MFNW, Day 3: “Does it feel good? Good… that’s how we want it to feel.”

Ah, Friday night of Musicfest NW: the gift and the curse. True, every night of MFNW offers need-to-see shows at conflicting times, but the closing evenings are when all the stops come out, where the shows start as late as 1AM, and after-hour shows that turn into breakfast dates. Thank god for Rockstar and Gatorade AM, (which I HIGHLY recommend after having it save my life this weekend.)

Tempted to see if I could get in to the sold-out Vampire Weekend show at the Crystal Ballroom, I decided instead to voyage to the east side and catch Sandpeople with Jedi Mind Tricks at the Hawthourne Theatre. And it was a good choice; the entire set was a homage to Stumptown, thanking the crowd amassed with a bouncing take of “St. John’s.” So strong was the local support that the demand for an encore went right into Jedi Mind Tricks actually taking the stage, but fortunately the love was transferable and the crowd ate up every moment of the Philly crew’s lyrical assault.

But I couldn’t stay long, because TV on The Radio was taking the stage back on the west side at the Roseland Theatre. After a near-death experience from throwing myself in front of a speeding cab, (whoops), I made it there and ran up the stairs just as the audience began to roar along with a fearless launch into “Wolf Like Me” that had Tunde jumping around the stage like a minister caught with the spirit.

The effect was simultaneously mesmerizing and adrenaline-spiking: I stared open-mouth at the stage for a good 60 seconds before giving in and rocking out for the next hour and a half. “Does it feel good?” Adebimpe asked the audience at the end of the song. “Good,” he replied in response to our approving roar. “That’s how we want it to feel.”

After two solid encores it was off to Berbati’s to catch the other hometown heroes of the night, The Builders and the Butchers. By the time I arrived they were well into a set that had the place well over capacity (thank you, lax doormen!) and the crowd engaging in an impromptu square dancing session.

By the time they reached the encore, the band was completely out of strings so they instead led a sing-along while passing a large bass drum around the audience for drunks like me to strike and “feel involved.”

I wish these guys did that at every show… oh wait, they totally do. And how can you hate a neo-Appalachian-hipster jug band that shares its instruments with you?

Tomorrow’s Shows:

Bitchin’ Summer @ The Roseland, 8pm

Blind Pilot @ The Fez, 10pm

Menomena with Helio Sequence @ The Crystal Ballroom, 11pm

Willamette Week After Party @ some sketchy hotel in lower NW, Midnight – 5AM(!)