Photos by Jeff Reeves

If The Lollipops was Raleigh’s best kept secret, it wasn’t a secret for very long.

In May of this year, the first collection of songs from Ignatius “Iggy” Cosky, frontman for The Lollipops, hit online music store Bandcamp and began spreading like a wildfire.

A so-called EP, the 14-track “Pop Narcotics” quickly grabbed the attention of locally run DiggUp Tape, who re-sequenced the album for a re-release in August.

If it’s any indication of the fervor through which “Pop Narcotics” was distributed, an early version of the EP starts off with the track “Betty Skelton,” while the version offered on Iggy’s Bandcamp page kicks off with “Take This Knife,” and the DiggUp Tapes version of the album begins with “Black Tar Carpet Ride.”

Suffice it to say, “Pop Narcotics” spread before Iggy or the label could ever “officially” sequence the EP.

Less than a month later, he already had a new collection of songs ready for release in “Your Royal Masochist & The Love Crusades,” further carving his place in Triangle music lore.

Photos by Pat Shehan

Megafaun & Friends took over Martin Street for a day party, while Merge Records’ Versus took the stage at Lincoln Theatre for Hopscotch’s final night.

Joined on stage by guitarist William Tyler, The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel and improvisational drummer Chris Corsano, Durham’s Megafaun headlined a day party that consumed Martin Street between Fayetteville and Wilmington.

Photos by Pat Shehan

Both headlining shows in the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts during the second night of Hopscotch, Yo La Tengo and The Mountain Goats could not have played more different sets during the annuals set.

While Yo La Tengo was, well, simply Yo La Tengo during their set in Memorial Auditorium, The Mountain Goats offered a truly unique experience.

The Mountain Goats, joined by a three-man choir, played an all-metal covers set on a grand piano. The metal set was then followed by a set comprised of mostly “b-sides” and “rareities.”

Photos by Jeff Reeves

For several folks, Zola Jesus was the axis around which they scheduled their Hopscotch weekends. And when the diminutive-sized lo-fi, Goth rock singer took the stage at Lincoln Theatre, she commanded a presence — never letting up and far from disappointing.

Photographer Jeff Reeves shared his shots from that show.

Photos by Logan Sayles

Between the day parties, POSTERscotch, HOOPscotch, SHOPscotch, the Hepcat Bike Race, City Plaza shows, cultural talk and the club shows book ending each evening, the Hopscotch Music Festival packs three days full of more activities than any one person can possibly experience.

Photographer/videographer/record label owner/music curator/all-around awesome guy Logan Sayles shares his shots from the three-day fest that consumed Downtown Raleigh.

Photos by Logan Sayles

San Francisco-based Deerhoof took the stage at Memorial Auditorium clad in ruffled shirts during the Hopscotch Music Festival.

Photographer/videographer/record label owner/music curator/all-around awesome guy Logan Sayles shares his shots from the three-day fest that consumed Downtown Raleigh.

Photos by Logan Sayles

While the music is certainly the star of Hopscotch, the vibe and people the entire festival brings to the City is incomparable.

Photographer/videographer/record label owner/music curator/all-around awesome guy Logan Sayles shares his shots from the three-day fest that consumed Downtown Raleigh.

Photos & Review by Jake Seaton

If there was ever an absolute need for Hopscotch, it is now.

Between the Republican National Convention last week and the Democratic National Convention this week, Raleigh screamed for a break from the political monotony. And somewhat ironically — perhaps fate? — one of the bands to close out Hopscotch’s first night this year was a band called Liars.

But Liars wasn’t my first stop, rather it was right next door at Fletcher Opera Theatre for Matthew E. White and his 30-piece ensemble.

The Richmond-based big man is no stranger to Hopscotch. Last year his improvisatory ensemble Fight the Big Bull took the stage at the Pour House.

But this year White upped the ante with “One Incantation Under God,” a performance of his album Big Inner complete with 30 of his closest friends.

“In January, [Hopscotch curator] Grayson Currin reached out to me and proposed what may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the resources and the platform for a true performance of Big Inner in its entirety — each song and its full instrumentation,” White explained.

