Why? shine in the Utrecht drizzle of day two of Le Guess Who

Friday has a problem, and that problem is scheduling. Even with a bike, the Why? clash with Deerhoof, and Fuck Buttons is insurmountable. As the bill starts in the evening, a thought springs to mind. Couldn't they have started some stages earlier and spread the bill out more evenly? A quick look at the map brings another suggestion to mind. DB's is a venue not in use tonight, and only active for 2 out of the four days of the festival. It is a definite mission to get to from almost all of the other venues. So why utilise it at all? Resources could be utilised elsewhere in the line up, and the bill could be strengthened.

The lack of entertainment in the daytime, bar the usual niceness of the area and an unpublished line up of local acts in bars and cafes turns me into an impromptu food critic. There's a strong cafe culture in Utrecht, with as little encroachment from the megabrands chains as I can remember seeing in any foreign country. In fact, branding and advertising generally seems minimal in Holland, and the lack of marketing clout seems to have allowed local businesses to thrive. Along the main drag by the canal, the tightly populated shops are busy even in the mid afternoon. Most of them are of the boutique variety, and that plays along with the other strength of the town, art. Little galleries always seem to pop up as soon as the traveller ventures down a side street. With that thought in my mind, I sit down to eat at KEEK. It's a terrific little place on the Twinstraat, homely and bright, with well priced fare. The service is amiable and swift, the coffee excellent. The real delight though, is the open halloumi sandwich. Resting above a reef of grated carrot and apple, the expertly grilled hellim is topped with hemp and sunflower seeds to provide an earthy overtone to all the rich and sharp flavours below. As sandwiches go, I can't remember any better.

The other side of the culinary coin is found at Ekko, tonight's venue of choice. A little further out from the heart of Utrecht, Ekko would be almost impossible to find via the use of LGW's maps, which are poor. Once you're inside the building, it splits into two; on your right a bar/diner, straight ahead the venue. It's a good sized club venue, with decent lighting and sound. But before the music starts, I sample the cheap three courses for twelve and a half Euro vegetarian meal advertised in the festival guide. They can't find my emailed reservation, which they had already responded to, but seat me at a table regardless, then move me as the restaurant begins to reach capacity. My hopes were perhaps a little high, raised by the standards of KEEK, and reality soon takes hold; a thin, clear vegetable soup that refuses to be thickened by grated cheese or pesto. A wedges and Quorn burger combination, with a half decent salad pushed to the side, crushed by the blandness at the heart of the meal. Finally, a frozen yoghurt, tinned fruit and toffee sauce concoction that fair saps my will to live. It is a bad combination that looks terrible on the plate and doesn't improve in the mouth. In the distance I hear Why?, and Lower Dens discuss the merits of Morrissey and the devotion he inspires in his fans. It isn't a conversation that fizzes.

Night Beds don't fizz either, but at least there's some quality in there. The Nashville duo are young and perhaps a little shy on stage, but play well to a full-ish room. Even if they wear their alt-country influences a little too boldly, with Ryan Adams an obvious touchstone, they still manage to hold my attention. Their set is pleasant, but not compelling. There is no doubt that with a little more material to choose from, it could be. Lower Dens are more meat and potatoes indie, with psychedelic leanings. They build up atmosphere by layering synths, and are quite dull on all fronts. They sound like a studio band, all depth but no charge. For a brief moment they sound like Hawkwind. Then that moment passes, and there's little to do but wait for them to eventually end.

Why? are the all star pros here tonight. They set up fast and right, and when I glance back into the crowd, there are double the amount of people here. Why? have mined their niche carefully. Their lo-fi soft rock with drawled vocals over the top takes a while to get a hold of you, but when it does, you realise that they are a one off. That they have a back catalogue to draw from, and that they suit Utrecht down to a tee are added bonuses. They aren't comfortable until a few songs in, then they loosen up, play 'Good Friday' and dominate from that point onward. When they relax, their musicality comes to the fore. Everyone sings, everyone seemingly plays a second instrument, and they play with the freedom of a band who know the intricacies of the songs without needing to embellish upon them. No-one can top them tonight, so I make my way back through a mile of light drizzle, and get home soaked but happy.

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