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Mishka (Friday, 2 p.m. Washington Mutual Stage)
Every big outdoor festival needs a dose of reggae and Mishka, a white kid from the West Indies who sounds like an adult contemporary Bob Marley (even when he speaks, which is a little annoying), and his in-the-pocket band delightfully served it up. Meanwhile, their new manager/mascot Matthew McConaughey cheered and danced with is hands from the wings like a man possessed. Thursday night, Mishka (the younger brother of former modern rocker Heather Nova) played the Continental Club in front of an uncomfortably packed crowd, which might have been there as much to see McConaughey and his biker boys Lance Armstrong and Jake Gyllenhaal. But on Friday, the vibes were flowing free and easy, Jamaica-style.
The highlight of the set was when Mishka transitioned, effortlessly, from the gorgeously acoustic “Out the Door” into the driving skank of “Higher Heights.”
Mishka’s Earth-conscious lyrics, with a lot of “sunshine meets the rain” imagery and flying doves, might seem corny and naive, but the presentation was as melodious and bouncy as the day called for. A nice respite from all the aggressive music that seemed to be happening all around at the moment.
(photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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