ACRN's Lobsterfest 2011: Day Three / June 4 / South Beach

By: Amanda Norris, Staff Writer

Bridesmaid

Bridesmaid are great at what they do-- which is play hard-hitting stoner metal-- but their sound translated awkwardly to the South Beach vibe. I’d love to see them play at the Smiling Skull or the Union with a crowd of their fans but in the context of a non-Ozzfest-outdoor-festival, the vibe was odd.

Whale Zombie

The best and worst thing about being deeply involved in the local music scene is that I see many of the same bands over and over again. I love that-- but I would be lying if I said it didn’t get old every now and then. That being said, I have seen Whale Zombie play more times than I can count. But I have never seen them quite like I saw them--or rather, heard them-- at Lobsterfest.

I have heard their endless waves of layered progressive rock soar in the acoustics of Stuart’s Opera House. I have moshed for them at the seemingly ill-fitting venue Casa Cantina. And I have found them most at home at the Union with it’s underground (yes, I realize it is upstairs, but you know what I mean) vibe suiting them perfectly. But never have I experienced them outside, in the afternoon sun, on a lazy Saturday.

Until Lobsterfest 2011 that is.

With no shoes upon which to gaze, I treated Whale Zombie’s set as a much needed pseudo-siesta-- staring up at the blue sky, getting lost in the chord progressions of a familiar sound in an unfamiliar setting. Sometimes it’s nice to change things up.

She Bears

I never knew She Bears in their Athens days but Columbus seems to have treated them well if what they debuted as new material is an indication of their new direction. She Bears’ Saturday set proved them still capable of producing solid indie pop-rock for the head-nodding, even despite recent line-up changes.


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By: Scott Smith, Album Reviews Editor

The rain tried to end Lobsterfest's third day before it had even begun.

Blithe Field

The festivities began at noon, and by 12:30, the sky got dark and ominous, leading to a half-hour-long downpour. The courageous and efficient ACRN sound crew was able to save all of the equipment, and after taking some more time to set everything back up, Blithe Field was able to conclude his set.

Donning a Pink Floyd T-shirt to match the "The Wall" banner in front of all his equipment. The electronic musician led the crowd through a subdued pop landscape. His songs are upbeat but not exactly danceable; a comforting middle ground for fans who seemed to want to relax and just enjoy the music rather than let the heat take an even greater toll than it was already taking.

Asobi Seksu

To close the event was New York band Asobi Seksu. Instead of the dense shoegaze that band is known for, they instead debuted new songs for their upcoming album, Fluorescent. The new songs moved away from layering of the guitar sounds and instead opted for a more synth and lyrically-driven approach.

Asobi Seksu has really been wrongly pigeonholed as a shoegaze band, but the reality is that the band is an amorphous, ever changing musical act. Unfortunately, the weather wouldn't play nice again, and the band's set had to be cut short.

Setbacks aside, it was great three days for Ohio University, ACRN and Athens. A fantastic way to end the year, and some wonderful sounds to linger in our ears as summer vacation comes to the horizon.