Set times for Intersect festival

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Based out of Portland, Oregon and hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, UMO is a psychedelic rock band lead by singer, guitarist and songwriter Ruban Nielson. Having seen them once before in a small theatre that can host 500 people, it was a very different experience seeing them play an early set at the main stage of a festival, a huge airplane hanger like structure. That being said, a group of devoted fans were there to rock out as the band played a tight 45 minute set, mixing in some older hits with some newer material. It was particularly noteworthy to see Nielson’s father, a renowned horn player, also join his son and his band and jam out with them while offering some effect-laden horn solos to go along with the psychedelic rock grooves.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra performing at Intersect 2019

Sudan Archives

This was my introduction American singer and violinist Sudan Archives. Despite playing in a huge dome like structure that couldn’t have held more than a couple of hundred people, she was able to deliver a highly intimate set, mixing electronic music with R&B and her own performances singing and playing on her electric violin. She has a very strong stage presence and her costumed appearance was well suited to the Las Vegas atmosphere. The show felt like a theatrical performance as she strode around the small stage, making eye contact with many of the fans at the front of the stage. I honestly had the impression that she was singing directly to me on more than one occasion, and regardless of whether that’s true or not, it’s a tribute to her ability to captivate a crowd.

Sudan Archives performing at Intersect 2019

Weyes Blood

Weyes Blood, pronouced “Wise Blood”, has quickly become one of my favorite artists of 2019. Having seen her once already this year (and it could have been twice if not for a conflicting schedule earlier this fall), I was extremely excited to see her again. Her latest album, Titanic Rising, currently sits at #2 in Metacritic’s top albums of 2019. The American singer, songwriter and musician has captivated me and others with her self-proclaimed “sad cowboy music”. Dressed in an all-white combination of blazer and trousers, her angelic voice is able to resonate as well in a small dive bar, as in a huge dome for a festival, or as in her recorded albums. I still can’t get over how good she sounds and I believe that anyone with an interest in music can find something to enjoy from her offerings. The only drawback of this set is that the occasionally quieter songs were sometimes competing with a booming subwoofer from a different stage.

Weyes Blood performing at Intersect 2019

Jamie xx

When he released his debut album In Colours in 2015 to critical acclaim, I was among the many fans who were taken in by the rich and complex sounds that offered bangers and ballads, as well as unexpected collaborations. Having the chance to see him perform live was a rare treat and he delivered by mixing in many of his hits with a 90 minute DJ set. While the set may not have captured the full highs of his album songs, he was able to get the crowd excited and the accompanying light show made for a full experience to be appreciated by all his fans.

Jamie xx performing at Intersect 2019

Beck

Beck is an experienced performer and he delivered upon that in his co-headlining spot for this festival. I only caught about 30 minutes of his set, but during that time, the crowd was excited, balloons were dropping from the sky, lasers were going off and everyone involved seemed to be having a good time. In particular, as he introduced all the different members of his band, each one would play a short cover and the resulting medley included tributes to the Talking Heads, with Once In A Lifetime echoing throughout the stage.

Beck performing at Intersect 2019

Gesaffelstein

Perhaps my discovery of the festival thus far has been French DJ Gesaffelstein. All I knew going into his set was that his style was described as “dark and threatening techno”. The sounds coming out of the Infinity stage were so captivating and upon entering, I was treated to a crazy light show that accompanied aggressive but enchanting techno music. The setup for his set was simple: a black background, two black consoles, and an all-black outfit befitting of the “dark and threatening” style. But with this style, Gesaffelstein was able to move the crowd with a fantastic mix of sights and sounds to keep a roller coaster like flow of sounds and experiences.