![]() “Born Slippy” and “Two Months Off” were an absolute thrill in a gripping set that showcased both propulsive vocals and transcendent dance floor thump. Pioneering British progressive house and techno duo Karl Hyde and Richard Smith are well into their 60s, and it just felt like they were out to prove something on the Crane Stage: Even though they’ve influenced an enormous number of the acts on the lineup, they could still put it down as solidly as any of them. The show-stealer on Saturday-and perhaps of the entire weekend-was Underworld. Furtado successfully broke up the monotony of the same ol’ same ol’ festival names, and it was a well-executed whim from Portola. (She has in fact been responsible for a couple recent club bangers as well.) Blissed out vibes reigned supreme, with a distinct queerness among the gorgeous crowd packed with more dudes dressed like some iteration of Anderson. Her sunset legacy nostalgia set was well-received and felt like a different world after leaving the delightfully sweaty head-bobbing of the Warehouse. Nelly Furtado felt like a gamble amid all of the electronica, but it totally paid off. at Portola SF /Le4D0iWGOL- Silas Valentino October 2, 2023 Ninja Tune even threw an afterparty across the street at the Midway where Little Dragon promptly dominated the main room. Overmono’s collision of jungle and breakbeats and Jon Hopkins’ euphoric beats fired on all cylinders in the Warehouse, before SBTRKT played a full band set in the Ship Tent that totally hit. There was a heavy concentration of acts from labels XL Recordings and Ninja Tune (Domino too) throughout the weekend, a masterstroke considering they all have impeccable rosters. There was a moment when light, pleasant rainfall briefly fell from the sun-soaked sky during Hot Chip’s “Boy From School” that I won’t soon forget. On Saturday, Young Fathers started things off for me with a bang on the main Pier Stage followed by Hot Chip. It didn’t really matter which of the four stages you were at, everything was going off all day. For a second year in a row, Portola totally brought it with one of the most creative and downright excellent lineups of any festival nationwide. Find me an attendee who wasn’t satisfied with this lineup and I’ll show you a liar. Here’s what stood out: Nelly Furtado on the Pier Stage. But as Portola looks to cement itself as a yearly part of San Francisco’s cultural fabric, there are certainly new lessons to be gleaned from this year and plenty of room to grow. Make no mistake about it, this was a largely positive affair. We were at Pier 80 all weekend, basking in the glory of acts like Underworld and Little Simz on the outdoor stages and marvelously losing sense of time and space to Todd Terje and Overmono in the Warehouse. Festival honcho Danny Bell was candid with 48 Hills last week in outlining exactly how he and his team planned to fix the crowd control, sound, cell service, and layout issues that plagued year one, and those efforts were noticeable. The second edition of Goldenvoice’s dance music-focused Portola Festival is in the books-and it was by all accounts a far smoother production than last year’s hot-and-cold maiden voyage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |