A Live 105 BFD Primer – The Festival Stage(s)

     On June 6, a local radio station (Live 105) presents its annual one-day festival at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. The festival is named “Live 105 BFD;” and it has a very attractive format. The headliners are on the permanent amphitheater stage during the evening, but the efficient arrangement is the one in the afternoon. A temporary “Festival Stage” is actually a pair of stages positioned adjacent to each other, so that a good vantage point for one stage is as good or nearly as good for the other. As a band performs on one of the stages, the adjacent stage is being prepared for the next band. This permits almost continuous music for more than five hours.

     The afternoon arrangement also enables easily accessible alternative music choices, since there is also a succession of selected local bands performing at the “Soundcheck Stage” and a number of high energy performances occurring at the “Subsonic Stage/Tent."

     In 2013 and 2014, we enjoyed the performances at the Festival Stage(s), but thought the schedules were too Pop-heavy. This year’s collection has an emphasis on Pop, but it is more balanced. In addition to the Pop of bands like Misterwives and In the Valley Below, there is Hip Hop from YelaWolf, Rock from Death from Above 1979, and Synth from Cathedrals. The full list is:

Twenty One Pilots

Death From Above 1979

Best Coast

The Kooks

YelaWolf

MisterWives

Sheppard

The Orwells

Cathedrals

Meg Myers

WATERS

In The Valley Below

     We can make an argument for scheduling any of the twelve bands to close one of the paired stages. A slot in final two is significant, since the last two performances are allotted more stage time than the earlier bands. This is a strong list. Below are songs from the bands, with an emphasis on live performances. 

     The Orwells visit to David Letterman was entertaining. The song “Who Needs You” was good; the shenanigans after the song were great!  

     Twenty One Pilots were on Jimmy Kimmel last week. This will not be their first trip to the Live 105 Festival Stage.

     YelaWolf was on Jimmy Kimmel recently, but only the start of “Till It’s Gone” was shown. It had to be because of the lyrics (our opinion). The song is his best effort.  

     Waters performed “Got to My Head” on the April 1 show of Conan.

     We were able to see Cathedrals at the Treasure Island Festival in 2014. We enjoy their Synth Pop songs, but “Unbound” is easily our favorite song by this Bay Area duo.

     Misterwives – let’s hope she brings her sneakers on June 6.

     Sheppard performed “Geronimo” on The Today Show

    Death From Above 1979: "Trainwreck 1979" - David Letterman

     The Kooks performed “Bad Habit” on Jimmy Kimmel


     Meg Myers recently released "Sorry."

      We recently saw In the Valley Below at Rickshaw Stop. They showed more of a Rock presence than we expected. It was a positive move.

     From SXSW in 2015, here’s a performance of “California Nights” by Best Coast.