The final day of Norman Music Festival goes out with a seismic boom. It’s a mega-stacked lineup from noon to well past midnight, so get you some Gatorade and some comfortable shoes, because this is going to be a long (but great) Saturday.
The Octopus Project
11 p.m. Saturday
Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor
For fans of: Dan Deacon, Deerhoof
Austin’s resident electronic-pop weirdos The Octopus Project are no strangers to NMF. They played year one on the Main Stage and two years later for NMF3. They make their anticipated return for this year’s festivities, fresh from scoring the acclaimed film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter.
Nadastrom
10:30 p.m. Saturday
Bacardi Stage
For fans of: SBTRKT, Sinden
Nadastrom reinvented itself in 2015 after inventing a movement. Dave Nada is the pioneer behind moombathon, the fusion of house and reggaeton that garnered them spots opening for Skrillex and more. The more freeze-blasted, downtempo sound of their 2015 self-titled debut record is something else entirely, but just as armed and ready to click the on-switch to any dance party.
Brainwasher + Stardeath Collide
10 p.m. Saturday
Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor
For fans of: Tobacco, Panda Bear
Who knows what will result from this unholy mashup of two of Oklahoma’s weirdest bands. Except that it will be loud and trippy … very, very trippy.
Ra Ra Riot
9:30 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Passion Pit, Grouplove
This Syracuse outfit has transformed from pensive, string-anchored indie to synth-flashing dance group since its debut EP came out in 2007. Maybe it has something to do with singer Wes Miles’ collaborations with Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) on Discovery. Either way, the Main Stage headliner has a fun, crowd-pleasing mix that will fill up downtown Norman this year.
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires
8:30 p.m. Saturday
Depot Stage
For fans of: Drive-By Truckers, The Dexateens
For those who didn’t read yesterday’s feature on this Alabama outfit, the Sub Pop-signed Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires bring a conscientiousness to their floor-stomping American rock sound tailor-made to cap off the roots-heavy Depot Stage.
Natalie Prass
8 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Feist, Jenny Lewis
Natalie Prass may well end up being the best-known performer of this bunch in the years to come. She’s gone from Jenny Lewis’ back up singer to supporting Ryan Adams on his (largely) sold-out American tour this year, releasing her dusty Memphis-R&B-meets-theatrical-folk-flavored, self-titled debut LP earlier this year to glowing words from Pitchfork and more.
Wildings
7:30 p.m. Saturday
Brewhouse
For fans of: Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors
Wildings (formerly IndianGiver) are a little bit better every time you see them. It’s good timing, too; after two EPs, the Oklahoma City five-piece is on the verge of putting out its first LP.
Sardashhh
7:30 p.m. Saturday
Bacardi Stage
For fans of: J Dilla, Madlib
We literally can’t shove this guy down your throats more than we already have. He’s so good, we really can’t help ourselves. Nor do we care to. Hopefully a prominent set on the newly minted Bacardi Stage will have everyone nodding right along with us.
PVLMS
7 p.m. Saturday
Bacardi Stage
For fans of: Disclosure, AlunaGeorge
Folk might be what Oklahoma is always known for, but with PVLMS, Boare, Celadon City, kanon_kid and plenty more homegrown electronic acts taking over NMF this year, this might be the sound of the future.
She Sir
6:30 p.m. Saturday
Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor
For fans of: Beach Fossils, Real Estate
This Austin quartet has been plugging away for about a decade, releasing its first EP in 2006. Then last year came Go Guitars at a perfect time; its jangly, lo-fi pop noise tacked to some shoegaze tones feels very of the moment.
Grooms
5:15 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Sonic Youth, Pavement
Grooms are coming back to where all of it started. The group began as The Muggabears years ago before moving to Brooklyn, changing its name, releasing some beautiful records (including this year’s Comb the Feelings Through Your Hair), and now playing Norman Music Festival for the very first time.
P.S. They also gained a drummer who happened to appear as one of the skateboarding twins on the premiere of Better Call Saul … who also stars in the video for latest single “Cross Off” as seen below.
Josh Sallee
5 p.m. Saturday
Bacardi Stage
For fans of: Drake, Childish Gambino
This Main Stage alum is one of the more commanding performers you’ll find at NMF this year — or just about anywhere, for that matter. Opening for almost any high-profile rap concert that comes through town will do that for you, and he’s evolving as an artist all the time.
