Connect with us

CELEBRITY

How Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Solange Going to a 2009 Grizzly Bear Concert Ended Up an Iconic Indie-Pop Crossover Moment

Published

on

 

In 2025, artists from the indie and pop worlds collaborate and co-mingle regularly enough that it’s almost hard to remember a time when it was ever really that novel. But earlier this century, indie and pop were still isolated enough that in 2009, when Solange took her sister Beyoncé and Bey’s husband Jay-Z to a concert by the band Grizzly Bear at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn, NY, it ended up making for a media sensation — especially when Jay started raving about his experience and about the entire “indie rock movement” in TV interviews later that year.

 

On this Great Moments in Pop Star History episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Stereogum writer/editor Chris DeVille to fully unpack this oddly historic moment of the Knowles-Carter clan checking out one of the buzziest indie bands of 2009. We start by discussing Chris’ new book Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion (now available for preorder) and how it tells more than just the story of the genre, but rather the story of the whole audience — including both of us, as millennial indie rock fans who came of age during the period covered, and who saw our own tastes evolving along with the music.

 

 

 

Then, it’s back to 2009 — when Beyoncé was already one of our greatest pop stars but not necessarily one of the hippest, when Jay-Z was looking to distance himself from an increasingly inhospitable hip-hop mainstream, and when Solange was still finding herself as an artist. We look at how this moment ended up being both a telling and a consequential one for all three of those iconic artists, as well as how it ended up marking the cultural peak for Grizzly Bear, and perhaps for late-’00s indie in general. We also ask: Was Bey really making fun of hipsters with her Fauxchella getup? Was there another band we might’ve found more likely to have really blown Jay’s mind about indie rock’s possibilities? And if we were to re-stage a similarly mind-blowing pop-meets-indie moment in 2025, which artists would we go with?

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CELEBRITY2 hours ago

BBC News reports: 40 minutes ago! Prince Andrew has sparked media fury after being found unconscious in a private room at his home in Texas after King Charles ordered … more

CELEBRITY4 hours ago

LATEST NEWS: 1 Hour ago, King Charles III, Queen Camilla and their grieving families have confirmed that Prince William’s wife, the Duchess – Kate Middleton, has….

CELEBRITY10 hours ago

The Internet Was Shocked When Ally Carter Broke Her Silence: Revealing The Shocking Truth About Being Turned Into A ‘Toy’ At Diddy’s Parties – Denzel Washington And Jay Z Were Also Unexpectedly Named, What Exactly Happened Behind Closed Doors Of Superstars?

CELEBRITY1 day ago

Breaking:”Katt Williams & Terrence Howard EXPOSE Diddy’s Industry Sacrifices (2Pac, Biggie & MORE!) See More Here…

CELEBRITY4 days ago

Taylor Swift Drops Bombshell About What REALLY Happens Behind Closed Doors With Travis Kelce Inside Their LA Mansion — Fans Weren’t Ready For This!…..read more

CELEBRITY7 days ago

HOT: Patrick Mahomes suddenly announced that he will temporarily suspend all current activities and spend time treating his mother’s “serious illness”, causing Chiefs fans and management to riot because…

CELEBRITY7 days ago

Taylor Swift Breaks Down in Tears as She Reveals SHOCKING First Heated Argument with Travis Kelce – ‘We Said Things We Regretted… It Was Messy and Raw!’ Inside Their Private Romance Turmoil You Never Saw Coming!…..read more

CELEBRITY1 week ago

Once the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is now facing a jaw-dropping $134.7 billion loss — and Wall Street is in panic mode. Is this the end of his empire… or just the first act of a dramatic rebound? you won’t believe what’s happening behind the scenes.

CELEBRITY1 week ago

EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s SECRET Amsterdam Getaway – The Untold Story of Their First Anniversary! Romantic Surprises, Hidden Moments & What Really Happened Behind Closed Doors!…..read more

CELEBRITY1 week ago

Taylor Swift’s Mom Drops MAJOR Clues About Future With Travis Kelce – Fans Are Losing It Over These Hidden Signs! Is Wedding Bells Next? The Shocking Details You Missed Will Leave You Speechless!…..read more

Copyright © 2024 USAenquire