Words by: Kayceman, Dennis Cook & Justin Gillett | Images by: Dave Vann & Susan J. Weiand

Outside Lands Music Festival :: 08.28.09 :: Golden Gate Park :: San Francisco, CA

Outside Lands Festival 2009 by Weiand

There’s something intrinsically cool about a festival that opens one of its big stages with Akron/Family and closes the same stage opening day with Tom Jones. There’s a crazy quilt quality to Outside Lands Music Festival, who’s second year combined thoroughly mainstream entertainment with scattershot echoes of S.F.’s Summer of Love, forward looking audio explorers and an increased local focus. Once again, Golden Gate Park was cordoned off and transformed into a playground for adults looking for strong musical diversity combined with good food and drink in a striking outdoor setting. While hardly a full blown “happening” in the classic San Fran sense, Outside Lands offered a sanitized and commercialized version of the sort of wooly, wild gatherings this city is famous for, dotting the huge space with a ridiculous amount of distractions, pleasure triggers and a kaleidoscope of aural delights. For three days at least, folks were welcome to unfurl the freak flags they’d tucked away in the drawer next to their work clothes, and despite some kinks that still need working out (one day they’ll figure out an effective, non-headache inducing way to move the masses in and out of the park), this second outing showed a major new U.S. festival evolving nicely. (Dennis Cook)

Friday, 08.28

Akron/Family :: 1:45-2:30 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Beginning like some lingering hippie dream left within the soil of the park, AkAk quickly grew pointy teeth and howled for freedom inside the thick heat and humidity that gave Friday a muggy overtone that was hard to shake. Their newer material has a lovely connection to the elements, which worked well in wooing the gathering crowd. But things truly exploded with “Ed Is A Portal,” where their hardcore admirers ignored the unremitting sun to dance, rant and sing with the damp trio. Aided by Howlin Rain‘s Joel Robinow and the Rain’s new drummer Raj Ojha, Akron/Family wove a more succinct version of their usual spirit dance, culminating in a sing-along about living in Woody Guthrie’s America. This band truly makes one glad to be alive. (DC)

Built to Spill :: 2:30-3:30 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Akron/Family :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Not even an early slot on the first day of the festival or a blazing hot sun could slow Built To Spill’s maelstrom. The three guitars of bandleader/singer Doug Martsch, Brett Netson and Jim Roth weaved in and out of each other with nuanced slide work and heavy use of distortion pedals. “The Plan” was stretched out with call-and-response guitar licks that led to an ambient back section, while “Unconventional Wisdom” turned violent with its high-pitched guitar progression. As heavy and guitar-based as this music is songs like “You Were Right,” “Carry The Zero,” “Car” and new one “Hindsight” (from the forthcoming album due in October) reminded fans that underneath the wall of noise and occasional punk rock delivery is a serious songwriter crafting brilliant hooks and radio-ready melodies. (Kayce)

Los Campesinos! :: 2:30-3:15 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

Despite a name that suggests mariachi outfits and flower bedecked senoritas, this Welsh seven-piece charmed enormously, suggesting a kinder, gentler Clash or mayhap a ballsier Dexy’s Midnight Runners with their dense, happy sound full of noisemaking violin and unruly electric guitars to offset the crunchy sugar of their boy-girl vocals. Their accents were too thick to catch even a single song title accurately but it mattered not a lick when music is this wholeheartedly inviting and performed with such arms-outstretched enthusiasm. One of the hidden gems on Day One. (DC)

The Dodos :: 3:20-4:10 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Midnite :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

From go, their set possessed a gravity that pulled listeners from down the field, their steps gaining bounce as the full force of their increasingly filled-in music overtook them. Heck, even Dave Matthews gave ‘em props during his Saturday headlining set! For just three guys they make a hellacious amount of sound, loud enough to require earplugs but also sometimes so sweetly sung that it seemed Meric Long was uttering some siren-like alien tongue. Equal measures clatter and croon, The Dodos set continued to mingle folk, rock and jazz (this last beefed up considerably by the totally pleasing vibe work of newest member Keaton Snyder) into music easy to take in but hard to pin down. (DC)

Midnite :: 4:05-5:05 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

St. Croix’s international reggae sensation delivered one of the best sets I’ve ever witnessed by them, resisting the urge to “lively up” their unique, Nyabinghi influenced, deep roots reggae for a Cali festival audience. Instead, they stuck to their persistent, insistent, dub touched steadiness and created a sound that made love to the ground they, and we, stood upon, a vibration that stirred the place where things grow, in the earth and us. Truly holy music. (DC)

Silversun Pickups :: 4:15-5:15 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Silversun Pickups :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Following Built to Spill – which caused frontman Brian Aubert to “geek out” and profess his adoration of the legendary act – L.A.’s Silversun Pickups played on the same stage to a crowd twice as big and twice as rowdy, and they played almost twice as loud. Cranking out the kind of indie fuzz-rock that acts like BTS, Dino Jr. and, obviously, Smashing Pumpkins helped create, SSPU may not be doing anything particularly new, but that doesn’t always matter. As if trying to prove this point, songs like “Kissing Families,” “There’s No Secrets This Year,” “Swoon” and others were played with confidence and attitude, the screaming vocals and crashing sheets of guitar underscored by pretty harmonies and subtle string accents. With a knack for writing catchy rock songs with big guitar lines, a cute girl on bass who rips, a good, very likeable bandleader and a huge sound that could one day fill stadiums, Silversun Pickups are worthy of the hype. (Kayce)

The National :: 5:00-6:00 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Despite an initial impression of simple pleasantness, The National pulled out a phenomenal set. About the halfway mark all the great curves and sheer richness of their songwriting and delivery became clear. Exciting, muscular live musicians, the band achieved a cumulative effect, where the secular tales and gospel punctuation of their music combined to reveal perhaps one of the best rock bands currently striding the boards. It’s no mystery to me after this set why this Brooklyn group is beloved on the U.K. festival circuit. (DC)

Q-Tip :: 5:50-6:50 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

Tea Leaf Green :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Starting with a shout-out to J Dilla and dedicating the second half of his set to the recently departed DJ AM (most of the crowd clearly learned of AM’s sudden death from Q as there was a rapid array of texts and Google searches being fired off), Q-Tip put on a very solid set that had the masses dancing hard. Backed by a full band (bass, drums, guitar, keys and DJ), Q let his unmistakable flow roll atop heavy funk breaks that were peppered with classic samples and a few instrumental solos. After a quick piece of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” Q dropped Tribe hits “Bonita Applebum” and “Scenario” before shocking everyone by bringing out A Tribe Called Quest co-founder Phife Dawg. The legendary duo hadn’t been together in years and after running through “Award Tour” an excited Q-Tip reminded fans just how special this reunion was when he closed the set by saying, “Don’t know if y’all will ever see that again.” (Kayce)

Tea Leaf Green :: 6:00-6:45 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

I love TLG’s energy. Their huge charisma and abundant talent were on glorious display at their Lands debut, where they showcased a bundle of topnotch new tunes and a general togetherness that announced in no uncertain terms that the quartet with Reed Mathis in the bass position has fully gelled. “This is the best day of my life,” said Trevor Garrod (keys, lead vocals), “I even swam in the ocean, because it was hot.” I was again struck by how memorable and flexible their compositions are, and hearing them with a good sized crowd only reaffirmed the feeling that their music would be glorious shared with massive main stage size audiences, perfect songs for 30,000 people to belt out as one voice. All the crazy chops onstage were harnessed to pointed purpose, serving each number so it struck with maximum impact. And it’s not that they no longer improvise or jam but the freakouts are controlled bursts that actually work far better than some of their earlier meandering. A great barrelhouse fueled take on “Taught To Be Proud” and a rowdy “If It Wasn’t For The Money” were happy reminders that TLG makes music one can tuck away for rainy days, just the gleaming coin one wants to pull from their pocket when they feel broken and bereft. What they were is no longer, but the metamorphosis taking place may ultimately land them a much bigger audience, and it couldn’t happen to nicer, more deserving guys. (DC)

Tom Jones :: 6:50-7:50 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Tom Jones :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

“I’m alive! I’m doing my thing and singing my song! I’m a man!!!” roared Tom Jones to begin the best set I caught Friday and perhaps the highlight of my two days in the park. An old school showman of the highest order, Jones led a huge, incredibly tight band through his lengthy catalog, setting off joy bombs on the lawn with “Delilah,” “What’s New Pussycat?,” “She’s A Lady” and “Kiss.” More fit and frisky than he’s any right to be at 69-years-old, Van Morrison’s favorite singer showed he’s lost almost none of his explosive, seductive vocal range or unbridled, wholly manly charm. So, when he asked us, “Are we gonna have a good time tonight?” the positive affirmation was almost deafening. The new songs from his recently released 24 Hours album were surprisingly excellent and largely on par with the sort of quality material that he built his rep on in the 1960s. He also murdered (in a good way) covers of “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “Mama Told Me Not To Come,” while taking side trips into credible G-Funk (seriously) and a dirty blues where Jones growled, “I don’t need to be your best friend/ I don’t even need to see you come/ I just want to be your plaything.” His appeal cut across multiple generations and his sex appeal made most folks a little moist, regardless of whether their pendulum usually swings this direction or not. At the end of his set, he wistfully offered, “We gotta go right now, but we’ll be back one day. I promise.” For men like Tom Jones the show truly must go on. (DC)

Thievery Corporation :: 7:40-9:00 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

In an inspired bit of counter-programming for those not into Pearl Jam, Friday’s headliner, Thievery Corporation were the tasteful, classy alternative for those that wanted to simmer rather than sizzle. What’s impressive about TC is how it could just be more background listening for the folks that buy those Buddha Bar compilations but isn’t. Skillful choreography, a panoply of gifted spotlight musicians and a quiet sort of pageantry were the linchpins of their set, which ultimately felt like a glimpse at what radio may sound like in a few decades as the continents continue to cross-pollinate. Thievery Corp moves the notion of the DJ forward a few miles, infusing the sustained roll of the club with strong musicianship and an almost unfailing ear for interesting flavors. (DC)

Pearl Jam :: 7:50-9:50 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Pearl Jam :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

14 years ago Pearl Jam played in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. That was a crazy night. Eddie Vedder got sick and was only able to perform a few songs before Neil Young came out and triumphantly finished the set. This evening wouldn’t be quiet as crazy and we wouldn’t see Neil, but we would get two Young tracks and the power of Pearl Jam’s performance stood up well against their live shows from back then. Soon after the sun had set with the sky still glowing orange, the band kicked into an almost two hour rock assault with “Why Go.” By the time they hit “Corduroy,” lead guitarist Mike McCready was drilling into truly nasty ground as Stone Gossard and Vedder both pushed their guitars into the mix for an overwhelming three guitar attack. Playing both “Got Some” and “The Fixer” from the forthcoming new album, the crowd reaction spoke to the band’s incredibly strong following, as no one missed a beat or lyric.

