Top 5 moments from the 2023 Hopscotch Music Festival
Raleigh’s Hopscotch Music Festival is nearly back to its old self. After gradually building up from the challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic with increasingly more ambitious editions in 2021 and 2022, this year’s lineup felt the closest to “classic Hopscotch” programming yet.
Though a lack of familiarity with the late-night club shows and a strong sense of fulfillment from the outdoor stage performances resulted in more mainstream selections than I’d like, among those picks, five standout experiences emerged:
Photo by Bryan Regan
Dinosaur Jr. goes big
Less than a week after J Mascis & Co. played a jaw-dropping yet surprisingly quiet late night set at The Grey Eagle, the indie rock stalwarts cranked up the volume at Moore Square to close out the stage’s Sept. 9 offerings. While earplugs proved helpful in the 550-capacity Asheville club, they were all but necessary outside in downtown Raleigh as the band embraced its reputation as one of the loudest around.
Photo by Garrett Poulos
Soccer Mommy puts her 45 on
Early evening storms during the Sept. 9 set by Sunny Day Real Estate (hardy har) in Moore Square sent attendees scrambling for shelter and pushed Sophie Allison’s penultimate slot at City Plaza back a half hour to 8 p.m. As the final drops cleared, the guitarist/vocalist noted the irony of playing a cover of Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun” beneath cloudy skies, then ripped through the singalong-friendly jam like it was a perfect summer day, after which she promptly returned to her thoughtful indie originals and also showed off her underrated shredding skills.
Photo by Jake Thomas
Stephen Malkmus introduces himself
As Pavement wound down nearly two hours of vintage rock on Sept. 7 at City Plaza, sounding like it was 1995 all over again, the vocalist/guitarist identified his talented bandmates, then meekly dropped his own name. But the moment was lost on multi-instrumentalist/punk-screamer/hype-man Bob Nastanovich, who re-introduced the group’s most famous member only to be comedically chastised for the repetition. Humor and harmonious, timeless tunes: it’s the Pavement way.
Photo by Garrett Poulos
Margo Price: drummer
In easily one of the fest’s most energetic performances, the Nashville-based country rocker lit up Moore Square on Sept. 8 with magnetic showmanship, clearly having a blast with her talented backing band, including two guitarists who swapped solos with equal aplomb. In the midst of the sonic sorcery, Price took to the secondary drum kit and kept the groove going alongside her trusty percussionist, carrying her awe-inspiring intensity and commitment from the microphone with her.
Photo by Sorena Dadgar
Japanese Breakfast bangs a gong
The last of the Hopscotch 2023 headliners, Michelle Zauner followed Soccer Mommy at City Plaza with a set destined to go down as one of the festival’s all-time greats. Whether gleefully smashing the hanging metal disc during “Paprika” or returning to the stage for an unexpected encore that included rip-roaring guitar work on “Everybody Wants to Love You,” Zauner left zero doubt that she warranted top billing.
(Photo by Garrett Poulos)
