Treefort 2016 Day 2 Recap: Good Performances, Shaky Etiquette
Treefort Music Fest
March 23-27, 2016
Boise, Idaho
By Marcus Shriver
With a few bands getting stuck in the snow in Colorado, the Treefort Music Fest schedule was a bit wily on Thursday, March 24, but it didn’t disappoint.
We started out watching Honduras at the El Korah Shrine, a decently-sized gym inside of a Shriner’s center. The band, sporting shirts with ripped off sleeves, could have easily been mistaken for Joyce Manor, but they sounded like a more energetic and uptempo Parquet Courts. This isn’t a surprise considering Parquet Courts produced their debut Rituals. The Brooklyn band’s live show was fantastic as well, featuring a full experience of repetitive guitar and monotone singing that seemed blasé and vacant yet still incredibly engaging.
Next was Wax Idols. Fronted by powerful dominatrix Heather Fortune, the Oakland/LA band sent us all down a Gothic road of emotions and Cure-like sounds. They performed with a more powerful energy than I’ve heard from them on record, both the music and the aesthetic, and Fortune’s confidence and dominance overshadowed her awkward dance moves. I was a little bummed that they forgot who was playing afterwards; common etiquette is to announce the band playing after you.
Though Wax Idols didn’t know who played after them, the crowd sure did. Starting off their set with a loud “Que pasa, Boise?” Hinds captured everyone’s attention from the moment they heard those charming Spanish accents and witnessed the raw, fun awesomeness of the Madrid-based group’s guitar-work and singing. Most of the attention goes to the two lead singers, as they both have protruding personalities, but the bassist and drummer create foundation of Hinds’ sound. “Garden” may have been one of the best live songs I’ve heard in the past few years… and it seemed like the rest of the crowd agreed.
Lastly, I was FINALLY able to catch the elusive Thee Oh Sees. Somehow this band had always slipped through my fingers, but seeing them after four years of trying and always being late to get a ticket, it was worth it. With two drummers positioned front and center and some of hardest rocking guitar I’ve ever heard, their performance was danceable, head-bangable, and everything in between. This is a “no bullshit” band that get right to rocking and continue rocking your face, your shoes, and your eyes off for 90 minutes.
Dilemmas: A 2016 Treefort Music Fest Preview
Interview: A Short, Sugary Taste of Tangerine Before Treefort