It’s that time of year again when Boise State gives students a full week off just to attend Treefort! Jokes aside, this year’s festival was jam-packed with incredible performances from big-ticket groups like Kid Bloom to local Boise bands like Bittermint. Here are five performances from Treefort 2024 that rocked my world and should be added to your Spotify playlists asap.
College Level
If you haven’t heard of this group before now, you’re welcome. “Grad School Level” would be a more appropriate name for this indie pop group, as they absolutely enamored the audience at Boise Brewing on Thursday night. Their songs “Small Talk” and “Good For You” were standouts from this set but every song is definitely going straight into a Spotify playlist. The song “Konabug” was written about one of the band members’ dog, proving that this group can take any topic and transform it into a danceable tune.
Briston Maroney
Call me basic, but hearing “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate” live was a spiritual experience. Indie pop artist Briston Maroney knows how to put on a phenomenal energy-infused show that leaves audiences wanting more. “June” and “Spring” were two songs that were incredible live, and the sense of excitement in the crowd was palpable. This is a must-see artist that I’d love to see again.
John-Robert
One of the best parts of Treefort is finding new bands to add to your music rotation, and John-Robert is no exception. The smooth folk stylings of this group are impossible not to dance or bob your head along to, especially with the songs “Westward Bound” and “Road Trip.” John-Robert’s sound is reminiscent of early John Mayer and the rich, silky smooth musical tone of this performance had me hoping it would never end.
Los Syringas
This surf rock band formed in 2019 and has recently released their new EP “Fantsea” on March 19. Los Syringas’ set featured their most popular songs like “Satellite”, “Orange Line” and “Fish” from their new EP, as well as unreleased songs “Staircase”, “Floating” and “Beach Prom” which are the perfect soundtrack for summer. Boise Brewing provided an intimate venue and the comradery and joy between band members was infectious. If you get a chance to see this beachy pop band perform, you won’t want to miss it.
Pokey Lafarge
The roaring twenties are back in a big way — or at least its sound is, thanks to the stylings of blues folk group Pokey Lafarge. Treefort truly has a performance for every kind of music lover, a concept that is exemplified through the nostalgic and classic music of this group. “Something in the Water” will be stuck in my head for at least five to seven business days, and the audience participation encouraged for “La La Blues” created a memorable experience for everyone.
Treefort provides audiences with the chance to discover their new favorite artist or to see some of their long-time favorite performers live, and this is a small snapshot of the phenomenal talent at Treefort 2024. Each of these bands has brought something new to the music scene and Boise was fortunate to experience their incredible talent live.
