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A slow start to McDowell Mountain Music Festival was no match for the powerful performances that would make for a weekend to remember. Taking over the Margaret T. Hance Park from March 11 to 13, the festival completely opened my eyes to the brilliance of many musicians.
The Avett Brothers took home the gold, after being preceded by many artists who shone. While amazing local selections were made, this year differed from the last as national musicians brought their experience and techniques to the table, and did not allow local artists to outshine their big names.
Day 1
The Friday acts were oddly matched, forcing strange transitions between electric pop and punk-based rock. It took some time for M3F to truly feel like one of Phoenix’s biggest music festivals, especially with enjoyable, yet lackluster opening performances.
When MS MR came on, a party finally started. Wearing jumpsuits featuring farm animals and bright colors, the duo gave a reason for intrigue before launching into an edgy, enthusiastic set that displayed confidence and chemistry.
Soon, I found Animal Collective to be the biggest disappointment of M3F. With loads of anticipation built up for the group, it was unfortunate that the band relied on graphics to excite, providing little movement and virtually no interaction with the audience.
Luckily, Big Wild contrasted with engaging energy on the second stage, even as a one-man act. Especially during remixes of rap music, he differed from other electronic artists with constant movement and whistling.
Beck was definitely a good investment for M3F. He performed as a headliner should, opening with “Devils Haircut” and looking like a rock star. Beck soon entered into one of the best parts of his set, with a rendition of “Gamma Ray” that completely enhanced my opinion of him, which stuck through the rest of his exciting show.
Day 2
Saturday opened with the weekend’s best Phoenix-based main stage performances: Harper and the Moths and The Haymarket Squares. The first band was one of the only openers that truly used the expanse of the stage, with vocalist Harper Lines stepping offstage to work the M3F early birds, while the latter group directed attention toward it with amazing vocals and new tunes to match audience favorite “Gateway Drug.”
Still, the second stage topped the main stage performances on March 12, especially with Kid Cudi failing to deliver amazing vocals and a truly electric headlining show. The Main Squeeze drew a huge crowd as each musician gave solos and performed catchy songs like “Dr. Funk.”
My favorite act of the day was St. Lucia by far. Each band member was a true entertainer, providing main stage energy despite their second stage stance. They stole the show, with perfectly pitched Jean-Philip Grobler leading sing-alongs of “Closer Than This” and “Physical,” even entering the crowd for “Love Somebody.” Band members Patti Beranek and Nick Paul constantly excited with movement and expression, up to the golden performance of “Elevate,” which had the audience jumping, dancing and cheering.
Porter Robinson was the only outstandingly magnificent main stage musician. His beautiful graphics made for a show that literally had audience members in tears, behind Porter Robinson surgical masks. I was awe-struck from his performance of “Sad Machine” to “Divinity,” as he smoothly transitioned between upbeat songs and transcendental tunes.
Day 3
M3F wouldn’t have been as remarkable as it was if The Avett Brothers weren’t set to round up the weekend, bringing the best performance of the fest. With new music to share off their upcoming June LP “True Sadness,” along with a mixture of high-spirited and emotional songs, the band brought more variety than any act preceding it.
After kicking off their set with “Laundry Room” and “I Killed Sally’s Lover,” the group transitioned into a new song that deserves the spotlight: “Ain’t No Man.” While new to the audience’s ears, the catchy song brought an upbeat, danceable vibe. Sung with a minimal amount of instruments, the song was led by beats clapped by the audience, maximizing the tangibility of the band’s music and showing off the brothers’ vocals.
Following many displays of instrumental prowess, seamless transitions between hit singles and Scott Avett’s riveting, emotional “Murder in the City” performance, a perfect encore was given. A powerful rendition of their new LP’s title song and “Talk on Indolence” were sung, but rather than singing the last note of M3F themselves, The Avett Brothers allowed the audience to end the night singing three words that became hard to say: “I and Love and You.”
Though The Avett Brothers were tremendous, all the Sunday acts flowed together, unlike the Friday acts, for an outstanding day of music. Main stage acts consistently delivered, from Kaleo bringing a top-notch, attention-catching vocalist (and an Icelandic song) to the stage to Bird Dog providing the day’s best harmonies. Gary Clark Jr. acted as a true rock hero, with immense guitar skills and a powerful, gritty voice, contrasting with the entertaining, bouncing-off-the-walls energy of The Oh Hellos.
On the second stage, firekid was impressive, with an entertaining, interactive performance to complement the talented vocalist’s fast-flying fingers on the guitar, the use of a Game Boy as an instrument and more.
Some lessons to take away? The McDowell Mountain Music Festival should continue to ditch the jam bands in exchange for an epic Sunday lineup, and start ditching the continuously ignored Freezone stage (held outside of the event boundaries) next year.
Contact the columnist at Emily.Liu@asu.edu
