Monolith Festival Recap : Kickoff & Day One

This year MOKB invaded the Monolith Festival. We hauled a whole slew of folks out there...which is why it has taken me a while to organize all the thoughts and images. I have loads of video that I'll be featuring at some point as well.

Denver is a beautiful city and Red Rocks is really beyond words. I made sure to read up on its history - something I'd encourage anyone to do if they visit. At one point I was able to find my way down into the tunnels behind the main stage, into a tunnel that artists could enter onto the stage from. It was a grey brick hallway filled, from top to bottom, with signatures of all the greats and not-so-greats that have played the amphitheater. The feeling of standing in this hallway, in the same place as The Beatles, R.E.M., Neil Young, U2, The Grateful Dead, My Morning Jacket and on and on and on was kind of overwhelming. This place, this festival is special - I didn't really know it going in. Had I known last year, what I do now, I'd skip any other festival to be at this place.

Well, it really is a place better seen than talked about. Here, starting with Cloud Cult's performance at the festival's kick-off party, is a pretty comprehensive photo recap of Day One. All photos by Dave Donovan Evans, MOKB Staff Photographer.



SEE ALL THE PHOTOS, DOWNLOADS AND WRITE-UPS AFTER THE JUMP!....










Dee : Monolith marked my first trip to Denver and, therefore, my first visit to Red Rocks. Gorgeous venue, but they should warn you that it's in your best interest to undergo extensive training on the StairMaster before you step foot on the grounds for a festival that requires walking from stage to stage. I have never climbed so many stairs and inclines in one weekend in my life, and I could barely teeter around in my high heels three days later because my calves still hurt so bad. Although, it is a hell of a lot better than walking a mile between stages in 100-degree heat with 70,000 sweaty people like I've done at Lollapalooza. Overall, it's a pretty great festival setup at a breathtaking location. So, what went down on Day 1 of Monolith?

Dodge : Well, we apparently missed the sweet-ass parking lot we were supposed to park in, so we parked at the bottom of a mountain that luckily had a ramp you could walk up. Whoa...but not that bad...little did I know what was to come. The place was a scenic paradise though, so it was worth the time it took to hike to the entrance at the top. They needed more bag-checkers when we got there. Climbing a mountain, even with a nice ramp, and then having to just sit in line for way too long while one person checks everyone's bag was a recipe for uprising. Luckily they hollered up top and got a few more down there after things got hella backed up.





Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Checked out Noah Harris as we walked in...Nice hair, bruh. I'm pretty sure his choice of v-neck and skinny black jeans was planned weeks in advance. (-12) for performing solo AND with Cameron McGill. Please share w/ another talent that they could have had that artist bracelet and the free beer and eats that it symbolized.

Dodge : Sounded good, but I had beer on my brain.




Dave (MOKB Photographer) : RE: The Veils - I thought the Electric Amish were just a midwestern early morning comedy radio novelty, but their embrace of technology while staying true to butter churning has reached far across the pond to resonate with four London-ites. (+1) for sombrero grande.

The Veils - Advice For Single Mothers To Be (video)






Dee : The first band on my agenda was Foals. Maybe it was too early (2 p.m.). Maybe I was just too busy taking in my new surroundings, but they just didn't capture my attention like I had hoped. And what's with the lead singer not directly facing the crowd, but standing sideways the whole time? Lead singers who don't face the crowd rank as one of my biggest pet peeves. I'm giving them a free pass on this one, and I'll take the blame for not being in the right frame of mind for that performance.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Even at their worst, Foals made it happen. Are their dissonant guitar harmonies intentional? (+1) for ambiguous dissonance, (+1) for no forced banter during technical difficulties and finally (+3) for feeling the frustration without letting it consume you.

Foals - Ballons
Foals - Olympic Airways (video)







Dave (MOKB Photographer) : The Morning Benders get a (-4) for matching telecasters, but that "-" would have been a "+" if only the straps had matched too.

Dodge : I didn't see much of The Morning Benders set due to security as well. I was trying to get in from behind the stage and got caught up in a silly explanation as to why I couldn't...I got sidetracked with a beer and a taco and next thing I knew they were wrapping up. I did catch up with a couple of the guys in the band later though...super dudes who need to eat more tacos. They make great cover songs too, if you missed it.

