We may already be gearing up for SXSW here at SPIN HQ, but that doesn’t mean we’re oblivious to another festival that’s starting right now in San Francisco — Noise Pop. Lucky for us (and you), we’ve got it covered, thanks to the beautiful minds at our sister magazine, 7×7. Arts + Culture Editor Melissa Goldstein and 7×7.com Assistant Editor Hayley Kaufman are teaming up with our fave Bay Area photogs, Stefanie Michejda and Misha Vladimirskiy, to file daily recaps of the Noise Pop action. Here’s a preview:
We know what you’re thinking. It’s Noise Pop’s 16th year, and you’re betting that our intro to our week of coverage is going to take a Sixteen Candles approach, playing off the word “sweet” and heralding this as the “coming of age” year for SF’s indie music festival. We thought about it. But you deserve better than that. And after looking at the schedule, it strikes us that an undeniable numerical trend has emerged, heralding its presence with more persistence than the Year of the Rat (if you can believe it).
You heard it here first: This year’s Noise Pop is all about the twosome. They say that three instances make for a trend, so between the highly anticipated sets of power couple the Gutter Twins in their West Coast debut, the always-welcome-at-the-party-because-they-start-it appearance of dance duo MSTRKRFT, and the very first live performance of She & Him, the musical collaboration between Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, we’re feeling confident about the claim. We could go on and on about all of the noteworthy couplings included in the week’s itinerary, but perhaps there’s no more telling evidence of a trend than when the popular kids decide to buck it: Two Gallants’ Adam Stephens appearing without his constant stage companion, Tyson Vogel, for a rare solo set? We rest our case.
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In the spirit of this year’s double-your-fun schedule, our coverage will be brought to you by not one, but two dedicated show-goers (Hayley Kaufman and me, Melissa Goldstein). And not to worry, we’re no fly in this double-thick ointment — there’s no third wheel in Noise Pop.
