LA Welcomes Primavera Sound as new destination fest

Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

THREE DAY CELEBRATION FEATURED ARCTIC MONKEYS, LORDE, NIN, AND MORE!

Since 2019, acclaimed festival Primavera Sound was trying to debut a new location for a music party: Los Angeles. This was of course halted in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and many artists were left on the bill hoping they’d get to play eventually. Three seemingly long years later, over 50,000 fans from all over the world gathered at the beautiful LA Historic Park in the heart of Los Angeles to dance and sing to 65 artists of various genres. It was truly an honor to be invited to cover the first ever Primavera Sound in Los Angeles but also the United States.

Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

I traveled solo the first day, taking the Metro train from Union Station to the festival grounds which wasn’t as much of a headache as one would assume. The park used its size to its advantage, having the box office and media pickup directly down the street of the train station and having the entrance located just a few feet further. It was no hassle at all to pick up my credentials and enter the show in less than ten minutes. Once inside, I scoped out the place, locating the four stages and where each artist would be playing. The interestingly, Primavera fans were separated by not only VIP and general, but by age as well. For each stage, the 21+ areas featured beer gardens and great views of the stages while the younger audience members had designated viewing areas similar to a VIP location at most festivals. This made your drinking wristband very valuable to enter and exit viewing areas with ease.

Jehnny Beth performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

On Friday, I arrived during Savages front-woman Jehnny Beth’s set, where she commanded the Tecate Alta stage earlier in the day. As an “in the audience” photographer, I made my way to the barrier and watched as Beth covered “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails who were headlining the following day. Unfortunately, Beth’s equipment stopped working but the audience still wanted the track, so she delivered an a cappella version with fan participation. She also jumped off stage and climbed onto the railing directly in front of me, as she does with most of her shows, and wailed into her mic while being held up by those in the front. It was a riot of a start to the opening day.

Pinkpantheress performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

I ended up staying at the Tecate stage for Y2K-inspired music by PinkPantheress. Having been her second performance in LA, she was very amused and happy to be there, playing tracks off her debut LP that have become viral sensations on Tik Tok. She was all smiles, recognizing fans, one in particular who had been at her first show ever in Los Angeles whom screamed into her mic which she vividly recalled. She came down to the barrier as well and met back up with the fan who she let recreate the scream. It was a fun performance, and more so a great showcase for why PinkPantheress has such a big fan base. She even wore her purse during the entire performance (some would call this iconic). Clairo was performing at the main stage, a short distance from where indie heroes Stereolab were playing during golden hour. They had a few technical issues but persevered with fan favorite “French Disko” ending the set, getting fans to jump along. For many who couldn't attend Stereolab’s intimate set the day before Primavera, the performance was even better in my opinion.

Stereolab performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

Mitski performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

At the same stage, crowds of people began to push forward and flood the grounds as Mitski was up next. I never realized how she gelled so much with the younger audience who packed out their designated area. Having seen her before, I stayed for a few songs and watched her hand movements and gestures generate much applause and screams from fans who were experiencing it for the first time. It was a great first set of the dark sky being out, and I made my way through all the fans to get a spot for someone I hadn't seen ever, Lorde. A little after 9PM, the main stage featured herds of people so I squeezed through and found a comfortable spot near a hill to watch. The lights of the stage went out and the night filled with darkness and yelling as Lorde and her band stood atop a spherical ledge that turned to show them to the audience. Sporting a black top and sun soaked hair, Lorde closed out night one as a true pop star. Playing hits from all albums, I was incredibly appreciative that she performed “Ribs” which brought me back to going to the same park and listening to the track on repeat.

Kim Gordon performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

Day two brought artists that I had experienced before, but never got to shoot, so I immediately went to the Tecate stage and awaited Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon. She absolutely shredded when I saw her last and this time was no different. Her backing band put everything they had into their performances, showing so much energy and aggression. However, the best part came at the very end when Gordon herself hopped off stage and came to the barrier and tossed her guitar into the crowd where fans and I were lucky enough to strum for a few minutes. I also held onto her hand as she greeted and thanked fans for coming out while snagging the set list and guitar pick. A true rock star in her element. I stayed for the great Irish alternative band Fontaines DC, and they delivered an intense set with singer Grian Chatten pacing the stage like he had so much pent up energy waiting to be released. He constantly stood on the speakers, swinging he mic stand and staring into the audience like it was a great spectacle to behold.

