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.
RM chats up Tom Blankenship of MMJ ahead of their Hopscotch Set.
My Morning Jacket has been preaching worn-in rock ’n’ roll for over two decades. Rising from Louisville, Kentucky, in the late ’90s, their music managed to stay rooted in a slight Southern twang while still dipping into the sights and sounds of the rising rock scene. The group seemed to understand what was so compelling about both Drive-By Truckers and Green Day, and were able to stretch themselves to both ends of the spectrum.
Alongside their ten albums, MMJ established themselves as the rock institution to see live. And the proof is evident in various live albums, a 2004 Bonnaroo performance so iconic it’s still celebrated, and even a cameo from muppet and drumming icon Animal. So, Raleigh was rightfully buzzing when Hopscotch dropped its highly anticipated lineup and the MMJ name shone front and center as Friday’s headliner.
It won’t be the five-piece’s first time in Raleigh: According to bassist Tom Blankenship’s list of live shows—which he has kept since they began touring in ’99, ~1,100 shows ago—they’ve graced the city three times. “Traveling can feel like work, but actually playing songs and hanging out with the guys never loses its charm,” he muses.
Hopscotch lands just a month out from the 20th anniversary of Z, a record which Blankenship described as a turning point for MMJ—as coming and going band members lent to a change in sound. “From the opening track, it was definitely a departure from what we had done musically,” he affirms. “At the time, I don’t think we really thought of it as taking a risk, but we were just excited to be working on new music.”
In the two decades since, their sound has (naturally) taken some twists and turns, but even their newest record, Is, echoes back to the scope of their early days. Produced by Brendan O’Brien,who cemented his name working with the likes of Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, the more-focused-than-usual album gives just a taste of the group’s live sphere. “Brendan trimmed the fat off of all of them—‘Squid Ink’ was two or three times longer than the album version,” says Blankenship.
But holding up to their live show legacy, the trimmings were saved and the group plans to play all the songs in full live. For MMJ, albums come second: Most of their discography was played at shows for years before it was ever released. Read: “One Big Holiday” was played live for three years before it ever saw the light of the studio.
And like any good fest setlist, MMJ’s Hopscotch performance will cater to fans of all capacities. “We joke that it’s a greatest hits set,” quips Blankenship. “We don’t necessarily have any radio hits, but [we play] songs like ‘Wordless Chorus’ that we know resonate with folks who aren’t super familiar with us.” Rest assured, deep cuts—which Blankenship refers to as “nuggets”—are still sprinkled in for the longtime MMJers. All in all, their headlining set will certainly be worth a listen. hopscotchmusicfest.com; mymorningjacket.com
RM chats with psych-rock band Crumb ahead of Hopscotch.
Laid-back but never mundane, dreamy but more than just a backdrop—Brooklyn-based band Crumb’s music is everything all at once: nonchalant, unnerving and transient.
“Everything is an influence—probably subconsciously, definitely not consciously,” maintains lead vocalist Lila Ramani. To boot, a little bit of everything is sprinkled throughout their discography—from jazz to psych to shoegaze.
Crumb is set to bring their sparkly dreamscape to Raleigh as a headliner at Hopscotch, closing out the DTR fest on Saturday at Moore Square—one of their only two shows scheduled for the remainder of the year. “We’re focusing more on writing this fall, so no big-time touring,” says Ramani, also noting this will be the first time the band has played in Raleigh in years. Many of the group’s past local gigs were before they got their bearings in the industry—think house shows and smaller venues like Local 506.
Now, Crumb stands on various singles, one EP, three albums and millions of listeners. And their many fans aren’t ones to get a full eight hours of shut-eye: A common time to revel in the quiet, waterlogged melodies is in the dark, when the rest of the world is quiet too.
“I feel like it can be any time of day, but I definitely think a solitary kind of listening makes sense, or a laid-back environment,” emphasizes Ramani. There’s a time and a place for their haze—and “it’s definitely not for the club,” she notes.
But, when performing live, the band translates their hypnotic ballads to be more energetic and upbeat than the recordings. “Our live shows are different, or that’s at least what people have told us—that it’s much more.” Ramani told RM. More upbeat songs—like Balloon, which has a more disco-y feel—usually make the setlist.