The Morning Benders - Mother & Child Reunion (Paul Simon cover)








Dodge : Holy Fuck were the treat of Day One for me. Awesome-incarnate. I probably said the band's name five or six times in response to the show they put on.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Holy Fuck gets (+1) for fewest strings per capita, (+1) for the typewriter (wtf?) and (+1) for their impecable personal appearance. They made their moms proud.









Dave (MOKB Photographer) : I would build a fucking mosque to get The Muslims to come to Indianapolis! (+2) for a standing drummer, and (+3) for encouraging me to use my artist wristband to get some quality free sh!t. I wish I had listened.

Dodge : Yeah, another great suprise live. You might look at them and think they don't care, but they play like they do. Great, great performance and a really up-and-coming group of rockstars.

The Muslims - Bright Side (Live)





Dee : I visited Cameron McGill and What Army at the indoor WOXY stage after The Foals. Great stage setup for them. Small, intimate area with about a 150-200 person capacity. The band's easy listening folk pop made for a nice, mellow way to warm me up for the rest of the day. When you watch McGill, you really get the sense that he's projecting the songs all the way from the soles of his boots. They won me over with that performance, although Dodge has been a fan for a long time.

Dodge : The WOXY stage was always pretty packed this year, so it was encouraging to see large crowds checking out artists they might not have been so familiar with before the festival. I dropped in on a lot of sets, but rarely stayed for a whole set. The three or four songs I heard from Cameron and Co. were typical good times and good show.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Cameron McGill and What Army writes really good songs and/but his overtly mainstream approach to writing is polarizing, especially at fests with bands like HOLY FUCK. You can drill for indie cred but it might be easier to book a tour with Mormon5000/BurgundyFIVE, and be significant for 8 months max. (+3) for heart-felt songwriting and (+1) for the struggling artist chic, but (-1) for heavy jailbait appeal.

Cameron McGill - Low Ways (Live on MOKB SIRUS Blog Radio)
Cameron McGill - Not On My Side (Live on MOKB SIRUS Blog Radio)








Dave (MOKB Photographer) : After a brief sh!t shoot w/ The Hood Internet guys, a conclusion was made that there are two types of ppl: those who like Phil Collins, and those who LOVE Phil Collins. If you don't fit under either of these categories, then you are either a papparazzo, a second life avatar, a chuckie doll, or a Bush doctrine. Basically you lack the capacity to love.

Dodge : So I, like most bloggers, probably visit The Hood Internet on a daily/weekly basis to see what incredible mash they're serving up. Hearing them live, with the cool visuals, added a fun new and awesome element to their genius.

The Hood Internet vs. Various Artists - Poppin' Lockin' & Droppin' in 2007







Dave (MOKB Photographer) : "JVSlice" is the kind of dude that would not want you to call him "JVSlice" but if you got to know him pretty well (w/o being a nuisance) and invited him, he'd probably make an appearance at your Killian's kegger loft party. He might drink two beers, hang out for an appropriate length of time, thank you, and take off without pretense...and even though he could, he would NOT take the most attractive female guest with him because he knows that there are other dudes that need her more than he.

During the Morning Benders set, security refused to acknowledge my all access credential and forced me out of a limited access area. Slice just happened to see all of this and approached me to say that it was a bullshit move by security. And it wasn't just what he said, but the eye-contact that he maintained while he said it. Then I challenged him to best 2 out of 3 on DDR. No, that DDR part isn't true at all.
(+5) ppl skillz!

Dodge : I literally seek out John Vanderslice like a bad stalker boyfriend anywhere he is, and then he seems to pop up everywhere, but I never run out of things to bug him about. He probably would never say I'm bugging him, but he may be getting tired of my bear hugs. Anyway, as always, a great and memorable performance. Oh, he had me try some organic mango fruit juice that was pretty bomb - I don't remember what it was called though.

