Hopscotch Music Festival Highlights

This past weekend, North Carolina's best music festival returned to Raleigh for three days of incredible acts, day parties, and fun. That's right, folks! Hopscotch Music Festival was open for business and we're here to relive all the awesomeness!

FLAMING LIPS
The Lips never disappoint. They played a great set of hits and fan favorites and pulled out all the stops: confetti cannons, a giant inflatable robot, giant laser-shooting hands, unicorn rides, a "Fuck Yeah Hopscotch" balloon arrangement, and the hamster ball. Most music festivals would've closed the show with the Flaming Lips. But Hopscotch had the balls to open with them.

MIGUEL
Miguel put on a great show. He performed on stairs in front of a giant screen. Like the Lips' Wayne Coyne, Miguel is an expert showman and holds the crowd in the palm of his hand.

LIZ PHAIR
I'll admit, I was a little worried about Liz's show. I have been a fan of hers forever, but the press has not been kind to her the past few years. But this was classic Liz Phair on that City Plaza stage. She played a great set, spoke with and to the crowd and her band, and smiled the entire time. She looked like she was having a great time and so were her fans. Liz Phair is back and I couldn't be happier!

THE REVOLUTION
Granted, it was weird seeing these guys without Prince. But it was still a pretty funky show!

SKELETONWITCH
Heavy show at The Basement, which was one of my favorite places at Hopscotch. Singer Adam Clemans is fierce.

BOULEVARDS
Raleigh native Boulevards has moved up the food chain at Hopscotch over the years, going from day party performer to club performer to performing at Red Hat this year. Those who caught his energetic act know why!

SPEEDY ORTIZ
Speedy Ortiz singer Sadie Dupuis sounded great and they put on a hell of a show on Saturday night. Speed Ortiz is currently touring with Liz Phair on her Amps On The Lawn tour and frankly, we couldn't think of a more perfect opener for Phair.

SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS
Sarah Shook was the final act I saw at this year's Hopscotch. I've been a fan for awhile and regrettably missed her album release party at the Cat's Cradle back in April. But in a festival that allowed me to see soul, indie, rap, metal, and alternative, her hometown blend of country and punk served as the perfect closer for a great festival!

BAND OF THE FESTIVAL: MC50
This was the best show at Hopscotch, but sadly, it wasn't that well attended. Those who slept on this show lost out.

Who is MC50? Original MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer enlisted an "alt"-star lineup to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kick Out The Jams. Joining him onstage on Saturday night were Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on guitar, Faith No More's Billy Gould on bass, Fugazi's Brendan Canty on drums, and former Zen Guerrilla frontman Marcus Durant. Killer album, killer lineup, killer show.

We can't wait to see how Hopscotch tops this in 2019!