BLOG: The Handsome Furs Heat Up Mammoth Concert Series

Being from the Adirondack Mountains, I get the itch for some cold weather and winter-time activities every now and then. Lucky for me, I got the invite from the good people at Mammoth Mountain to come experience all that they have to offer including the amazing Mammoth Concert Series.



On Saturday January 14th, a guest and I were off at 5:30am to get our first Mammoth experience. First of all, if you have never driven out to Mammoth before, be ready for some of the best sweeping mountain and desert views and random small towns you have ever driven though. After about five hours of commute, we arrived at The Village Lodge at Mammoth Mountain. I had no idea what to expect, but this place blew me away. It was beautiful, rustic looking but all new, the staff was very helpful and we were able to check in almost five hours before we were supposed to. After exploring what this little slice of mountain paradise had to offer, we got dinner at Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop where we stuffed our faces with ribs, steak, pulled pork sandwiches and homemade BBQ chips. We were moving quite slow after this experience for sure.

 

After dinner it was time to get rocked by The Handsome Furs and the opening act, The Soft Pack. The performance was set to take place in the Hyde Lounge which had this sort of old lodge/industrially lit/party house vibe which was completely ok with me. Soft pack got people started in the best way possible, with upbeat indie-rock that blended early punk rock beats, surf styled guitar licks and bass lines for miles. The crowd was more than happy to put up with Soft Pack before the Handsome Furs took the stage.

   As the duo took the stage I took a look around and little did I know, the place completely filled in. Apparently I wasn't the only one there to see Handsome Furs. Later on I found out that the show had sold out. The electro-pop duo from Montreal wasted absolutely no time in whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Heavy bass, blipping synths and a fuzzed out guitar filled the air as Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry made sure that every single person in the room was having fun. I personally got winded just watching Alexei who seemed to have more energy than a 7-year-old with pixie sticks. Aside from the performance, the entire event was well organized, timely and full of waitresses bringing you drinks throughout the night. By the end of the performance, I was tired, ears were ringing and very happy that my trip back to the hotel was only a 5 minute walk. But one thing is for sure, I am heading back to Mammoth for their Neon Indian event in April.

  

The next day was filled with my first time snowboard, but I will let the photos tell you that story. Let’s just say being a beginner snowboarder led to a very sore body.

You can find all the Mammoth info including an event schedule for the full Mammoth Concert Series right here.

A big thank you to the entire Mammoth staff for being very helpful and courteous to me and my guest, see you soon!