Bands Through Town
EVOLUTION
ENDURES
Story: Jen rolf
PHOTOS: Sean rider & cory weaver
Tom Morello saves the day, under-the-radar bands dominate and remnants of Hurricane Helene leave a lasting impression
In its second year, St. Louis’ Evolution Festival drew more than 25,000 fans over two days. Headliners Beck and The Killers were definitely enough to garner attention regionally, if not nationally. But those two artists aside, there was plenty more to pay attention to and be excited about.
After nearly 24 hours of nonstop rain from Hurricane Helene, the gates to Langenberg Field at Forest Park opened and welcomed festival goers to swampy conditions. There are some things you just can’t control, but there are things you can improve. Like security for instance. The lines were short, the process quick, and this was one of the most noticeable improvements from Evolution’s first year. Back to the swamp—Day 1 went on as if the field conditions were perfect. No attempt to spread mulch or hay to improve traction—especially in the high-traffic areas and non-VIP or GA+ sections. If you chose fashionable kicks over boots, R.I.P.—those shoes had a good run.
Speaking of a good run, the lineup kicking off the festival was an enjoyable steady build. Kicking off our coverage was Sacramento’s Tre Burt. The indie folk artist sports a punky flair, and Burt is simply an uninhibited troubadour whose songs are easily absorbed. He also gave a shout-out to local bar Handlebar in The Grove.
Next, we made a pit stop at the driest spot of the festival: the beer tent. Home to a stage that was just a bit larger than a flatbed tow truck, we caught The Asteroid No. 4, who was laying the shoegaze vibe on heavily for their 30-minute set. The Bay Area transplants have been at it since the late ’90s, and from what we heard of this foursome, we hope they keep those dreamy, fuzzy guitar tones rolling.
We caught up with Austin-based Americana band Chaparelle at the Lindenwood stage. Zella Day’s and Jesse Woods’ chemistry is palpable, possibly reminding one of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. We really enjoyed “Devil’s Music,” “All Things Considered” and “Bleeding Hearts.”
Making our way back to the beer tent, we encountered Brit-glam power-pop rocker Billy Tibbals. The best part about festivals is that you have opportunities to discover new-to-you bands—and it comes with the price of admission. Tibbals’ EP, Stay Teenage, was on full display during his 45-minute set, including his Chris Robinson-produced, Bowie-esque ballad, “Hollywood Baby,” which had the continually growing crowd swaying and clapping along.
The last time Pete Yorn was in STL, he was solo and acoustic at the Pageant. At Evolution, he was with his full band, and he was electric, really feeding off the crowd and having an obviously great time. The singer/songwriter’s 12-song set included “Life On a Chain,” a cover of “Bizarre Love Triangle” by New Order, and ended with two of his biggest hits, “Strange Condition” and “For Nancy.”
Tre Burt, Pete Yorn and Robert Finley (photos: Cory Weaver
Sorthern Louisiana’s 70-year-old balladeer Robert Finley’s blend of blues, rock, southern soul, jazz and folk has solidified him as a true music legend. He took the Lindenwood stage by hip-thrusting his way through lusty numbers like “Medicine Woman” and songs from his latest album, Black Bayou, including “Miss Kitty” and “Sneakin’ Around.”
It’s our second time this year covering Billy Idol at a festival, and for this one, we didn’t have to leave St. Louis. The 69-year-old seemingly hasn’t aged since he broke it big in the ’80s. Idol expressed genuine gratitude for all of the fan support he’s received over the years, and his hour-long set was filled with fist pumping fits and hit after hit, including “Dancing With Myself,” “Rock the Cradle of Love,” “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Rebel Yell,” “Hot in the City” and the ultimate finale, “White Wedding.”
Closing out the Lindenwood stage on the first day of Evolution was the legendary Nile Rodgers. Having his hand in 50+ years of music, Rodgers hour-long set was a master class in modern music that spanned the spectrum from disco to pop to rock to electronic. His 18-song set was a medley of top hits that he either produced, composed or wrote. Our interview with Rodgers on page 8 is an eye opener.
