The last few years has seen an expansion of music festivals in this area, but many festivals that start in the city eventually move to Merriweather Post Pavilion when they get too big (see: Sweetlife or Trillectro). The All Things Go Fall Classic now in its third year, has so far stayed in the city, moving from Dock 5 behind Union Market to the larger Yards Park. This past Saturday, despite the rain, the ATG Fall Classic proved why it is one of the most realizable festivals in this area.
ATG kept things simple, with a roster mainly comprised of electronic-leaning acts; Maryland rapper Ace Cosgrove a notable exception. Attendance was higher this year, despite the constant rain turning the grounds into a sinking mud pit. The infrastructure held up, as there were very rarely long lines at either the bars, food stands, or porta potties.
Cosgrove had the thankless task of opening the ten-hour festival and though attendance was sparse, he made the most of it. He was cut off before he could deliver one last song, but Cosgrove would pop up later in the day.
The duo, Sofi Tukker, brought their party vibes with the hit, “Drinkee”, a song that could stand as the theme song for the festival. Pop ETC a once middling indie rock band, now middling electro-pop group, were pleasant and non-offensive.
Bishop Briggs is an artist that many attendees will be adding to their playlists. Briggs wowed with her hard-leaning electronic pop. She was kinetic across the stage, and brought the place down with a crushing rendition of her hit, “The River”.
The only blip in the day was the cancelled performance of French pop act, Christine and the Queens, who declined to perform due to safety concerns. Christine’s show involved too much dancing, so the wet stage would be an issue. Leaving an hour to fill, the ATG DJs played to the crowd, at which point Sofi Tukker returned to do an impromptu set, also joined by Ace Cosgrove.
Sylvan Esso was the festival’s highlight. The duo’s evolution from playing small club shows to festivals is complete. Sylvan Esso took the risky road of playing new tracks from their forthcoming release, due out in 2017. Every song worked. The band also got cheers for its previous singles, “Coffee” and “Say It Right”.
Fans of the All Things Go Blog will know how deep the appreciation for Passion Pit runs, so it was a coup they got them to headline. By this point, the rain had stopped but the ground was barely walkable. Passion Pit singer Michael Angelakos greeted the crowd by yelling “rain or shine motherfuckers,” which set the mood perfectly.
Passion Pit does not tour as much as it used to, opting for one-off shows and festival appearances, and it showed. Angelakos’s voice was sturdy in his low end yet all but gone when he tried to hit the high notes for which he is known. Empire of the Sun had the most theatrical performance of the night, showing why the group was saved for last.
While the rain did effect the festival, the Fall Classic was another success. Let’s hope it stays put in D.C. for the foreseeable future.
