What WUNC’s Brian Burns noticed at Hopscotch 2025

Hopscotch 2025 is formally within the books, and all in all one other nice one. This 12 months’s competition featured performances from over 100 artists plus its signature neighborhood centered day events, and a pop-up from Skate Raleigh. With its “choose your own adventure” model of scheduling, everybody’s expertise on the competition goes to be distinctive.

As has turn out to be an increasing number of common, it rained this 12 months, and it was an enormous bummer that Sparks weren’t capable of carry out their headlining set on Saturday. Looking on the brilliant aspect although, I feel the rain wasn’t all unhealthy. At a competition like Hopscotch you typically really feel such as you need to be in two, and even three, locations on the identical time. On Saturday night time I wasn’t going to overlook Sparks, however I additionally actually wished to see the synthesist Jeremiah Chiu at Nash Hall who was performing on the identical time. Once it was introduced that Sparks weren’t going to be taking part in it made my determination to go to Nash Hall a lot simpler. After three days of operating round downtown Raleigh, it was very nice to remain put in that room for the night time the place I caught three stunning units from Jeremiah Chiu, Claire Rousay, and Tara Clerkin Trio.

Anyway, here is a full breakdown of how I selected to spend my time over the weekend.

Thursday

For me, the primary half of Thursday night time was heavy on loud guitars, after which adopted by a calm down session with some music that was extra ambient and atmospheric. The first band of the night time I caught was the Queens-based indie rock band Frog. I wasn’t aware of them earlier than the competition, however their title saved developing as I used to be chatting with pals and eavesdropping on strangers in line to select up our competition credentials. I’m actually glad I caught them, as a result of their efficiency was a variety of enjoyable and left me desirous to dig into their catalog extra.

After Frog at Moore Square I headed over to the opposite most important stage at City Plaza to catch the experimental and aggressive sounds of YHWH Nailgun. Their set was intense and it labored as an ideal lead in to the 90s post-hardcore giants Unwound, who have been up subsequent again at Moore Square. Unwound carried out everything of their 1995 album “The Future of What” plus a couple of bonus songs to spherical out their 90 minute set.

The closing headliner of the night time was Earl Sweatshirt, one of many sharpest lyricists going right now. Two weeks in the past he launched his newest file “Live Laugh Love,” and his Hopscotch efficiency was his first time performing these tracks reside. They sounded nice, as did the remainder of his set which featured a shock look from the Charlotte rapper MAVI, who’s featured on Earl’s 2019 EP “Feet of Clay.” MAVI introduced his signature model of pleasure and vitality to the stage and the group was there for it.

I ducked out of Earl Sweatshirt’s set a bit of early in order that I may catch Tomin, an artist who final 12 months launched two albums on my favourite label going right now, International Anthem. Tomin is a multi-instrumentalist and poet from Brooklyn who I had by no means had an opportunity to see, and his efficiency that night time was considered one of my favorites of the entire competition. After an evening of loud guitars it felt therapeutic to seize a seat in Nash Hall and hearken to one thing a bit of extra chill.

After Tomin, I caught round Nash Hall for a set from the legendary pioneer of ambient music, Laraaji. Decked out in all orange and joined by percussionist Arji OceAnanda, his efficiency integrated nature sounds with bells, synths, and different devices.

I closed out the night time at Kings the place the dub reggae craftsman Pachyman was performing a solo set to a packed out room. Pachyman is really a studio musician, however watching him combine his music reside was the proper strategy to finish the night time. His music is finest heard loud, so listening to it in a membership like Kings with a gaggle of different followers was very nice.

Friday

After not sufficient sleep, I used to be again at Kings on Friday afternoon to catch the tail finish of the Three Lobed Records day social gathering. I used to be unhappy that I missed many of the lineup, however was so glad I received there in time to catch guitarist William Tyler’s collaboration with the Los Angeles-based composer Claire Rousay. It felt like a continuation of the place I left off the night time earlier than. The music was stunning and elegant and the room was full of a crowd that was absolutely locked in.

From Kings I headed again over to City Plaza to catch Fust, considered one of my favourite native bands who put out considered one of my favourite information of 2025, “Big Ugly.” This was my first time catching them because the file got here out and the brand new songs sounded so nice reside.

From there it was again to Moore Square the place I caught former Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep, after which went again to City Plaza for Geese who in all probability had the most important crowd I noticed of the entire competition. Geese is a band that over the previous few years has slowly been constructing a fanatical fanbase, so the vitality within the crowd for that efficiency was particularly excessive. Frontman Cameron Winter launched a wonderful solo album on the finish of 2024, and Geese’s subsequent album “Getting Killed” is out on the finish of September, so as soon as once more we have been handled to some early performances of latest and thrilling materials.

After Geese I popped again all the way down to Moore Square for Godspeed You! Black Emperor who I do not assume I had seen in about 20 years. Their music is fully instrumental. It’s large and emotional and for his or her reside present additionally they incorporate visible parts that match these feelings. Their efficiency was actually highly effective and through it I noticed that they have been an ideal alternative for a headliner within the 12 months of 2025.

After Godspeed, many of the crowd headed again to City Plaza for My Morning Jacket, however my colleague Eli Chen and I made a decision to make a unique transfer and we headed over to Transfer Co. Food Hall the place rapper Fatboi Sharif was performing. After that set Eli took off, and I moved to Lincoln Theatre to see California based mostly Salami Rose Joe Lewis, which is the venture of musician and producer Lindsay Olsen. I’d describe her information as fairly mellow, however the reside present she and her band, which included drummer Luke Titus, introduced that night time was something however. It was a extremely excessive vitality set and one other main spotlight for me.

After that efficiency it was again to Transfer Co. Food Hall to catch the New Orleans based mostly rapper Cavalier, who additionally put out two information I actually liked in 2024 on one other favourite label, Billy Woods’ Backwoodz Studioz.

To shut issues out that night time I headed again to Lincoln Theatre to catch considered one of my most anticipated units of the competition, Swamp Dogg. Backed by a good band, the 83 12 months previous placed on a extremely enjoyable present that was stuffed with fan favorites and the tales behind them.

Saturday

On Saturday I received all the way down to Moore Square simply in time to catch This Is Lorelei, a venture from musician Nate Amos who can also be one half of the band Water From Your Eyes. After that it was again as much as City Plaza for Les Savy Fav, one other band I do not assume I had seen in 20 years. To put it calmly, their frontman Tim Harrington is wild. It had been years since I had seen them final and I questioned if he would nonetheless have the identical presence as a performer. That query was answered instantly, as we walked up he was out within the crowd at the least 100 toes from the stage the place he was dragging tables round from the close by eating places and “blessing” folks with little pushes to their foreheads. It was exhausting to maintain monitor of him till he introduced out a ladder, additionally in the midst of the group, and climbed that which had the group a bit of nervous but additionally very a lot loving it.

As is turning into a Hopscotch custom now, the climate received a bit of iffy at this level within the night, however after a slight delay Nilufer Yanya lastly took the City Plaza stage within the rain. Those of us who braved the climate caught an amazing, albeit abbreviated set from the London-based musician. After her set it was quickly introduced that the night time’s headliner Sparks wouldn’t be capable to carry out because of questions of safety, which was an enormous bummer.

The rain saved falling all through the remainder of the night time which made it a straightforward determination for me to remain put at Nash Hall as soon as once more. There I caught three stunning units in a row from Jeremiah Chiu, Claire Rousay, and Tara Clerkin Trio. While I used to be bummed to overlook Sparks, it was all in all one other nice competition.