Every show at the Stern Grove vibes differently… Thus, I was unsure if there would be much of a crowd when my entry was quick, simple, and easy. I was wrong. The entire venue was fully populated with smiling faces and loaded party blankets from stage to hilltop. The crowd had a harmonious, happy vibe completely prepped for an afternoon of indie ROCK. Honoring the local musicians, Geographer and Cold War Kids returned to their San Francisco origin. DJ Hgmny set the tone with chill moody blues as people settled in.
Geographer entered with a playful jaunt and an enhanced emo vibe. Fans were swaying and echoing back their favorite lyrics like “dancing on the ceiling” / “I used to be dreaming ”~So Low. It was a sea of joyful lullaby moments with dancing and of course bubbles.
Cold War Kids (CWK) entered with well-deserved confidence. The set began with a relaxed vibe but then varied musically with several dips into their original singles and back to current favorites. At first, the set overall felt schizophrenic. After a bit, I tuned into the lyrics and the sequence of the setlist. I considered a theory with the sequence: “St. John,” “Hang me out to Dry,” then a cover of “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna. “St.John” describes a man attempting to defend a woman against several aggressive men only to be sent to prison. “Hang me out to Dry” speaks for itself as a one-sided relationship. “Love on the Brain” is someone that is continually investing emotions and time on something/someone that doesn’t love you back. Reflecting on the current political events, the timing of 4th of July weekend, and the mixed affections with our current government; there may be a subtle statement here. Or another subtle suggestion that “St. John” was from their first gig ever and it was in a San Francisco venue – Brainwash, which is a local laundromat with a small stage for events. Adding “Hang me out to Dry”, hanging clothes on the line to dry, and “Love on the Brain” a quick mention of Brain from the name of the venue.
CWK has a variety of genres and moods in each of their songs. Each with a variety of ways to connect. Sometimes it is a puzzle to decrypt how and why they are linked within the set. In either case, if you like puzzles or not, CWK never disappoints. Compare them to the local weather, if you are not comfortable, just wait a minute for the next one – it will be different.
CWK ended with a rockin’ hit “First”, my all-time favorite. The crowd stayed to the last note dancing and cheering. As usual, Stern Grove Music Festival is always a good time.
Note: July 9,2022 This post was edited to correct the spelling of DJ Hgmny. Sincere apologies for the mistake.
