On one of the hottest days of the summer I found myself at a mini outdoor festival. Normally, my summer heat routine involves a lot of time spent indoors in front of multiple fans or in A. C., however, I found myself at The Cabooze outdoor plaza for Go Fest ‘18. Featuring a stellar lineup complete with local band YAM HAUS opening the fest around 4:30, the crowd continued to trickle in to the sound of their relaxing rock sound.
YAM HAUS made the trek from Detroit to open up Go Fest, and while the heat and the long drive may have taken a lot of energy away from the band, no one in the crowd seemed to mind the chill vibes emanating from the stage. Complete with a cover of Maroon 5’s hit “Harder to Breathe” their set, albeit a short one, made the start of the night a very enjoyable half hour of music.
Next up was newcomers L. I. F. T., short for Love In Future Times. Self classified as emo hip hop, the band surely lived up to that name. I’ll admit this isn’t exactly a sub genre of music I’ve dived into and fostered an appreciation for, however, with that aside, I couldn’t find myself getting as into their music as much as other members of the crowd. Their stage presence clearly proved the band has a deep rooted passion for their craft, and between each song the band led the crowd in a chant of “L I F T,” ensuring their name was memorized by the crowd.
After L. I. F. T. departed the stage, lovelytheband, the rising alternative rock band from California, took the stage to mounting cheers from the crowd. Diving deeper into the Go Fest lineup, lovelytheband’s sound skyrocketed in the Cabooze outdoor plaza. Even with the short set, the momentum from the building crowd amplified their performance. Another cover found it’s way into the night, this time with lovelytheband covering “When You Were Young” by The Killers, the band ending their set with heir hit “Broken.”
The surprise guests of the evening were American Authors, an alternative band hailing from New York. While the surprise set was very short, only consisting of three songs, the crowd response was huge.
The Neighbourhood took the stage next to the large crowd now gathered at the outdoor plaza. With the heat of the sun at bay, the band brought a relaxed vibe to the stage. At times the stage presence aspect of performance seemed erratic, however, it worked in their favor as it amplified their sound. Playing a quick set, the crowd was quick to chant for an encore as the band departed the stage, a chant that will have to wait for The Neighbourhood’s return to the Twin Cities.
Finally, it was time for AWOLNATION to take the stage. The crowd, overflowing into the street, instantly perked up when the band walked onstage and the energy that was left after a full afternoon of sun was spent during their set. The last one I saw AWOLNATION was at the Madison Square Garden back when the band opened for Fall Out Boy, and seeing them in a more intimate setting was definitely more rewarding. Showcasing a variety of songs from their discography, AWOLNATION closed out the night with an impressive set fitting for closing out an incredible m, albeit scorching, Go Fest ‘18.
