Live Baby Live

Sri Lankan performer M.I.A. was one of the most well-received artists at Virgin Fest, drawing in a huge crowd in the middle of the afternoon, mostly thanks to the diverse musical influences that appear in her work (hip hop, reggae, etc) and her socially conscious lyrics.

M.I.A.’s a bit of a tough act to follow with a camera, with her almost constant pacing back and forth across the stage, but still fun nonetheless. A few songs after the pit was cleared of the ‘togs, she invited the crowd up on stage to dance with her, and like the obedient hipsters they were, the stage was jammed within minutes. Too bad I was already halfway across the grounds on my way to shoot at another stage by that point, so I didn’t see the whole show, but I was finally able to catch her full set a few months later at the Kool Haus, which I will post eventually.

M.I.A. gallery here.

Texas band Explosions in the Sky hit the stage at Virgin Fest just as the sun was starting to set and provided the perfect instrumental accompaniment. I tend to not have the patience for bands that don’t include vocals, but watching the band on stage was mesmerizing. Made me wish I’d have caught their Opera House show earlier in the year.

Explosions in the Sky gallery here.

Prior to shooting this show, I had never heard of Bang Camaro. First of all, they should’ve been put onto a bigger stage, because they must’ve had about 15 band members crammed up onto the small Budweiser stage, and second of all, they were having such a good time playing that you wanted to get up on stage and join them. I tried my best to make sure I captured all band members, but I don’t know how well I succeeded.

I’d really like to check these guys out again at a smaller indoor venue (and not in the middle of the afternoon). Take a look at their website for an indication of how much fun their show is.

Update: they’re hitting the Reverb in Toronto on March 8th. Sweet! How they’re all going to fit on that tiny stage is a mystery, though.

Bang Camaro gallery here.