As much as they excel at big ball swingin’ power rock, Pearl Jam is equally adept at haunting slow burns like “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town,” “Better Man” and “Black.” Although Vedder’s voice was shot from heavy touring, it hardly mattered and he was even able to use it to his advantage on “Crazy Mary.” Any shortcomings in Vedder’s range were swooped-up in the over-the-top drum work by Matt Cameron, the thunder bass of Jeff Ament and the never-ending riffs from McCready, which even found him taking intricate solos behind his head. This is a band in the truest sense of the word. If Vedder’s vocals are hurting the rest just play harder. And this isn’t just any band; this is a band of seasoned pros that have been playing to huge crowds for more than a decade. These guys have mastered their art form and they bring it hard every single night.

The marathon double encore included a psychedelic “Daughter” that called to mind vintage Pink Floyd, an awesome reading of The Who‘s “The Real Me,” a devastating “Alive” and a final blow out with Young’s “Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World.” 14 years after their first appearance in Golden Gate Park and long past their commercial prime, Pearl Jam proved to be a very impressive headliner for Outside Lands. (Kayce)

Pearl Jam :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

Setlist

Why Go, Animal, Severed Hand, Corduroy, Low Light, The Fixer, In My Tree, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Even Flow, Got Some, I Am Mine, Given To Fly, MFC, Down, Black, Save You, Do The Evolution, Go

Encore 1: Wasted Reprise, Better Man, Daughter, The Real Me (Pete Townshend), Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams), Alive

Encore 2: Throw Your Hatred Down (Neil Young), Rockin’ In The Free World (Neil Young)

Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage of Outside Lands…

Saturday, 08.29

Loop!Station :: 12:00-12:40 p.m. :: The Barbary

The Barbary :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Just the sort of wood floored, stained glass saloon one could want in a town where months of gold mining could be lost in a single night of cards, carousing and canoodling, The Barbary, a “spiegeltent” or “magic mirror tent” imported from Belgium, showed off Bay Area talent all weekend. Hosted by the Vau de Vire Society, the air conditioned, largely seated space offered a respite from the summer heat and a great opportunity to catch some homegrown treasures. To wit, Loop!Station, who are probably correct in their claim of being the world’s only live looping voice and cello duo. I entered thinking I’d find a small choir of ladies and instead discovered just Robin Comer, a potent, intoxicating vocalist, and Sam Bass, who pulled WAY more noises from a cello than I ever imagined possible. Often marked by drone and drift, their music is a slow seduction that required some patience to really understand. However, their emotive, intense, interesting approach ultimately left most impressed. (DC)

Infantree :: 12:00-12:40 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

Quite the hodgepodge, Infantree initially struck one as quirk-grass with hickey harmonies, acoustic guitar and banjo playing off electric keys and trap drums, but soon more indie rock currents emerged and their set ended with some blippy Caucasian reggae. Not sure what to make of this band. (DC)

The Dirtbombs :: 12:45-1:35 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

Extra Golden :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Caveman percussion pummel called us closer, followed by serrated guitars that stretched hamstrings to unleash forgotten pogo instincts. A beat, a noisy swirl, a totally human moan and then it all exploded into an all-encompassing sound that retains the rawness of the garage but handled by folks way more clever than newbies just picking up their instruments. Formed in the early ’90s, this Detroit institution and adored underground perennial rattled and rolled with the same moxie as The Sonics, early Roxy Music and Brian Eno and others that keep rock nasty and tough and glued to the dance floor. Watching The Dirtbombs leap, kick and snarl, one felt like they’d been delivered to the fountain of rock’s origin, a place where this music is still a bit dangerous and exciting and unpredictable, inspiring us to twist and shimmy as they went up, down and every which way. (DC)

Extra Golden :: 1:35-2:15 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

“Sometimes you eat, sometimes you get eaten.” Sage advice offered to a mostly listless audience at the start of this stunning African/American collaboration’s set. Beaming in full sunlight, one basked in their interwoven mixture, a fractal basket forming in real time to hold together stinging African accents and the rough edged mores of urban Chicago. Hearing them again for the first time in almost a year, I found their cross-continental hybrid had grown even more together. Eventually, after some playful shaming from the band, most people hopped up and moved a bit, which only makes sense when music this quicksilver smooth and original is passing over you. (DC)

Raphael Saadiq :: 2:05-3:05 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Eric McFadden Trio :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Strolling onto the plush green grass of the Polo Fields main stage area with the warm sun (though thankfully a few degrees cooler than Friday) shining down and Raphael Saadiq belting out buttery R&B tracks while talking about Hurricane Katrina, it felt a little like New Orleans’ Jazz Fest. With his remarkably tight, sharp dressed band that included horns and a back-up singer, combined with his super-pro skills as a frontman, Saadiq’s set was a prime way to roll into the second day of Outside Lands. (Kayce)

Eric McFadden Trio :: 2:05-2:45 p.m. :: The Barbary

EMT played The Barbary every day of the fest and mostly to packed houses. Just before their Saturday set, Kitten On The Keys played quality burlesque behind the piano, singing songs about her snatch and greeting McFadden with, “Hello, sexy man! I heart you more than bagels and cream cheese.” EMT hit like a heatwave, a blur of unwholesome sound that took your knees out from under you. McFadden (guitar, vocals), uber-bassist James Whiton (a real force of nature with seemingly no end of extraordinary vision on his instrument) and drummer Doug Port wrangled flamenco, hard rock, gypsy jazz and more into an utterly cool whole. Their brute force sometimes hides what not-simple-at-all music is happening, much like the more complex bits hidden within The Stooges’ raging. The swing between fierceness and hushed observation would flop in lesser hands, but with some of the strongest songwriting and playing happening in the S.F. area today EMT soared mightily. (DC)

Groundation :: 2:20-3:05 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

Dengue Fever :: OL 09 by Weiand

More one-drop rich than Midnite, I was drawn in by Groundation’s Mighty Diamonds style harmonies, tempered by welcome feminine energies. Unlike most roots reggae being made by newer groups, this feels honest and not just a recreation, a genuine effort to move the genre forward a bit. Groundation did so with jazz inflection, Cuban accents and engaging builds, creating reggae traditional enough to appeal to traditionalists but fresh enough to snag picky sourpusses like me. (DC)

Dengue Fever :: 3:10-4:00 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

It was evident from the start that this always-fun band has moved a fair distance from their Cambodian Rocks origins, with their opener carrying echoes of ’70s Ethiopian pop with sax and Farfisa dancing in the wings. It took them three albums to introduce songs in English – powerful, compelling lead singer Chhom Nimol sings primarily in Khmer – so for the majority of us the vocals are a mysterious quantity to be enjoyed as another instrument (nothing wrong with that either!). However, when Nimol began one tune a cappella one didn’t need to understand the words to know we were dealing with a real powerhouse. One new cut had a spook house shiver – what one expects to find at an after hours shindig at Disney’s Haunted Mansion – that burst into a surfy sing-along with a suddenness that left one a little disoriented. It’s getting harder to pinpoint where this Los Angeles band is headed from tune to tune, but it’s all pretty effective, right down to one piece that could be the theme song to a Bond film set in Cambodia. (DC)

Portugal. The Man :: 3:10-3:50 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

Looking like they’d jumped from a vinyl sleeve circa 1972, Portugal. The Man showed equal facility with gutsy classic rock and feeling drenched ballads. There’s a lot of buzz around this band, who drew a big crowd, but based on what I caught I’m not entirely sure why. Sure, it’s nice to see real men cry while organ and emotional guitars whoosh around them, and it’s never a bad thing when folks put their foot on the amp and just rock it out. Perfectly decent rock ‘n’ roll but not much to report beyond that. (DC)

Mastodon :: 3:55-4:55 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

Mastodon :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

Starting with The Dirtbombs and ending with The Mars Volta, the Twin Peaks Stage was a psychedelic hard rock fan’s little slice of heaven. And right in the middle was the heaviest and baddest of the bunch, Mastodon. No matter how many times you’ve seen these metal gods they always seem bigger, louder and better than you remember – and if it happens to be that special first live encounter with Mastodon chances are you either run towards the light with glee (and earplugs) or run away in fear. Certainly a divisive band at a festival with Dave Matthews Band and Black Eyed Peas headlining across the way, Mastodon wound up winning over many skeptical music fans with their virtuosic playing. Superhuman drummer Brann Dailor and bassist Troy Sanders made the park shake with sludge-metal rhythms as the twin guitar hysteria of Brent Hinds (definitely the best face tattoo of the weekend) and Bill Kelliher twisted into impossible shapes. Mastodon has slowly been inching towards a slightly more accessible sound for years and these efforts are evident in moments of fist-pumping power rock, the addition of a keyboard player (which adds a moody Floyd vibe), banjo intros, whammy bars, a lot less screaming and increased tempo dynamics. Another note worth mentioning about their set, it never stopped. From the first note till the last lick the sound never broke. Much like the jam band tradition, there was never a moment of dead air as every song transitioned into the next with a jam segue, loop or just a bit of distortion. This was clearly one of the best sets of the weekend. (Kayce)

