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MINUS THE BEAR

by Juliet Cangelosi

Fairly or unfairly, there is an implied expectation that musicians will reinvent themselves at every turn in their career. This must be done in such a way that stays true to the essence of the artist that won their fans over in the first place yet still pushes their sound forward in a new direction. It’s a difficult line to walk for a veteran group like Minus the Bear and, while daunting, it hasn’t stopped them. Their latest album VOIDS is textured with intricate rhythms and instrumentation that maintain the band’s math rock signature. It feels less urgent than the last, possibly indicative of where the bandmates (now in their forties and on their sixth studio album) are at in the arc of their lives and careers. After the recent departure of longtime drummer Erin Tate and a significant label switch, Minus the Bear has ushered in a new chapter marked by both dance and contemplation. 

5:30-6:15 PM
Radicals Stage

DINOSAUR JR.

by Brian Furman
photo by Levi Walton

Dinosaur Jr. needs no introduction. But here’s one anyway. The legendary Massachusetts band comprised of guitarist/vocalist J Mascis, bassist/vocalist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph take screeching feedback and noise and stuff them into spiky, bite-size, pop record croissants. Dinosaur Jr. helped fuel the change in the mainstream rock sound during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with now-classic albums You’re Living All Over Me, Green Mind, and Where You Been. They transcended to mainstream success during the rise of the Seattle bands, of which many cited Dino Jr. as a juggernaut of inspiration. Mascis’s distinct gravel growl and curdling falsetto is as pungent and oily as his wailing guitar, paired perfectly with Barlow’s slinking bass lines and arsenic wit. The band went on hiatus in 1997 only to reform in 2005 with the original members in tow, releasing four critically acclaimed records with plenty of mind-blowing reunion shows peppered in along the way.

6:35-7:35 PM
Riot Stage

M.I.A.

by Juliet Cangelosi

It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since the alarmingly rhythmic potential of M.I.A. was introduced to the world via Maya Arulpragasam’s breakout hit “Paper Planes”. Since the start of her career, M.I.A. has consistently woken the world up through art that pushes boundaries. Most recently she accomplished this feat through the release of her “Borders” music video, repeating the question many are asking of the refugee crisis (and myriad other problems with our world today): “What’s up with that?” Starting out as a visual artist and filmmaker, her videos always suggest cultural commentary and run like short films. The role that activism plays in her music has highlighted her media profile as a powerful voice, as an interview with M.I.A. about music is inextricably a conversation about politics. The result is a sound that fuses world music and hip hop, intertwined with the frothing zeitgeist of the 21th century.

7:40-8:40 PM
Rise Stage

PROPHETS OF RAGE

by Daniella Thompson
photo by Travis Shinn

The current single from prophetically timely 6-piece supergroup Prophets of Rage, “Unfuck The World”, could not be more direct in its affiliation with the current political state of emergency in which we now exist. Yet anthemic chants of “one nation, unification” are not a rousing call to arms, but rather an honest plea to everyone to simply come together in the name of our common humanity. We’ve come to expect nothing less than the blatant truth from Prophets, with their name stemming from the Public Enemy song of the same name. Formed in early 2016, the raging rap-rock crew includes members of Audioslave, Cypress Hill and Public Enemy. During recent shows, they’ve tastefully acknowledged the recent passing of former Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell by performing well-received tributes to the singer. Their hotly anticipated debut album will be released just in time for Riot Fest, with the self-titled record dropping on September 15.

7:40-8:40 PM
Roots Stage

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