Lineup Announced for Second Hopscotch Music Festival In Raleigh, NC

[Jahfin]

Click on the poster to go to the Hopscotch site for more info.

[Jahfin]

This may be the first time I've seen a band list so extensive and not seen a single band or performer that interests me. Not even J Mascis.

With a few exceptions, I felt the same way about last year's lineup but once it got rolling I was completely into it. By the time Sunday rolled around I hated that it was over and it was all that I could do to cut off my wristband. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to be the same way this year. Plus, it's important to remember that this is not Bonnaroo or Coachella and that the organizers take a very different approach, much more akin to something like SXSW. The folks at the New Raleigh blog do a much better job of explaining this aspect of it than I ever could.

[Jahfin]

Hopscotch has added 14 bands to this year's lineup, they've also posted the schedule.

[Jahfin]

For those headed to Hopscotch this year this is one Day Party you won't want to miss.

[Jahfin]

For anyone attending Hopscotch, the folks at the New Raleigh blog have put together this excellent primer for this years' must-see shows.

[Strider]

Ummm, what happened to ledboots post? Jahfin quotes it but I don't see it anywhere.

Anyway, for those of you still undecided, it's worth going just for the Flaming Lips and Swans alone!

I saw the Flaming Lips earlier this year when they performed their Dark Side of the Moon remake...I presume that is what they'll be playing at Hopscoth, but I could be wrong. Whatever thwy play, Wayne and company are always a fun band to see with lots of visual stimulation happening on stage.

Then there's the "LOUD AS FUCK" band The SWANS! Back from the dead after a long, long hiatus and when I saw their concert earlier this year, they were just as good as I remembered them...something you can't always say with reunions. Of course, it'll be brain-rattling loud! The Swans are up there with My Bloody Valentine, Led Zeppelin, Motorhead, The Who, Manowar, Sunn O))), and Earth as the loudest bands I've ever seen!

Speaking of Earth, who is the brain-surgeon who scheduled Earth to play the same time as The Swans? IDIOTS!

[Jahfin]

Speaking of Earth, who is the brain-surgeon who scheduled Earth to play the same time as The Swans? IDIOTS!

It may not provide a definitive answer but one of the Hopscotch curators, Grayson Currin, addresses this in his entry on the New Raleigh blog I linked to above.

I'm largely unfamiliar with a lot of the bands that are playing so I have a schedule of a few must-sees and what happens from there is anyone's guess. That's usually the best way to go about discovering new bands, by pure happenstance. That's exactly the approach I took last year and I ended up having the time of my life. When it was all over, it was all I could do to cut my wristband off. I just didn't want it to be over.

[Jahfin]

8 Best Moments of Hopscotch

To read this article, click here.

[Strider]

^^^That's nice and all, Jahfin, but don't be so damn coy...what were YOUR impressions of the Festival? I am assuming you went, so give us your favourite Hopscotch moments.

[Jahfin]

^^^That's nice and all, Jahfin, but don't be so damn coy...what were YOUR impressions of the Festival? I am assuming you went, so give us your favourite Hopscotch moments.

Not only did I attend, I co-hosted the Guitartown Party at Sadlack's which is mentioned above. News-14 Carolina showed up during the party and shot a good deal of footage, which can be seen here. Unfortunately, the Raleigh Police Dept. also showed up and shut down the live music happening on the patio until 5 pm. We continued on with live acoustic sets on the inside until 5 when things got back underway on the patio with The Debonzo Brothers. You can watch a clip of one of their tunes here, courtesy of Karen Mann's Mann's World blog (where you can also find complete coverage of all three days of Hopscotch). As the Guitartown Party was winding down, I headed downtown to catch sets from Last Year's Men and Spiderbags at the Lincoln Theatre.

Friday started with Simple Words: The Power of Narrative Songs panel discussion at the Raleigh City Museum with John Vanderslice, James Jackson Toth (of Wooden Wand), Heather McEntire (of Mount Moriah), Dolph Ramseur (of the Ramseur Records label), David Menconi (of the Raleigh News & Observer), Patterson Hood (of the Drive-By Truckers) and Stuart McLamb (of the Love Language). Next up was the Drive-By Truckers' opening set for Guided By Voices at City Plaza. David Menconi wrote up this very nice preview of the Truckers for the N & O which you can read here. I caught a bit of Guided by Voices and then headed to Deep South (the bar) for sets from the Temperance League and Chip Robinson & the Heavy Beat Outfit. From there, it was on to the Berkeley Cafe for Mount Moriah and then back to Deep South for Frontier Ruckus who also treated us to a short set on the street after their show was over inside.

On Saturday morning, I headed straight downtown for a street party held outside of the Lincoln Theatre hosted by the Rosebuds. There, I caught sets by Tonk and the Dynamite Brothers before heading over to The Hive to see The Bright Young Things. Then, it was back to the Lincoln Theatre for a screening of The Secret To A Happy Ending: A Documentary About Drive-By Truckers hosted by filmmaker Barr Weissman who conducted a short Q & A session afterwards. After a brief rest and some grub it was back downtown for Titus Andronicus at Tir na nOg and the Budos Band next door at the Pour House. That same night, the Bud Light Downtown concert series had started back up during the middle of Hopscotch so that meant Sebastian Bach (who had headlined a show there with an opening set from Nantucket) was out on the town.

Sebastian Bach and Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips

That was the end of Hopscotch except for one more day party at Slim's Downtown on Sunday called the Hopscotch Hangover. There, I caught Erica Blinn backed by Terry Anderson's Olympic Ass Kickin' Team and one more set from Chip Robinson & the Heavy Beat Outfit. That was the icing on the Hopscotch cake for me. My only regret was missing Superchunk and the Flaming Lips on Saturday night but there was no way of doing it all unless you wanted to go without food or sleep.

[Jahfin]

[Jahfin]

Couple of more performances from the Guitartown Hopscotch Kick-Off Party at Sadlack's:

[Strider]

Here's some of what you missed by not seeing the Flaming Lips.

[Jahfin]

Here's some of what you missed by not seeing the Flaming Lips.

Thanks, but there was no way in hell I could have made it to every show I wanted to see during Hopscotch (including Flaming Lips) which is both a great part of it's appeal as well as the downside to having so much wonderful music happening downtown all at the same time.