photo credit: weworemasks (Mariachi El Bronx)

The annual swelter-off of a music festival known as Free Press Summer Fest, now in its sixth and most highly-evolved form, brought a myriad of music-lovers and fashion disasters to the outlier fields of downtown Houston for a two-day bacchanalia that in large part to its grassroots come-up and local vendors, may be one of the most authentic gatherings of music, art, and food.

Hit the jump for the full recap. Click here for Day 2.
-Sunbear/Grizzly

photo credit: weworemasks (Wild Moccasins)

Heavily overcast and with the previous week’s downpour that slakes the dusty Houston landscape a couple times a year, the atmosphere strolling into Eleanor Tinsley Park was highly humid. Like, the air is sweating all around you, type-humidity. Not much of a hindrance to the hometown heroes Wild Moccasins, whose sprightly, early performance kicked off the festival vibe correct. Singer Zahira Gutierrez was a technicolor whirlwind spirit, imploring the crowd to dance along to an ad hoc snippet of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.”

Most unfortunately, it was the warm and joyous tunes of the returning Mariachi El Bronx that were cut short as a weather advisory evacuated the whole of the park, asking everyone to seek shelter from the lightning. Groans proliferated the festival, but were temporary as the nearby bars and restaurants were soon flooded with thirsty and restless twenty-somethings not wanting something like a bit of rainwater harsh their buzz.

photo credit: weworemasks (Chvrches)

Upon returning to the festival grounds, poor First Aid Kit and Classixx had their sets completely cut, with the rapidly rising Chvrches picking up where things left off. Pint-size singer Lauren Mayberry sympathized with the weather, a native of the overcast and humid climate of Glasgow, Scotland. If the slick synths of Chvrches wasn’t your Texas cup of tea, then it was the hard rockin’ honky tonk of Dwight Yoakam, whose steely guitars and symphonic vocal-harmonies that would catch your two-steppin’ attention on the opposite end of the park. “Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose” was such a crowd please, it made two appearances on the country legend’s set.

photo credit: weworemasks (King Khan and the Shrines)

King Khan and the Shrines channeled more than just James Brown, as the caped Berlin band and its rotund and enigmatic frontman brought their show down into the crowd, the miniscule stage they were playing on barely containing their soulful bravado. ‘Welcome To Houston,’ the collaborative revolving door of Houston hip-hop greats including Bun B, Slim Thug, Devin The Dude, Z-Ro, Paul Wall and Mike Jones were a warm handshake of homegrown familiarity that was the sing-along event of the fest.

photo credit: weworemasks (Welcome to Houston)

EDM has made its presence felt at every festival since 2012, and has only gotten more prevalent since. The curiosity of seeing Flosstradamus, a once staple in a 2007-electro set at your friendly neighborhood Boondocks, was too strong. His set was surprisingly entertaining, as he commanded the ocean of sweaty dancers at the Saturn Stage with ease. Across the park, Donald Glover resurrected his Because the Internet tour for a festival-shortened, medley-heavy set. Having caught the set in early March, I noticed one thing – he dances A LOT more. Maybe it was the rain that brought it out, we’ll never now.

Jetting across to the Neptune stage to catch Deftones was a must, especially for two ex-metal kids like your’s truly. Chino Moreno and company put on a skate-ready set filled with their newest Koi No Yokan tracks and their oldest Adrenaline mosh-pit kickstarters, which had the aesthetic of a closeout set from one of the finest veteran rock bands still kickin’ today. Closing out Day 1 were the preppy A-Punks of Vampire Weekend, who finessed their way through an hour and twenty minute long set with an even keel of all of their albums – giving everyone plenty of reasons to forgive the technical and environmental difficulties faced earlier that day.

Check out our Day 2 coverage!