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The best of Raleigh’s 15th annual Hopscotch Music Fest
Another Hopscotch is in the books. It’s been 15 years since the music fest staked its claim as one of the most far-ranging fests in the Southeast, and it continues to hold its ground as a must-see for any indie music fan—local to Raleigh or not.
All too often festivals evolve into a mess of airport-level security, mountains of litter and sunbaked Porta Potties. But Hopscotch—after a decade and a half—has stayed humble, avoiding the drama of a large fest while still sporting a rival lineup. It consistently boasts the perfect combination of legacy sets (think Built to Spill, Superchunk and Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and fresher acts destined to be the next big thing (see: Geese, Geordie Greep and Florry). And it’s all right in our backyard.
The festival is built to be a choose-your-own-adventure with staggered acts at the main stages and club shows, but it’s not easy to see it all. Here are our fave moments you may have missed.
Earl Sweatshirt Did Not Care
Earl Sweatshirt had his priorities in order: He strutted on stage, performed some of his recent releases live for the first time, then brought out the happy-go-lucky Charlotte rapper MAVI. And his background visuals reflected this nonchalant mood—a dog with sunglasses on a surfboard was the sole image of the set. “This is my mood board,” he said of the image. “I wanna feel like that.”
Fust or Bust
What’s Hopscotch without a local folk mainstay? Durham-based Fust took a well-deserved main slot on the City Plaza stage Friday and didn’t disappoint with a laid-back set layered with easy-on-the-ears violin. NTM the slow set was a subtle start to a day full of loud alt tunes.
North Carolina! Underwater!
Between 3D Country and Cameron Winter’s solo work, NYC-based Geese has built a big fan base, and the crowd was buzzing at their City Plaza set on Friday. New singles “Taxes” and “Trinidad” riled the crowd up even more, and unheard tastes of their new album (“Au Pays du Cocaine” was otherworldly) left unmatched anticipation for the upcoming release—and hopefully a return to Raleigh soon.
MMJ Are Gods Live
My Morning Jacket has always held a top spot as one of the greatest live rock bands, and on Friday night they proved they are sound in that sentiment. City Plaza’s production upped the ante for the group—the colorful strobe lights were the finishing touch to their jam sesh.
City Plaza Artists Loved Shish Kabob
Forget the Red Hat shimmerwall—artists loved City Plaza’s Shish Kabob sign. The simple name was peak entertainment: Earl Sweatshirt thanked (?) the restaurant for being there, and Geese’s Cameron Winter swore “lightning would strike him down” if the whole crowd didn’t receive Shish Kabob gift cards. What’s a festival without a running bit?
Crumb, Caught in the Rain
Crumb’s music is destined for the dark, and the rain that crashed their Saturday night set at Moore Square added a grounding element to their groggy but calm dreamscape. Dry feet—and equipment—may have made for an easier set, but there was something liberating about live psych-rock in the rain, and the crowd wasn’t mad about getting a little wet.
Club Shows Are Unmatched
Not only is all of Downtown involved—from churches to restaurants—but the music practically never ends, with club sets starting around noon and playing until the early hours of morning. These shows boasted an array of NC artists and beyond—some coming from as far as Cali—and ranged from mosh-worthy to cry-worthy, in the best way (hemlock at Pour House was very much the latter). Hopping club shows was easily worth the late nights.
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