Treefort Music Fest 2016, Day 5: Youth Lagoon, Chairlift

"Cheers to evolution, cheers to knowing where you are going, cheers to the future.” Those were Trevor Power's parting words as Boise and the U.S. said goodbye to Youth Lagoon on the final night of Treefort Music Fest. It was a moment Boise was surely dreading, but after a fun day with acts such as Chairlift and Deep Sea Diver bringing smiles to Main Stage, there was surely no better way to bid adieu to the project that the city of Boise surely helped inspire. On the final day of Tree Fort, Powers convinced Boise his parting was a good thing, and as Wimps played the festival out in style, Boise looked to the future and another exciting year of Tree Fort.

ChairliftOn new release Moth, Brooklyn duo Chairlift put an indie-tint on stadium sized pop. On Sunday, Chairlift brought a stadium sized sound to Boise. With a 4-piece live band that included the occasional saxophone, the group brought their quirky pop to life. Vocalist Caroline Polachek went after every note with great success and celebrated with synth solos. She swayed and moved to every song, but the crowd didn't need any instruction to do the same. The live saxophone carried more than its weight and offered a gritty punch to the production. While the group played mainly new songs, "Bruises" was performed as a medley with Modern English's "I'll Melt With You," reminding the Boise crowd how well Chairlift's music holds up to the great pop songs of the past.

Youth LagoonWhen Trevor Powers announced his final tour dates as Youth Lagoon, it was not surprising that Treefort Music Festival was chosen for the final U.S stop. He grew up in Boise, and it felt like a good call for Youth Lagoon to take its American bow in the city that surely inspired much of the music created in Youth Lagoon’s six year existence. As the sun set in Boise and a crowd accumulated at the main stage for one last show, there was a duality of excitement and dread in the air that all in attendance were about to witness something memorable in its finality. And Powers didn’t disappoint. The typically stagnant Powers jumped around the stage, clearly pouring his heart into his last hometown show, and Boise transformed into a mystical swamp; thanks both to the natural, swelling pulse of Youth Lagoon’s music and the neon insects roaming above the crowd. As Powers announced the approaching end to his set, the crowd moaned and “no’s” berated the stage. But in whimsical fashion, Powers assured the crowd it was a good thing, toasting to the future. And as he came back for an encore without his band to deliver “17,” it was hard not to be excited for what was to come nest from the Boise artist. As Powers left the stage as Youth Lagoon one last time to an eruption of applause and tears, it was clear he had succeeded in inspiring the crowd to celebrate Youth Lagoon, instead of dreading its demise.