FYF is this weekend, sheeple! L.A.'s best weekend of the summer is now a whopping three days and has moved up to July from its usual late-August time. Now, in the dead of summer, all of Los Angeles will peacock with their best lewks in Exposition Park. We've learned the set times and the food lineup, so now it's time for the show itself. The days have a lot of hours and artists besides when Bjork, Missy Elliott, Frank Ocean, and Nine Inch Nails take the stage, so please see the following artists during that time instead of Mac Demarco (we're really convinced FYF would do a full Mac Demarco weekend if they could):
Big Thief
2016's tear crown went to the hype man of depression herself, Julien Baker. 2017's crown is poised to land on the heads of the band Big Thief. The quartet released their sophomore album Capacity earlier this year and hoo boy is it a doozy! A doozy of beautiful, affecting songs about trauma and loss. Adrianna Lenker's vocals delicately excavate memory and love, climbing and clinging to the guitar and piano melodies. So basically their set is going to be a rager. At 4:45 p.m. Saturday in The Club, lose yourself in the reverb of an electric guitar and the yearning of a voice trying to reconcile with the past.
Princess Nokia
Princess Nokia is the alter ego of New York queen Destiny Frasqueri. She's performed under the names Wavy Spice and Destiny before, and has collaborated with Ratking and Wiki, but Princess Nokia is her most inclusive and virtuosic persona. A champion of queer femmes, women and trans folk of color, and the artistic roots of New York's club scene, Princess Nokia is a dominant force in the alternative hip hop scene. Her live shows are also moments of collective magic where she holds court on stage and brings everyone into her explosively energetic world. At 12:30 a.m. Saturday night, Princess Nokia descends on The Club.
Andy Shauf
Andy Shauf's The Party was one of the best records of 2016. The album follows the trajectory of a night at a friend's party, with each song creating a small moment during the evening. He expertly hones in on all the emotional pauses that weave through the experience of simultaneously observing and participating in life over the course of one night. He recalls iconic songwriters of yore while mixing in complex arrangements and the occasional orchestral break between his gentle piano melodies. He performs at The Club at 4:25 p.m. Sunday (there are other stages at FYF but somehow The Club seems to be the best stage, according to this writer).
Arca
Besides being in the greatest photo of 2017 alongside Bjork and Jesse Kanda, Arca released one of the best albums of 2017. The self-titled Arca features unsettling and beautiful vocals on top of contorted production or piano ballads, creating an immersive world both massive and intimate. His live show will feature the ghoulish art of oft-collaborator Jesse Kanda and a bloody end, if his Instagram is any indication. He will... uh... also be at The Club, going on at 8:45 p.m. Saturday night.
Fatima Yamaha
Fatima Yamaha's What's A Girl To Do came out in 2004, and boy does it hold up. Samples of ScarJo whispering in Lost in Translation apparently stay relevant because existential despair never goes out of style. Yamaha is one of the monikers of Dutch producer Bas Bron, and he didn't release anything under that name again until 2015, with an album that expanded on the hit single from 2004. He then followed up with a new EP this spring, setting him up for his set at FYF. If we're being honest, seeing him live is probably just to hear What's A Girl To Do live, because the rest of his stuff isn't quite as good, but it'll still be a great time. He's playing in The Woods at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
FYF is at Exposition Park, located at 700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037. You can take the Expo line and get off at USC/McCarthy Way or Vermont, or you can drive and park in the neighborhood or in a designated lots. Three-day passes are sold out, as are single-day passes for Saturday. Friday and Sunday passes ($112 and $125, respectively) are both available at the box office.
