All Tomorrow’s Parties is an annual event that draws hordes of music goers to the beaches of southern California. This year with Modest Mouse as curators, it was a rock and indie dream come true – the phenomenal line up seemed unreal, simply too good to be true. I’d been dreaming of and lusting for the amazing festival for months after hearing the initial line-up announced. Being curated by my all time favorite band, I had a feeling it was going to be something of great beauty. For the mere price of $90, I had in my hot little hand a two day pass to so many of the acts that I’ve loved and cherished listening to for so long.

Modest Mouse

All Tomorrow’s Parties was set in the industrial, and yet somehow tranquil setting known as Long Beach California. Nestled along the Queens Highway, this made for the most beautiful and picturesque setting for the venue. For me it was the perfect climate and temperate for the venue as well. The skies were grey, and at one point raining, which added to the intense ambience of the occasion. It was an electric, eclectic and eerie setting that left me giddy inside. The Queen Mary, known as the floating city awash in elegance, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, remains one of the most famous ships in history. With so many haunting’s and paranormal sightings that alone could make for an unforgettable experience.

Built to Spill

Day two at the ATP also had two stages. They were known as “Events Park Stage” and “Queen Mary Stage.” Basically both housed tasty picks and it sometimes made for hard decisions on which to go to. The Events stage was the primary headline stage and the place where most concert goers flocked to. It was nice to have the option to choose. The Events stage was located off the banks in Long Beach. The other stage, QM stage, was actually located in a pit of The Queen Mary itself.

The Shins

Day one of the weekend merriment was a festival within itself. Saturday on the Queen Mary Stage Willy Mason, White Hassle, White Magic, Sufjan Stevens, and THE Buff Medways featuring Billy Childish played happy listeners into oblivion. On the Events stage that day headling were Wolf Parade, Explosions in the sky, The Black Heart Processions, J Mascis + The Fog, Lungish, The Walkmen, Modest Mouse, and Lou Reed which obviously in itself made up for a once in a life time experience.

The Cramps

I’ve been upset with myself for the past week for missing Sufjan Stevens along with so many other acts of the first day. Being new to California I still take for granted the amount of time spent in transition between places. The Walkmen played a great mix of older and newer material. Having seen them open up for Modest Mouse twice this year before, I feel I’m becoming comfortably accustomed to their lineup. It varies little yet is still enjoyable to see repeatedly. It’s amazing how giddy the crowd, and myself, become when hearing those initial tinkering of the keys on “We’ve Been Had.” It’s unforgettable. There’s also something about the cut of Hamilton Leithauser that makes him irresistible to listen to.

Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse was next. The crowd becomes abrasive and rearing to go. It’s amazing how still and lifeless typical L.A. concert goers are. This time however due to the enormity of the event, many traveled from all over to see the venue. It made for a mixed crowd of die hard fans and it was refreshing when temperaments changed. Things like being pushed and cussed at became so familiar, loved and wanted again. Isaac came on and the crowd went wild. During the show he was quite upset because the guitar he was given was completely out of tune. Isaac picked up another acoustic guitar, ducked taped it on, and played a masterful set. The highlight for me was hearing him play “Cowboy Dan,” my favorite song off the classic Lonesome Crowded West.

Lou Reed was undoubtedly a once in a life time kind of chance for someone my age. Having being born in the late 70’s, growing up and listening to The Velvet Underground and adoring Lou Reed, made for an almost impossible feat to see. When he came on stage people of all ages came to life. The crowd was an eclectic mix of life time fanatics and future life time fanatics. He started off with the opener “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” A velvet underground tune that venue name was derived from.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks

The acts on the second day of the bill were unbelievably as remarkable as the first day. On the QM Stage playing were Those Peabodys, Magic Magicians, Radar Brothers, Love as Laughter, Eagles of Death Metal, and the notorious Peaches. On the Events stage the unbelievable lineup of Constantines, Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, The Shins, Built to Spill, The Cramps, and the fantastic finale of The Flaming Lips.

