What an amazing weekend it was for live music… I have been going to the XPoNential Music Festival for years, but this year’s lineup was by far their best yet.
There were so many incredible performances, it’s impossible to pick a favorite, so here is a look at some of the highlights from the weekend!
I arrived just in time for The Lumineers‘ Friday evening show – they played at the smaller of the festival’s two stages, and I have never seen such a large crowd at that stage (pictured up top)! They were incredible – they had an amazing energy and had the crowd on their feet dancing and singing along, especially with their hit “Ho Hey.”
Setlist: Submarines/Ain’t Nobody’s Problem/Classy Girls/Flowers In Your Hair/Ho Hey/Big Parade/Dead Sea/Stubborn love/Flapper Girl/Slow It Down
I loved singer Adam Granduciel’s tattered denim jacket.
Following The Lumineers was local band The War On Drugs, a favorite of mine – thy played several songs off their hit album Slave Ambient, my favorites being “Come to the City” and “Brothers.”
Setlist: Best Night/Comin Through/Your Love Is Calling My Name/Animator/Come to the City/I was there/Brothers/Baby Missiles
Dawes followed up The War On Drugs with an amazing high-energy set that opened with one of my favorites, “My Girl To Me.” They mentioned their show at the festival two years ago, which I remember being at, and how amazing it was to come back two years later and play to such a large audience – they were definitely a crowd favorite of the night.
Setlist: My Girl To Me/The Way You Laugh/If I Wanted Someone/Fire Away/Western Skyline/When My Time Comes/Coming Back To A Man/From A Window Seat/Peace In The Valley/Little Bit Of Everything/Time Spent In Los Angeles
Saturday night was a special night, with the festival moving over to the Susquehanna Bank Center for an incredible triple lineup of Dr. Dog, the Avett Brothers and Wilco.
Dr. Dog is one of my favorite bands, and it’s always a treat seeing them live – I find myself wishing their show could just go on and on, because they’re so much fun to listen to I never want it to end. They played an awesome set that included two of my favorites, “The Breeze” and “Heart It Races.”
The Avett Brothers were the surprise of the night for me – they blew me away. Opening with the beautiful “Murder in the City,” they played a set that alternated between sweet, beautiful folk and rousing rock. The way that Scott and Seth Avett harmonize their voices is beautiful and they are such incredibly talented musicians. Some highlights were “I and Love and You,” “Kick Drum Heart” and “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.”
Wilco closed the night and it was actually my first time seeing them live. I’ve been a fan of Wilco for years, and was really excited that they played a lot of older songs – but one of my favorites of the night was the opener, which is also the opening track of their latest album, “Art of Almost.” Jeff Tweedy came out in a suit and hat, pacing the stage as the song built up before exploding at the end with several minutes of pure jamming out on guitar. The set also included some of my favorites, “Heavy Metal Drummer,” “She’s a Jar”, and “Misunderstood.”
Setlist: Art of Almost/I Might/Misunderstood/Impossible Germany/Born Alone/Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)/She’s a Jar/Handshake Drugs/Hate It Here/Whole Love/Box Full of Letters/I’m Always In Love/Heavy Metal Drummer/I’m the Man Who Loves You/Dawned On Me/Shot in the Arm/ Encore: The Late Greats
Photos by Julia.
More music festival news from the BLDG 25 Blog.
I’ve seen the Avett Brothers about three or four times now and they never get old. Their shows have such an incredible energy…popping guitar strings left and right! I definitely prefer them live! I saw Wilco a few years back. They were also amazing! Totally agree with you, She’s A Jar is one of my favorite songs :)