REVIEW: High Water Festival 2023
Written & photographed by Abigail Cook (@shabbyabbyphoto)
Entering High Water Festival begins with a trek through the Spanish moss, which truly feels other-worldy as the salt-ridden air reminds you of where the festival gets its name. I arrived just in time to catch S.G. Goodman’s whirlwind of a set, an excellent kick off with her sweet southern charm and bold, beautiful notes. Phones went up to take videos as her guitarist, Mark Sloan, performed some remarkably smooth solos. I felt a sense of awareness from her and the band as she commented on the boats scattering the water who got to listen to her set free of charge, as the Cooper River outskirts the festival grounds.
It was within the first set that I realized High Water is one of a kind. As a frequent fest-goer, I’ve never seen folks take care of themselves quite like they do at High Water. Lots of stretching, napping, and overall relaxing. “Chill” is not normally in the realm of festival vocabulary, but High Water is exactly that.
After taking it all in, I made it over to Sierra Ferrell’s set, where the swing of strings and Sierra’s all-consuming voice, reminiscent of Loretta Lynn, swooned the ever-growing audience. Hands mimicked the bow of a rainbow as Sierra sang the chorus to “At The End Of The Rainbow,” a typical occurrence at her shows, but all the more impressive at this scale.
Admittedly, I knew very little of Guster other than their hit track “Satellite,” and that their fans go by the name of ‘Gussterhoids.’ Anybody with a cult following denoted as such has gotta be good, and I now know that’s an understatement. Before they took the stage, a staff member upped the energy further by handing out Starbursts to those on the rail. Band members were met with squeals and screams as they took the stage, meeting their audience with smiles and gratitude. Frontman Ryan Miller leapt into the crowd mid-set, somehow managing to make it as far back as the soundboard with the help of audience members holding up his microphone cord. Quite a sight to behold, and to hear.
Next up, Bleachers. Jack Antonoff stans packed the Stono stage, where staff members boasted impeccable aim while distributing water bottles so to hydrate the crowd. Also refreshing was the magnetic energy of pop tracks, seemingly just what the festival needed to pick up speed as the sun began its retreat in the sky. Oh, and the guest appearance of Lana del Rey will certainly wake up the stragglers, if any.
After this came what could be considered the antithesis of pop, Father John Misty. He played some of his most recent songs off of Chloë and the Next 20th Century, calling it “fake” jazz (to him and only him). He dedicated “Goodbye Mr. Blue” to the imaginary Troy and his dead iguana. We know not if there were any Troys or iguanas out there, but that seemed of little importance, as the crowd aced the self-imposed sing-along challenge. Seemingly everyone partook.
Then came the big one to end night one: Rainbow Kitten Surprise. The stage beckoned their presence with rainbow lighting, and soon they came. With twists, twirls, and words of encouragement came songs old and new, both of which were welcomed by the largest crowd the festival had yet seen that day. I found myself enjoying some Island Noodles to wind down during their set. Even across festival grounds I witnessed how all-encompassing RKS can be as people danced and sang along with the utmost enthusiasm. Stage lights stretched across the sky as their music filled the air to close out a wonderful first day at High Water.
Day two began with a stroll around through the market to browse local vendors, where I had to limit myself to some ceramic goodies from Half Light Honey. I enjoyed the first few sets of the day from the pier before heading over to Orville Peck’s set.
Rail riders were in full swing, verbally counting down the minutes until his arrival. The dual-stage setup allowed for no overlap, meaning timeliness was on point throughout. Peck emerged with a notable smile even beneath his mask. His enthusiasm appealed to a wide range of listeners, appealing to listeners young and old. He made sure to interact with individual crowd members, dedicating “Drive Me, Crazy” (a love song written about a trucker) to Mike, a trucker in the crowd.
Angel Olsen gracefully followed, with her bright yellow jumpsuit and calming floral background. The beaming sun accompanied the scene perfectly, as she serenaded the crowd blissfully. Angel and her band provided a peaceful interlude that was very much needed to bring in the night.
By this time it was High time for some grub, so I opted for a yum-yum chicken bowl and yum-yum fries from TAMASHII, which was by far my favorite bite of the festival. Pro tip: if there’s a line for food, WAIT IN IT. Vendors handled crowds speedily and it’s a rather pleasurable experience given the surrounding trees and sunshine. I enjoyed my fries while listening to some Wilco jams from a distance. Normally I attempt to make it to every possible set at fests, but there’s just something about High Water that assures all is well to take time for yourself and rest.
Fueling up prior to Shovels & Rope was needed, as they came out with a burst of energy and took me completely by surprise. I did not know this powerful duo prior, and sometimes I find it’s best to let some things be a mystery. And a mystery they are no longer. Hearing them for the first time was divine, as they seemed to carefully curate their set to envelope all the peaks and valleys to take High Water on a well-thought-out ride. Our time together felt entirely too short. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for their name in the future, as should you!
Shovels & Rope were the appropriate transition into Beck’s set, who is one of the few rock acts in music who can make an acoustic opening feel sane. Soon enough, we were amongst the synthesizers and into dance territory. Beck fans go hard and they made sure to voice their song requests loud and proud. Most requests were honored, whether fans were heard from stage or not. Beck just exudes cool seemingly without trying, making him a perfect and well-rounded end to High Water. As the lights dimmed, set lists were distributed and Totoro’s “Africa” accompanied our exit. It began to sprinkle, making the end of High Water all the more special.
