Treefort Music Festival: Downtown Boise Idaho March 25th – March 30th
For the uninformed and the uninterested, The Treefort Music Festival, in Boise Idaho is probably one of the craziest things North of Austin (yes, this is a direct reference to SXSW, because that shit is crazy). This craziness comes from hundreds of bands playing and running around Boise Idaho listening to their favorite bands. The Treefort Music Festival is a festival full of bands with clever names that sound like you should know them, but in reality you don’t. This is the beauty of the festival!! It is a festival full of small bands and it’s a sort of playground or “Treefort” if I may, for people and musicians who love finding new music to make friends, drink, and dance your sweaty, sweaty, body into sweaty, sweaty, body pieces, that will continue to dance until all of the 400 bands have played. Now I assume that the majority of you reading this will not be attending the festival, because it is far away, but I imagine that you would love to pretend to be there, and if wouldn’t, then you’re confused and I hate you. Because most of you will not be there I will not give a planned out day schedule of what I am going to see, because nobody cares. Instead I’ll just give my suggestions for bands that you should listen to, that also happen to be attending Treefort, and if you happen to take an 8 hour detour to Boise then you have my suggestions, whether you are too drunk to take them or not is yet to be known.
Marcus’s band Suggestions for Treefort in order of importance and also random.
- Trampled by Turtles – I know. It’s a cop out to pick one of the headliners at number 1, but TBT is one of the most innovative bluegrass/folk bands around. With a wall of strings and a unique vocals, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
- Joyce Manor – They are everything you could ever want from a catchy punk band. They have emotions, catchy hooks, and songs that will resonate into your sad, heartbroken, cynical life.
- Hurray for the Riff Raff/Alynda Lee Segura – Alynda is a folk/bluegrass GODDESSS!!! She has a powerful jazzy voice that has some punk influence laying dormant in the back of her throat. With a band in the back she is nothing short of an angel brought by country music and banjos. She will be playing both with her band and individually. Both great in different ways.
- THUNDERPUSSY – Maybe it is because they once harassed me about my penis on air, or maybe it’s the fact that they kick more ass than any band ever. But a true rock band with personality for days that will certainly have your ovaries kicking, whether you have them or not.
- WRINKLES – Our friends, our family, and one of our favorite bands! They will make you dance all night, and have you singing their songs all day. This band is funky, weird, and all together wonderful.
- Cymbals Eat Guitars – They are going to be huge one day. They have a giant sound and some crazy vocals. It is truly a perfect mixture.
- Beat Connection – They OWN the Seattle indie electronic scene. They will soon own the world. Wear your dance hat, because you are going to be so pissed if you forget it.
- Fauna Shade – Unique, powerful, and hip. You may not be able to understand anything the singer says, but it’s perfect. Fuzzy indie.
- Vacationer – Dancy and catchy as FUCK! I am really excited to see how he performs his music.
- Lemolo – The ambience that she is going to create is worth every penny anyone will ever spend on Treefort. It’s eerie, uplifting, and powerful.
- Budo – This guy is one of the best hip hop producers around. He has worked with Grieves, Grynch, Sol, and Macklemore(lol). But his beats are rad, and he WILL throw an awesome show.
- Smokey Brights – They are fun and also sort of jazzy, maybe? They are hard to describe, anyway they are extremely fun and have a wonderful live sound.
- Badbadnotgood – Holding it down for the whole rap genre at Treefort, but they don’t even rap. They are a cool jazz group that have collaborated with so many rap artists it’s ridiculous. They have even worked with every from RZA(the founder of Wu) to Frank Ocean to the godfather himself MF DOOM.
- Built to Spill – I need say nothing, except I apologize that they are this far down on the list. ALL PRAISE BUILT TO SPILL. All praise.
- Foxygen – They put out one of the sweetest albums of 2014 with …And Star Power. Foxygen will take you straight back to the 80’s(for most of you they will be taking you there for the first time).
Honorable Mentions: Emily Wells, SISTERS, Posse, Of Montreal, Viet Cong, Generationals, Black Milk, Polecat, Rose Quartz, Summer Cannibals, Adia Victoria, Slow Bird, and anyone else I am forgetting.
I will now list off the weirdest/best band names of Treefort in order of importance and also random. I don’t think I need explanations…
- Frank Sriracha
- Lester’s Stinkhole
- Twat Trap
- U*
- Wolvserpant
- Turquoise Jeep
- Caddywhompus
- Clark and Himselfs and Friends
- Flamingosis
- saQi
Honorable Mentions: Thick Business, Finn Riggins, YAMN, Everyone is Dirty, Sugar Candy Mountain, AND AND AND, Boyfrndz
Marcus Shriver / A Tree / KXSU Promotions Director