Words & Photos by Sabrina Hamiti (@sabrinahamitiphoto)
Celebrating the start of music festival season, Digital Noise Mag had the privilege of attending the High Water Festival for the second year in a row. On April 26-27th at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park fans gathered for one of the most anticipated music festivals in the region, which was started in 2017 by the acclaimed musical group Shovels & Rope, a globally known band who originated in the Lowcountry area.
As you are entering the festival grounds it feels like stepping into a dream, with a peaceful walk beneath the oak trees draped in Spanish moss along the Cooper River. Boats gather offshore right by the park dropping anchors to listen in on the music filled day— while the crowd on land move easily from stage to stage, with plenty of local food and drink vendors to choose from that keeping the crowd satisfied. The High Water Festival organizers have implemented several changes and updates to resolve last year’s issues, especially those related to parking, rideshares, and overall logistics.
DAY 1:
Lord Huron — a Los Angeles-based indie rock band known for blending country, western, folk rock, surf rock, and even some cinematic and new age vibes — delivered a killer set packed with fan favorites. They kicked things off with ‘Meet Me in the Woods,’ ‘Dead Man’s Hand,’ and ‘Ends of the Earth,’ setting the tone early. Charleston even got a special treat with a preview of the unreleased track ‘Bag of Bones,’ plus the live debut of their new single ‘Nothing I Need.’ They wrapped the main set with their hit song from Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, ‘The Night We Met,’ followed by ‘Fool for Love.’ After leaving the stage briefly, they came back out for a powerful encore with ‘Wait by the River’ and ‘Not Dead Yet’ to close the night on a high note.
Mt. Joy — a five-piece indie rock band based in L.A. with roots in Philly — brought good vibes from the start, opening with ‘Coyote’ and ‘Julia’ to set the tone. Charleston got something special with an exclusive preview of their unreleased track ‘Pink Lady.’ Midway through the set, they surprised the crowd by bringing out Amos Lee for a fun cover of ‘Teenage Dirtbag,’ and later, Joy Oladokun joined them on stage for a crowd-pleasing performance of ‘Astrovan.’ They closed out the main set strong with their fan-favorite ‘Silver Lining.’
Medium Build
Julien Baker & Torres
The Backseat Lovers
Amos Lee
Evan Honer
Darren Kiely
DAY 2:
Arcade Fire — the iconic indie rock group from Montreal made up of husband-and-wife duo Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara — brought a wave of energy and emotion to the stage, living up to their legacy of Grammy-nominated albums. Known for their fusion of indie rock, art rock, dance-rock, and baroque pop, they opened the set with ‘The Suburbs,’ ‘Ready to Start,’ and ‘Pink Elephant,’ immediately pulling the crowd into their world. As the night rolled on, they kept the momentum going with dynamic renditions of ‘Keep the Car Running,’ ‘Ride or Die,’ and ‘Circle of Trust.’ For the encore, they returned with a powerful finish, closing the show with the fan-favorite ‘Creature Comfort.’
Counting Crows — the beloved rock band from the Bay Area, known for their emotional storytelling and unforgettable live shows — brought a nostalgic and heartfelt energy to the stage. Since their breakout in the early ‘90s with the multi-platinum August and Everything After and iconic hit ‘Mr. Jones,’ the band has built a legacy of passionate performances, and this set was no exception. They came out strong with ‘Round Here,’ ‘If I Could Give All My Love – or – Richard Manuel Is Dead,’ and, surprisingly early in the night, ‘Mr. Jones.’ As the evening went on, they mixed fan favorites with some standout covers, including ‘Friend of the Devil’ (Grateful Dead), ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ (Joni Mitchell), and a crowd-pleasing rendition of Taylor Swift’s ‘the 1.’ They wrapped things up with a memorable run of ‘A Long December’ and ‘Hanginaround,’ leaving the crowd with all the nostalgic feels.
flipturn
Wild Rivers
Waxahatchee
Trampled by Turtles
High Water Music Festival
Photos were shot by Sabrina Hamiti
If you repost our photos on your site, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media, please give credit and tag sabrinamariehamitiphotography and digitalnoisemag!