The Shins

Having been a bit wiser the second day, I arrived quite a bit earlier. The first act I happened upon was Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks. I wasn’t too familiar with much of them, really being more a Pavement fan, but I found them to be quite enjoyable. The next act to hit the stage was the Albuquerque native band The Shins. Up until later in the evening this was my favorite act on the venue between the two days. Oh Inverted World and Chutes Too Narrow seemed to play almost in their entireties. They seemed to contain a stage presence that made a kinship with the audience.

Built to Spill

Next was Built to Spill. What is it about Doug Martsch? He such a sweet and quiet man, yet when he begins to play and you find yourself completely taken by the music. Several numbers from Perfect from Now On were played effortlessly along with other stellar tracks I’m yet to become aware of. After the BTS, came the 70’s punk smash The Cramps. This was by far the most fun and unexpected treat. Poison Ivy is an amazing guitarist and Lux Interior is out of control. He was convinced that everyone in the audience was either going to hell or jail, or eventually both. The topper came when he broke open a bottle of red wine and ripped his leather, or pleather, pants off with it. It was fun and full of passion and an absolute riot to see.

The Cramps

The last act of the venue was the Flaming Lips and without a doubt the best performance of the venue. All the typical FL props were in full effect. Hundreds of beach ball size colored balloons floated over the excited crowd. Fifty or so costumed folks danced around stage with flashlights in their hands. Wayne even made his second appearance ever in the infamous giant bubble. There he was walking over the crowd in this huge plastic bubble. Wayne did the typical set of songs with one exception. At some point in the act Peaches joined the Lips on stage and they did the Black Sabbath cover of “War Pigs.” That could easily be the topper to the night.

The Flaming Lips

Now looking back on All Tomorrow’s Parties, one week ago today in fact, I feel nothing but elation and nostalgia. For a small town Midwest girl like me, opportunities like this only come along once in a lifetime. But who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and next year will be as exciting and monumental as this one. There’s only one thing I can do. Hope and dream about it. Oh and mark the days off my calendar, which I’m doing already. At this point all I can say is there’s so much beauty in the air…

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     Imagine a musical land filled with beautiful, meandering explosions of sounds. Where every song lives in its own world, incorporating entrancing melodies with exquisitely crafted lyrics. A place where the streets are lined with sounds of glistening vocals intertwined with haunting instrumentation. In this Utopia undoubtedly Modest Mouse would reside there and I’m guessing The Shins would live next door.

    The Shins have been described as an example of what separates good pop from bad. The 2001 debut album Oh, Inverted World became one of that years biggest indie rock surprises, as the New Mexico foursome suddenly found themselves being bombarded with praise from critics and audiences alike. That album, filled with influences such as The Kinks and The Byrds, seemed to be homage to the sixties. Whereas Oh, Inverted World was more album-oriented, with each song somehow contributing to a cohesive, similarly-themed listening experience, Chutes Too Narrow moves around and emulates many different musical styles. If you could somehow splice the deceptively sweet melodies of Belle & Sebastian with the intense rifts of Built To Spill what could possibly result is sounds close to The Shins.

Photo by Brian Tamborello

    The opening track on the album, “Kissing the Lipless”, full of falsetto and devoid of re-verb is a perfect example of the fluctuation between the riddling sound of singer/guitarist James Mercer. Ranging between the sounds of mellow, muffled handclaps and slices of sharp angular guitar rifts, this song will keep you on your tap dancing toes. One of the most beautiful tracks on the album, “Saint Simon”, incorporates haunting violins, with a spooky, echoing chorus all along the backdrop of intertwining melodic guitar work. What really ties it all together perfectly is “Gone For Good”, a Wilco-style country rock tune with a chorus of lyrics stating “I find a fatal flaw in the logic of love/ and go out of my head”. The melody and lonely lyrics show the remarkable versatility of their ever-changing sound.

    Lyrically the album is both nostalgic and yet hopeful. Many of the songs seem to ooze with setbacks or disappointments, followed by uplifting hope to the future. Phil Ek, who has also worked with Modest Mouse and Built To Spill, actually recorded this Sub Pop release in Mercer’s basement. With the release of Chutes Too Narrow, The Shins prove they’re more than just another indie rock band, by taking their sound into new territory while simultaneously maintaining their genuinely unique focus. Laced with music that is full of depth, wonder and sparks of innocence, this impressive album invites even the most skeptical listener to sing along happily ever after.

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