In 2017, FYF will really prove their high stature as one of this country’s most laboriously-curated musical festivals. The Exposition Park-hosted event has had some of the today’s biggest acts, sure, but it also had to quicken the pace so it could keep up with the logistical demands it entails. Now that they’re practically veterans in the music festival market, a race that sees an increasing amount of choices year after year, the one reason why FYF continues to succeed is because it hasn’t lost sight of its core audience.
This year’s is also particularly notable for having easily one of the most diverse, and doing so while retaining their reputation as percipient tastemakers. A quick glance at the lineup shows they’re devoted to bringing aboard a rich array of legendary performers in one single weekend (Iggy Pop, Missy Elliott, Nine Inch Nails and Bjork), all while welcoming an impressive selection of sought-after critical darlings (Frank Ocean, Mitski, 6lack, Princess Nokia, Big Thief).
Since we primarily cover local artists, this preview will focus on shining the spotlight on the five local artists were most excited to see. We’re also proud to say that two of the artists featured on this list were covered at The Deli during their early days, so we’re delighted to see them perform among such a high-caliber roster.
1. Frank Ocean: Oh, Frank. You almost had us on 2015. Even if the prospect of seeing Ocean two years ago seemed unlikely from the start, we’re pretty confident that the elusive R&B megastar is going to impress after releasing 2016’s genre-defying release, Blonde. The time just wasn’t right, seeing as we honestly had no idea what he was up to at the time. Having Kanye West as pinch hitter while he was on the DL was quite the tall order, but in our heart of hearts, we really wanted Ocean all along. And our expectations couldn’t be any higher.
2. Moses Sumney: There’s a lot riding on Moses Sumney, an artist who was voted as our Best Emerging Artist of the year back in 2013! His genre-ending electro-soul has had us in awe for years now, but he hasn’t quite broken through yet despite his splendid last EP, Lamentations. But Sumney just brought to us a wonderful gift, entitled “Doomed”, a patiently spellbinding new single that has us really intrigued for his still-mysterious new project. His set is not to be missed, and should act as a primer for potential world domination.
3. Chicano Batman: Seeing as Los Angeles is a hub of multi-ethnic culture (I’m Puerto Rican myself), it’s fitting that FYF is beginning to acknowledge how much the Latino community also enjoys the independent persuasion. And having Mexican-American four-piece Chicano Batman is the perfect starting point, a band whose eclectic mixture of psychedelic rock deserves a larger audience.
4. Cherry Glazzer: Cherry Glazerr’s no-frills jams distill guitar rock to its barest and most pure, and with a touch of defiant feminism to boot. Hot on the heels of their latest LP, Apocalypstick, the hard-rocking trio are going to satiate the appetite of those who like their riffs heavy and their hooks sharp.
5. Flying Lotus: Around here, we like to make fun of how many times Ty Segall has attended FYF. (Note: too many for us to remember, but we really don’t mind.) And Flying Lotus comes at a not-so-distant second, but this time, he’s bringing a new set up made up of 3D Visuals. From what we’ve seen it’s quite the stunner, though honestly, we’re glad he’s actually incorporating his own material instead of playing another DJ set.
Update: Set list times are now up! Click here for more info. – Juan Rodríguez