Pygmalion Preview: Major Lazer, Youth Lagoon, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, & more!
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the main event of the whole bloody festival! Saturday, September 28, also the third and final day of Pygmalion, will feature an all-day fest-within-a-fest at The Highdive Outdoor Annex in downtown Champaign, with 13 acts playing on either of two stages from 1 pm until Major Lazer, the headlining act of all of Pygmalion, calls it quits at around midnight. This particular article touches on the star-studded lineup set to play stage #1.
Take Care and On and On
Opening up festivities for stage #1 are two delightful Midwestern indie acts. First up is a bit of local flavor: Take Care, an ambient indie rock band from right here in Champaign. The group, which shares members with Barrowe and has put out splits with the likes of Maltese and Community College, is back to set the mood for the day at The Highdive. Taking the stage after them and carrying on the indie theme is experimental dream pop outfit On and On. The Minneapolis-based trio is currently on tour supporting their debut full-length album Give In, and looks forward to a crowd full of nodding heads, jiving limbs, and smiling faces present for their chill performance. Take Care is set to take the stage at 1:30 while On and On will be performing at 2:50.Check out Take Care's Bandcamp hereCheck out On and On's Bandcamp here
Little Green Cars and Caveman
But wait: there's more indie rock! Little Green Cars, who will be performing at 4:10, is coming to good ol' Central Illinois all the way from Dublin, Ireland as part of a month-long North American tour. How nice of them! Playing tunes reminiscent of Band of Horses and The Smiths, the group is promoting their new album, Absolute Zero, and they are not an act to skip out on come next Saturday. After them at 5:30 is Caveman, bringing with them their upbeat, synth-flavored brand of indie rock from the alleyways of the Big Apple. The group is also making a stop for Pygmalion on a tour across the country, supporting their new self-titled album.Check out Little Green Cars' website hereCheck out Caveman's website here
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
At 7pm, just after the sun sets, Cory Chisel and Adriel Harris, the principal members of their Appleton, Wisconsin-based Americana band Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, will take the stage as all the folks gather 'round to hear some soulful Midwestern folk. The group has earned some acclaim, receiving "Artist of the Year" and "Record of the Year" at the Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards in 2010 and also having a track of theirs featured in a Samuel Jackson film in 2008. They are currently on tour with Murder by Death, another band playing Pygmalion.Check out Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons' website here
Youth Lagoon
One of the main attractions of the night, as well as throughout all of Pygmalion, is Youth Lagoon, the solo project of Boise native Trevor Powers. Powers' avant-garde blend of Americana and electronica is sure to continue the aura of the night: bliss, music, and good feelings. The day before his Pygmalion performance, September 27, marks the two-year anniversary of his debut release, The Year of Hibernation, and he is currently on tour in support of his new album, Wondrous Bughouse. Be sure to catch his performance at The Highdive at 8:40pm.Check out more on Youth Lagoon here
Major Lazer
Rounding out the lineup for the day is one of the most anticipated acts of Pygmalion, or maybe even of the whole month for some people: Diplo himself and his brainchild, Major Lazer. If the prior acts did anything to build up some sense of tranquility, Major Lazer will tear it down with waves and waves of ferocious beats, outlandish stage props, and flashing lights as the whole of downtown Champaignis transformed into an all-out rave. The group comes to the C-U area with a lot under their belt: charting releases, collaborations with both Snoop Dogg and No Doubt, an MTV Video Award nomination, a song in FIFA '10, and memorable performances at Coachella, Pitchfork, and countless other music festivals. Their performance is set to begin at 10:30 and end Pygmalion with a bang. It'll be a show you all of your friends will be talking about for weeks, so don't miss out!Check out Major Lazer's website hereRead a cool article about Major Lazer here