Jason Mraz :: 3:50-4:50 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Saturday’s main stage lineup was custom made for folks that get their listening cues from VH1/MTV and major chain stores. That’s just fine, for what it is, but Jason Mraz was seriously the lowest lowest common denominator music I’ve come across in forever. I entered his set as he ordered “a table at the gratitude cafe,” just the first of many lines that made me physically wince. It’s never my goal to be unkind to musicians, and Mraz’s band were total pros that played slickly but well, but Mraz’s music seems designed from the outset for TV show montages and department store backgrounds, asking little to nothing of the listener and always aiming for the widest possible mainstream appeal. Obviously, I’m not Mraz’s target audience and he really seemed to make a huge amount of people sway. But, his calculated, mincing stage persona, hipster Bing Crosby hat, unctuous attempts at blue eyed reggae and many other elements rubbed me so very, very wrong. (DC)

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue :: 4:00-4:45 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

Os Mutantes :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Already well situated in a happy pocket when I arrived, Shorty and his men delivered their typically excellent style of funk ‘n’ soul, which always strikes me as similar to getting one’s toast or coffee delivered to them just how they like it – a basic hunger fulfilled in a way that makes you want to order up more. Shorty seemed a stronger lead singer than the last time I’d seen him at High Sierra, and his skill as a bandleader only keeps growing. Introducing one number, he said, “I wanna see if Pete [Murano, lead guitar] can give us some chicken grease. I’m talking New Orleans pot pie chicken grease.” And it sounded even better than that finger lickin’ description! Nice one from a rather reliable young band. (DC)

Os Mutantes :: 4:50-5:50 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Brazilian superstars and adored U.S. hipster icons, Os Mutantes rolled out an intoxicating set that highlighted pretty much the cream of their catalog (“Jardim Electrico,” “She’s My Shoo Shoo” and “Tecnicolor” being standouts) while offering promising new material that hints that their story isn’t finished yet. Founder/guitarist/singer Sergio Dias, decked out in a royal blue jacket that suggested some religious office, lead his young, enthusiastic band through an exciting, very pleasing performance accented by some Stephen Stills-esque guitar workouts by Dias and killer, rock chick vocals from Zelia Duncan, who more than gives original female lead singer Rita Lee a run for her money. (DC)

Bat For Lashes :: 4:55-5:35 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

Playing on the smaller Panhandle Solar Stage. where bands were relegated to shorter 40-minute sets, Bat For Lashes was a bit of a mixed bag. Coming off Mastodon’s metal rage, it was difficult to transition into the singer-songwriter vibe of Natasha Khan (aka Bat For Lashes). She has a gorgeous voice falling somewhere between Bjork (if she were from this planet) and Feist, and her little band was adding the right touches, but it just wasn’t particularly engaging under the circumstances. But, a healthy crowd was gathered and something tells me that in a different environment the whole Bat For Lashes thing might unlock before my very eyes. (Kayce)

Black Eyed Peas :: 5:40-6:40 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Black Eyed Peas :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

“Put ‘em up!” was the oft-repeated instruction that welcomed me to the Peas’ set. A decent enough muddle of club musics, at least they stretch beyond the usual Ibiza/North American tributaries for Latin and Caribbean touches. But, their clean room/studio perfection made them sound about as alive as the blowup robot that loomed over them onstage. There was far too much auto-tuning going on (curse you Lil’ Wayne!) but they are very active performers (dressed like cyberpunk pimps & hoes) who excelled at reaching and stimulating the now-massive crowd assembled at the main stage. I only made it through part of their set before the creeping feeling that I was watching a band created at Westworld became too strong to ignore. (DC)

JJ Grey & Mofro :: 5:50-6:35 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

JJ Grey is absolutely one of the most soulful, ear-catching singers of his generation, and his songwriting and guitar work are dead solid, too. However, this set, like many others I’ve caught in recent years, was pretty much more of the same. Mofro has been stalled in largely the same comfortable place for years, where decent, if not especially noteworthy, backing players execute Grey’s Southern tinged rock & soul pretty well. Nothing here is bad and most present clearly enjoyed this set, but one longs for Grey to be surrounded by musicians with as much ambition and natural talent as him. It’d be nice to see Grey pushed out of his comfort zone, where he might discover the x-factor that could move Mofro from being a nice but sadly predictable band into the richer territory hinted at within the existing framework. (DC)

TV on the Radio :: 5:40-6:40 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

Playing their final show of the tour, and, according to lead singer Tunde Adebimpe, the near future, TV on the Radio made the most of their time. Starting with an ambient groove that found guitarist Kyp Malone on bass, the members eased onstage revealing the addition of a three-piece horn section (featuring Antibalas‘ Stuart Bogie). Instantly, the horns made their presence felt and they would prove to be the difference makers in a superb set. Often shaping songs more than just adding highlights, the horns gave TVOTR everything from a rough Motown soul grind to Afro-grooves to obtuse sax squalls, but nothing seemed out of place or overdone. Perhaps suffering from something like Eddie Vedder’s end-of-tour vocal strain, Adebimpe stayed away from the delicate beauty he’s capable of and gave a much harsher, almost punk vocal performance which helped keep the songs aggressive and tense. Everything was fuzzy with distortion but even when things would get heavy they always remained funky and danceable. Everything worked, but highlights included “Golden Age,” “DLZ,” “Dancing Choose,” “Staring At The Sun” and the fierce mid-set combo of “Wolf Like Me” and “Red Dress.” After a set like this one can only hope they don’t stay off the road too long. (Kayce)

Deerhunter :: 6:40-7:25 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

The Mars Volta :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

Hustling from TV on the Radio to Deerhunter in much the same way I did for Bat For Lashes after Mastodon, I got pretty much the same underwhelming result at the Panhandle Solar Stage. Eager to check out Bradford Cox‘s experimental indie rock/noise-pop band, after TVOTR it just came off flat. The heavily processed, delayed vocals and guitar showed moments of promise but never seemed to take off and would often revert to repetition instead of exploration. When trying to wrestle Pavement and My Bloody Valentine into pop arrangements there’s no question you might fail, and perhaps in a dark club with more speakers this could work, but in a field with little focus it didn’t. (Kayce)

Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band :: 6:40-7:40 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

“Just two more nails left to go in this pine coffin,” Oberst quipped cheerfully. For someone with such a gallows sense of humor, he was pretty damn uplifting. He seemed happier with this group than any of the Bright Eyes outings I’d witnessed, which made for lively, switched-on performances, beginning with a jammed out “I Got A Reason” and extending through a fine guest turn from Jenny Lewis and songs about love that makes your back hurt and sad lynch mobs full of national men who believe in God. In the live setting, the music was as memorable as Oberst’s tremendous lyrics at one of Saturday’s best sets. (DC)

The Mars Volta :: 7:30-9:00 pm :: Twin Peaks Stage

Working their mojo fast and hard like a spike to the vein, once The Mars Volta entered the airwaves there was no turning back. Abusive guitar passages full of strange notes and whacked-out effects tumbled along with Thomas Pridgen‘s destructo drumming while unsung hero Juan Alderete smothered it all in bass and frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala crawled around on his belly singing about “mental hygiene.” And that was just the first song, “Goliath.” After Cedric got back on his feet he grabbed the giant stage sign (which almost crushed him) and kicked the crap out of it before regaining his composure and remarking that it was very appropriate they were playing the Twin Peaks Stage, warning us, “Don’t drink the coffee because there’s a fish in the percolator.”

With their punk energy meeting their advanced, intricate approach to music, The Mars Volta is creating some of the most exciting rock music of the day. Usually when something gets this technical it looses some soul, dries up and borders on prog, but here the juicy Latin rhythms and punk ethos never let that happen. However, influence and intent will only get you so far. It’s the manner of execution and inspired implementation to create something new that makes The Mars Volta special. Putting these dynamics on display with tracks like “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of),” “Drunkship of Lanterns” and new one “Luciforms,” the band shifted effortlessly from amazingly heavy sections to pristine, tranquil moments of peace back to neck-snapping metal. As much as any other single aspect that draws fans to this Grammy Award-winning band, it’s their ability to keep listeners on their toes, stringing them along through multi-part songs with impossible time changes that allow fans to get lost in the music. At Outside Lands we were swept up in the current with no idea how to get back to shore – a glorious way to close out Saturday night. (Kayce)

Setlist

Goliath, Cotopaxi, Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of), Eunuch Provocateur, Viscera Eyes, Halo Of Nembutals, Drunkship Of Lanterns, Luciforms, Ilyena, The Widow, Wax Simulacra

Dave Matthews Band :: 7:30-10:00 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Dave Matthews Band :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

You know how you can tell you’re truly big stuff? When news helicopters fly over your concert to get footage for the late broadcast.

I’m not sure how I avoided it but this was my first time actually watching DMB in concert. One just misses things in the busy, modern shuffle, and while up to speed on his radio singles and new album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, I came in with a pretty clear slate. And you know what? They were really good. “We’ll start off a little stoney and then fizzle a bit,” remarked Matthews, who’s a very personable dude onstage with the rare ability to erase the obvious distance between the audience and himself in such a gargantuan setting. You just feel like he’s talking to YOU and not just some random, amorphous blob o’ people. He was also able to sell lines like, “Don’t cry, baby, don’t cry,” in a way that made you dry your tears and snuggle into him, which the Roman Legion sized audience did with every song. He’s also quite funny, throwing out zingers like, “You look beautiful tonight. What’s that scent you’re wearing? Is it Eau de Reefer?”

The band is serious business, too. The instrumentation, solos, etc. suggest a monster ’70s jazz-fusion group that’s suckled the teats of James Brown AND the ’70s singer-songwriter brigade. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin is far groovier with DMB than he ever was with Bela, and moments in his playing drew strong comparison to Gary Bartz’s work with Miles Davis. Tim Reynolds also proved a real treat, especially when the guitarist whipped out his Flying V and shredded with controlled abandon. But really the whole bunch of them onstage were hugely impressive, weaving melodies together with merit badge worthy knot-work.

I found this kinda ideal music for a summer evening in a world famous park as dusty rose tinted clouds rolled by and the temperature fell with the sun. Matthews’ music is a warming joy buzzer grounded in the line, “Doesn’t everybody deserve to have the good life? But it don’t always work out.” Dreams and mishaps, broad aspirations and laughter at our tumbles, these are the cornerstones of DMB, and even this outsider could see they do people a world of good with their music, especially when delivered with such clockwork proficiency and a stage acumen that knows just how to get jumbo crowds off. (DC)

Dave Matthews Band :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

Setlist

Why I Am, You Might Die Trying, Don’t Drink The Water, Stay or Leave, Spaceman, Cornbread, Lie In Our Graves, Alligator Pie, Shake Me Like a Monkey, Gravedigger, Jimi Thing (with Fergie and apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas), You & Me, Ants Marching, Two Step

E: Stefan solo, All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover with Robert Randolph),
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly & The Family Stone cover with Robert Randolph)

Continue reading for Sunday’s coverage of Outside Lands…

Sunday, 08.30

Big Light :: 12:00-12:40 p.m. :: Panhandle Solar Stage

Big Light w/ Cummins :: Outside Lands 2009 by Vann

Even under thick clouds (that wouldn’t break all day) during the first slot on Sunday, Big Light still drew a nice crowd. Ever since adding super-shredder Jeremy Korpas on guitar last May the band has developed incredibly fast and there’s a reason they’re playing a huge festival like Outside Lands. And there’s also a reason that a big time keyboardist like Umphrey’s McGee‘s Joel Cummins came out just to sit in with them for this show. It’s not yet full-blown smoke machine guitar god madness and huge rock blowouts, but the potential is there and that’s what folks are responding to in Big Light. Fred Torphy writes interesting, relatable songs that could be considered pop in some cool alterna-rock reality, and the band (particularly drummer Bradly Bifulco) is getting more powerful and dynamic with each show. It’s been a fun summer watching these local boys find their feet, and it should be interesting to see where they go now. (Kayce)

Bettye LaVette :: 12:50-1:50 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

It’s a joy to see 63-year-old soul queen Bettye LaVette singing on the main stage of a festival like Outside Lands. The Detroit native’s road has been long and hard, and she has struggled as much as any artist to earn her spot. And on top of all that, girl be looking good! She danced and shimmied across the stage like a woman half her age, and she wasn’t afraid to sex it up with her hips. All that aside, it’s about her voice, just like it was when she recorded her first Top 10 single at age 16. LaVette still has the voice, but the pain of the past few decades and her troubles with the record industry have given that voice the emotion, intensity and anger to become the truly special singer she is today. With a sharp band providing just the right support, from grinding gospel organ to searing blues solos, when LaVette exposed herself with deep, raw vocals she had the small, early-day crowd under her spell. (Kayce)

Robert Randolph & The Family Band :: 2:35-3:35 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

The Avett Brothers :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

With a sound that draws from Robert Randolph‘s humble beginnings playing steel slide guitar with a touring gospel act, Randolph and his Family Band served up an almighty midday set on the Outside Lands main stage. The tight-knit cast of musicians, that truly stays in the family (Robert’s cousin Marcus Randolph drums and his sister Lenesha Randolph sings back-up), did a good job of getting the crowd pumped up for the diverse line-up still to come. One of the only soul inclined funk acts to be playing over the three-day music festival, the Family Band’s set was unabashed musical and lyrical bliss. Occasionally playing a Bo Diddley signature Gretsch guitar instead of his stalwart steel guitar, Randolph displayed a keen musical talent, especially when the band busted into Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” with Randolph handling the guitar solo on his slide. Another cover was the socially inclined Michael Jackson classic “Man in the Mirror,” which saw Lenesha taking command of vocal duties. With the band often falling into simple scat jams, listeners got the impression that this band would play just as well in a small club as they did on a massive, slightly obtrusive festival main stage. (Justin Gillett)

The Avett Brothers :: 2:55-3:55 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Featuring Scott and Seth Avett (banjo and guitar, respectively) along with stand-up bassist Bob Crawford and on most gigs, including this one, Joe Kwon on cello, The Avett Brothers are a true American treasure. Refusing to be backed into any box or genre, they play folk, country, rock, bluegrass, blues, classical. They’re all of it and they’re none of it, and whatever it is, it’s distinctly American. Like all the greats from any of those genres, what makes The Avetts special is the songwriting. They sing about universal issues like love, pride, family, friends, death, pain, murder and heartache, but they do so in a way that’s fresh and compelling yet still classical and timeless. With the addition of a drum kit (which both Scott and Seth take turns on) the band truly does become a country-rock act with ease, but it’s moments like “Murder In The City” with just Scott and Seth accompanied by one guitar and sharing vocals that we see the real power behind this band. With a new Rick Rubin produced album about to drop at the end of the month and a live show of this caliber, The Avett Brothers appear poised for huge things. (Kayce)

The Dead Weather :: 3:50-4:50 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

The Dead Weather :: OL 09 by Vann

How does Jack White do it? No matter who he’s playing with, what material they attack or where they are, dude is the living breathing definition of a Rock Star. It’s hard to tell if Jack finds the players or if they are just pulled into his orbit and find him. Regardless of how it happens, Jack White aligns himself with musicians who constantly help him turn vintage blues into contemporary rock gold. And with The Dead Weather Jack has found the ultimate foil in singer/frontwoman Alison Mosshart of The Kills. More than just complimenting Jack, Mosshart is the female version of White. Rock star cool with jet-black hair and radiating sex, like Jack, Mosshart was born for this. With White spending the majority of the time behind the drums, the stage was left open for Mosshart to prance like a giant leopard, balancing on speakers, hanging off the mic stand and spitting on the ground. Watching her grind against the music and give herself completely to the thundering rhythms (Jack Lawrence on bass is a monster of epic proportions) it appeared that Mosshart studied at the same school of rock where The Mars Volta’s frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala got his freaky degree. Pulling most of the material from the band’s Horehound debut, standouts included, “60 Feet Tall,” a wire-tight, tense reading of “So Far From Your Weapon,” Dylan’s “New Pony,” a psychotic version of “Treat Me Like Your Mother,” a dirty-funk romp through “Cut Like a Buffalo” and new one “Jawbreaker” that found guitarist Dean Fertita (who plays guitar in the same over-driven, filthy manner Jack White does) dropping some strange keyboard accents. Everything shook hard but the final song, “Will There Be Enough Water,” was the climax of this carnal offering. With Lawrence on drums, Fertita adding organ grooves reminiscent of “No Quarter” and Jack White out front on menacing guitar, White and Mosshart shared a single mic as they sang so close their lips were almost touching. First it was The White Stripes, then it was The Raconteurs, now we have The Dead Weather. It’s nice to know there are still some things we can just count on. Jack White is that something. (Kayce)

Modest Mouse :: 4:20-5:20 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Even though many old fans of Modest Mouse have turned their backs on the Seattle alt-rockers – claiming the band has left behind its musical morals, now favoring pop sensibilities – Isaac Brock and co. managed to pull off an impressive set on Sunday, that saw the band pulling deep from its five album catalog. Performing with the surprising absence of guitarist Johnny Marr, the group played a no-nonsense, straightforward show that went over well with the clearly enthused crowd that packed close to the main stage. With 16 years of experience as a band it’s no wonder that the musicians onstage played extremely well. Occasionally an accordion was brought out to add a more distinctive tone to songs, an accent that helped define the unique Modest Mouse sound. The band proved with its Outside Lands performance that even a group of veteran rockers (still far from old) who’ve seen their share of success, can still play with as much dedication and heart as an eager young band looking for its big break. (JG)

Brett Dennen :: 5:45-6:35 p.m. :: Presidio Stage

M.I.A. :: OL 09 by Weiand

After emerging on the scene with the release of his self-titled 2004 debut, Brett Dennen has been busy making a name for himself as a respected singer-songwriter. Hailing from outside the Bay Area, Dennen occasionally sings about the region and often cites the “City by the Bay” as a favorite place to play. Typically playing solo, Dennen’s Outside Lands performance saw the folk/pop musician accompanied by four other instrumentalists who helped add perspective to Dennen’s often-minimalist music. With messy red hair and tall stature, Dennen is commanding onstage even though his stage dialogue and demeanor is humbling and slightly self-deprecating. As he danced around the stage and crooned into the mic, it was clear that he was having a good time and drinking in the pleasures of playing at an outdoor music festival in Golden Gate Park. (JG)

M.I.A. :: 6:05-7:05 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

This past year, the M.I.A. song “Paper Planes” has been everywhere. The track has been hyped and played so much that even if someone did enjoy hearing the song back when it came out in 2007, listening to it now with any semblance of enjoyment is simply impossible. The nonstop rotation of the single has somewhat eclipsed the career of M.I.A – as tends to happen with musicians who quickly rise to prominence with one song. Being in the category of people who don’t really care for the overplayed tune, or subsequent M.I.A tracks, I was slightly disinterested in seeing the musician’s live performance, although after seeing photographs and reading reviews of M.I.A performances at festivals earlier this summer, I did want to check out what everyone has been buying into. After taking the stage, I quickly realized that an M.I.A show is more spectacle than performance. The musician, of Sri Lankan decent, was dressed in an elaborate costume and displayed a true knack for showmanship. Backed by male and female dancers, the sunglass sporting M.I.A, aka Mathangi Arulpragasam, got the crowd pumped as massive screens and flashing lights helped shock the audience into submission. As intense as the show was the performance lacked for serious musicianship. M.I.A rarely seemed to be focused on her vocals and the drummer seemed to be playing along with click track. The people onstage seemed less concerned with the music than they were about the overall show and stage aesthetics. In a nod to the Beastie Boys, who were forced out of performing at the festival due to Adam “MCA” Yauch cancer diagnosis, M.I.A did a short medley of Beastie classics, including “So What’cha Want,” “Sabotage” and “Intergalactic,” which seemed an appropriate and heartfelt tribute to the ailing MC. (JG)

Ween :: 5:35-7:35 p.m. :: Twin Peaks Stage

Ween :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

Kicking off their manic set with the crushing guitar work inside “Exactly Where I’m At,” things started hot and Ween never let off the gas. Wasting no time getting the crowd lubed up, the island vibe of festival favorite “Bananas and Blow” made sure the casual fans were just as excited as the hardcores, and a stellar reading of “Roses Are Free” that put any cover versions you might have heard to shame sent the Twin Peaks crowd into hysterics. But, this gig was far from just sing-along hits. Ween busted out the rare Claude Coleman Jr. (drums) sung “The Final Alarm,” which sounded like a lost P-Funk nugget from the ’70s, as well as “Ice Castles” and a vicious “Buckingham Green” that would have made Black Sabbath blush. Two things really stuck out about this set. The first thing is the band’s overwhelming instrumental abilities and group dynamic. Whenever talk of Ween comes up people become so fixated on the inside jokes, juvenile behavior and crazy-weird fans that rarely do we hear enough about how insanely talented these dudes are. Deaner is a guitar god, plain and simple. Hunched over and thick with distortion, dude can rip as well as anyone and the rhythm section of Dave Dreiwitz and Coleman cover so much sonic territory that there is never a flat moment or boring interlude. The second big thing is the songwriting. It’s lazy to just call them weird, quirky or an acquired taste. Whether it was the pretty pop of “Flutes of Chi,” the super heavy “Johnny On The Spot,” country rager “Learning To Love,” chugging rocker “I’ll Go Crazy” or the drugged-out “Zoloft,” every song had a distinct feel but they all were clearly Ween. Maintaining such an unmistakable voice while swapping genres so freely is no easy thing and with all the fog machines and face-melting solos this was a stand out set of the festival. (Kayce)

Band of Horses :: 6:40-7:40 p.m. :: Sutro Stage

Leaving the Ween party to check out Band of Horses and their “Weed Party” (which was played towards the beginning of the set) was no easy decision, but it was the right one. Openers “Great Salt Lake” and “Is There A Ghost” filled Lindley Meadow with Ben Bridwell‘s distinctive drawl and instantly the very packed crowd was swaying in time and belting out choruses. Switching from weeping pedal steel to crunching guitar, Bridwell led his Horses (which have truly found their galloping legs) through a powerful set that included the upbeat “Islands On the Coast,” the introspective “Marry Song,” a stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful version of Gram Parson’s “A Song For You,” the country-stomp of “The General Specific” and the twin tear-jerkers that might be their best songs yet, “The Funeral” and “Ode to LRC.” It’s one thing to write great songs and perform them well, but there’s an x-factor in all great bands. Here that factor is Bridwell’s voice. When he sings, “The world is such a wonderful place,” Bridwell pushes his vocals to their limit, and when they start to break it opens a window into all the pain, joy, dreams, failures and deep-seeded emotions we all struggle with. Vocals more than any other aspect of a band are often very personal. What one person relates to and digs another may not. For those gathered at the Sutro Stage’s final show of the weekend, it was clear Bridwell was their bard and when he let loose it struck deep. (Kayce)

Tenacious D :: 7:50-9:20 p.m. :: Lands End Stage

Tenacious D :: Outside Lands 2009 by Weiand

When it was announced in July that Adam Yauch had cancer, subsequently forcing the Beastie Boys to cancel their remaining summer music festival appearances, speculation immediately arose about who would replace the New York hip hop group at these festivals. Pretty quickly Lollapalooza nabbed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and shortly thereafter All Points West landed Jay-Z. All eyes were on Outside Lands. Who would the organizers decide on? What band would be chosen to fill the almighty shoes of the Beasties? Tenacious D. The self-proclaimed “greatest band in the world” must have known that they really needed to step up and deliver an impressive set at Outside Lands to make true believers out of those that question the power of The D. Strutting out onstage and looking at the massive crowd, Jack Black and his cohort in crime Kyle Gass were stone faced as they picked up their guitars and lurched into a massive set that comprised the better parts of the duo’s two albums. Even though Black and Gass performed with a few backing musicians, the two still managed to carry on classic D stage banter. Although, anyone familiar with the group’s HBO series or severely less funny feature film knows the stories and could predict how the stage show would play out – the band staged a mock fight and pretended to break-up only to stage a come back; a guy dressed in a devil costume came out and sang a few songs; Black attempted to prove his physical prowess only to be mocked by Gass, etc.

While the group is considered somewhat of a joke band, the musical chemistry between Black and Gass was impressive and clearly evident during this set. When the two sang together their harmonies were so honed and precise it was surprising that two overweight stoner dudes were responsible for them. As the duo closed out their set, Black gave a salute to the Beastie Boys and Yauch – the least the musician/comedian could have done. For their encore the band played a medley of tunes from The Who’s Tommy, which saw the comedic team, mainly Gass, displaying some impressive chops on acoustic guitars. (JG)

