REVIEW: Northside Festival 2017: Exploding in Sound/Golden Parachute Showcase

Exploding in Sound Records is a label that might remind you of what you dislike about going to Boston University. That’s because the label was founded by two students at Northeastern University, and like their live music series and school-based label Green Line Records, they bring together some of the best bands out of New England and New York.

Exploding in Sound and their friend Golden Parachute, a booking group from NYC, showcased these bands at Northside, a Brooklyn-based music festival that occurs every early summer. This June, they played a stacked day-and-night event with some of their label’s best at a Bushwick venue called Sunnyvale. Located in one of Brooklyn’s finest trash-lined warehouse districts, the surrounding atmosphere doesn’t let you forget that one of the area’s main tourist attractions is graffiti. Inside, the venue is again welcoming and DIY. A large, tea-lit bar lines the wall next to the door, opening up to a large floor space surrounding by scrappy wall seating. There are several other nooks and crannies to the space that invite secrecy and a trusting environment to a venue. To go to the bumper sticker plastered and appropriately neglected (gender neutral) restroom, you walk past the green rooms and get a full view of backstage. Everything else there in the venue is dark, black, and clean. And I should add that the lighting and sound were great.

For what was over seven hours of music, the showcase never dragged. Each act played quickly and transitioned well. The bill began with Stove, the “solo” project of Ovlov lead Steve Hartlett. I recently read that Rolling Stone called Stove both “hot” and “introspective” and one of those might be incorrect. Whatever Stove is, their set was surprisingly moving for a 3:00 p.m., sober, and small crowd. Their drawn-out, ‘90s nostalgic fuzz rock cut right to the gut. Following Stove was Tall Friend, a newer, softer EIS band from Philadelphia. Charlie Pfaff, the lead, held up Philly’s rep with catchy-pop bent jamming songs interspersed with self aware dialogue. The mood in the room was utterly taken with this new act, as listeners actually seemed like they were paying attention, and laughed often. It’s important for me to note that Tall Friend is also called “introspective….”

Not every band in this showcase was signed to Exploding in Sound. Golden Parachute also contributed Thelma, who played third, and gobbinjr, who played when it was finally starting to get dark outside. Both female-lead indie acts had little more in common with each other, thankfully. Thelma’s set was romantic and ethereal; gobbinjr’s, backed by a full band, was pop heaven. Both were inspiring to watch, especially interspersed with so many (white) male garage rock groups throughout the day. Good call Golden Parachute.

Peaer played fourth, and there is little I have left to say, considering I’ve seen them five times now. Every time is great; they are one of the best acts to emerge within the past year, and they use math rock in some of the most accessible ways I’ve ever seen. Next, Fond Han. Most memorable by far. Remember how every time you see a pic of a friend in tiny sunglasses on instagram it’s funny? It’s even funnier watching a band don them while making disgustingly texturing and so surprisingly fitting nonsense sounds for a half hour. Fond Han gurgled, spit, and then played music at the same time that made you feel a little confused in the best way.

Kal Marks are another band anyone living in Boston/Northeastern vicinity has seen. For the New Yorkers there, it was probably the grittiest act they’d seen in awhile. It was a proud moment to see this Boston basement act up on a stage that wasn’t the Great Scott.

Baked, EIS long-time signer played next and brought a similar vibe. They were gritty like Kal Marks, and funny like Tall Friend and Fond Han. At this point in the night, the acts were really meshing well together and the sizable crowd was feeling it.

Washer and BIG UPS finished off the night with the most classic punk sounds out of the whole bill. Both were loud and fast, but they also just seemed really happy. With Sunnyvale at max capacity, label members, bar enjoy-ers, and prior performers joined in the crowd to celebrate the end of a great day of music. The night ended with an appreciative vibe for Exploding in Sound and Northside Festival for letting it all happen.

-Allie Miller