FYF Fest aka F*ck Ya Festival, Fest?
With the afterglow of Coachella finally fading, some may find one final itch to scratch nestled in the backyard of LA’s own historic state park. Now in its 9th year, The FYF Fest (F*ck Ya Festival) has evolved from a wild rumpus on Sunset Blvd. to a now two-day (mis)adventure into LA’s own fashionable beat culture rewind. As the local settlers descended upon the four stage venue in a cloud of dust, many donned their favorite frocks and frayed denim in tribute to “The Ole F*ck Ya.”
The event lineup was a curious collection of artists and comedic acts (David Cross, woo!), though from a variety of backgrounds and tastes, they all happened to be suspiciously well strung together and rightfully fit for the culture of the audience. A handful reunited (Refused, Desparecidos, Quicksand) and many building steam (Purity Ring, James Blake, Future Islands), all acts came ready to surprise despite the lethargic sun-kissed crowd.
Acts such as Yeasayer and M83 composed sets featuring crowd favorites with a twist on their original renditions. Yeasayer, playing in front of new geometric stage artistry, explored a new experimental sound similar to underwater steel drums when playing their most recent single, “Henrietta“. M83 delved into a cinematic experience, to no surprise, leading with an appearance from their Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming mascot and extended versions of “Colours” and throwback garage jam tune “Sitting” off the 2000 self titled album.
Many smaller, blogged about artists did well in attracting an intrigued crowd with artful stage presence. On the hidden Hill St. Stage, Purity Ring hypnotized onlookers with a dancing array of lanterns turned musical percussive instruments while Future Islands surprised many with a “classy” tucked in yet improvisational performance from frontman Samuel T. Herring.
All the while, the 80+ acts that came and went, undoubtedly pleased the eyes and ears of those who took the time to brave the late September heat. A worthwhile experience for those looking to explore a variety of vintage sounds in new and old fashion, FYF Fest will leave you glad you weren’t stuck wondering why you were attending a Festival-Festival, and instead coyly giving an accomplished “F*ck Ya.”
Below are tunes by some of FYF’s artists:
Balance’
Tasteful Scribe: Kyle Dovenbarger