Continue reading for more pics of Outside Lands…

Images by: Dave Vann

Built To Spill

Incubus

Tom Jones

Pearl Jam

Black Eyed Peas

Mastodon

Read More » Chip Shot: Get Your IDF Back Stage Pass (#IDF09) August 18th, 2009 | No Comments Planning to attend the Intel Developer Forum this September in San Francisco? Follow @IntelNews on Twitter and you’ll be instantly notified throughout the 3-day IDF event when press releases, event photography, videos and keynote materials are posted and ready for download from the Intel Press Room website. Read More » Farmers, workers stage numerous protests August 13th, 2009 | No Comments Farmers from various parts of the country have spent the night in front of the government building in Belgrade. They are protesting what they see as low prices offered for their produce, and are asking the state for help when it comes to wheat and raspberry prices. Read More » Lollapalooza | 08.07-08.09 | Chicago August 13th, 2009 | No Comments Words by: Wesley Hodges & Cal Roach | Images by: Dave Vann & Chad Smith Lollapalooza :: 08.07.09 – 08.09.09 :: Grant Park :: Chicago, IL Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann It’d be hard to find a better-suited urban environment to host such an ambitious and enormous multi-day music festival than Grant Park. Set in a large, albeit slender, plot of land about a mile long and a couple hundred yards wide sandwiched between Lake Michigan and the stunning Chicago skyline, there is something inherently unique about this festival, and its influence on other alternative American music festivals is undeniable. As The Knux‘s Kentrell “Krispy Kream” Lindsey told JamBase, “Lollapalooza was the first of its kind, having something from almost every genre and fathering in the groundbreaking style of festival that all present day fests have followed since Lollapalooza’s conception.” Karla Muench, a Chicago public school teacher told JamBase that the best thing about Grant Park as a concert venue is “the view all around. You look one way, you see the lake, look the other and you see the skyline, look another way and you see Soldier Field.” No other American music festival of this scale is as easily accessible within a major metropolitan area. Krispy Kream also mentioned, “Most festivals are in rural areas that are very hard to access and Lolla is in Chicago, one of the biggest cities in the U.S.” With public transportation all around, top-notch restaurants, clubs and music venues all within earshot of the park and enough history to write an epic about, Lollapalooza truly is a one-of-a-kind, albeit ephemeral, urban utopia. With enough quality bands to please the most fickle of music fans and after hours shows in just about every venue each night, there was little time to sleep this weekend and JamBase was more than happy to sacrifice some shut eye to soak it all in and give our beloved readers a full report. (WH) Friday, 08.07 The Knux – 1:00-1:45 p.m., Citi Stage Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Day one was a challenge for even the most road-hardened of music fans as unrelenting rain blanketed the early Lolla crowds for the first five hours of the festival. Unfazed, we headed on over to the Citi Stage to check out The Knux. Early in the weekend the fans were riled up and still light on their feet as Krisp asked the youthful crowd, “Who’s ready to see some amazing music?” Getting hands up early, the rap duo’s rabble rousing, humorously irreverent style, reminiscent of N.E.R.D. was the perfect party starter for what would be a marathon weekend of world-class music. (WH) Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – 1:00-2:00 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears tried to get booties shaking early on with their generic ’70s funk, but they lacked three key ingredients for success in this field – a singer not blatantly impersonating James Brown, a seriously distinctive guitarist or other instrumentalist, and a cache of standout original songs. I guess they were playing their own songs, but they were in a singles bar cover band zone. (CR) The Builders And The Butchers – 1:45-2:30 p.m., BMI Stage I was able to duck out to the north for a bit to catch The Builders And The Butchers, a party band with a much more original sound. They blend rhythm-driven folk styles heavy on the mandolin with hip-hop and punk inflections, sort of like a high-speed urban bluegrass. What I saw was fun and engaging, and I wished I could stay under the shelter of the trees at the BMI Stage all weekend. Friday featured a nagging drizzle that fluctuated through all levels of annoying almost the whole day, and none of the main stages are near any reasonable shelter. (CR) The Gaslight Anthem – 2:00-3:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Perry & Etty Lau Farrell (wife) Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith New Brunswick’s The Gaslight Anthem did get on my nerves initially. It seems there’s a new Springsteen imitator springing up every day, and Brian Fallon is more blatant than most. Plus, the band’s whole sound struck me as just a little too Hold Steady-meets-Kings-Of-Leon. So, how did it end up winning me over? I think it was the earnest empathy from Fallon, who seems too green for rock star contrivance, and an edgy depth to the songs that tempered the soaring ambition just enough. “Boomboxes And Dictionaries” was a particularly raw dose of soulful rock, and closer “The Backseat,” with a “Lost In The Supermarket” quote sandwiched inside, amounted to a perfect working-class nugget. (CR) Perry’s Dance Area Introduction and Dark Wave Disco – 2:45-3:45 p.m., Perry’s My crew headed northward towards Bon Iver, but not before making our first stop at Perry’s, an impressive venue entirely devoted to dance music that Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell described to JamBase as “a hybrid area with the ability to accommodate 10,000 people. It’s not a dance tent, we like it under trees. It’s a custom built DJ Tower that has LED screens, new DJ software with fresh capabilities so that the young people that are producing this music and creating their own videos will be able to do all this and work their machinery on stage.” The party atmosphere was emanating from Perry’s as DJ Trancid managed to encapsulate the entire vibe of Lollapalooza past, present and future in the first three minutes by sampling Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” seamlessly into a slowed down, pitched up twist on MGMT’s “Kids” as a horde of young fans formed a tribal dance circle while passing around a shoe (much like “The Conch” in Lord of the Flies) signifying the leader of the makeshift dance troupe. The realm of dance music has undoubtedly bled into the mainstream as evidenced by such popular artists as Santigold, MGMT and the huge crowds at Perry’s throughout the weekend providing further evidence of the burgeoning acceptance of the medium. (WH) Bon Iver – 3:00-4:00 p.m., Playstation Stage Bon Iver :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Bon Iver took the stage for an ill-timed set as the rain continued to pour down. Justin Vernon‘s glowing, pastoral harmonies weren’t enough to keep the audience’s attention as many people only stuck around for a few songs after hearing the band’s surprise underground hit “Skinny Love” in the early portion of the set. The North End of the park contains two stages, with the larger main Budweiser Stage backed up to the end of the park and the Playstation Stage tucked in the area’s opposite corner making for a quick and easy scoot to the other stage to see Mr. Folds. (WH) Heartless Bastards – 3:00-4:00 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Clearly, the Heartless Bastards weren’t about to get the dance party started in earnest; so, for me, this was the most unfortunate scheduling choice of the day. I’ll give singer Erika Wennerstrom some credit for coming off a lot like Chan Marshall, but with actual stage presence. She is the clear focal point of the band, the first of many charismatic, intriguing female artists on this year’s Lolla stages. The other two guys were another story, either confined within the droney constraints of the songs or just not able to assert themselves. In another setting, this could have been an hour of pastoral dirtiness, harnessing the crawling beauty of old My Morning Jacket, but in the middle of an afternoon of mostly uptempo music, amidst a dreary rainstorm, this set just lost me. (CR) STS9 – 4:00-5:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage STS9 :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann STS9 was poised to be the antidote to the Bastards. An opening combo “Shock Doctrine” and “Atlas” popped and crackled, getting at least the actual Sound Tribe fans moving, although much of the soaked crowd seemed pretty lethargic. The flow did hit somewhat of a lull in the middle, but in the end it was a very well planned set. “EHM” began to build the momentum back up, “Rent” was the comfort food that everyone was waiting for, and “The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature” blew the roofs off the porta-potties, an earth-shaking bomb that also seemed to acknowledge our weather-themed predicament for the weekend. (CR) Ben Folds – 4:00-5:00 p.m., Budweiser Stage Ivory wunderkind Ben Folds took the Budweiser Stage to a largely sedate crowd and unfortunately had some problems with the sound mix early on. Always the showman, Folds managed to keep the audience engaged with his dazzling flourishes on the piano and unabashedly poppy lyrical hooks running through his staple cover of Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit” (always cracks me up to see the sideburned Folds summoning his inner ’90s rapper) and new single “You Don’t Know Me” before closing the set with the always enjoyable “Army,” a song about the soul searching quarter-life period of living. Rain and music festivals are rarely a good mix and their was no end in sight as forecasts called for heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening. (WH) Crystal Castles – 5:00-6:00 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann What STS9 does with instruments (i.e. get people dancing), Crystal Castles continued to do with buttons and keys, without the jamming but with the added attraction of Canadian fireball Alice Glass. I was enthralled for the first 20 minutes or so. Ethan Kath kept the beats coming, never boring or too homogeneous, but Glass’ jumping around and shrieking went from exciting to annoying after it became apparent that her shtick wasn’t really going to vary much and it was impossible to understand any of the actual words (if there were any). Still, overall the music was good enough to offset the antics. (CR) Fleet Foxes – 5:00-6:00 p.m., Playstation Stage One of the biggest indie rock success stories of the decade (playing SNL only months after releasing their debut LP on Sub Pop), Fleet Foxes were one of the most anticipated shows of the weekend and the “beard rockers” (see Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, and Bon Iver for other examples of this growing sub-genre) showered the poncho-wearing audience with their shimmering vocal harmonies and intricately arranged pastoral folk jams. Tunes like “Ragged Wood” had the crowd doing their best to sing-along with the gifted young band. The lighthearted banter between songs was a welcome diversion during tuning as drummer Josh Tillman offered to sublet his beard on Craigslist for the rest of the summer. In perhaps an attempt to part the clouds and end the relentless rainfall, the band opened their set with a pair of tracks off their debut Sun Giant EP, starting with the title cut before playing “Sun It Rises,” a couple of lustrous tunes that couldn’t conjure a break in the clouds. The Foxes’ chills-inducing brand of folk rock reached its apex at the end of the set with the trio of “He Doesn’t Know Why,” the jaw-dropping “Mykonos” and “Blue Ridge Mountains” as the rain shockingly subsided for the remainder of the day, much to the relief of the sold out crowd in Grant Park. (WH) Thievery Corporation – 6:00-7:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Kevin Barnes – of Montreal :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith Next came my first real Thievery Corporation set, and I was very quickly bummed that I’d missed the pre-party Thursday night. It wasn’t just the impeccable grooves – you can get those on any of Thievery’s records – or the talented guest singers (led by the seductive Emilíana Torrini) or the photogenic Rob Myers on sitar. It was the aura of awareness and positivity emanating from the stage and the juxtaposition of downtempo music and a rebellious bent that just caught me up in its swell. That’s not to downplay the beats, and the infectious smiles on stage were reflected in the happy, dancing crowd, and the music never really stopped. So, even amidst rants against racial injustice and war, it was a joyous celebration at the Chicago 2016 Stage, and the highlight of the day for me. (CR) Peter Bjorn & John – 6:30-7:30 p.m., Citi Stage I was anxious to catch a little bit of Peter Bjorn & John’s set and headed down to the Citi Stage to check out the Swedish indie pop trio. Some far out vocal