John Vanderslice - White Dove (Live on MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio)
John Vanderslice - White Dove
John Vanderslice - Trance Manual






Dodge : I squeezed in just in time to catch Liam Finn play Second Chance - a song I love and was looking forward to seeing live. I stuck around to hear him play a whole lot more goodness. I'll definitely be revisiting this album now that I have some downtime in the future.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Liam Finn was awarded (+1) for excellent drum beat, (+1) for equally great drum fill and (+1) for badass drum solo.

Liam Finn - I Will Explode








Dee : Next up was Cut Copy, one of my most-anticipated performances of the day. I was concerned about the band's 4:30 slot on the main stage. But they played to one of the bigger crowds of the day and the biggest so far on Saturday. The atmosphere was ripe for an 80s flavored dance party, even if most of the young crowd probably had no idea who the Pet Shop Boys are. Everyone had had just enough beers to get a good buzz going; the weather was stellar; and the band had great energy, despite some technical glitches. They burned through several tracks off the new album while the crowd undulated in appreciation. "Electric" is the only way to describe the atmosphere during Lights and Music, with the crowd jumping up and down in unison. It gave me goosebumps. But, just as the band was about to launch into its final song, which I believe was Hearts on Fire, they pulled the plug on them, most likely because their set started about five minutes late and there was a half hour scheduled between performances on that stage. It was like someone let the air out of the audience. Very disappointing. Regardless, Cut Copy was by far the best performance on Saturday. They kicked off their U.S. tour with this performance, so check them out if they're coming to your town. If they can turn an outdoor amphitheater into a MTV Spring Break dance party in the middle of the afternoon, imagine what they can do in a small club.

Dodge : Dance party in the daytime! Yes! I watched this from pretty high on the mountain, which was really cool because you could watch everyone just going apeshit for these guys. They weren't happy about having their set cut short, but that's why you don't show up late. If you show up late and they let you play a full set, then everyone behind you gets screwed...and most especially all those great people that have to tear everything down and put everything away and pick up all your trash while you're off sippin' on PBR and banging groupies.

Dr. Robert : One of the more surprisingly great sets of the fest belong to this Australian group. The crowd began to swell before their early set and as soon as the bass licks kicked in, it was a 40 minute dance party. Having Red Rocks be your first show on this U.S. Tour had to be pretty special and the band brought it! Despite leaving one song on the table due to a short time slot the crowd had a blast and Cut Copy made lots of new fans on this day.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Cut Copy get (+1) for farthest distance traveled, and another (+1) for the tiny keyboards.

Cut Copy - Lights & Music

Dr. Robert : The Fratellis are nominated for the most disappointing set. Having listened to their two albums, I liked a few tracks but was interested to see what their set would be like. Pretty "blaaahhh". There were two solid songs (the same two I liked from their albums) but otherwise it was pretty lackluster.

Dodge : I walked down (the easy part) and filmed some of The Fratellis. Their performance got some love from a few people who only watch iPod commercials, but it made me wish I hadn't scaled down the mountain to do so. Climbing back up after the snoozer just made me irritable.

Dee : Vampire Weekend took the main stage at 7:15 to another large crowd. The set was as advertised: Fun, light, easy to digest. Shimmying and shaking were the order of the evening. Great crowd reception (but not as great as Cut Copy). Their performance felt like the last ode to summer. The band had a school-kid giddiness about them and seemed genuinely enthusiastic. I don't know what I was expecting with their show, really. I've read good and bad reviews of previous shows, but I felt like their Monolith set was pleasant enough. Didn't blow my mind, but didn't have me looking for an escape either.

Dr. Robert : The set that may have ended up being one of the bigger draws of the weekend, and Vampire Weekend did not disappoint. Early on in the set they said that due to having the chance to play Red Rocks they would "play every song we know". The crowd heard all their favorites and a slew of new songs. The drummer, complete with Phish shirt (backlash be damned!) and bassist proved to be a solid rhythm section that kept the show moving. Overall one of the better sets that matched the hype.

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma






Dodge : Blitzen Trapper played lots of new stuff from their excellent new album Furr. Even the guys from Vampire Weekend squeezed in to catch most of the set. I'm really looking forward to their MOKB presented show here on November 10th! BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR LESS!

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation





Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Photo Atlas get (-1) best local groupie attendance and (-1) for best Blink 182 impersonation.






