Tomorrow Never Knows Mon Jan 21 2013

Review: Freelance Whales @ Lincoln Hall, 1/19

By Sarah Brooks

When you are a lover of music festivals, the day, to hours, to minutes winding down to the end is always the hardest part. We enter a world of exuberant bliss, an alternate reality, a bubble-esque respite from our usual routine. We celebrate the sets of seasoned favorites, while catching on to a new artist and falling in love with our next favorite band. It's magical. However, magic has to end. This year's Tomorrow Never Knows festival was filled with acts we revered, with fresh talent also added to the mix in an ample supply. Saturday night featured a blend of both of these aspects; new acts Snowmine and Hundred Waters meshed perfectly with celebrated act Freelance Whales for a night of electronic indie-pop fusion.

Opener Snowmine combined their futuristic, big sound with an eclectic video feed of themselves on stage, the colors obscured and inverted. For some reason, this combination made sense for their performance and identity. Trippy backgrounds complemented the dreamy, atmospheric sounds that emanated from the stage. Lead singer Grayson Sanders's voice floated above the crowd, as each member in the band jolted to the reverberating beats they were creating. It was a great way to start the show off; they've only been on the scene for a little over two years now, but they've made quite the initial impression as they hooked the audience's attention for the entirety of their set.

Like Snowmine, Hundred Waters is an ensemble that is also newer to the music scene. In fact, lead singer Nicole Miglis announced that this very evening was in fact their one year anniversary as a band. Upon my first listen, Hundred Waters seems to be a hybrid band featuring the bold retro sounds of M83, the sacred purity of Beach House, and elements that are all their own. Miglis would frequently stop singing only to throw in a flute solo, or adjust her voice to create patterns and a vocal range that was deliberately arranged in a surprising way. Ranging from tribal melodies to unsuspecting sound mixes, Hundred Waters brought a sound to Lincoln Hall that was compelling and pleasant. Highlights of the set included haunting "Caverns," and alluring "Visitor," featuring layered harmonies of electronic bliss. Though their sound is developed and intricate, they're still finding their edge and groove as they further create their sound, although they're well on their way. They are definitely going to be sticking around for quite some time, so make sure to put this group on your list of bands to watch in 2013, and we'll see where they end up after their two year anniversary.

Freelance Whales has been around for quite some time. Forming in 2008 in Queens, they've garnered a strong following despite remaining more in the limelight, releasing Weathervanes in 2009, and recently their follow-up record Diluvia this past year. Their set reflected what makes them so welcomed by their fans; it was special for me to see a band smiling through their entire set, feeding off of the positive energy catapulted by their doting fans. Lincoln Hall was packed to the brim at this point in the evening, the audience members craning their necks to see Freelance Whales play some of their favorite tunes. The front row showcased fans jumping with the beat to each song, clapping when they recognized the title after the first note. Though the group has only released two records, they've made quite the impact on their devoted fan base. The show felt like a reunion for a band that is still together; each song was welcomed by many a cheer as if it was everyone's old favorite. Their multi-instrumental approach to indie-pop creates a fascinating layered sound that is unlike other groups around, which made it extremely fun to watch them in a live setting, where the sound served to translate even better than through the airwaves. The second "Location" and "Generator ^ First Floor" began, the crowd became elated.

The magic of TNK had to end somewhere, as Saturday came to a close and led to the end of the festival on Sunday evening. However, magic can be created and sustained, leaving concert attendees more content than they were when they arrived. Saturday was an evening of familiar and unfamiliar songs and sounds, though all combined together to form a unique combination of musicality.

Read all our Tomorrow Never Knows coverage.