Popload Festival 2022 took place last Wednesday, the 12th The XX , Tame Impala , Patti Smith , and Iggy Pop throughout its history .
Now in its eighth edition – and the first since the start of the pandemic – the event invested in a mixed line-up with Jack White , Pixies and Fresno + Pitty for rock fans and Jup do Bairro , Perotá Chingó , Cat Power and Chet Faker for the more alternative audience.
After years held at the Memorial da América Latina, Popload opted for a new location for its return and hit the mark. The festival took place at the Tietê Sports Center, where in 2023 Paramore will witness the band's return to Brazil. With plenty of trees and not too large, the space comfortably accommodated the 14,500 people who attended the event, offering a variety of bathrooms with plumbing, good sound quality, and a high stage that was visible even from the furthest points.
The festival day opened with an incident caused by the event organizers, who disrespectfully Jup do Bairro before she finished her performance. On her social media , Jup spoke out about the disregard shown to her and her band, denying allegations of delays or extended set times and indicating that technical failures and delays were caused by the festival organizers, not her team. T4F and Popload Festival have not yet commented on the incident.
Those who arrived later didn't witness other events like this. Indie folk fans enjoyed calm shows by Cat Power and Perotá Chingó , while Chet Faker pleased those who enjoy electronic music. The biggest highlights of the lineup, however, were the rock and alternative rock bands, which lifted the spirits of the crowd.
Included in the lineup at the last minute to replace the British band Years & Years , Fresno still managed to gather a small audience of fans and brought a lot of rock to the Popload Festival, despite their audience still being somewhat lukewarm. With loud and well-calibrated sound, the band from Rio Grande do Sul mixed old hits with more recent songs, betting on punk and hardcore in tracks like "Quebre As Correntes" and "FUDEU!", a protest song against the current government.
To perform the delicate "Cada Acidente," the band called singer Lio , from the indie folk trio Tuyo , to the stage, and closed the show by inviting Pitty to the stage for the last three songs. The Bahian artist struggled with a low microphone volume in the first few minutes of "Na Sua Estante," which slightly broke the show's electric vibe, but she is well-known to the audience. She joined Lucas Fresno on vocals for "Casa Assombrada," and the setlist ended with "Máscara," which got the entire audience jumping, headbanging, and singing loudly.
The highlight of the night was Jack White , who delivered an electrifying and energetic show featuring songs from one of his most recent albums, Fear Of The Dawn (2022), and a few hits from The Raconteurs and The White Stripes , including "Seven Nation Army" to close the performance.
Dressed entirely in blue, from the stage lighting to his hair, the musician made his entrance wearing a navy blue sports jacket with "Brazil" written on the back. Speaking quickly and sometimes in a way that was difficult to understand, Jack White interacted with the audience who had waited for him for most of the day and cheered as they watched him run from one side to the other, playing his guitar with great dexterity and skill, creating a contagious atmosphere with his band.
After the energy of Jack White, the veteran Pixies seemed like a less than ideal choice to close the festival, but the fans didn't mind. As usual, the band played a long setlist of about 20 songs, without stopping to interact with the audience or chat, but it was clear that many had come to the festival just to see them. The crowd sang along to most of the lyrics and danced in their seats, many surrounded by friends, savoring the nostalgia of the band that has provided the soundtrack to so many lives since 1986.
In its eighth edition, the Popload Festival 2022 succeeded in its diverse range of artists and proved capable of retaining an audience until the end of the night, but failed miserably in its disrespect towards the only Black and trans artist in its lineup. To date, the event organizers have not yet provided any clarification regarding the incident.