Dodge : The Night Marchers were slotted against Vampire Weekend and Del The Funkee Homosapien...I can't even believe Dave even got pictures.










Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Oliver Ackerman of A Place To Bury Strangers had not heard of most of the Monolith bands probably because he's busy making effects pedals that are way too genuine and handmade for guitar center. Strangely his hearing was very functional. What I love about APTBS, besides their fuzzed out attention to highs and mids/willful neglect of lows, is their disregard for the well being of their instruments. I wonder if they have textual relations with Trent...(+3) for strobe light & badass photos yielded as a result and (+3) for ritualistic guitar trashing.










Dave (MOKB Photographer) : White Denim gets a massive (+8) for being one of the top performances of the festival.

Dodge : Yeah, I had a hilarious conversation with these guys right before their set about drummer Josh not being allowed to banter during their sets. He obviously wasn't listening to the warning the rest of the band gave him - but luckily he was hilarious. Their crowd actually thinned for a half second after they opened with a 5+ minute all-instrumental number, but it filled back up quickly was the lyrics started. Honestly, that opening number was so full of rock, I couldn't believe anyone walked out...they missed a monster of a perfomance. I give them big +'s for best rock'n'roll faces. Everyone else's were melted off.





Deltron 3030 (Del & Dan The Automator) - Mastermind
Deltron 3030 (Del & Dan The Automator) - Turbulence

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : Del The Funkee Homosapien gets (+1) for best merch (see Obama t-shirts with Hiero logo for the "O"). (+1) for the pop shove-it, (+1) for the massive herb consumption and (+1) for audience participation.












Dee : And finally for me, The Presets. They performed at 9:15 on the other indoor stage in a room that held an estimated 200 people, if that. Horrendous stage choice and something I'm sure Monolith organizers are going to rethink for next year's fest. I got there 40 minutes early because I expected it to be packed. And it was. There had to be some serious fire code violations going on. This was not the place for claustrophobic people to hang out. I was about three deep from the front of the stage, and feared for my life as the band failed to come out on time and kept an increasingly volatile crowd waiting about 10 minutes past the scheduled start time. (I know this was not a Slipknot show, and you might find it hard to believe that a bunch of skinny hipsters could become volatile, but it happened.) I watched the first 10 minutes of the set with someone else's beer dripping down my face and hair thanks to the a-holes who decided to take it upon themselves to violently force their way to the front of the stage. Thanks, guys. But I digress. The Presets quickly turned the space into an underground club with their pounding set. The only difference being that this hip club was full of people wearing backpacks and North Face fleece jackets. Couldn't really see Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes because the stage wasn't elevated and I'm short. But I did catch glimpses of Julian's stellar neon pink jacket. Still, despite the cramped quarters, the band pulled off a blistering set, complete with my personal favorite, This Boy's in Love. I hope to see them again sometime in a club bigger than my living room. They're opening for Cut Copy on their U.S. tour.

Dave (MOKB Photographer) : The Presets get (+1) for the pretty in pink blazer and (+1) for the unruly crowd, but also a (-1) for some of the unruly brohams in that crowd.

The Presets - Talk Like That
The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror Remix







Dave (MOKB Photographer) : All the running around the expansive main stage made for some excellent presence by the Silversun Pickups, so (+1) Blue Ribbon : 100m dash and (+3) for good sportsmanship when we saw you hungover, smoking outside of the hotel and still talked with us.

Silversun Pickups - Kissing Families
Silversun Pickups - Little Lovers So Polite (One AM Radio Remix)

Dee : Rain moved in around 9 p.m., despite the cloudless blue sky we enjoyed all day. That literally put a damper on Atmosphere's set, which I, unfortunately, did not get to see. Guess it's a good thing I live in the Twin Cities.

Del & Atmosphere team up at Monolith:

Thanks to Muzzle Of Bees!



Dodge : I caught a little of Atmosphere on the way out...Sounded great and I wish I had stayed, but after a long day of drinking, rocking out and always feeling a little off due to the altitude, we were all ready to head back to the hotel for a little more drinking in our PJs and a good night's rest for Day Two.

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