Photo by Frank Yang
As much as they like to tout that the festival brings new music in, this years version of TURF was pretty much a stroll down memory lane for everyone. Even newer acts like Okkervil River have been around for a better part of a decade.
I was pleasantly surprised when Lush, one of the few leftovers from a bygone era that had yet to reunite and cash in on nostalgia, announced their intentions to tour again earlier this year. I was even more pleased when they announced that they were playing TURF. I had already made plans to go to Detroit to see them.
With the Lush logo hanging precariously in the background, a wet and rainy stage welcomed the band. The crowd was a mix of a small group of ecstatic diehard fans and then a much larger group who really just happened to be there.
Maybe I’m biased (I probably am), but the group sounded great, Miki Berenyi’s voice sounded as good as ever. One just needed to hear the opening section of “Light From a Dead Star” (a set highlight) to realize that. When she sounds good, then the rest of Lush just works. Berenyi and Emma Anderson’s guitars weave and dance around the vocals creating a dense layer of sound and that one might lazily characterize as shoegaze.
Through it all, the group kept their charming British humor, commenting frequently about the wet conditions (they claim they brought it from England). A great moment happened when the stagehand went on to mop the stage mid song. That guy’s a hero.
Obviously the biggest receptions came with the groups two biggest hits – “Ladykillers” and “Sweetness and Light.” Reflecting back on “Ladykillers,” it’s amazing how great a pure pop song that is and one might wonder what heights that band might have reached if they had chosen to go in that direction. I was sad they didn’t do “Ciao,” but it’s not like Jarvis Cocker was going to show up. Still, we can all dream a little.