Heliotrope 9: Josh’s Recommended Picks
Thursday
Take Acre
In addition to being a co-founder of Heliotrope, Rich Barlow also finds time to throw down with his post-rock group Take Acre every year at the festival. The are adept at creating moody, restrained and engrossing instrumental material that crashes like waves out of the speakers. The pedal steel gives a rustic, Dirty Three feel, and the band prove every year to be a group that leave you thinking “I need to go back and listen to that record” and “I wish they would play out more.” A great band to open the fest on the right note.
Friday
Food Pyramid/Flavor Crystals
Two bands that don’t fit my preconceived notion of “Heliotrope” bands, but groups that I am none the less very excited to be part of the loaded Friday night lineup. Food Pyramid are plain and simply one of my favorite, if not my outright favorite, local band playing right now. Flavor Crystals fall into the category mentioned above about Take Acre in that every time I hear them I wish the next time would come more quickly. Food Pyramid released what will probably be my top local album of the year (Mango Sunrise) and Flavor Crystals just released a new LP titled 3, so both are very much worth checking out if you have not seen them before. All of that being said, the Friday night lineup is amazing top to bottom and is the night I am most looking forward to of the weekend.
Saturday
Hasps
I have somehow not managed to see Hasps, 2/3 of the sorely missed noise trio Gay Beast. The group played their first show almost a year ago, but my lazy ass has found a way to never catch them. This will change Saturday night as the band play one of the spots leading up to the exciting TVBC set that will close out the festival.
BOTH THURSDAY AND SATURDAY
Rana May
Our old friend Rana from our Reviler podcasts got herself on two nights of the bill. Can’t wait to hear what she has to say to start off both the first and last night, and if you have heard her before, there is a good chance it will be hilarious. Don’t show up late or you will miss the most (and probably only) funny portion of the weekend.
Heliotrope 9 will take place this weekend at the Lab Theater. You can find tickets here.
Writer / co-founder
