Sweetlife Music Festival, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland

 Life is sweet

The Sweetlife Music Festival came to Merriweather Post Pavilion for a second time. The event used the same set up as last year, with all the main acts on a single stage. There were some additional artists performing on a makeshift dance stage behind the lawn, but there wasn’t anything playing that piqued our interest more than what was on the main stage at that time.

We arrived early in the day and secured a great spot on the lawn, low, dead center, with a decent view of the stage and the single jumbotron. There were few others there when we arrived, but Lindsey wanted to see the opening act of the day, fun., the new project of Nate Ruess, former lead singer of the mid-2000’s indie rock band, The Format. They were fresh off their most recent hit album, Some Nights, including the song “We Are Young” that seems to be everywhere recently. They played a short set, with a mix of songs from that recent album as well as from their 2009 debut, Aim and Ignite. It was a solid opening to the day, though they certainly did not own the stage and the crowd. At that hour, it’s hard to tell if it was because of them or just that not too many people where we were sitting were familiar with their music. Perhaps the latter, considering that many people on the lawn were pretty disengaged for the first several sets of the day.

fun. Setlist:

One Foot

Walking the Dog

Why Am I the One

Barlights

Carry On

At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)

We Are Young

Next up was hip hop artist A$AP Rocky. I had heard some of his albums but wasn’t a huge fan, so it was my turn to be disengaged. He also showed up late and played a really short set, only half a dozen songs. It still was not bad for so early in the day. The weather was another story, as it teetered between sun, clouds, and rain. Occasionally it was sunny enough to want for sunglasses, but often overcast and rainy. Unlike last year though, we were well prepared with a tarp and rain gear.

A$AP Rocky Setlist:

Pretty Flacko

Wassup
Purple Swag

Kissin' Pink

Trilla

Peso

Next up were soul/indie pop band Fitz & the Tantrums. The acts were improving as the day went on and frontman (Michael) Fitz(patrick) and one Tantrum, vocalist Noelle Scaggs, put on some sultry moves that engaged the crowd. It was one of those instances where I had to wonder if they got down off stage the way they were onstage.

Fitz & the Tantrums Setlist:

Don't Gotta Work It Out

Wake Up

Breakin' the Chains of Love

Pickin' Up the Pieces

Winds of Change

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

She's Out of My League

Rich Girls

Dear Mr. President

L.O.V.

News 4 You

MoneyGrabber

Following the Tantrums were Austin-based post rock instrumentalists Explosions in the Sky, the set of the day that I was the most excited for. Unfortunately, it was a sentiment that was not shared by others in our immediate vicinity, including some guy who decided to belittle their chosen genre throughout much of the set. I really wished that we would have ventured from the lawn down into the pit for their set in order to get a little more involved in the music. Nonetheless, they picked a good set list considering their extensive catalogue and the power and intricacies of their music was still enjoyable even out on the lawn. I guess I’ll cross them of my bucket list, but I’m certainly look to see them again sometime soon in a better setting.

Explosions in the Sky Setlist:

Catastrophe and the Cure

Postcard From 1952

The Birth and Death of the Day

Let Me Back In

Your Hand in Mine

The Only Moment We Were Alone

By the time indie rock icons The Shins took the stage, the rain was coming down hard. I had gore-texed myself from head to toe and Lindsey had covered herself in a tarp. Frontman James Mercer was the clear star of the show and reached deep into his catalogue, playing songs that encompassed his fifteen years with the band, a lot of which made me realize just how many The Shins songs I didn’t know. Sets were getting longer and more excited attendees were showing up.

The Shins Setlist:

Kissing the Lipless

Mine's Not a High Horse

Simple Song

Bait and Switch

Australia

Pam Berry

Phantom Limb

The Rifle’s Spiral

Saint Simon

So Says I

No Way Down

Caring Is Creepy

New Slang

Port of Morrow

One by One All Day

Sleeping Lessons

Kid CuDi was another act on my bucket list that I would get to cross of my list that evening. He took the stage late, but came out to thunderous applause. It was clear that a new group of people had finally shown up, as our comfortable lawn setting had completely disappeared as throngs of people flooded the lawn in anticipation of CuDi. It wasn’t long before we decided to move further back to have a little more room. Though I still like his beats, lyrics, and style, his self-aggrandizing onstage presence was like any typical hip hop act. He cycled through a medley though towards the end in which he asked everyone to dance the entire time, which was a bit different and a lot of fun.

Kid CuDi Setlist:

REVOFEV

Scott Mescudi vs the World

Soundtrack 2 My Life

GHOST!

Mojo So Dope

We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up)

Marijuana

Solo Dolo (Nightmare)

Up Up & Away

Man on the Moon (The Anthem)

Erase Me

Mr. Rager

CuDi Zone

Memories

Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)

Though there were still people shuffling into the venue for the final act of the night, AVICII, we had decided that we had enough fun for one day, considering how long we had been on the lawn and the less than ideal weather. At least we could beat the traffic.