Fontaines DC performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

Afterwards, I made my way under the bridge to the main stage where Texas trio Khruangbin were already getting funky with their fans. The band toasted each other on stage as they celebrated being part of LA’s inaugural Primavera Sound. Local heroes Surf Curse were tearing up the Tecate stage while I awaited headliners Nine Inch Nails in the very corner of the VIP area. Trent Reznor and co. arrived to a full audience, beginning strong with “Somewhat Damaged” and playing fan favorites “March of the Pigs” and “Closer.” Reznor recalled the band playing Primavera in Barcelona back in 2014, and how it was an incredible experience. With that in mind, it was a no brainer for them to accept a headlining slot for the very first fest in LA. Reznor said he had been prepared for a few years now, but was stopped during the pandemic. “We’re all here now,” he expressed and then delivered an incredible finale with “The Hand That Feeds,” “Head Like a Hole,” and “Hurt.”

Nine Inch Nails performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

To kick off the final day of the fest Sunday, 4AD’s Dry Cleaning performed and debuted new tracks for the first time in LA from their forthcoming album Stumpwork. To hear “Don’t Press Me” and “Gary Ashby,” (the latter of which is based on singer Florence Shaw’s turtle) got MMC* excited for the band’s future. They are truly one of our favorites. Punk alternative band Amyl and The Sniffers played at the Tecate stage, starting mosh pits with “ Security” and “Hertz.” I made my way to the main stage once more for someone I have been waiting to see since their tour was canceled in 2019, King Krule. Sadly, Archy Marshall was feeling unwell as he leveled with the crowd but soldiered through with songs from Man Alive! and The OOZ. Most importantly, we got “Cellular” live. It was indeed a highlight to hear it, as it was one of our favorite songs of the year when it debuted. The set was cut short due to the band’s wellness but what fans got was easily enjoyable.

Boy Harsher performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

I moved back to the Barcelona stage to catch MMC* darlings Boy Harsher bring the dance to the sunset. They even brought special guests Cooper B. Handy and Mariana Saldana to perform “Autonomy” and “Machina” respectively. Saldana was in character as Ms. BOAN which fans could recognize from the band’s short film The Runner. Afterwards, I went back into the VIP area for girl in red’s performance. Norway’s own Marie Ringheim proved why she was essentially opening right before the headliner. She even crowd surfed as far as the fans would take her, with smoke shooting out from the stage during “I wanna be your girlfriend.” Ringheim also stuck around for what was to come. Dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex brought the Tumblr era of black and white tracks to the second stage while producer Arca shut down the Barcelona stage. Then, the finale was ready.

Arctic Monkeys performing at Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

A mirrorball decorated the stage with cinematic soundtrack music playing as the Arctic Monkeys made their way out. Fans were bunched up from front to back with some shoving and trying to make their way to the barrier. As soon as everyone strutted their instruments, the drums to “Do I Wanna Know?” kicked off the set to much appreciation of the audience. Those who have stuck around with the band before AM were treated to “Brianstorm” and “Teddy Picker.” Alex Turner went from left to right, crooning and flipping his hair as a true rock star would. Tracks from their latest record were in low supply most likely due to the direction of sound the band chose to see forward, but newer track “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” sounded similar with jazz and funk influences. The visuals were stunning as projections of the band played on large screens in 70s exploitation style which blended well with the new look of the Monkeys. Turner was on top of his game, constantly joking with the crowd and being a smart ass. The 18 song set featured 100% classics, although fans were in disbelief that the hit single “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” was absent.

I hadn’t seen the Arctic Monkeys since their badass show in Hollywood back in 2018, so it was a refreshing sight and great debut for the latest era of the band. And like Hollywood, the night was picture perfect, featuring my city of Los Angeles’ downtown skyline as the backdrop and my favorite park as the set. MMC* was truly honored to be invited to cover the three day celebration and we would love to be welcomed back. Primavera Sound’s LA debut was a smoother time at a festival with a great lineup that will most likely be back for many years to come. The lines were never long, there were enough areas for everyone to enjoy the music, and so many cool ideas were utilized (like a small flea market featuring tour posters from past shows and KCRW selling classic vinyl). It’s a fact that the people behind Primavera Sound are true lovers and appreciators of music. My kind of people.

Primavera Sound LA, by Jacob Alvarez

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!