not put hands near Ami Shalev

As we witnessed first hand at Sasquatch, The Monotonix are a hairy, sweaty punch to your musical solar plexus. Their latest U.S. release, Where Were You When It Happened, couldn’t be a more appropriate description of their music: heavy, droning rock chords and banging drums that verge on the simplistic, but that tap into the cave grunt dwelling within us all, manifested perfectly in their chaos-driven live shows. They don’t play venues – they are a venue unto themselves. Lead singer Ami Shalev uses anything around him as prop or launching pad as he rants incoherent Hebrew or English, with guitarist Yonatan Gat and drummer Haggai Fershtman constantly remaking what defines a stage. How they’ll transform the Red Rocks Amphitheater to their own circus is yet to be seen, but it will no doubt decide the age old battle of “Man v. Geology”.

I fear for the venue they’re playing on their Denton tour stop, Rubber Gloves. The thought of these wild men in an enclosed space both titillates and disturbs me. Dallas people, I implore you all – if you can’t catch them at Monolith, don’t miss them when they hit Denton!

Man sweat. Yelling. Fists. Mustaches. Tasty riffs. That is all.

The Mars Volta

The Mars Volta

I think no other band I’m aware of has been described as being “an acquired taste” more than these El Paso natives. The vast majority of first time experiences with the group result in confused stares or outright rejection, which (ashamedly) includes the reaction I first had upon hearing one of their more recognizable songs, “Inertiatic Esp”. I remember the feeling, “I like all of the influences here, but I’m not getting the sum of their parts”. Radio rock it ain’t: their thick, heady mixture of metal, psychedelic rock, punk, and Hispanic balladry takes time to dissect, but it’s well worth the wait. Once smitten, you’ll easily find yourself yearning for their renowned live performances, which naturally seem a better forum for their experimental sound and passionate lyrics. I imagine the crimson hues and cavernous setting of Red Rocks will add an especially dramatic edge to this set.

MSTRKRFT

MSTRKRFT

Next to my high anticipation for Chromeo, I’m eagerly awaiting the dance pit that MSTRKRFT is sure to generate. This bass laden electronic duo mashes other dance hits and hip hop into a mix that easily evokes Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock” or Justice’s anything. While Chromeo may have the upper hand in terms of lyricism and melody, I predict MSTRKRFT will be the show to turn MONOTLITH into a scene creepily reminiscent of Zion’s cave dance hall from The Matrix 2, with less suck.

A healthy mixture of both excitement and anticipation are conjuring here at MeVs HQ for upcoming extravaganza Monolith Festival September 12-13 at nearby Red Rocks Amphitheater – arguably the best live music venue in America. Here’s a little look ahead at what’s in store:

Chromeo: a Montreal based electrofunk duo whose music can only be described as ” a guilty trip back to the eighties with a splash of contemporary gangsta”. Their obvious command of style coupled with Dave 1′s infectious smile makes even my tummy fill with butterflies. Our last encounter with this dynamic duo left me drenched, drained and yearning for more. Rumor has it they’re releasing a new album this summer. Can we expect even more fancier footwork?

Doom: Daniel Dumile will light up the stage with his complex lyrics and head swaying beats. Formally known as MF Doom, his collaborative project with Dj Danger Mouse in 2005 The Mouse and the Mask won me over during my late night adult swim college days. Doom excels in collaborate efforts including: Ghostface Killah, producer Madlib, and aforementioned Dj Danger Mouse under the guise of Marvel super-villain Dr. Doom. His lyrics are clever, well executed and at times, quite comical. (I like the ones that reference comic characters) In a world where repetitive beats and samples rule the radio, it’s good to hear some refreshing rhymes and attempts at story telling past bitches, 40′s, and stanky legs. They say he’s never been photographed without his mask…Hi, my name is Glowjangles, this is my zoom lens.

More previews coming soon!

MONOLITH Music Festival 2009

After much anticipation, MeVersus is happy to announce that we’ll be heading to the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre to cover the MONOLITH Music Festival the weekend of September 12-13.

Among the artists appearing will be MeVersus stalwarts Of Montreal, Girl Talk, and Chromeo. Don’t be afraid to gawk at the rest of the lineup though: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Mars Volta, MSTRKRFT, MF DOOM, and Method Man & Redman are just some of the other notables crammed into two solid days. 

And remember those crazy Israelis The Montonix?  They’re making sure this will be a hairy event. 

Stay tuned for preview posts about some of our favorites artists and more leading up to the fest.