While the tempos weren't THAT much warmer than the first day of Warm Love Cool Dreams, day two certainly felt a little more palatable. The day lent itself more toward the "indie" end of the spectrum with a lineup that would not have been out of place on any Pitchfork Musical Festival day or those certain days at Riot Fest (usually Saturday). The sounds are a bit gentler, less dissonant, but just as enjoyable.
Take for instance Tobacco City, who opened up the festival. Their cosmic county vibes are probably the most fun from the rest of the festival, really digging into that old school western jangle. The crowd certainly wasn't upset tho as their opening set was pretty packed in comparison to day one. Being Dead followed that up with a more expected set of indie rock. If Tobacco City eased the crowd in, then Being Dead joyfully shoved them into the fray.
The Three Top stage provided a big highlight for the day as Lauren Auder stunned with her perfect pop set. She immediately connected with the crowd, noting that the band barely got to the fest on time. Her sound live is much more emotive and raw, really letting the audience lose themselves in her performance. If there were more acts at the Three Top stage I would likely say it was the best stage at the entire festival. Actually, I will say that. With the skyline as a backdrop and a chance to see artists like Auder and Lewis on day one, it was a necessary stop for the Warm Love Cool Dreams crowd.
Sandwiched in the middle of the day were Moin and Nourished by Time. Moin's seamless blend of electronic DJ sounds and live instrumentation made for a really great set that someone could easily find their groove. They led in perfectly for Nourished by Time whose R&B tracks had everyone entranced. There is something so alluring to their take on genre, instantly reminiscent of someone like Dev Haynes but with an added electronic twist.
While it was bright out during Toro y Moi 's Outdoor stage set, you couldn't help but feel like you were at a dance club as Chaz Bear and his band jammed out. Stationed at his keyboards for the entire set, donning a pair of shiny sunglasses, Toro y Moi had the jam-packed crowd dancing to some fun deep cut tracks.
While the Toro y Moi diehards partied their hearts out during the final portion of his set, a sizable crowd was getting as close as they could for hometown icons Whitney. Having seen them last year during their intimate shows previewing Small Talk at Empty Bottle, I was incredibly excited to see them on a big stage. They did not disappoint! Sizing up their warm-toned stage setup worked incredible well, making the intimate feel grand as they tore through familiar hits like "Polly" and No Woman" as well as new staples "Back to the Wind" and "Dandelions".
Then it came time for our closing set of the festival: Courtney Barnett alongside Stella Mozgawa on drums and Bones Sloane on bass. We're a little over a decade since her debut full length album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit and just a tad longer from her breakout compilation The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, so Barnett has a treasure trove of songs to pick from for her sets. Creature of Habit got the most play, obviously since it's her latest release, but years old favorites like "Avant Gardener", an ode to asthma attacks, and the hangout track "History Eraser" got their due. For me it was the slow and metered "Depreston", a lamenting of growing up, death, and wild economies that reigned high in the middle of her set. Barnett and crew ended the night with "History Eraser" driving into "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party", sending the Warm Love Cool Dreams crowd home happy.
Here's to the next edition of Warm Love Cool Dream and hopefully we don't have to wait another two years for this fun fest.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.
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