Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day one!




I'm not gonna lie, I saw Yeasayer on the verge of their last release sometime around South By two years ago, and I wasn't that impressed. Honesty's a bitter pill kids, but regret tastes even more pungent. Anything I said back then, I'm just gonna go ahead and redact and would like to remind you that the person less than impressed by this band back then kept saying their name wrong. Rather than having me leave their set with an apathetic and bored "Yeeaah(sayer)" Yeasayer's got my attention again and definitely had me thinking "Yay!(sayer)" come the close of their set. Covered in a bluish-purple haze of light, Yeasayer performed on a stage of psychedelics that brought their set to an even more fitting state of sway. There's an odd mix to Yeasayer, in both their music and stage presence. On one hand, you're nestled in a sound that's so easy to cradle yourself into, and on the other, you're possessed by a sense of disorientation. Physically, you're nestled nice and warm; mentally, you've just eaten what you thought was a normal mushroom and are now power-swaying to the smell of incense and peppermints. They just want you to turn on that blacklight and have some fun - Yeasayer's a trip, and you should have some.

Various songs from Yeasayer (all songs are right click - save as):
Ambling Alp
Wait for the Summer

Learn more about the band at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective