Treefort Music Fest 2024 is officially well underway, and the artists we saw on Day 2 got us grooving and gathering our thoughts on existence! Ok, that second one might be a bit hyperbolic, but there’s no denying that there was a hard stylistic shift between the first half of our day and the second. What do I mean by that? Let’s take a look!
To start the day, we headed over to Mother Earth Brew Co. to catch an intimate solo set from Field Guide. Five minutes earlier, the Canadian indie folk singer had announced on his social media profiles that his third album, Rootin’ For Ya, will be released in two months on May 24th, and that buzz was palpable. Throughout his set, he swapped between acoustic and electric guitar, providing us in the audience with the opportunity to hear his songs as they first originated. From lyrics that convey heartbreak, conflict, struggle – someone please buy this man’s ‘05 Chevrolet – and hope, the set that Field Guide put together made us reminisce on a pub culture that seems to be missing throughout much of the US. However, it’s alive in Boise, and we’re grateful for that.
After chatting with Field Guide after the show (more on that later on, keep your eyes peeled), we headed over to Payette Brewing to catch our next two acts. Linda From Work, a “fierce rock band hailing from Seattle,” took the stage and immediately let it rip. Throughout the set, the sense of “righteous anger, inescapable anxiety, and deep longing” captivated the crowd and got us thinking about all the things we wish we could have said in that argument years ago. And before we knew it, it was time for the main attraction at Payette Brewing on Day 2: The Fjord People. The Boise-based jam-centric funk band powered through some technical difficulties to provide a set that was equal parts introspective and raucous. Led by Simeon Titmus on keys and occasional vocals and Jack Gardner on bass with Leo Woods laying down the drums, The Fjord People kept the audience listening with rapt attention, anticipating those beautiful moments of funky release and going feral when they got them. In our notes, we said that “the guy going goblin mode up front is who we should all aim to be,” if that tells you anything.
We would also be remiss if we neglected to mention The Fjord People’s trumpet player, Steven White. The word virtuoso doesn’t even begin to cover his talent level, and he’s still in high school. Equal parts Roy Hargrove and Rafael Méndez, White lives above the groove laid down by Titmus and Gardner, lyrically flowing through licks that shift the entire tone of any song being performed at any given point in the set. This band is one to watch, Boise. Keep an eye out.
Once the funk at Payette Brewing was over, it was time to catch it over at Treefort Music Hall. Karina Rykman is not enigmatic in any way. She tells you right away that she is a joyous performer, and then proceeds to prove that statement true. Currently on tour for her 2023 album, Joyride, Rykman and her band oscillate wildly between hardcore psychedelic indie rock and the funkiest funk imaginable to create one of the most engaging live shows one could ever hope to see. In a way, Rykman is indie rock’s Blu DeTiger. In another way, Blu DeTiger is pop’s Karina Rykman. Check out Joyride as quickly as you can, and keep Karina Rykman on your radar for as long as she’s making music.
To close out the evening, there was only ever one option. We’re big fans of Franc Moody (as you can see by our Outside Lands 2022 and Lollapalooza 2023 coverage, including this interview), so we couldn’t in good conscience head anywhere else in Boise while they were on stage at Treefort Music Hall. Though their Boise debut was a bit different than what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, that didn’t change the energy and power of Franc Moody’s core. Featuring a 4-piece group with a massive synthesizer rig for John Moody and Seye Adelekan on bass instead of the usual 6-piece group, Franc Moody delivered their best to a crowd that was absolutely packed and ready to dance. Diving into the vault to play “Yuri” was a great touch as well, and we won’t ever get tired of heaping praise onto Franc Moody. The duo is so in sync that they jinxed each other while announcing they had one more song left, a wholesome and heartwarming moment that brought everlasting joy to Treefort Music Hall.
If you’d like to catch up on our full Treefort 2024 experience, you can find our Day 1 coverage here! Be sure to follow along on Instagram for our daily morning recaps as well. Day 3 is just beginning, and we still have two more after that. Let’s keep it going, Treefort!
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