I like surprises. Well, good ones at least. Without question, Yeasayer’s playing at Spring Weekend was a good surprise. Due to contract negotiations, Yeasayer was announced after the initial release of the Spring Weekend’s lineup — but if one name had to be announced late, this was the one to pick. The addition of Yeasayer to the existing lineup of What Cheer? Brigade, Waka Flocka Flame, and Hudson Mohawke injected some much-needed rock(ish) to Friday night. At least one former BlogDH writer/semi-professional flogger would have been very pleased. The concert really has something for everybody now.
But Yeasayer’s presence in the Spring Weekend lineup represents much more than a simple filler designed to check the box of something-resembling-a-rock-band on some fictional list of Spring Weekend artist requirements. The Brooklyn-based band, which formed in 2006, has constantly pushed the boundaries of genre — they once described themselves as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel;” Pitchfork calls them “art-pop,” but I’m not sure anyone knows what that is besides a thoroughly mediocre Lady Gaga album. Their songs range from this out-of-left field cover of Seal’s “Crazy” to the more radio-friendly “O.N.E.” of FIFA ’11 fame.
The quartet of Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, Anand Wilder, and Cale Parks delivers a unique sound that will get you dancing without delivering bass so heavy that you think you’re having a heart attack. Basically, they’re the anti-Brick Squad.