Battle of the BandsFrank vs. Fleetwood vs. Phoenix is no competition at Jazz Fest
Posted: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Thu Apr 25, 2013, Kaci Yoder
http://www.lsureveille.com/entertain...9bb30f31a.html
As Jazz Fest approaches, the big talk has been the scheduling conflicts among Frank Ocean, Fleetwood Mac and Phoenix, all of whom will take the stage at the same time May 4. Personally, I don’t get what people are so torn up about.
I don’t think I’d be caught dead anywhere but at Frank Ocean’s set, but that’s just me. I realize not every Jazz Fest attendee spent the summer of 2012 listening to “Channel Orange” on repeat for hours and crying into their bathwater over “Bad Religion.” I’m less than neutral on the issue.
I can excuse choosing Fleetwood Mac over Frank Ocean. After all, Fleetwood Mac is classic, and Stevie Nicks is one of those legends who may not be around much longer, so it makes sense some people want to see that show most. I’ll admit I was planning on catching that set before the full schedule was announced, and I was disappointed I’d have to miss it. But I never considered dropping Frank Ocean for it.
Maybe you have a major emotional attachment to Fleetwood. Maybe your mom played “Landslide” for you when you were a kid. Maybe you lost your virginity to “Edge of Seventeen.” I don’t know. I’m not going to begrudge anyone their sentimentality. Go see Fleetwood Mac if it’s important to you. I don’t agree with you, but I understand.
But if you’re one of the people who legitimately wants to see Phoenix when both Frank and Fleetwood are also available, I don’t know what to say to you. I get that some people love Phoenix and have been listening to it since their awkward adolescent days. I get that Phoenix delivers a fun show. A lot of people come to Jazz Fest to chill with friends and listen to music, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But, really? You have the choice of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers or one of the hottest, most influential rising talents of the past year, and you pick Phoenix? Does it actually bring anything special to the table? No matter how much you love Phoenix, you could catch the band any other time, and the experience would probably be exactly the same. Is that worth missing out on the most powerful set of the festival?
Frank Ocean had not only the best but the most important album of 2012, and while he’s definitely going to be around a while, I doubt there will ever be a more exciting point in his career to catch him live than right now. Just take a minute and imagine the chills that are going to come over the crowd when New Orleans’ most unlikely golden boy strikes up the first notes of “Bad Religion” in his homecoming set. You want to miss that?
I’ll let it slide if you pick Fleetwood over Frank, but Phoenix? I mean, OK. More room at Frank Ocean’s stage. I guess somebody’s got to take one for the team.