It was supposed to rain on Sunday. I was considering not going to Field Trip but then i was like, YOLO and went to Canadian Tire and bought some ponchos to prepare for Armageddon. Instead, I got a nice sunny (but slightly chilly) day and some music. Here are some thoughts regarding Sunday’s acts.

LP
Kicking off my Sunday afternoon, LP drew a large crowd to the Fort York stage most probably on the strength of her single “Lost on You.” Those who went to Field Trip early on Sunday were treated to a powerful vocal performance from LP, whose powerful unique voice had everyone in awe. LP can really really sing. It’s like, some people have one really good skill, like Steph Curry and 3 pointers – this is LP and singing. It feels like she’s naturally meant for the stage. Her music had your typical LA blues-rock vibe and perhaps a more poppy (or electro) approach might utilize her voice better and get bigger hits, but LP, between all the jokes with the crowd and her easy going demeanour, seems pretty comfortable. A great way to start out Sunday.

Oh yeah, there was a funny part when LP wanted the crowd to sing along to a part of the song, but the crowd did not know this and so it all went silent for a very awkward five seconds before the crowd realized they were supposed to sing.

Thundercat
Essentially a one hour free jam session of blistering jazz percussion and guitar, Thundercat’s show was intense but didn’t do a whole lot for me. Some kid started crying because of all the noise and so the parent had to leave mid-set. Thundercat had a wicked Mike Piazza jersey and was easily the most colorful person, just look at this outfit:

James Vincent McMorrow
“Life is short but it’s also long” – James Vincent McMorrow with the quote of the night. A gentle man with a gentle voice, his set was disrupted by one of the most annoying things about music festivals:

INDIE 88 BEACH BALL
No one likes the fuckin’ beach ball, I don’t know why Indie 88 keeps on sending staff members to throw these gigantic sized beach balls into the crowd. This and their insistence on high fiving people is really starting to get on my nerves. We get it, you have an aggressively happy brand. The thing is, beach balls are annoying because no one wants to get hit in the head with the ball. So basically as soon as it comes even remotely close, you are on edge, determining if you need to participate, and by participate, I mean, defend yourself. You get distracted and stop paying attention to the ball. Then you get annoyed because you got distracted but you can’t get too annoyed because you still have to focus on the ball. Anyways, stop doing this stupid shit Indie 88.

Feist
Wearing the same dress she wore for the Pleasures album cover and also her show at trinity church, Leslie Feist serenaded us into the evening with songs new and old. While hardcore fans of hers might have appreciated some deeper cuts, Feist stuck to a festival style set-list which included early crowd pleasers such as “Mushaboom,” “1-2-3-4,” and “My Moon My Man.” I was crushed when the man coming out to the stage to do the spoken word part for the song “Century”  was not Jarvis Cocker, but Torquil Campbell. That’s like replacing a Porsche with a Chevy Impala.

Phoenix
Vanessa Williams once said “Save the best for last” and that theory definitely rang true for Field Trip. Phoenix played the best set of the weekend and added some rock star panache to the festival. I love all those Canadian bands and stuff, but they just don’t have that swagger that makes you feel like you are at a true rock show. Phoenix, with their overly complicated ground and mirror lighting system, just made you feel like “damn, I’m at a festival!”. Bathed in technicolor projections, the French group took an otherwise placid night and transformed Fort York into one gigantic dance floor with a hits filled set. New tracks like “Ti Amo” and “J Boy” mixed well with classics like “Lisztomania.” “1901” set everyone into a frenzy and honestly, after a day of nice, gentle music, we were ready to rock and Phoenix just delivered on our needs. For that, I am forever grateful.

Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

All pictures by Elisabeth Isles (From Devonshire, England). Have a safe flight back!

Oh yeah, a funny part was Phoenix thanking Feist for playing and saying it was pretty funny because Feist also opened for them ten years ago. PROGRESS! Haha.