LOLA Festival Day Two

Victoria Park Bandshell

London, ON

on Sep 20 2008

Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack)

09/22/2008 11:47am

I woke up ready for day two of the LOLA Festival feeling rejuvenated in the way that only the Do Make Say Think show the night before was capable of producing, so I packed some snacks and headed back to Victoria Park.

I arrived just as Feuermusik were beginning their set. The experimental jazz outfit from Toronto seemed to be the perfect accompaniment to another gorgeous day sitting in the park, but I quickly grew bored and ventured across the street to get some lunch at the legendary Prince Albert's Diner.

By the time I finished my pierogies, Sandro Perri And Friends were serenading the crowd with ethereal folk music. Perri stood sidestage and strummed his acoustic guitar ever so gently while his friends added some sonic texture on keyboards and pedals. A little audience interaction would have been pleasant, but the combination of soothing tunes and perfect weather kept me in high spirits.

Continuing the folk trend was Toronto's Laura Barrett. Her quirky smile matched her quirky lyrics (like the especially odd "Robot Ponies," which was, as you probably guessed, about robot ponies). Her minimalist songs had a nursery rhyme quality to them, and the audience seemed to recognize it as they sat cross-legged in front of the stage as if it was story time in a kindergarten classroom.

Next up were The Hylozoists, who've played at all three installments of LOLA. This Toronto ensemble are one of the few bands that can rock out on a vibraphone and still make it look cool. In fact, the vibes (manned by group leader Paul Aucoin) are the central component of their songs, and the swirling melodies and symphonic crashes that develop are shockingly lush considering that most children are given a xylophone (brother to the vibraphone) to bang on. Their climactic closing song even featured Aucoin delivering a vocal performance that added a whole new dynamic to The Hylozoists' already vivacious sound.

With the sun beginning to set, it was time for Off The International Radar to take the stage. Like The Drift the night before, this Toronto trio delivered a healthy dose of atmospheric noise that was met with little enthusiasm from the audience. The rambling ebb and flow of the music conjured up images of alpine sports being performed in slow motion, which was nearly unbearable as anticipation continued to build for the night's headliners.

As darkness spread over the audience, the anxious murmuring made it clear that many of the festival-goers were there to see Montreal's Plants And Animals. The Polaris Music Prize-nominated trio lived up to the hype, rocking the crowd with a whole-hearted performance dominated by the musical gems of their recent Parc Avenue release. Frontman Warren Spicer sang with resounding intensity, while Nic Basque kept energy levels high as he (and his large, bouncy hair) hopped manically from guitar to bass to keyboards. Perhaps the most charming thing about Plants And Animals' performance was the smiles donned by all three members in between songs.

If one Polaris nominee wasn't enough, the next band on the bill were none other than Holy Fuck. The now substantial audience quickly crammed together as the experimental electro quartet burst on to the stage, hyped up on the uproarious "Fuck" chant that was surely offending parents and young children four blocks away.

A wild dance party promptly ensued as Casio-driven noise poured from the speakers with bass-heavy vigour and enough energy to start a car battery. Before long, the press pit was completely filled with fans who exercised precious little regard for the barricades or security guards patrolling them. By the time the band returned for their encore, sweat was pouring from the faces of all those around me, despite the chilly evening air. Without a doubt, this is a band you must see live. If you think their albums are chaotic, then you ain't heard nothing yet. After having the shit kicked out of me, both aurally and physically, I definitely realized Holy Fuck are fully deserving of such an abrasive moniker.

As the third installment of LOLA Fest came to a close, I couldn't help but feel a sense of parental pride when thinking about how the festival has matured in front of my eyes. There's no telling where LOLA Fest 2009 will take us, but one thing's for certain: you're going to want to check it out before this baby gets all grown up.