What a weekend! Primavera Fest took over LA State Historic Park last weekend, bringing talent from around the globe to the festival’s LA debut. Here’s our rundown of some of the standout sets from the weekend:
CLAIRO:
Clairo was an absolute delight to see. Her gentle yet kind demeanor on stage was radiating off her as she played on the keyboard, guitar, and sang across the stage. She was gentle and calm as she played a variety of songs from her old album, Immunity, including “Bags” and “Sofia," as well as songs from her newest album Sling. There was a change in pace as the audience erupted in cheers when she surprised us with a performance of her hit song “Hot Cheetos” that she had previously retired playing. It was an amazing experience seeing her perform and I highly recommend any fan of her to see her perform at least once.
FONTAINES DC:
I have little words to describe the experience of seeing Fontaines D.C. live. Lead vocalist Grian Chatten proved once again capable of putting on an incredible and intense performance with the rest of his band. They played songs from their newest album, Skinty Fia, which included “I Love You," “Roman Holiday,” and many, many more. It was wonderful to see how engaged the audience was, as well as the fans' posters. I had the pleasure of meeting two girls who were following them on tour and whom brought their iconic sign - “Curly’s #1 Fan” - that has previously been highlighted by photographer Pooneh Ghana. Overall, they put on an incredible show.
LORDE:
After a much-needed break at home with her family, Lorde made a killer comeback last summer with the release of Solar Power, and has been touring in support of it pretty much nonstop ever since. It makes sense that she would be playing the Los Angeles debut of Primavera Sound, since primavera is a loose Italian translation of "spring," and Solar Power is all about the transition from winter into summer. Her stage setup is intense, and her performance asks her audience to connect with it wholly. She is a force of nature, and a must-see for anyone with access to a live show.
MITSKI:
Mitski provided us with a theatrical performance of choreography and sound. Her set was dark and moody, lit just wellm enough to see her silhouette between shades of blue, green, and red. It. During her performance she played her more popular songs, including “I Bet on Losing Dogs” and “Washing Machine Heart,” and paired it with her iconic cowboy movements and karate chops. It was an incredible performance and one I would recommend anyone to go see if they can!
ARCTIC MONKEYS:
The comeback of the Arctic Monkeys is something that hasn’t been taken lightly by the fanbase. From a packed audience to mosh pits starting almost immediately, it is safe to say that this was a moment a lot of people had been waiting for. The stage was set with vintage colors and lighting as our main man Alex Turner gave us a packed show as he played his guitar. He opened with the iconic “505” and didn’t stop there - jumping straight into hits such as “R U Mine?” and “Do I Wanna Know?” We were even given a sneak peak of a few songs from their upcoming album, The Car. Overall, it was an iconic show and one I highly recommended going to if you're given the chance.
Primavera was the perfect conclusion to our festival season this year at Buzzkill, and we’re eternally grateful for the opportunity to experience so many incredible artists in such a short period of time. Already missing the festival or feeling some good old fashioned FOMO? Check out our Buzzkill at Primavera LA Playlist to relive some of our favorite acts from the weekend.
Please see below for a full gallery of every other set we were able to catch!