More FPSF 2012 Coverage:
• Summer Fest line-up reviews on the Rocks Off blog.
• Free Press Summer Fest 2012: The Sexy, Sweaty Crowds
• Popsicles and Pizza: The Food of Summer Fest
• FPSF: The Bands from Saturday
• FPSF: The Bands from Sunday
Cory Garcia: Stage 7 isn't the most glamorous. Most of your set will be spent playing to the handful of people who came out to see you, other bands waiting to set up and the line of people stuck waiting to get into the fest. The boys in Glasnost delivered a great set to all of those in the vicinity, mixing some solid electronics with some high-energy rock. It might not be the most high-profile gig, but you'd never know from watching their drummer, who was literally the happiest person I saw all day.
Chris Gray: Boy, the sun was bright Saturday, and so was the industrial-strength disco/synth-pop of Starfucker (or STRFKR). The Oregonians combined beats that wouldn't quit with a hint of dreamy shoegaze vocals and keyboards (which constituted fully half the quartet's roster) as thick as a London Portland fog. I caught a strong whiff of '80s greats like OMD and early Ministry.
MGMT comparisons would be a little obvious and not 100 percent accurate, but you could make them all the same. Starfucker pushed a disco pulse all the way to the front of their cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and -- despite their truly unfortunate tank-top attire -- captured the song without a hint of hipster irony. But why would there be?
Alexa Crenshaw: In all his ridiculousness, DJ Diplo was kind of the star of Saturday's shows. Of course, The Flaming Lips are now Summer Fest staples, having proven their endurance with two great shows. I (honestly) may hold a little grudge with The Flaming Lips since Erykah Badu's encore with never happened. Sounds silly, but I was kind of looking forward to that. Though I think Diplo might be back as well. Playing his own set and again with Major Lazer, he made the crowd go nuts. Considering the Summer Fest is more of a mixed audience this year, I think he also appealed to that wider range. I was dancing along, no shame.
