On the serenely scenic train ride from Oslo into Göteborg, I thought I noticed a few members of LCD Soundsystem aboard my car. A quick check confirmed the New York disco-rockers indeed shared the journey into Way Out West’s hosting town. I took it as a good opening omen for the days ahead. And while occasional rain also accompanied our trip into “Sweden’s Second City” on the southwestern coast, the weather eventually came through for a beautiful festival weekend in picturesque Slottsskogen park.

Debuting in 2007, Way Out West is only in its fourth year of existence. However, you’d never know it based on the organizers’ execution, crowd attendance and the artists the festival has been able to draw. Slottsskogen park itself is a beautiful venue of grassy fields, tree-lined knolls and duck-filled lakes. Plus, the Swedes in general are a pretty good looking lot. Additionally–in SWSX fashion–once the festival grounds close down, music and fans alike move to a variety of clubs spread across Göteborg until the wee hours.

Although it’s the lesser-known younger sister of Stockholm, 500,000 person Göteborg has a very well developed arts & music culture. To my surprise, there were more hipsters at WoW than about any festival I’ve been to (and mix that with the Swedish knack for homogeneity and I swore I saw the same Chucks, haircut & tight jeans nearly 25,000 times). Göteborg carried the spirit of the festival, and vice-a-versa as well, which worked wonderfully. Though some untimely weather, muddy grounds and horrible exchange rates knocked the experience down a bit, Way Out West 2010 offered an intimate, clean, well-run festival and a splendid display of the Swedish music scene.

 

Torsday/Thursday 12 August:

The festival opened up Thursday night with a well-stocked mix of artists performing in clubs across Göteborg including Jose Gonzalez’ Junip, Low Anthem, Harlem, Swedish jj, Sleepy Sun and UK grime rapper Tinie Tempah.

Fredag/Friday 13 August:

• Wu-Tang Clan: While the Clan was operating a few men down (including Method Man & U-God), Raekwon, Ghostface, GZA and Masta Killa did a hell of a job keeping the set tight and energetic for the whole duration. The gang overcame the absences, kept the crowd with “W’s” up and ventured deep into their catalog to try songs they admittedly had not done often live. Moreover, it was quite the sight to see the overwhelming blond, white Goteborg crowd going nuts for the Clan. I mean have you ever heard “Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothin to fuck with” chanted in a 10,000 person strong Swedish accent?
• Beach House: Alex Scally opened the set by thanking the audience for choosing Beach House over Wu Tang Clan. Though he noted, “I can’t say I would have made the same decision”. But their set kept the crowd incredibly content. Ratcheted up from the usual Scally & Legrand live show, Beach House was playing with a four member set. The foursome arrangement allowed both of them to loosen up and put more into their specific performances. While Scally kept a comfortable seat, Legrand appeared in rock-star form more than ever. Ever the Beach House fan, I was giddy through the entire, vacuum tight set.
• Local Natives: While the age of buzzbands can lead to some acts reaching venues they aren’t quite prepared to play, the Local Natives have been a major success story since their breakout at SXSW 2009. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them multiple times and they’ve made leaps and bounds each time. Already on their second appearance in Sweden, the Natives had the Linne Tent crowd jacked by the first song. It’s good to know the Natives are being received just as well across seas as they are in South California. The hard work paid off. Check out our interview with them right here as well.

   

  

• Iggy & Stooges: As mentioned in our Oya article, Iggy Pop is a rock star. He’s approaching seventy years, which seems impossible after watching him. Of the two Scandinavian shows AoT got to watch, Iggy’s Way Out West show took the cake. The Stooges seemed to have shook off any earlier cobwebs and followed Iggy’s lead. From bringing several dozen fans on stage for a mosh pit to lying on his back screaming the lyrics to trouncing around about a 100 yard diameter near the Flamingo stage, Iggy was as dynamic as any performer of the weekend. I hope the same can be said for anyone I know when they’re 70…

 

• LCD Soundsytem: By some ridiculous stroke of luck, I’ve seen LCD Soundsystem 5 times on their latest (and likely last) tour. And each and every time–no bullshit–they’ve gotten much better. Which is saying a lot considering how incredible the first show at Coachella was. Overcoming James Murphy’s sickness a week prior and delayed gear delivery coming in from Norway, Murphy & crew put on a stellar show that had the Swedes dancing out of control and going nuts. Perhaps this was the best dance party of the weekend.

• M.I.A.: Quite a bit has been said and covered in the lead-up to Maya’s latest album & tour. Whatever your take is, you cannot deny that she’s been a hot topic. Reviews on the newest album have been mixed, however I was quite curious to see how the live translation worked out. She built us up with about a 15 minute intro before she even came on stage. A talented visual artist turned singer, M.I.A. brought an incredible light and graphic show which included the now-famous YouTube cover art as well as Windows OS images. Unfortunately, all that hype and backing art lead to a bit of a let down. The show just never really seemed to reach where one might expect it to go. Hopefully Maya is just getting settled into her new tour and will find stride soon.

