Bunbury Festival is coming up this weekend in Cincinnati, if you haven’t gotten tickets yet there are still some 1-day passes available. If you’re all set and ready to go here are some bands you should see … and some you should skip.
DON’T MISS:
Temples (Friday, 4:30, Sawyer Point Stage)
These four psychedelic boys seem as if they just stepped out of the 1970s. Every time I’ve seen them they’ve been covered in glitter, fringe, fur, and sparkles. Their lead singer James Bagshaw looks like T. Rex’s Marc Bolan reincarnated and plays guitar like Chet Atkins on acid. Temples nail the transportive sound that all good psychedelic music should bring. Their skill as live performers has grown a lot over the past year, so if you’d seen them in the past and been turned off I implore you to give them another chance. They have become mesmerizing live performers who command the stage with a youthful ease.
MIGHT FLY UNDER THE RADAR:
Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas (Sunday, 4:15, Pavilion Stage)
Jessica Hernandez is an undeniably amazing show-woman. She commands the stage not only with her powerful vocals but also with her skill as a multi-instrumentalist, playing both guitar and percussion on stage. Her rag-tag band of boys, The Deltas, are no less talented or commanding of the stage than she is. They play off of each other perfectly and create a live experience that immediately pulls you in. Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas call their style of music “Gothic Pop” and it combines elements of pop, soul, and indie rock. All members hail from Detroit and bring with them all the soul and energy of Motown. They’re cool, clean, tight, and talented and make it all look effortless.
SKIP:
Catfish and The Bottlemen (Friday, 5, River Stage)
Van McCann? You’ve got to be kidding me. No, that is honestly what Catfish and The Bottlemen’s front man chose to use as his stage name. It doesn’t get any better from there (or any more original for that matter). Just imagine the young Arctic Monkeys, only much less talented and much more obnoxious. They’ve got a couple of catchy songs, but the only way you could consider them original would be if they had come out in 2003. They’re currently being hailed as the only up and coming working-class rock band to really make a name for themselves in England. If you want to listen to a rock band that hits home on the struggles of England’s working class listen to Eagulls and don’t waste your time on these brats at Bunbury.