Headlined by reunited legends like X, Run-D.M.C. and Public Image Ltd, this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest has a little something for the older folks, as well as the young. With that much talent over three days, there are bound to be some tough decisions between stages. Here are a few scheduling conflicts we're hoping to get around.
See also: - Public Image Ltd's John Lydon on label politics and the election - The Sword on being awesome
5.) FRIDAY: Sharon Van Etten (3:25-4:10 / Orange Stage) and Tig Notaro (3:45-4:15 / Yellow Stage). Instead of complete conflicts, Friday primarily presents a few spots where one might need to sprint across the park in order to catch a few songs from a couple of desired acts. This is a battle of two artists with fantastically inventive and engaging ways of getting their stories across.
4.) SATURDAY: The Sword (8:00-8:45 / Black Stage) and Public Image Ltd (7:50-8:45 / Orange Stage). This seems like a non-conflict. PiL is a legendary act folks should see any chance they can (including this Thursday at the Granada Theater), and Austin's The Sword hasn't exactly been a stranger to touring over the last several years. But when you factor in the strong possibility of John Lydon having a Danzig-style meltdown combined with the opportunity to see The Sword perform material from their new album, Apocryphon, for a hometown crowd, the choice gets to be a bit tougher, no?
3.) SATURDAY: A$AP Rocky (8:45-9:45 / Blue Stage) and Refused (8:50-9:50 / Black Stage). Sweden's Refused is the reunion gig that might get overlooked by some, given the wealth of reunited legends They're another band that proclaimed a reunion wouldn't ever be an option upon their split in 1998, but hey, It's hard to turn down all those dollars (or whatever it is they spend in Sweden). Speaking of dollar signs, it's never a good idea to miss an A$AP Rocky set.
2.) SUNDAY: Japandroids (4:20-5:05 / Black Stage) and Eugene Mirman/W. Kamau Bell (4:10-5:10 / Yellow Stage). On one stage, there's a band that's perhaps carried the most buzz around this year, in the form of album Celebration Rock. Clear across the park, you will miss not one, but two hilarious dudes by sticking around the Black Stage to see if the Canadian garage-punkers are worth the noise.
1.) SUNDAY: Explosions in the Sky (7:55-8:45 / Orange Stage), Fucked Up (7:55-8:45 / Black Stage) and De La Soul (7:55-8:45 / Blue Stage) This is the most clear case of how the schedules can violently collide. For some who've seen EIS after the release of their latest album, Take Care , Take Care, Take Care, the choice is probably made easier. Another Canadian act that's carried its share of praise is Fucked Up. Last year's David Comes to Life was the epic punk opera Green Day wishes it could make, and seeing their sweaty, furry lead singer shirtless and shouting is always a fun prospect. De La Soul certainly knew how to mix soul, hip-hop and jazz in a manner that the masses loved. For folks who've lived on the festival's grizzlier edges on Sunday, this might be the set that helps ease one back into a calmer sense of reality.
