With a diverse lineup of remarkably different musical styles, renowned artists from around the world and various recreational events, the Hopscotch Music Festival is coming back with a definite forte note.
The lineup this year brings together popular artists with different stage energies – be it Faye Webster’s poignancy or BADBADNOTGOOD’s kaleidoscopic fusion of 70s jazz and hip-hop. Hopscotch also brings back the multitalented alternative icon St. Vincent. With two appearances under her belt already, this two-time Grammy Best Alternative Album winner (whose real name is Annie Clark) is coming back on the heels of her new album “All Born Screaming.”
People might know St. Vincent through her sapphic tidbits or her preeminent electric guitar technique, but they might not realize how versatile she is. While her first two albums were both good combinations of vocal rock and piano acoustics, her third album “Strange Mercy” distinguished her as a groundbreaking figure of alternative rock.
St. Vincent’s music can be strangely powerful and violently queer like in “Strange Mercy”; it can just as likely be soothingly popular and cacophonously rich like in “MASSEDUCTION”, a 2017 album that made use of musical contrasts and wordplay. In recent years, St. Vincent has released her own mocumentary (whose soundtrack she also created) “The Nowhere Inn” and a 60s-nostalgic album “Daddy’s Home”.
Her latest album “All Born Screaming” surprisingly echoes “Strange Mercy” in its musical quirkiness: the silent intervals, the dramatic orchestral breakdown, the percussive, almost mechanically aligned beats and the thematic cover of a man half-burned in a strange position. While St. Vincent will definitely perform her hit songs in the past albums, she may also include a few new signature tracks from this.
Hopscotch 2024 highlights originality by inviting singer-songwriters who are all idiosyncratic. In contrast to St. Vincent’s dramatic presence, Waxahatchee’s music brings a wholesome, therapeutic experience to its listeners. A singer-songwriter from Alabama, Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) grew up near Waxahatchee Creek and has explored everything from rock and alternative to lo-fi folk and country. Her newest album “Tiger Blood” delves into her ups and downs in life. I look forward to seeing how Waxahatchee’s peaceful energy interacts with the rest of the lineup to create unexpected creative effects.
In addition to the headline names, there are plenty of other artists that I personally am looking forward to seeing on stage. While the noise-rock experiments of feeble little horse and the nostalgia-tinged ballroom essentials produced by the electronic dance-pop group Chiffon will definitely heat up the atmosphere, the North Carolina-based indie-rock artist Indigo de Souza will show herself as a visual storyteller with candid lyrics besides her music. Seeing in person how Hopscotch’s escalated stage would catalyze the tranquility and richness of Modern Biology’s plant music would also be an interesting experience. It also gives me the chance to finally see Snail Mail and Tim Heidecker, two artists I’ve been listening to for years, on stage.
This year’s Hopscotch will take place in downtown Raleigh from September 5th to September 7th. Hopscotch has something to offer for pretty much anyone, yet it has a special commitment to North Carolina-based artists. This year’s lineup includes NC-based artists such as MJ Lenderman and the Wind, Alycia Lang and The dB’s. Hopscotch 2024 also welcomes artists who participated in Hopscotch in previous years (such as Sluice and Wednesday, both North Carolina-based) back to the stage.
Music isn’t the only thing Hopscotch has to offer either. There will be a large number of stand-up comedians, including nationally famous figures and the winner of North Carolina’s Funniest Person Contest. There will also be many Day Parties, which are open to the public and do not require a Hopscotch wristband. Day Parties are curated and held by local bars, breweries and clubs with vibrant events (some featuring Hopscotch artists). Day parties in different locations will have different lineups as well. Additionally, Hopscotch teams up with Skate Raleigh to host sports competitions and killer DJs sets, including rollerblade and skateboard competitions, BMX Jam and open skate. Let us see what kind of heat and feast Hopscotch will bring to the Triangle area this year.
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