The clock is ticking ever closer to the end of this year’s Way Out West festival. Passing through the festival gates is bittersweet, as I’ll be walking back through them for the last time in a matter of hours. In that time, though, there are several more bands to see, more experiences to record, and more lucky stars to thank for having access to this glorious event. The festival has been good to me, and the phenomenal clarity of the speakers has made me ponder ways to lure the sound engineers back to Portland with me. So begins my third and final day here in Göteborg.
Twin Shadow, Linné Stage
We meet again for the first time. I was at the canceled Portland show earlier this year, and am glad to finally see Twin Shadow play. Never mind the canopy over our heads, the band members are all wearing sunglasses. From the first note, they are good, gracious, and totally dialed-in. This is especially impressive when they tell us they haven’t slept since playing a show in Norway the day before. Even at this early hour, an impressive crowd has assembled. “Brooklyn represent!” yells a lone American voice. Singer George Lewis Jr. echoes the sentiment. The band’s delightful New Wave revival style helps to revive weary audience members, many of whom are still drunk on the previous night’s performances. They play the popular “When We’re Dancing” and “Castles in the Snow,” infusing their final stores of energy into the delivery. Ending with “Forget,” the members of Twin Shadow wave goodbye and promptly shuffle from the stage get some sleep.
The Tallest Man on Earth, Azalea Stage
Pure excellence is the only way to describe the Tallest Man on Earth. His gritty voice envelops the audience, and he plays his guitar with focused precision. “The Gardner” is beautiful and cheerful as it billows through the park, drawing crowd members closer like a modern-day pied piper. Two people in the nearby beer garden, displeased with their distance from him, pick up their table and move it to the very edge of the fence to get a better view. Mostly, he just sits and plays, sounding fantastic all the while. “The Dreamer” and “Where Do My Bluebird Fly” are equally lovely, and his earnest delivery is strong throughout the performance. His meandering set is the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon in the hazy sunshine, and it inspires starry-eyed adoration in all people within earshot.
Anna Järvinen, Linné Stage
Her music is saucy with jazz undertones. She sings entirely in Swedish, so I can only recognize a handful of words. The tone is pained and heartfelt, though. That much is clear. She’s quite popular among the locals, many of whom provide amateur backup from the audience.
Noah and the Whale, Azalea Stage
There’s a bland pop song that’s been circulating the radio airwaves lately. Called “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.,” it belongs to Noah and the Whale. They are so much more than this little ditty, however. These dapper gentlemen are smartly-dressed in well-tailored suits, and they seem overjoyed to be performing. Opening with the optimistic “Blue Skies,” this band’s enthusiasm washes over us. Melodic, hip-shaking music emanates from the stage as they play their new single, “Life is Life.” They offer up another of their own songs, "Five Years Time," before lapsing into a charming cover of Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend.” This choice was made as a symbol of the band’s love of both Sweden and Swedish music. It’s awesome and exceptionally well-received, especially as the band alters the lyrics to become “call your boyfriend” instead. They round out their appearance with the aforementioned radio hit, which, admittedly, has its fair share of fans. Though the set may be over, violinist Tom Hobden will return later in the evening, lending his skills to Pulp’s closing song.
Wiz Khalifa, Azalea Stage
Rapper Wiz Khalifa is a grinning, playful, animated force. Though the majority of his songs are about only a handful of themes, he brings freshness to each one. The ground vibrates against the heavy beats, forcing crowd members to move their bodies whether they want to or not. People jump in the air with abandon while mouthing the lyrics along. Unlike many of his predecessors who are bored and hardened by the industry, he is still new and excited. He asks how many people are familiar with his mix tapes, and performs a song from one of them. His lyrics repeatedly touch on themes of waking up, partying, and dreaming. Things get particularly exciting with “Black and Yellow,” his number-one single from last year. The energy in his audience is explosive, and several of his fans expose pen-and-ink Wiz Khalifa tattoos on their arms as they wave them in the air. His 45-minute set has fully reinvigorated the crowd, giving them the stamina they need to continue the party.
Kanye West, Flamingo Stage
It goes without saying that controversy, hype, and high expectations orbit around Kanye West like tiny planets. Before he arrives, the video monitors flanking the stage read “Act One,” and operatic music plays. A couple dozen ballet dancers, wrapped head-to-toe in peach-colored bodysuits, flit around onstage. They bend and shift in well-choreographed unison as a huge curtain drops to reveal an enormous classical-style painting behind them. This performance promises to be a theatrical one, and Kanye’s trademark opulence is fully present. Suddenly, the dancers drop to their knees. The beat comes alive, and the ballerinas begin writhing as wildly as Pentecostal Churchgoers about to speak in tongues. Only these ladies aren’t praying to Jesus; no, it’s Yeezus who’s their savior. He emerges from a hidden platform at the end of the catwalk, which turns out to be a small hydraulic cherry picker flanked by vertical fog machines. The entire Way Out West crowd has assembled in front of the Flamingo Stage to witness this performance. Rabid fans perch atop friends’ shoulders, clamoring to get closer to the legend standing before them. From his elevated vantage point, he begins with “Dark Fantasy.”
Once the cherry picker lowers him down to stage level, he nods approvingly at his thousands of disciples. He runs over to whisper something to the DJ, and begins what looks like it will be an incredible performance. This man may well be the king of spectacle, and he wears that distinction with pride. Kanye’s dancers bend and twist as he sings. Their movement is stupendous, and the overall stage show is larger than life. On “Jesus Walks,” Kanye is rapping on his knees. The dancers have vacated, and he is alone on the stage. It’s just him taking up all the air in the park. Kanye dashes around as a digital fireworks display rains down behind him and smoke canons erupt nearby. Several songs in, the crush of eager crowd members forces several people over the fence into the photo pit area, where they are hastily removed by security. The area nearest the stage is a serious danger zone. People love this man, and they’re willing to risk bodily harm to get close to him.
By the time he comes to “Monster” on the set list, Kanye is just standing at the mic. His troupe of ballerinas is nowhere to be seen, and he hardly moves. Finally, he shifts his position and jumps high in the air. This coincides with more pyrotechnics, ushering in Act Two. The dancers return, and “Love Lockdown” is the starting song. While he sings, the ballerinas writhe one by one and roll across the stage. Circling him, they pray at his feet once more. They open and close their arms like a giant lotus flower swaying in the northern breeze. Disappearing once more, the dancers leave him alone with his Autotune-assisted vocal effects. For all the visual brilliance that introduces each of his three acts, Kanye alone at the mic is boring. People start to shuffle toward the festival gates, looking a little let down. He begins “Heartless,” and commands the still sizable crowd to provide the chorus. Kanye’s back on his knees now, enjoying the sound of thousands singing his words back to him. Pity he chose not to maintain the initial energy of his performance. Song after song of solo, motionless delivery has soured the extravagance of his entrance. Another block of phoned-in singing is my queue to depart.
