East Village Radio Music Festival September 7, 2008 South Street Seaport Written by Stephanie Fouts Photographed by Amy Davidson Opposite: Boris from Japan

The rains came and some performances were cancelled, but East Village Radio Music Festival persevered at South Street Seaport and delivered a phenomenal line-up emceed by KRS-One on Sunday. It was an international festival to be more precise, as EVR brought acts from far off places like Iceland, Japan and Brooklyn. Over twenty acts from different genres of music, as well as a comedians and visual artists converged at the Seaport.

Olof Arnalds	Olof Arnalds

Early in the afternoon, the Icelandic folk artist Olof Arnalds took to the stage. Arnalds is an amazing talent; she appeared to effortlessly sing and play guitar. Her soprano voice soars across the crowd. This songstress creates music that is simply beautiful. Her sound transcends the language barrier and moves the listener to a more innocent time of life.

Vivian Girls	Vivian Girls

Helping to maintain the youthful and girlish mood of the afternoon, the Vivian Girls trekked in from Brooklyn to bring the crowds to a punk frenzy. The trio pays tribute to the Shangri-Las and Ramones, successfully blending surfer and punk rock. The drummer, Ali hasn’t been a member of the group very long, but she keeps stellar time and her sound is tight. Ali, Kickball Katy and Cassie Ramone offered pleasing harmonies over the heavy drums and simple guitar lines. They will soon release a self-titled album in October on In the Red label. Pick it up and enjoy the Vivian Girls’ rock.

Walking on the cobblestone street toward the second stage at the corner of Front and Beekman, I enjoyed smelling the aromas wafting out from the restaurants. I walked through the doors of Art @ Seaport to let my eyes feast on the visual art of Antonio Garcia. In the backroom, Hex Message cast a spell on their audience with their trance style. The darkness was a change from the standing in the small shadow of an amplifier on the beautiful September day. I escaped before I became transfixed by their sound.

KRS-One

Awesome Color	Awesome Color

As I traveled back to Pier 17, KRS-One took the stage and performed a little freestyle as a teaser before passing the mike on to the next act. The Awesome Color travelled to the stage and brought their raw Iggy Pop style energy. Flirting with the crowd, guitarist Derek Stanton picked up his amp to create superbly distorted feedback. The great thing about this trio from Michigan is they know how to giddy-up and go. It’s soundtrack you rock out to on a road trip through the desert or the flat plains of Kansas. Very suitable for fast cars. A busted E string later, still good to go. Allison Busch led with forceful drums and Michael Troutman rounded out the sound on bass. Towards the end, they even invited EVR’s George to the stage to rock. There self-titled debut is out and the second record, "Electric Aborigines," is coming in on Ecstatic Peace.

John Oliver

John Oliver, just back from trips to Colorado and Minnesota, killed the crowds with tales from the conventions. Oliver is a Daily Show correspondent; he emphatically assured us that HRC will be the next president of the United States because “the people have spoken.” On a personal note, he offered a touching simile for how he fell in love with the United States over the past two years after he left England. The simile involves a beautiful girl that’s had too much to drink at party. She will feel so much better in 2009 after the last clench; he promises!

Devin the Dude	Devin the Dude

Hiking up from Houston, Texas, the very hilarious Devin the Dude delighted the audience with both his originals and with covers of some of the best rappers around. His slow, smooth style is Outkastian in nature; he puts a smile on your face. In the industry since the 1990s, Devin has mastered the art of humorous rhymes. “I Can’t Make It Home” tells the story of what happens when you have too much Petron. (Who hasn’t suffered after taking the tequila challenge?) Although most of the songs have comedic content, they still make you want to bounce with him. Great storytelling by Devin the Dude; he says what you’re secretly thinking. His new album, Landing Gear, will be released October 7.

Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus flew in from California bringing his hypnotic hip hop. Working with a turntable and a computer, Mr. Steven Ellison’s performance was an exercise in experimental music. The sound is mesmerizing the same way an aquarium is; dark, wonderful, strange shapes and bright colors. Ellison successfully blends ambient sounds with the finer elements of hip hop.

KRS-One burst onto the stage at the end of the Flying Lotus set. He turned the ambient into the passionate; the chill into the political. KRS-One, aka “The Teacha” promotes knowledge not violence; many were wearing the “Stop the Violence” t-shirts. This great freestyle artist energized the audience with his “Blastmaster” persona. Fists were raised, feet were stomped and a thunderous chorus erupted in “South Bronx.” The creative KRS-One spilled verse after verse over Vivaldi. “Don’t Be Afraid to Dream” is an uplifting classical rap to educate oneself and a call to stop the violence. Demonstrating that activism is not dead, KRS-One marched through the crowds and stirred everyone’s political emotions. Positive energy emanates from KRS-One from both his lyrics and his smile.

Boris from Japan

Boris from Japan was the great finale. They stormed onto the stage like it was Madison Square Garden. The headbangers swarmed to the front, and everyone around the Seaport followed them. The intensity was magnetic. It has been a long time since I was smitten with metal, but this band caught my attention. They possess incredible skill at keeping speed and heaviness. The craftsmanship of the drummer’s momentum is enough to make you swoon. They are heavy, but not predictable. Playing on a double-necked guitar, the lines are fast and furious but not sloppy. Other songs called for using the E-bow which was artfully employed to sustain guitar notes for what seemed like an eternity. The vocals matched the mood of the music from screams to a gorgeous haunting voice. Draped in all black except for a little bit of red, they were visually in sync with their sound. Motörhead, Sabbath, and Cream are recognizable in Boris. The climax of the events at Seaport was the drummer crowd-surfing, reveling in the adoration of the fans.

Young Fan

myspace.com/olofarnalds

myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc

myspace.com/templeofhiphop

myspace.com/awesomecolor

mrjohnoliver.com

myspace.com/devinthedude

myspace.com/flyinglotus

inoxia-rec.com/boris