I’m writing this with the ink from the underage “Xs” still on my hands. Treefort puts on a good show and makes Boise look really good. I swear to you my dear reader I heard a man (with thick round glasses, but in a cool way) say, “I feel like I’m in New York.” Really! It’s true! The concrete flower wells outside of Julia Davis Park were piled high with bicycles, and the new green bike lanes were used the whole weekend. Beautiful women with choppy bangs smoked outside of venues while music of every genre you could dream of bled from steel doors. Music echoed through any street you walked down. One of the best acts I caught wasn’t even from Treefort; it was a band playing for a bar that took to the streets, and played a damn good show. The Franco Brothers they were called, from Brazil. One of the strongest stage presences (turf-stapled-to-plywood presences) I’ve seen. I believe that Treefort is more for discovery than seeing your favorites. I chose my schedule for the day based on the catchy-ness of band names and the bios the artists write. There’s something to say, too, about just wandering in the direction of music that calls to you.
I had a ball of a time, but every official Treefort interaction I had seemed so sterile. Every venue had to put a new wristband on if you were over 21, so all of the sweet and overtly Millennial people looked like the most irresponsible hospital patients ever with their layers of orange wristbands. They did the same with my Sharpie Xs, and after a week they’re still etched on my hands like stigmata. And what’s up with the Shredder checking IDs outside of alcohol verification? I heard word of data farming, but it really just held up the line even longer. The art scene felt castrated, too: Ashley Dreyfus was a darling of Boise for a looong time. She moved to California some years ago, and yet they brought her in for a live mural instead of getting local artists. Her art is charming—the round, thick-lined, colorful guys and mushrooms in Crayola colors—but I feel it has oversaturated Boise. I love seeing the storefront art, but it was obvious this year the festival tried to get artists to work in a round, thick-lined, colorful guys and mushrooms in Crayola colors way. It got old fast.
For the last decade Treefort has been constructing puppets of strange creatures each year. This year, they added a big white mammoth that spent her time bobbing her head at the mainstage and a loch monster called Sharlie (like the loch monster of Payette!!).
My standout acts:
Brand New Companion (Shrine Ballroom)
Country rock is coming back this year, and these boys might be the next big thing. They’re local and the music is beautiful. They’ve got a pedal steel guitar front stage, and their songs vary from mellow ditties to heavy distorted rock with clever lyrics: listen to “You’re My Friend” and “Allen’s Car Wreck.” I got to interview them right after their show at the Shrine and had a great conversation. Right after, they stayed in the park and passed a soccer ball around. Really cool guys and awesome music. Keep an eye on Brand New Companion.
Check out our full interview with Brand New Companion on our YouTube Channel
Fust (Shrine Ballroom)
More country rock. They’re from North Carolina and they are sick!! It’s your typical band set-up with a fiddle to compliment. The woman on the fiddle SHREDS, and her playing supports the story-based lyrics. I was hesitant to see them because listening to them online feels too over-produced, but in person…ugh, its perfect. I even bought one of their T-shirts. Listen to “Spangled” and “Cup of Loneliness,” Fust yeah!
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver (Cyclops)
Holy stage presence! The lyrics are funny. The groove is undeniable. The front man seems like a wannabe Jim Morrison, shirtless in tight (zebraprint!) pants and fake drunk stumbling, but he was fun to watch, so I’ll let it go. They have political and religious themes and at one point had the whole audience singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” before transitioning to a crazy Stooges type punk number. Listen to “Too Cold to Golf” and “STUPIDMOTHERFUCKER.” Even though I’m comparing these guys to other acts, this Colorado band really is a unique and a really, really, really, high energy act.
Cure for Paranoia (Treefort Music Hall)
Frontman and two- producer set up. The front rapper has a cool voice, his rhymes are concise and fast. He is a preschool music teacher, and you can almost see it in the way he talked to the audience and encouraged everyone to DANCE! Really cool vibe and it was so fun. He said the band name was inspired by his social anxiety and that the cure for paranoia was to be authentic. Listen to “No Brainer,” and watch them on NPR’s Tiny Desk!
Braided Waves (Shrine Basement)
I read their bio and expected a soft folk act. Not at all what it was, but these guys are legit. They oscillated from dreamy and shadowy to scream-y,fast and unrefined. Plus, there was a cello. Easy music to dance to all the same. What’s more difficult is choosing how to dance but I figured it out. Frontman Otis didn’t talk save a “thank you” after every song, but they give a good energy. My favorites from them are “Quiet Life” and “White Wave.”
– Miriam Moore, Program Director