Not only was the performance a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” it was also one of the most well-produced and awe-inspiring concerts I’ve experienced.

With orchestration by musical director Trey Pollard and choir direction by Phil Cook, each facet of the performance was finely tuned and expertly delivered. As elegantly delivered as the ballet that will grace that very stage next week.

“I aim to make music … with this gifted ensemble that is greater than anything I can make on my own,” White said. “We will certainly never all be in the same place again and this music may never again be performed like this.”

Next door, the scene was very different. What was Matthew E. White’s waltz was Liar’s mosh pit.

In the massive Memorial Auditorium, three men filled the room with a breed of post-punk I’d never experienced live.

Liars entranced the audience and probably shattered a few ear drums in the process. In fact, I had to back away from the stage because I literally thought my ears were bleeding.

This was not a fault, however, as it was an experience that best suited the trio. A controlled chaas, if you will.

Photos by Nick Pironio

When Flaming Lips was announced as the City Plaza headliner for Hopscotch 2011, everyone pretty much knew the band would bring with them confetti, lights, all-around theatrics and presumably Wayne Coyne’s infamous Space Ball.

But nothing could prepare Raleigh for the total attack on the senses that Flaming Lips would present Saturday night.

Right off the bat, Coyne walked onto the stage to deliver a disclaimer to the audience about not freaking out during his Space Ball walk, as well as the dangers presented by the almost constant strobe of lights.

“If you’re feeling sick, we don’t want you to leave,” Coyne told the audience. “Just close your eyes.”

With the crowd roaring, Wayne walked off stage only to reemerge with his said Space Ball, crashing into the lighting rig that hung over the stage.

It would be a night a chaos and ultimately adulation.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Without Superchunk, music in the Triangle area of North Carolina wouldn’t be where it is today. Without them, there would be no Hopscotch.

So with Hopscotch being one of the biggest music festivals in the state, and in part a celebration of North Carolina music, it was fitting that Superchunk was one of the headliners for this summer’s fest.

Fronted by Mac McCaughan, a co-founder of Merge Records along with bassist Laura Ballance, Superchunk helped to set the standard in indie rock with his do-it-yourself mentality.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Although Hopscotch 2011 was coming to an end, the energy was still amped at Lincoln Theatre Saturday as Toro Y Moi, Future Islands and Yelawolf closed out the night.

DJing through out the evening was SPCL GST, who kept the crowd pumped between the sets.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Colorado’s Gauntlet Hair took the stage at The Union on a bill that also included Gross Ghost, Times New Viking and Embarrassing Fruits.

Gauntlet Hair will release its debut, self-titled album Oct. 18 through Dead Oceans.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Last year, The Rosebuds was one of the Hopscotch headliners, opening for Broken Social Scene and Panda Bear in City Plaza. With Hopscotch only asking a handful of bands to return for the festival’s second year, The Rosebuds instead headlined Hopscotch’s only official Day Party.

Also taking the Cabarrus Street stage Saturday afternoon was Tonk, The Big Picture, Shirlette & The Dynamite Brothers, Youth Lagoon, Hammer No More the Fingers and Ben Sollee.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Lonnie Walker performed at Kings Saturday afternoon for the Raleigh Denim Day Party, and they were joined by a very special guest.

T0W3RS mastermind Derek Torres joined Lonnie Walker during the song “Summertime,” which was originally recorded by LW but has since been covered by T0W3RS.

T0W3RS recently finished up work on its debut for DiggUp Tapes with producer Brian Paulson (Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, Rosebuds).

Photos by Nick Pironio

Rapper and Antipop Consortium member Beans closed out a hip-hop-fueled night at Tir Na Nog, while White Ring’s set at Five Star was a complete assault on the audience’s senses.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Annuals and Twin Shadow took the stage Friday night at Lincoln Theatre during Hopscotch 2011.

