M.I.A.’s performance at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, solidified how lost she’s become, both artistically and literally, apparently.

Inter-song commentary aptly reflected personalities and performances at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, this August.

Setting the bench for charm and congeniality was Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, who exemplified humility when he recognized that most attendees (“except you all in the front”) weren’t familiar with the band:

“In case you haven’t heard of us, we were a popular — or not so popular — band in the 1990s in the States. I hear we’re philosophically aligned with bob hund, which is cool. “

Comments like this paired well with the energy of the songs and made the show a joy to watch, even for newcomers.

On the low end was Panda Bear, who bookended his set with an unenthusiastic hello and thanks, with his eyes firmly closed in between, possibly to deny our existence or even wish us away — a perfect match to his droning set.

Worse was M.I.A., whose words were sparse but damaging.
Read More »