Headlining Day 1, it was like Beck was shot out of cannon. “Devils Haircut,” “The New Pollution” and “Mixed Bizness” led off the set. One staffer’s personal fave, “Girl” was superb. But the song that really stood out was The Korgis’ cover of “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime” from The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The 21-song set was excellently produced, from the sound to the visuals—Beck delivered on promises made when headlining a festival.
Sunday, the final day of the festival, was still swampy—failed attempts at laying out mulch in water-logged, high-traffic areas sparked an eyebrow raise. With the sun shining brightly on Evolution Fest, the excitement for The Killers and Tom Morello was just as bright. But much of the day belonged to the beer tent. Two explosive bands transformed the tent from a wine mixer vibe into a full-blown rager. The Schizophonics came all the way from San Diego to deliver the most berserk set of the weekend. Guitarist Pat Beers possessed antics that spanned mid-air jumps into splits and then into the audience, which only added to the size of the crowd. By the end of their set, nearly 500 people had crammed into the tent to catch a glimpse of this spectacle.
Keeping the party going was NYC’s 95 Bulls who brought some Lower East Side grit to the beer tent. As our publisher and photog said, “Being raised on classic rock, if you throw an organ into a band, I’m sold.” Fronting the band that competes to see how fast and loud they can outplay each other is singer Emily Ashenden. She reminds us of L7’s Donita Sparks or the Runaways’ Cherie Currie. Her gruff vocals and “no f**ks given” approach completes this punk quintet.
Chapparelle, Beck, Killer Mike with Trackstar the DJ and Billy Idol (photos: Cory Weaver)
Son Volt sounded better than ever on the Lindenwood stage. One negative of festivals is that non-headlining bands don’t get to play long enough. But Son Volt’s set, combined with a loquacious Jay Farrar, felt right, and seeing the native sons play to what had to be a couple thousand people (far larger crowds than that of their most recent Delmar Hall shows) generated chills. The end of the set was reserved for hits from 1995’s Trace, such as “Route,” “Windfall” and their big hit that reached a Billboard top 10, “Drown.”
Killer Mike took over midday Sunday and took us to church. Decked out in all white, his choir of five backup singers and STL homie Trackstar the DJ on the tables, Mike delivered an hour of good ol’ fashioned hip hop. His hour-long set had us all “High and Holy.”
After Jane’s Addiction, a standout name on the Evolution lineup, had to bow out, Tom Morello saved the day and delivered a headlining-worthy set—no punches thrown. His eviscerating guitar craftsmanship was on full display in his unyielding performance. The set spanned hits in medley form from his Rage Against the Machine repertoire like “Testify,” “Take the Power Back,” “Freedom,” “Bulls on Parade” and “Bullet in the Head” to Audioslave’s biggest hit, “Like a Stone,” featuring the late Chris Cornell’s vocals, an unexpected, bittersweet moment. Morello also dedicated a cover of Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad” to Kris Kristofferson, whose passing was announced earlier in the day.
The limelight then shifted to The Killers—Day 2’s headliner—who had a lot to live up to. They started off with their biggest hit and crowd pleaser, “Mr. Brightside.” The 17-song set was littered with often-played songs like “Spaceman” and “For Reasons Unknown,” as well as newer songs like, “Quiet Town” and “Dying Breed.” But the crowd was there for the hits, and Brandon Flowers and crew delivered almost all of the usual suspects (noticeably absent was one of our staff member’s favorites, “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”). Also included in the set was a Beatles cover of “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” They ended the night with “When You Were Young,” effectively bringing the festival to a close.
Evolution Fest further solidified itself as a well-curated, mid-sized music event. Easy to navigate and not overcrowded, it really comes across as just right for St. Louis. Excitement for the 2025 lineup will be something to look forward to come announcement time in late-February.
Billy Tibbals, The Asteroid No. 4, 95 Bulls (photo Sean Rider, The Schozophonics and Nile Rodgers (all other photos: Cory Weaver)