Jackson Free Press

After my last post yesterday, I skipped the coffee and headed straight downtown. Asobi Seksu was playing in a narrow, but thankfully shaded courtyard, and after waiting patiently at the bar door next to the stage, I found a spot only a couple of feet from the band.

Though I normally consider them a pop band, Asobi Seksu amped up the rock for the festival. Lead singer and keyboard player, Yuki Chikudate has a smooth, sweet voice, and her frequent high notes sound like a beautiful lullaby. As she played she rocked her head and torso back to the beat, and each time she came up her loosely curled, long black hair stuck to her face for the duration of each song. The lanky bassist with his fro of loose curls and the slacker dressed lead guitar player bent into their shoegaze rock with equal passion. The band just released a new album, "Hush," which judging from the live tracks, is a bit poppier than earlier albums, but still equally lush and feedback rich.

After determining that Maggie Mae's was too crowded for Rachel Ray's free mojitos and jalapeno mac and cheese, I headed to Waterloo Park for Mess with Texas. I arrived in the middle of a set by Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down. Nguyen was dressed for maximum movement in a lightweight blue wrap dress, her angled bangs flat against her forehead and the rest of her hair pulled back casually in a knot. I'd heard a few songs of Thao's before, but her unique blend of pop and alt-country worked well in the outdoor field. Nyugen has a breathy twang, which reminds me of a more rock-oriented Cat Power. As she played her syncopated licks, she swung her head and torso up and down as she shuffle-skipped across most of the stage with her beautiful but massive guitar. I only saw a few songs, but I will definitely check them out next time they are in town.

I wandered around the park for the next hour, stumbling onto both a death metal set and The Thermals again (who are actually from Portland, not Ireland, as it may have seemed in an earlier post.) then headed home for a quick rest. Some friends from my hometown of Columbus (MS) were playing at Darwin's pub. The pub had a great crowd and Come on, go with us played a rousing show of country-rock. They are based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, so keep an eye out for upcoming Mississippi shows.

After seeing my friends, I headed to Mohawk to see if I could get in their night show to see LA based Health. I got there an hour and a half before they played, so I had no trouble getting in. I found a spot on the patio near the Green Room and had a great view for Mae Shi as well as Health. Mae shi, who also live in Los Angeles, delivered with a set of manic punk music that was over soon after it began (possibly under thirty minutes).

I'd been impressed by videos I'd seen of Health live, and they definitely delivered one of my favorite shows of the festival. Their dissonant noise rock marries punk and metal with.. As they played, the band thrashed around in abrupt violence, a perfect visual counterpoint to the intense but rhythmic jolts of the music. Midway through the set, I went downstairs for a change of vibe, and enjoyed the energy of the crowd (including Asobi Seksu's bassist) who were rocking along just as violently as the band. After Health finished, I headed home for the last time, capping the end to an intense and exciting festival that's worth the week-long recovery period I'm anticipating.