It was a dreary rainy Sunday for day 2 of Field Trip but that most certainly did not stop ANYONE from having an amazing time. The lineup for day 2 was stacked. At the top of that lineup was Yeah Yeah Yeahs, returning to Toronto for the first time in a few years. So let’s start with them.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are awesome live and nothing you say can convince me otherwise. Karen O is a certified rock star that is maybe the most captivating person to watch on the stage to have emerged in the past twenty years. Dressed like a cross between the coolest Doctor Who or the fanciest luchadore, Karen O just put on a fantastic show. She’s got the rock pose down pat, her growls and dancing during the song energizes the crowd and just the way she will put one leg on the monitor, lean forward and urges you. You know you have the right captain. That’s not saying Brian or Nick Zinner didn’t do a terrifc job, they were equally great of course, but just not as mesmerizing.
It’s also great that the songs have aged very well. Not a single song of theirs sounds dated, even “Sacrilege,” a single off the mostly ignored fourth album, sounded strangely in place besides all the hits. “Zero,” “Heads Will Roll” and “Gold Lion” all got people moving. Then there was “Maps.” An absolutely beautiful track that had the entire festival crowd silent and singing along.
Set closers “Cheated Heart” and “Date With the Night” left the crowd all worked up, although if there’s one minor gripe, it’s that the part in “Cheated Hearts” where Karen O goes into the crowd and gets each person in the front to sing got a bit long (she did this the last show too). A minor complaint for what was otherwise an amazing show. Maybe the best headliner ever at Field Trip.
Allan Rayman
Not entirely sure who he is, or how he got the closing slot on the small stage, but apparently Allan Rayman is a mysterious singer from Toronto who looked like a cross between Jared Leto and Father John Misty. Moving around the stage in a half drunken manner (although that’s probably how he moved) Allan Rayman sang some stellar r&b tunes to a crowd that was really into his music. I’m not sure how I feel about his raspy voice but the man’s got a presence on stage and that goes a long way.
Alvvays
Alvvays are a perfectly fine band. They have put out two amazing records and I’ve seen them a few times live now but as of right now, their shows are just okay. I guess it’s a byproduct of their music, which has that soft dreamy pop like sound, but also has a very limited range in terms of tempo. They just don’t do that much on stage and with two albums sounding somewhat similar the music kind of blends together after forty or so minutes. Still, I loved their second album and hearing “Dreams Tonight” live was a treat. I do wish it was sunny and warm outside for their set, as that is the perfect environment to hear them live.
Cuco
My favorite discovery from Field Trip, Cuco plays this kind of stoner synth experimental slacker rock-rap music that’s hard to describe. Just 19, the band shows a wide range of musical influence in their music. I think if Animal Collective grew up in 2010 in Southern California and had a bunch of diversity, they would make this type of music. Even though they were somewhat all over the place, it all worked magically well. I’m definitely checking them out in the future.
Allie X
One of my favorite underrated pop acts to emerge recently, Allie X gets the award for putting the most effort despite having a early time slot. The singer dressed like a star and played songs new and old to a mostly appreciative crowd. Songs like “Casanova” had people moving and it was a great way to start off the day.
All in all, a fun day in the rain.
