Openers Sun Foot put on a really interesting set. They truly captured the spirit of the Residents in their style and presentation, and provided the audience with a wide mix of different sounds throughout their set as they switched instruments between songs.
One of the few shows that closed the 2016 Noise Pop festival featured The Mountain Goats performing to a sold out Swedish American Music Hall. Many music fans were upset about Noise Pop coming to an end, and The Mountain Goats tried to squeeze every last moment out of the festival with an eight song encore! The Mountain Goats (with just frontman John Darnielle performing solo) are known for writing lo-fi tunes with strong, emotional lyrics. Their later albums feature a full band and better production, while still retaining the charm that gives them a very devoted following.
John Darnielle played a grand total of 24 songs throughout the entire set. He had mentioned that he originally intended to play one song off of each release, but scrapped those plans when he came down with flu. The songs that he did choose to play were some of the deeper cuts in his catalogue, and he mentioned to fans that they can hear the more well known tracks at his full band shows. Some highlights for me were a rendition of “Autoclave” on the piano, an audience sing-along of “No Children”, and a closing goodbye of “Home on the Range”
This final Mountain Goats show showcased what is so special about Noise Pop. When you look at the lineup at first glance, you might insist that the festival was in Golden Gate Park or Stern Grove. What makes Noise Pop so unique is the fact that it takes place at venues all across the city, while still giving fans the freedom of choosing what artists they want to shape their weekend. I talked to fans flocking to the city with their Noise Pop badges still deciding what show to attend, but each of those shows provided an intimate experience that Coachella or Outside Lands cannot replicate. The Noise Pop Festival has been an amazing source of up-an-coming music since 1993 and I hope it continues to last as long as there is live music in San Francisco.
Sun Foot
The Mountain Goats
http://www.mountain-goats.com/
Noise Pop
Review by Patrick Griffin, https://www.instagram.com/pizzawithpatrick/
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