Everyone who goes to festivals knows the road map the promoters are going to follow between announcing the festival is happening and the gates opening for day one of the fest. Fans will weigh whether or not to take a chance on the blind ticket presale, rejoice or complain when the lineup is revealed, decide whether they want regular or VIP tickets and, finally, have to make the tough choices about who to see when the schedule is released. With less than two weeks until it kicks off, Day for Night 2017 has reached that final hype moment, and this year’s schedule is not without its points of interest.
In truth, I can’t imagine the stress involved in trying to schedule any festival, let alone one as diverse as Day for Night. There are some fascinating acts playing back to back and, to me at least, one very surprising landing spot for one of the headliners. We’ll all have our own hard choices to make the weekend after next, but until then, here’s what stands out on this year’s schedule.
5. The Saturday Lineup is Beyond Stacked
Yes, this is something that we’ve known since the daily lineups were announced, but it seems even wilder now that the full schedule is out. Indie darling Perfume Genius, rapper/curve giver Lil B and electronic maestro Jlin are all playing before the sun starts to day, and it only gets better from there. That a festival exists that asks you to pick between watching Cashmere Cat, Venetian Snares X Daneil Lanois and Roni Size seems almost unfair.
4. Will This Be Nine Inch Nails Only Houston Show?
Nine Inch Nails are getting their full 90 minute headlining festival slot, but it’ll be interest to see if they try and jam a second set at a different venue like they did with Panorama and FYF Fest. I’d settle for a signing at Cactus Music. Just saying.
3. That Weird Gap Between Lil B and Cardi B
Yes, it is kind of funny that the two B artists are playing on the same stage, one after the other, but an almost two hour gap between the two does look a little weird. In a perfect world, they would have slid Forest Swords from the blue stage into that outdoor slot, because Forest Swords is great and deserves more attention.
2. The Weirdest Transition Ever
I’m like 97 percent sure this is the first time anyone, anywhere has thought to put R&B queens En Vogue and the experimental/drone titans Godspeed You! Black Emperor on the same stage one after another. I can’t think of anything I’ve seen on any other festival anywhere that created such an interesting question of sonic whiplash. But as the song goes, free your mind.
1. Let’s Hope They Raised the Blue Stage
I enjoyed the indoor stage well enough at least year’s Day for Night, but the sight lines weren’t always great, especially as the days went on and the more popular artists took the stage. I still hear rumors to this day that somewhere up there Bjork was djing, but I never saw it with my own eyes. That they’ve booked the frontman of one of the most popular bands in the world, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, to play the inside stage, I hope they’ve found a way to make things on stage a little easier to see. Whatever he’s doing for two hours, it would be nice of my eyes could get in on the experience.
This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2017.