Annuals, a Raleigh-based sextet, is hard at work on the follow-up to 2008′s Such Fun. Twin Shadow released its debut album, Forget, in 2010, and will perform at Moogfest in Asheville in October.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Nests is a relatively new band, but they still managed to attract a nice crowd to The Hive Friday afternoon for the DiggUp Tapes Day Party.

Jeffrey Wood, TOW3RS, Woodsmen and SoftSpot also performed.

Nests is the brainchild of Jeremy Walton and features Lonnie Walker’s Brian Corum and Raymond Finn, as well as Benjamin Eales and NAPS’ Nathan Price.

Photos by Tim Lytvinenko

Beyond the music, it’s the people, places and things that make Hopscotch what it is. It is these things that give the three-day music festival a living, breathing personality.

Future Islands packed Kings with a surprise set during Raleigh Denim’s Day Party on Saturday, while a throng of people filled Cabarrus Street for The Rosebuds’ Day Party outside Lincoln Theatre. Meanwhile, Fearless Freaks brought the weird to City Plaza and Flaming Lips brought plenty of confetti.

After Flaming Lips’ epic set, while Hopscotch staff worked to clean-up the quarter-inch layer of confetti left on the south end of Fayetteville Street, Future Islands again took the stage, this time at Lincoln Theatre.

Photos by Nick Pironio

While some may have waited until Saturday night to catch Gross Ghost when the took the stage at The Union alongside Embarrassing Fruits, Gauntlet Hair and Times New Viking, others were privileged to see them Friday afternoon at Slim’s.

Churchkey Records, Layabout, Nice Price Books, Bull City Burger and Brewery, and Gravity Records hosted Gross Ghost for the Daytime Layabout 2. Also performing at the Day Party was Brainbows, Last Year’s Men, Mount Eerie, The Wigg Report and Beloved Binge.

Photos by Tim Lytvinenko

Beyond the music, it’s the people, places and things that make Hopscotch what it is. It is these things that give the three-day music festival a living, breathing personality.

Plus, Soft Company — fronted by The Love Language’s Missy Thangs — performs at The Pour House, Wembley takes the stage at The Union, and The Foreign Exchange brings the house down at Lincoln Theatre.

The madness then continued well into the night at Moving Island for the Discovery After Party.

Photos by James Nix

A Day Party outside Lincoln Theatre presented by The Rosebuds gave way to an energy-packed set from Hopscotch headliners The Flaming Lips in City Plaza.

Durham-based quartet Bombadil then took the stage at Fletcher Opera Theater for the first time since opening for The Avett Brothers at Cat’s Cradle in December 2010.

And closing out the night as well as the second year of Hopscotch was Chapel Hill orchestral folk septet Lost in the Trees, who welcomed an interpretive dancer as they played their last show in the States for a “while.”

Photos by Nick Pironio

Like last year’s surprise showing in City Plaza ahead of Public Enemy, the Helping Hand Mission Marching Band once again made an appearance at Hopscotch. This year, the band took to the court at the HOOPscotch charity basketball game Friday afternoon.

Famed local hip-hop producer 9th Wonder also provided tunes during the game.

The game featured members of Times New Viking, The Love Language, All Tiny Creatures, Birds of Avalon, Invisible Hand, Bombadil, Mount Moriah and many more.

Photos by James Nix

With Americans in France and Kingsbury Manx at Kings for the Odessa Fest Day Party, The Small Ponds at Fox Liquor Bar, Drive-by Truckers and Guided by Voices in City Plaza, BRAIDS at The Pour House, and Twin Shadow and The Foreign Exchange at Lincoln Theatre, it’s clear the diversity of Hopscotch’s schedule is key to the festival’s success.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Weekend and Cold Cave closed out night one of Hopscotch 2011 at the Pour House Music Hall.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Cheyenne Marie Mize takes the stage at Tir Na Nog on night one of Hopscotch 2011.

Photos by Nick Pironio

Dustin Wong performs at The Hive during the first night of Hopscotch 2011.

Photos by Tim Lytvinenko

Beyond the music, it’s the people, places and things that make Hopscotch what it is. It is these things that give the three-day music festival a living, breathing personality.