Askanse
4:30 p.m. Saturday
MAINSITE Contemporary Art
For fans of: Burial, Mount Kimbie
Askanse — the moniker of electronic wizard Ben Hill — got his start playing more traditional, festival-friendly EDM. He’s taken the plunge into deeper, weirder waters since, but that primal understanding of the human body informs where he steers his heady, loop-driven patchwork pieces … and it’s invigorating.
Native Lights
4 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Slowdive, Ringo Deathstarr
Between their two decades’ worth of time devoted to Unwed Sailor and Ester Drang, the minds behind Native Lights know a little something something about commanding a crowd, which I’m sure they will do with choice cuts from the long-promised and finally available self-titled debut.
Deus Eyeslow
3:05 p.m. Saturday
Bacardi Stage
For fans of: Earl Sweatshirt, Joey Bada$$
Dynamic performers who embrace their tendencies toward both wounded hip-hop diatribes and house party ignitions, expect Deus Eyeslow and Shawny C to challenge for the Oklahoma rap throne when their next record comes to fruition.
LoneMoon
3 p.m. Saturday
MAINSITE Contemporary Art
For fans of: Porter Robinson, Giraffage
There’s plenty of great Oklahoma-bred club music (looking at you, Crystal Vision) and a resurgence of experimental electronic screwballs, but few bridge that gap the way LoneMoon does.
Son of Stan
3 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Twin Shadow, Future Islands
Jordan Richardson — chief songwriter and frontman behind Texas product Son of Stan — is as humble and funny a guy as you’ll ever encounter, churning out ’80s-divined indie rock with the best of them. Oh, and he just happens to be a Grammy-winning producer who has drummed for the likes of Ringo Starr and Ben Harper.
Annie Oakley
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Depot Stage
For fans of: Samantha Crain, Sharon Van Etten
They can’t even vote yet, but the Babb sisters behind Annie Oakley are fast becoming some of the finest songwriters around these parts. With a magnetic presence and the sorts of harmonies twins and twins alone could muster, this seems like the start of something big.
Bowlsey
1 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Gorillaz, Mark Ronson
It’s hard to pin down Bowlsey’s one-of-a-kind sound, one that wafts between jazzy folk and eccentric hip-hop, but it’s the perfect soundtrack to warm up the afternoon.
Cosmostanza
12 p.m. Saturday
Main Stage
For fans of: Wavves, Cloud Nothings
This gruesome twosome is the perfect alarm clock, their rowdy, fried garage punk fizzing like an espresso chaser to a case of Mountain Dew.
Others to consider: Prettyboy (1 a.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Bed People (12 a.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), M Lockwood Porter (11:30 p.m. at Brewhouse), Allie Lauren (11 p.m. at The Bluebonnet Bar), Cleanup (9:30 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Applied Music Program (9 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor), Crystal Vision (9 p.m. at Bacardi Stage), Team Nightstand (8:30 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Kykuit (7:30 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Boare (6:30 p.m. at Bacardi Stage), Johnny Polygon (6:30 p.m. at Main Stage), Calabar (6 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor), Kyle Reid & The Low Swingin’ Chariots (5:30 p.m at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Jabee (5:30 p.m. at Bacardi Stage), Celadon City (5 p.m. at MAINSITE Contemporary Art), Roosh Williams (4:30 p.m. at Bacardi Stage), The Hitt Boyz (4 p.m. at Bison Witches), kanon_kid (4 p.m. at MAINSITE Contemporary Art), Softaware (4 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor), Frank Black (3:30 p.m. at Bacardi Stage), John Calvin Abney (3:30 p.m. at Depot Stage), Limp Wizurdz (3 p.m. at Bison Witches), Beau Jennings & The Tigers (3 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Outdoor), Wurly Birds (2:30 p.m. at Opolis/Blackwatch Indoor), Trade School (2 p.m. at Guestroom Records), Elms (2 p.m. at Main Stage), Milk Jr (2 p.m. at Bison Witches) and MilitantxMindz (12 p.m. at Bacardi Stage)
For a full lineup and map, visit the Norman Music Festival website.
