Portland – Portland’s biggest music festival just got a lot weirder (and that’s a good thing). The first day of MusicFest Northwest was jam-packed with excellent indie and alternative acts, many of whom departed today with throngs of hip new fans who’ll spread the word like their reputation depends on it (oh the culture-starved generation we have become). If festival goers weren’t dancing to headphones-only silent discos or exploring the many different local food carts, they were spacing out with the psychedelic Thundercat or gyrating their hips along with Future Islands’ singer Samuel T. Herring.

So what is that smell you ask, local festival operators? That’ll be the fire growing under your saggy asses, assuring you that Kevin Costner was right all along: that if you build it, they will come. Portland’s Waterfront Park played host to two impressive stages this year, finally bringing the decades-old festival together at one convenient location. Of course a festival is only as good as the bands that play it, and MFNW delivered with stellar acts both big and small. Day One was packed with plenty of excellent new bands you should know, so let’s jump right in.

Landlady

Early sets at festivals such as MFNW also be some of their strongest, so it was no surprise that this Brooklyn-based five piece kicked the day off with a smash. This was Landlady‘s first festival show, but their confidence and spot-on performance would have you think twice about that. Pounding floor toms and skittering guitars helped to transfigure Landlady’s dour lyrics into some genuinely cheery rock and roll tunes, as if you’d actually dusted off one of those 7” records in your grandpa’s attic. Vocalist Adam Schatz makes being an indie darling seem easy, slicing through crowd favorites “Dying Day” and “The Globe” like smooth butter. He has the kind of bold, singsong voice that wouldn’t be out of place on the set of a Gene Kelly musical. The good vibes just kept coming when he asked the crowd to bring it in a little closer, setting the tone for a suitably intimate festival experience.

Shy Girls

Our first taste of some true Portland lovin’ came in heavy spoonfuls of sweet, strawberry-flavored bliss. That’s because Shy Girls‘ Dan Vidmar has apparently had your mom’s smooth R&B station stuck on repeat since 1990. Vidmar and Co. brought sensual slow jams aplenty, like the sexy late-night striptease of “Second Heartbeat”. Artsy onstage dancers and exotic garbs made it clear though that this is R&B soaked in Portland rain and filtered thru a sepia tone. I’d have liked the band to show a little more enthusiasm (shouldn’t songs about baby-making have a little onstage gyration?) but the end result was a pleasant set full of captivating romantic ballads.

Thundercat

Not one to be called a slouch, Stephen Bruner (aka Thundercat) took his leave from the influential thrash band Suicidal Tendencies to craft a solo project of mind-boggling proportions. Like your jazz with a helping of psychedelic funk? Bruner’s virtuosic six-string bass playing has got you covered. You’d like some hip-hop beats and drugged out sampling as well? You got it, ya greedy bastard. Thundercat tore up the Moda Stage with soulful offerings of genre-defying cerebral adventures. Each musician was a true master of their craft, with keyboards and percussion playing equal importance to Bruner’s frenzied bass walks. A song like “Walkin” for example might begin as an R&B throwback jam before spiraling into a noisy, chaotic mess. The guys always managed to bring the song back around to some redeeming conclusion though, which spoke generously to the sheer amount of talent present onstage.

Run The Jewels

If you happened to bring friends to MFNW who hadn’t the foggiest idea who any of these bands were, this was the show that convinced them to stick around for the surprises. Run the Jewels almost need no introduction, having stomped out most every other rapper’s ambitions for last year’s critical Best Album lists. El-P and Killer Mike set the ground quaking as they stepped out to perform their self-titled single “Run The Jewels”. The charismatic duo made quick fans out of everyone with their excellent emcee skills and onstage banter: everyone was in stitches during Killer Mike’s many quips, which usually involved smoking primo Portland weed and, well, that’s about it. These BFFs were hot on the mic at every turn, and the masterfully crafted bass beats shook the crowd to its core. Raise your pistol band and make a fist: Run the Jewels are a festival like treasure, and may soon come to rival Outkast as essential headliners.

Phantogram

Sarah Barthell and Josh Carter (aka the world’s most photogenic musical duo) may now be a shameless cash cow for alternative radio, but that doesn’t make Phantogram a flash in the pan. Far from it; the night’s most anticipated show delivered in spades, and once again solidified these stylish fashionistas as one of the best new bands to come around in years. The hour-long set delivered hit after hit, setting the crowd ablaze with hot dance fever. This the kind of band that can make even a stellar recording come to life onstage, from the edgy synth breakdowns of “Nothing But Trouble” to the harrowing bass attacks of crowd-favorite “Fall In Love”. Onstage banter was kept to a minimum, but even Sarah Barthell (always the magnetic force of nature) had to admire the total shitstorm that was once an audience of human beings. For my money (all zero dollars of it!) this was the official highlight of the day.

Girl Talk

A music festival just wouldn’t be complete without some dubs and wubs to close the night, and Girl Talk was there to deliver. Gregg Gillis has made his name by splicing up pop mega-hits and slapping them together into one epic super cut. The set kicked off on a basketball-themed stage that was quickly marauded by a crowd of young dancers.  Impressive lights, toilet paper launchers, confetti cannons and enormous bags of balloons all helped to pump up the crowd when Gillis’ occasional (ahem, weak) emceeing could only do so much. Except for a few choice cuts (like a mashup of Lorde’s “Royals” with M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”), I wasn’t impressed with the laptop DJ. Still, the crowd was plenty willing to dance the night away hear their favorite pop alternative songs morphed into club hits. It was a silly, fun way to end to an excellent first day. And I didn’t even get sunburnt!

Magic Sword

For those who knew where to look, there as a very special secret show taking place right after Girl Talk underneath the Burnside Bridge (conveniently located outside the festival gates!). What appeared to be two masked space lords stood atop a trailer pre-decked with guitars and synths to deliver an epic set of what could be called Adventure EDM. Each song was like the soundtrack to your childhood fantasies, where one can conquer a dark lord or soar through the heavens. A crowd over one hundred strong showed up to see what all the fuss was about; honestly, how could you ignore the glowing masks and mysterious light show? At some point one of the cloaked figures pulled out a brightly lit sword during one song’s climax, at which point everyone collectively lost their shit. The show was over as soon as it began, and the entire stage was whisked off to some mysterious location. Their name came only in whispers: Magic Sword they said, as people scattered off to find the location of their next show. Only time will tell if these cosmic time travelers will return to Portland soon, but talk of their premiere performance will surely spread by word-of-mouth for weeks to come.

Check in for more coverage of Sunday’s lineup, including EMA, The Antlers and the peerless alt-rock trio Haim!

Photos By Chris Davis