Many of the band’s songs from early EPs and albums also make the cut, though Ramani notes the performance behind them feels different than the rendering of a more recent track. “People love them so much, and that’s amazing, but it feels the most removed from where we are now,” she says. “It’s been almost ten years.”
Haoyan of America
The four-piece’s groggy, gaze-y sound has stood its ground from album to album, and on their most recent record, Amama, Crumb appeared to lean even more into their surreal, blissed-out noise with even less vocals than previous albums. “It’s hard to tell from the outside, but I don’t think we had that in mind going into it,” Ramani muses. “Vocals are just another instrument.”
And while that instrument leans more muted on certain tracks, it’s hard to generalize the whole album, she adds. “The lyrics pop a lot more,” and certain songs still spotlight their underwater-sounding winding scripts. Despite both Crumb’s reach and palette expanding in Amama, their songwriting process has remained more or less the same. “In general, it’s been mostly the same thing, and looking forward, we might try to change it up a little more since it’s been so long,” says the vocalist.
In short, Moore Square is set to sparkle with dreamy jazz-psych paired with transient thoughts, making reveling in Crumb’s sound a no-brainer. crumbtheband.com; hopscotchmusicfest.com
Time to tap in. Uberpopular breweryBond Brothers‘ new taproom in Salvage Yard, across the street from Raleigh Iron Works, is anticipated to open in September. Dubbed NOCO—or No Company—the fresh concept represents owner-brothers Jeremy and Jay Bond’s commitment to creating an inclusive community space for all to enjoy, adding to their growing list of Triangle venues.
“The vision and scope of the Salvage Yard project is impressive,” the pair says. “To be included in this is extremely exciting. We look forward to bringing what we know and love to this new destination.”
Per the release, the taproom concept will feature a wide selection of craft beer brewed on-site, plus coffee, tea, craft cocktails, wine, and a light food menu focused on locally sourced goods and sandwiches. The space will offer over 6,000 square feet of indoor space for brewing and seating, along with ample outdoor seating ops. Greenery will be a highlight throughout the space and will leverage their existing music venue location, Bond Brothers Eastside, to bring live music and concert series to the district.
“We are excited to have NOCO join Salvage Yard alongside Triangle Rock Club,” says Grubb Ventures Director of Leasing McKenzie Wilson. “We think their creativity and commitment to engaging the community makes them a natural fit in the entertainment district we’re creating.”
Life is all about balance. And studies show that grabbing a paddle is not only a serene and picturesque way to be one with the outdoors (can we get an “om, yeah” for all the paddleboard yogis?!), but it boasts a slew of physical and mental benefits—think core strength, stamina, vitamin D, stress relief and joint stability. And the activity’s popularity only continues to swell. … So what are you waiting for? Grab your board for a stand-up time at one of these Raleigh watering holes.
Lake Crabtree County Park Oozing with ops for outdoor enthusiasts, these 520 acres of flood-controlled waters are worth the trip—especially because all rentals (SUPs, kayaks, canoes and pedal boats) are free for up to two hours (!). Just row with it—then take a stroll around the lakeside walking trails, pack a picnic to enjoy by the grassy shores, or try your hand at flying a kite.
William B. Umstead State Park Nestled about 10 miles northwest of DTR, this relaxing retreat with three reservoirs deserves a standing O for its paddling pleasures. To wit, you can turn your outdoor outing into an overnight via equipped camping areas with typical modern amenities.
Lake Johnson Park When in doubt, paddle it out! Launch from this park’s sandy shores for a trip around the 150-acre lake encircled by a scenic walking/bike trail. Reserve paddleboards (and kayaks!) online or at the on-site Waterfront Center.
Lake Wheeler Park Whatever floats your boat… er, board! Take a paddle into history with 650 acres of lake that’s doubled as Raleigh’s and Wake County’s primary water supply since 2010. Featured activities also include trails throughout the park, playgrounds and a sand volleyball court, an accessible fishing dock, and personal boat launches. Rent your SUP board or kayak in advance here.
Lake Raleigh SUP, NC State! Board up to make waves on Centennial Campus if you’re in the mood for a more mellow day out on the lake. The scenic gem is also the perfect picturesque spot for a picnic, casting a line (look out for largemouth bass and catfish), running the greenway or playing a round of disc golf.
