Recap: The War on Drugs at XPoNential Festival
WHO: The War On Drugs
WHERE: XPoNential Music Festval
WHEN: 7/20/12
Friday at XPoNential Festival could have been a huge inconvenience. The sky looked like it was about to dump rain at any moment on Wiggins Park. I spent most of the time leading up to the War on Drugs set with my fingers crossed hoping it wouldn’t start raining. Luckily for everyone the rain never came and around 6:55 P.M. the band emerged onto the River Stage.
The band wasted no time and jumped into Slave Ambient opener “Best Night.” It immediately became clear that the War on Drugs anthemic sound fit perfectly at the festival stage and the hometown Philly skyline behind them seemed appropriate. Adam Granduciel, Dave Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Steve Urgo, and Charlie Hall created one of the most unique atmospheres of the weekend. The sound, which was blanketed by layers of reverb, complemented the overcast sky while the sparse sunlight dissipated.
The set which lasted just under an hour long was filled almost entirely by songs off of Slave Ambient with the exception of “Comin Through.” The most unfortunate part of WoD’s set was that it only lasted forty-five minutes, but for those forty-five minutes the band played with a energy that had everyone in their beach chairs captivated. The band closed out the set with “Black Water Falls” which seemed like the perfect choice to end the night.