Also Friday: Panda Bear, Miike Snow, M.I.A., The xx, Jonsi
Club: Surfer Blood, Wild Nothing, Glasvegas, Sleigh Bells, ceo, Cymbal Eat Guitar

 

Lordag/Saturday 14 August:

• Mumford & Sons: Along with Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons has been one of the largest emerging acts from the English folk scene in the past year or two. Akin to their American counterparts the Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons have earned a name with passionate and energetic live performances. For whatever reason, the Way Out West organizers thought it was a good idea to place a monumental black tarp between the beer tent and the main Azalea stage. Fortunately, Mumford & Sons belted their tunes out loud enough that audio was enough for me to enjoy their performance before I finished my drink. And when I got to add the visual component, well, life was good for this folk-fan.
  
• Girls: Christopher Owens got a haircut. After months, if not years, of sporting the trademark shoulder length locks we recognized him by, he got a haircut. Fortunately, that was about the only element of Girls that seemed to change. The gang brought their poignant California rock to Sweden and showcased yet again just why they’ve earned critical and fan praise alike since Album dropped.
• Anna Ternheim: As noted in our spotlight on the Swedish music scene, I have a pretty big crush on Anna Ternheim. Her “Swenglish” accent was on display, as well as her excellent lead voice joined by a restrained but very talented backing band. Ternheim certainly led the group, but the band did a stellar job ensuring that Ternheim’s live rendition was more than a single singer/songwriter effort. I had not heard of her before the show, but left a converted fan. And for those already on the Ternheim bandwagon, her set concluded with her famous cover of Broder Daniel’s “Shoreline”. Better yet, Broder Daniel frontman Henrik Berggren himself made it on stage for a charming duet with Ternheim.

 

• Talib Kweli & Dj Hi-Tek: A number of my friends give me shit for my unwavering support (or obsession, depending on the side of the coin) for Talib Kweli. Since I heard “Too Late” off Hi-Tek & Kweli’s original duet LP years ago, I’ve been hooked. So I was tickled to see the duo release a new album this year, and even more so to see them on the Way Out West lineup. Some in attendance seemed let down by Reflection Eternal’s set, though that was largely due to comparisons to Wu-Tang’s set and expectations for hits. Instead, Reflection delivered the precise, strong, literate raps they’ve built their name on. Moreover, true to character, Talib managed to deliver shout-outs to Guru of Gangstarr to the Brooklyn scene to Bob Marley all within a single set. Stating, “this music doesn’t just come from a vacuum”, Talib’s shout outs managed to come across as both legitimate and well-timed as opposed to out-of-place. I left the set as satisfied as I could have hoped for. Black Star 4 Life.

 

• Håkan Hellström: When I told my Swedish friends I had not heard of Håkan Hellström (pronounced hoo-kahn hell-strum), they immediately cued me in on the Swedish star and his tight ties to Goteburg. Hellström emerged in 2000 with a solo album and breakthrough hit (“Don’t Cry for Me, Gothenburg). In the ten years since then, his popularity has sky-rocketed. With perhaps the largest crowd of the whole weekend, Hellström met chants of “Hå-kan” with as energetic of a set as the sailor-suit clad singer could manage. And when “Don’t Cry for Me, Gothenburg” finally came up on the set-list, many Gothenburg fans did shed a few tears. Oh, hometown heroes…
• Lykke Li: I had no idea Lykke Li’s set was going to be as sex-packed as it was. Maybe it was the innocent image I falsely had in mind, maybe it was a poor interpretation of her lyrics, but I was quite surprised by the Swedish starlet’s exhibitionism on the Azalea stage. Luckily, all that sass was accompanied by a hell of a performance as well. Ultimately, the show left me wondering what to expect next for Lykke, who seems to have the musical world at her finger tips.
• Chemical Brothers: With quite a few more current or “relevant” bands playing much earlier on the bill than Chemical Brothers, I was not the only one wondering if the elder statesman of electronic would come through with their headlining spot. Within a single song, I felt like a juvenile asshole for ever doubting them. Their light show easily trumped M.I.A.’s incredible precursory display. And the music was not bad either. But seriously, their incredible synchronization between the two, their utter dominance of the bass-end speakers of the Flamingo stage and their new material was a thrilling and refreshing electronic end to the indie-filled weekend.

Also on Saturday: Shout Out Louds, Girls, The Radio Dept., Pavement, Broken Bells, La Roux
Club: Die Antwoord, Fake Blood, Shearwater