There are many things that can be said about Treefort that are testament to the amazingness of this festival. Every single band will tell you that they love Boise, the feeling of Treefort, and the attendees. I have heard it from every band for years. Ask any out of town band and they will tell you that the nicest people they have ever met is the Treefort crowd.
No doubt, Treefort is a top five US music festival. I think it’s number one.
Being totally exhausted, I’ll keep this short. Yep. I am super fun but getting super old. I’m not even going to edit this thing or bother uploading the pictures not upload to my iCloud account yet.
Saturday was spent as a tool around day. Meeting with and watching a few bands yet to be reviewed was the highlight and majority of the day. The “I’m beat” Sunday plan was a few great acts and home. Every act today was way more than I could have imagined, with the final two beyond incredible. There will be video.
This was probably the last real event for a while before we go back into another lonely and isolated winter. Unfortunately, the amazing, socially responsible crowd isn’t mimicked by almost half of our population. Every band commented. They were so happy to play and had written so much faced with last winter’s inactivity, most sad. Repeatedly, bands thanked the crowd for vaccinating and masking up but the actions of the selfish in the US might once again sideline these acts. For many that depend on touring for their income, it is tragic.
The start, and majority, of this last day was spent at the little Hideout stage. Freakout Records, had the stage for the day to present their amazing acts out of Seattle.
Getting there about 3.30 gave just enough time to watch The Seshon on the main stage. The Seshon really set a tone for the day. Acts would be either punk inspired, or R&B and electronica mixes. Every one of them was spectacular.
A walk over to the Hideout stage and Beverly Crusher (yes, a character in Star Trek, The Next Generation) was the punk that was needed. Punk hasn’t changed much since the early 90’s, but it has updated itself just enough. That’s what makes it perfect. Simply put, Beverly Crusher crushed it. Super fun!
I had come down for my new friends, Smokey Brights, who will have a full review and interview posted by Tuesday. Starting at 4pm, they did exactly what they do, and had done the night before, engage and energize the crowd. The whole crowd dancing and singing along with “I Love You but Damn” at the end of the set, showed the power of Smokey Brights to pull everyone into their shows. They have an amazing cohesion that radiates out to the whole crowd.
Two songs from Molly Burch, were great but it just wasn’t time for slow and sentimental.
Back to the Hideout! Acid Tongue is post punk inspired and rad. Again, throbbing bass, completely original sound in the vocals of Guy Keltner. As a feeling, this band also felt fun. The crowd agreed.
Ok, one more act before I’ll go check out Dawn Richard. Well it turns out this was no ordinary act. Also Seattle based and playing at the Hideout was Shaina Shepard. Shaina feels like those times when Simon Cowell says, “I never expected that” on one of his reality talent shows. I never fucking expected this. It was good enough to leave and call it a day because surely it couldn’t get any better.
Shaina is a powerhouse. Her songs speak of love and loss. She owns the stage with presence and a voice that is seemingly endless. This is, shiver down your spine music. Influenced by everyone from Nina Simone to grunge and even the classical influence you can hear in her piano playing, everyone in the crowd was in awe. Listen for yourself.
I thought I could have ended on Shaina’s set, but I would have missed one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in my life. Yes! Dawn Richard (pronounced as Rishard) is a talent beyond anything. Hailing from New Orleans, Richard was once homeless and she inserts her New Orleans background and past hardship into her music. She shapes a variety of musical forms that leave her almost without any definition other than spectacular. A mixture of electronic into the majority of her music and Richard utilizing her incredible voice and vocal range with everything from rap, R&B, soul… honestly, I can’t name it all and any single genre can’t encompass it. Dawn Richard can’t be defined as anything other than great.
Every person in the crowd was in awe watching Dawn Richard. While Treefort had been very light throughout the festival, Richard felt like the cohesive larger crowd that always closes out Treefort. The last performer at the Treefort main stage is usually special. Of every Treefort, Dawn Richard was the most special by a mile. Her videos are at the bottom and a must watch.
Her album, Second Line: An Electro Revival is a must.
And that was it. Ale Fort was torn down, the last of the food trucks were getting ready to go and things were getting quiet. As always, some incredible acts would play at a couple venues until close tonight but after Dawn Richard, I could leave happy having had another amazing Treefort.
Thank you to the Treefort Zenruption team for everything. Greg your pictures are amazing! To Lila and Jerry, thanks for your support. To McKenna, so glad my awesome daughter could be a part of it.