effects translated well on stage for the live reading of “Objects of My Affection,” then we drifted on down to the vitaminwater Stage for of Montreal. (WH) of Montreal – 7:00-8:00 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Andrew Bird :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann The first of several glam rockers to appear at the fest over the weekend arrived in a dizzying array of colors and flamboyant feathered costumes to deliver a noise pop heavy set amidst the ongoing circus on stage. Not hiding their obvious influences, the band covered David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” a tune that had frontman Kevin Barnes shrilling, “Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah!” The crowd responded best to the gimmicks (smoke, confetti hoses, masks and lots of random dancers), but even people unfamiliar with the band were able to recognize and appreciate “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games,” a song and melody synonymous with Outback Steakhouse and their delicious Bloomin’ Onion. Androgynous, psychedelic and vaudevillian, of Montreal is guaranteed to bring something different to the table with each performance and they certainly left an impact on hordes of casual fans with this particular freak show rave up. (WH) Andrew Bird, 7:00-8:15 p.m., PlayStation Stage Kings of Leon :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann The dance party continued with of Montreal, but I had to check out native son Andrew Bird on the other end of the lengthy park. Bird has been evolving his songs on an almost daily basis for years now, although he has virtually abandoned everything he did prior to The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, his 2005 breakthrough album. As his quest for the perfect pop song has intensified, his live shows have often picked up the slack in instrumental dynamics, and he has definitely earned his second-to-last slot at the fest, but you wouldn’t know it from this display. The energy simply wasn’t there from any of the players, and the improv seemed like more of an intellectual exercise than a performance. I wouldn’t say I’m losing faith in the guy, but unless this set was an anomaly, he is in real danger of at least temporarily disappearing up his own ass. (CR) Kings Of Leon, 8:15-10:00 p.m., Budweiser Stage I have to say I think Bird topped Kings Of Leon, though. Okay, I confess I was not a huge fan prior to this show, but I went out there with love for at least a couple of their songs and a real desire to be converted by their headlining set. But as usual, the overbearing impression I got from this band, intrusively from singer Caleb Followill in particular, is a suffocating need to be admired – rock star bravado without the substance to back it up. These guys write solid pop music that for some reason sounds like it’s from England, no doubt about it. They also play that music competently on stage. I simply don’t believe these emotions they’re trying to project, the ones that produce the combustible sex. I hoped I’d feel like pumping my fist or banging my head or at least clapping rapturously at some point, but I was just bored. As a partial concession to KoL, maybe I was just feeling the dance party that day. I caught the tail end of Crookers‘ set and thought it killed, and then Kid Cudi came on quickly and kept Perry’s bumpin’ for another half hour to close out my Friday. It was a welcome pick-me-up; I couldn’t let the first day end in a nosedive. (CR) Depeche Mode – 8:00-10:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Depeche Mode :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith A show many Stateside fans were anxiously awaiting, Depeche Mode took the stage just as of Montreal played their final notes to an uproarious and eager audience. The New Wave legends’ influence on music is immeasurable – lead singer Petter Ericson Stakee of the British rock band Alberta Cross told JamBase that DM was probably the band’s biggest influence and described lead singer Dave Gahan as “a god on stage.” Live sampling and electronic dub segments have become so prevalent in mainstream rock music and much of that can be traced to Depeche Mode and their international popularity. As for the show, the band opened with a trio of new songs from Sounds of the Universe with “In Chains,” the single “Wrong” and “Hole to Feed.” Every headliner of the weekend had their own stunning visual display and DM’s video wall fit their style well. For “In Chains” the screen featured an old white man’s face next to a young black boy’s face. As the song progressed, the faces slowly transformed until the old white man was the young black boy and vice versa. (WH) The crowd dynamic was something I had only previously witnessed watching videos of Glastonbury as the entire audience swooned with their hands in the air as DM poured through their vast catalogue with hit songs like “Enjoy the Silence,” “Personal Jesus,” “Policy of Truth” and “A Question of Time” rousing the crowd to their highest levels of euphoria. Gahan’s voice has a commanding power from the lower register that billows out clear as a bell all the way to the back of the field. Industrial strength drum lines and synth-ed out keyboards are Depeche’s modus operandi and seeing it unfold in the flesh is something I would have never imagined if they hadn’t been brought to the Lollapalooza stage. That’s the beauty of an event like Lollapalooza, as Perry Farrell told us the Monday before the fest when asked what his favorite thing was about music festivals, simply offering, “Everyone wins, the musicians win, [the fans] get to hear the music that they’ve been listening to on their iPods or online all year. They get to actually see them perform. Everybody at the festival wins.” (You can read the entire Perry Farrell interview here.) (WH) Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage of Lollapalooza… Saturday, 08.08 The Low Anthem – 12:00-12:45 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Living Things, 12:45-1:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith Friday’s rain gave way to a scorching weekend, but Saturday was still mostly tolerable. The Low Anthem seemed like it would be the perfect mellow start to the day, but I needed a bit more of a jumpstart than this set. Even the bursts of energy were of the lazy variety, which isn’t inherently bad, just not terribly motivating. Living Things were not doing it either; they reminded me of latter-day INXS but even more generic, but I only stuck around for a few songs before walking to the Citi Stage for Constantines, the first major surprise of the weekend. (CR) Delta Spirit – 12:30-1:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage Delta Spirit is no stranger to the road or the festival circuit. Having cut their teeth opening for Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog and currently for The Shins, Matthew Vasquez and his bandmates seem at home on big stages as a result of their experiences traversing the country for 150-200 shows a year since forming in 2005. Vasquez commented on how great it was to play to such a huge early crowd saying, “We usually play for 200 people, so this is amazing.” Delta Spirit’s uplifting jangle soul rock and percussive backbeats were just the thing to get the early birds going as Vasquez beckoned the crowd shouting, “If you’re feelin’ what I’m feelin’ come on/ All you soul-searching people c’mon!” Midway through the set, Vasquez took the mic and explained that it was his brother’s wedding day and that he was supposed to be the best man so he decided to give him a call from the stage and get the crowd to help out with his unique wedding day gift by screaming, “Congratulations, Travis,” into the phone. But seriously, what kind of brother gets married when his little brother is playing at Lollapalooza? No respect. The anthemic “Trashcan” was sandwiched between a short solo cover of Mark Dvorak’s “The Streets of Old Chicago” and a loungy cover of Louis Armstrong’s “St. James Infirmary” before the always rousing ’60s style political plea “People, Turn Around” to close a brilliant set. (WH) Constantines – 1:00-1:45 p.m., Citi Stage Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann No prefixes or gimmicks or flash required; sometimes all you need for a great rock show is some good fucking songs, and Constantines have a bunch of those. Frontman Steve Lambke has a definite Joe Strummer/Roger Daltrey hybrid going on, and the band as a whole seems to have taken a lot of The Who‘s best qualities and updated them for the new millennium; “Young Offenders” could’ve been a modern day “Young Man Blues,” and “Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright)” felt like the sort of dubious rallying cry Pete Townshend used to come up with all the time. The set in a nutshell: solid songcraft plus tight, balls-out performance equals a kick-ass rock show. (CR) Ida Maria – 2:15-3:00 p.m., Citi Stage Possibly the “it” girl of the weekend, but unfortunately, what comes off as endearingly bratty pop on record becomes a tad obnoxious when she sings it live. It was still kinda fun, especially for the first few songs, but it began to grate pretty quickly. I suddenly realized that I’d become that guy, just waiting to hear the “Naked” song, so I took off. (CR) Los Campesinos! – 2:30-3:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage I figured I’d walk by Perry’s en route to Los Campesinos! and see if Animal Collective‘s DJ set grabbed me. It didn’t, but you can’t help but be grabbed by the Welsh band with the Spanish name. These guys are nothing if not in your face. They are like electro-Vaselines; just as cute, but not cuddly. They have a lot of really good songs, but they all strike me as a bit sterile, like a bunch of clever jokes they don’t think the audience gets. Maybe I just haven’t let LC! sink in enough yet, but only “You! Me! Dancing!” really connected with me during this set. Major hipster points for covering Pavement‘s “Box Elder,” though. (CR) Atmosphere – 2:30-3:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage DJ Kaskade – 1:30-2:30 p.m., Perry’s Langhorne Slim – 1:45-2:30 p.m., BMI Stage Atmosphere:: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Heading to the south side of Lolla, the trance beats of local DJ Kaskade were bumpin’ through the trees in Perry’s dance area and the train continued down to the shadiest little corner of the festival, the scantily attended BMI Stage, to briefly check out Langhorne Slim, a minstrel show style old-time folk rock trio in a similar vein as The Avett Brothers. The shade and foot-stomping music were a nice break before heading south again. Tongue-in-cheek hip-hop artist Atmosphere commented that his friends and critics don’t take him seriously and then proceeded to tell us, “The only guarantee in life is a life worth dying for,” before ad-libbing, “Now let’s go make some smores.” Equal parts social commentary and humor-driven rap, Atmosphere is a likeable, genuine hip-hop artist looking to have a good time on stage with a knack for making people laugh along the way. (WH) Joe Pug – 3:00-3:45 p.m., BMI Stage I had to catch a bit of Pug’s set, and, as it turned out, it was the solo portion of the show, so the burgeoning Dylan parallels were acutely apparent. Yes, in lyrics, voice and harmonica, Pug is an awful lot like Dylan, but he does have something Bob always lacked – warmth. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be called Chicago’s new Dylan for the 21st century? Pug’s songs, particularly the lyrics, are occasionally that good. (CR) Gomez – 3:30-4:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Gomez :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann British jamband veterans Gomez took the vitaminwater Stage as Atmosphere was still rambling and delivered a mediocre mix of older material and songs from their equally middling latest effort, A New Tide. Most notable from the new LP was “Win Park Slope,” a swampy romp that translated beautifully on this sunny afternoon. “Win Park Slope” segued into the “Bone Tired,” as it does on the record, and many fans, including yours truly, scurried up the hill to the Citi Stage as a siren-like call beamed from the area where Chairlift was performing. (WH) Chairlift – 3:30-4:30 p.m., Citi Stage Like a less dancey, airy version of the Brazilian Girls, Chairlift is an interesting trio that mostly delivers dreamy soundscapes that would fit in perfectly on some tripped-out, foggy sunrise nature video with starlet lead vocalist Caroline Polachek‘s intoxicating voice zoning the listener into the material. My preconceived notions of this band prior to the weekend could not have been any further removed from reality, and I’m thankful at the opportunity to have seen them twice this weekend (I also caught their set at The Apple Store on Thursday with Passion Pit). (WH) Coheed And Cambria – 4:30-5:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage I finally got to witness the phenomenon that is the Coheed And Cambria music factory. You know, it’s a shame when such talented musicians devote their talents to such derivative, corny pursuits. Some maddeningly cool shit sometimes happened in the proggy interplay between the instruments, but as long as Claudio Sanchez is up there singing and playing his Satriani-on-steroids guitar, there’s no escaping the cheese. And who was clamoring for a power metal makeover of The Church‘s “Under The Milky Way?” I couldn’t help shuddering. (CR) Arctic Monkeys – 4:30-5:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage Arctic Monkeys :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann A huge crowd congregated around the Budweiser Stage for the still very young Brit rockers Arctic Monkeys, who had no problem matching the spirit of their fervid audience with an intensely raw brand of no frills rock & roll. The crowd-surfing and mosh pitting commenced as the Monkeys thrashed through fan favourites “The View from the Afternoon” and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” before putting a cool spin on Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand,” a tune about the tempting business enterprises presented to impoverished inner city teens. It was refreshing to see an alternative rock band in this day and age still content with delivering a balls-to-the-wall, freewheeling set of old-fashioned rock music sans electronic overkill. (WH) Santigold – 5:30-6:30 p.m., Playstation Stage The huge crowd migrated ever so slightly over to the Playstation Stage to catch a glimpse of the ceaselessly protean Brooklynite Santigold, one of the most exciting new artists on the scene in 2009. In full command of the late afternoon crowd, little Ms. White entertained us, delivering “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Say Aha” early on as her robotically syncopated dancer/background singers flanked her. Tough to categorize as she moves from ska-punk to diva pop to electro rock with ease, Santi declared boastfully, “I’ve got to be unstoppable,” amongst the stickiest of beats, and judging by her ever-growing fanbase and affable charm we’ll probably be seeing her around for years to come. Go see Santigold. (WH) No Age – 5:00-6:00 p.m., Citi Stage Glasvegas – 5:30-6:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Santigold :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann The nice thing about shitgaze as a genre is that when you see it live you can just pretend the P.A. system sucks. In that light, I thought No Age’s set rocked, because the band has such good songs that would really sound great if it weren’t so hip for them not to. It’s all in good fun with these guys, who’d be equally at home hobnobbing with Deerhunter or The Dead Milkmen. What you can make out in these songs is kind of intricate tunesmithery for such brief blasts of punkish noise, but it really works, especially live. I couldn’t tear myself away, which meant I missed some of Glasvegas, which may have been a mistake but I’ll never know. These Scots impressed me more with each song. Singer James Allen has the Celtic gravel of Elvis Costello and the anthemic howl of Eddie Vedder, and he and the rest of the band play with the shimmering determination of Mogwai. Their version of the oft-covered Korgis track “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” was the best take on the song I’ve ever heard. The set was simply stunning.(CR) Lykke Li – 6:30-7:30 p.m., Citi Stage It would’ve been tough for anybody to really top Glasvegas, yet Lykke Li somehow pulled it off. She came out almost unassumingly, and the peculiar, immaculate songs began to speak for themselves. I wasn’t really expecting her to have this amazingly tight band behind her, but these guys shifted between hi- and lo-fi textures, from busy to minimal, with precision and grace. And that voice! She’s even more engrossing live, and I couldn’t even see her half the time. It was an hour of perfect, haunting, intoxicating pop music, and I was mesmerized. (CR) Animal Collective – 7:30-8:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Lykke Li :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith So, as if expectations weren’t already high for Animal Collective, the band’s sets seem to either be masterpieces or trainwrecks, and I had no idea how the music would translate under the big open sky. Then, the journey began with the unreleased “What Would I Want Sky.” If you recorded this set, I pity your attempts at tracking it; songs melted into each other like rainbow sherbet for the next hour, and songs that actually have been released resembled their studio counterparts only fleetingly. The vocal improv in the middle of “Guys Eyes” was just on a different plane than what other bands do. “Daily Routine” crept out of “Bleed” like they were parts of the same song, a pulsing lucid dream sequence. “Fireworks” sprung from the nebulous “Lablakely Dress,” which went on an insane tribal glitch jam with Avey Tare on guitar. How they were able to rein it in and return to the song I will never know, but it was breathtaking. “Brother Sport” hit similar highs just before its coda, and might’ve taken us all away in its supersonic ending loop jam had not Tool started playing precisely at 8:29 p.m. You know how Maynard Keenan is always writing songs where he pretends to be a meathead, but he’s really trying to point out how idiotic that bullyish attitude is? Hey, maybe Tool didn’t know AC was still on or the big security guard forced Maynard on stage; I just thought it was interesting. I mean, Tool has been playing the same setlist for like four years now; couldn’t they have made up those five minutes somehow, so AC could’ve finished the song? (CR) Animal Collective – 7:30-8:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage BEWARE OF RANT: For the second time this summer, I attended an Animal Collective festival set with high expectations and once again, like their Bonnaroo set, I walked away simply not being able to wrap my head around the hype that has been building for years. Likeminded music fans, blogs, and websites can’t seem to get enough of these dudes these days, yet their set of swirling cacophony rarely resembled any kind of coherent melodic thought at any point. I consider myself accepting of all kinds of music and always eager to find new sounds but I just don’t get the appeal about this group as a live band. On record these guys show great potential, but I have found their performances to be aimless and desultory as they meander through languid walls of noise and cacophonous yelping. To wrap up this rant, I want to like this band, and as I said, there are several songs on record that lead me to believe there is hope for a “click” moment; I just haven’t gotten there yet. The only thing I will likely remember from this show were the two kids who passed out cold within twenty feet of me and within three-minutes of each other. Scary. (WH) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 8:30-10:00 p.m., Budweiser Stage Karen O – Yeah Yeah Yeahs:: Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith I had to skip across the grounds for Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The people who try to claim that this band is an unfit substitute for the Beastie Boys are really barking up an imaginary tree; I can understand people being pissed about buying a one-day ticket and not being able to get their money back when the Beasties canceled, but YYYs deserve that spotlight as much as any of the non-veteran headliners, if not more. Karen O convinced me that she is not just a great singer but one of the great performers of our time. She was really able to inspire this crowd, and there were some true fanatics around. Still, there were some awkward aspects of the set. Some of the little electronic interludes seemed extended just to make the set longer, and they were especially skeletal compared to what AC had just been creating. And a song like “Maps,” with all the women in the crowd singing along, certainly felt like a happening I wasn’t privy to, but it’s moments like this that can intrigue legions of potential new fans. Besides, after that the band closed with its most exhilarating tracks of the night, “Y Control” and “Date With The Night.” Guitarist Nick Zinner came alive with some searing, Thurston-like guitar work, and Karen gave every drop of sweat she had. I can’t say it ever blew me away, but it was an occasionally thrilling, ultimately satisfying end to the night. (CR) Tool – 8:30-10:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Tool once again pulled back the curtain to the theater of the morose and despicable, unleashing their visceral fury on Grant Park to close down night two. Vocalist-frontman Maynard James Keenan commented on the incredible gulf between the two bands headlining Saturday night in the most sarcastic of tones: “The only shame is that we had to miss the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” which was met with a smattering of laughter. Tool :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann The visual element of a Tool show is as important as the music itself, helping to further the distinctly dark, skin crawling discomfort that goes hand-in-hand with their music. Thematically the images are based around torturous zombie-like androgynous bodies in various undesirable situations mostly involving some form of repulsive mutilation. Not for the faint at heart, Keenan’s lyrics are both intellectually robust and darkly perverse, addressing the underbelly of the universe, as on “Ænema” when he sings “Some say end is near/ Some say we’ll see Armageddon soon/ I certainly hope we will cuz I sure could use a vacation from this.” Their genre-bending style beams across the spectrum, meshing progressive metal with art rock in such a seamlessly intricate way that they exist in a space all their own. Musically fluid and brain-jarring with perhaps the most dexterous, rhythmically sound drummer on the music scene today, Danny Carey, who serves as the lightning rod and backbone for the band’s sound as Maynard’s silhouette creepily sways back-and-forth like an arachnid figure against the dark stage lights and terrifying imagery. The crowd for the Tool set was aggressive and anyone with any intention of getting out from the front of the ruckus had to be crowd-surfed out. Intense but respectful, most fans were simply too entrenched in the music to cause a bother. Whether you like them musically or not, these guys bring a certain kind of passion and production to festival main stages that is hard to find anywhere else. With two days in the book and my brain sufficiently shaken from the horrid imagery of the Tool show, it was now time to head home and then to seek the familiar territory of STS9‘s late night show at House of Blues. (WH) Continue reading for Sunday’s coverage of Lollapalooza… Sunday, 08.09 Alberta Cross – 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Every once in a blue moon we get the opportunity to catch a new band and immediately get a sense that something big is in store for them. On Sunday morning a groggy and already sweaty crowd of a couple hundred got to witness one of the up-and-coming bands of the next decade. Hailing from Brooklyn by way of England, Alberta Cross has a classic look, a furiously wailing sound, an amazingly gifted lead singer and a penchant for slow-burning epic breakouts that elevate your soul with the ability to alter your mindscape for a fleeting moment. Ripping through their set, a tune called “Rise from the Shadows” was one that caught my attention with its grim sound and My Morning Jacket mind-warping jam out. Lead singer Petter Ericson Stakee‘s vocal talent alone is enough to make an impact but the entire band has enough gusto to carry these guys to the stratosphere. Commenting about the experience playing Lolla, Stakee told us, “[It was] simply amazing, I’ve been reading about this fest since I was a kid. There is so much history. This is one of the best out there, and the view of the city is amazing.” With their smoking hot full length debut album set for release on September 22 on ATO Records expect these guys (former “JamBase New Favorite Band” from back in 2007 we might add) to land on a few year-end “best of” lists. (WH) Ra Ra Riot – 12:30-1:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Hoo-boy, running on four hours of sleep with the heat index surpassing 100 degrees, this should be fun. Wait, it’s like this at every festival come Sunday… Ra Ra Riot is not a bad band at all, but it is a part of this new breed of MOR-indie that’s been made safe for the entire world by Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend. Having violin in your rock band is no longer enough to be considered “eclectic,” and this band just doesn’t have strong enough songs yet to set itself apart. “Too Too Too Fast” came closest with its ’80s synth riff borrowed from Rush‘s “Subdivisions,” but it was the lone oddball of the set. (CR) Portugal The Man – 1:30-2:30 p.m., Playstation Stage The Airborne Toxic Event :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann I made the hike to catch Alaska-turned-Oregon groove rockers Portugal. The Man and was a bit under-whelmed by their organ heavy style centrally based around lead singer John Gourley‘s high-pitched singing. The band exuded a great deal of talent, it just didn’t seem to mesh well on stage this time around. (WH) Bat For Lashes – 1:30-2:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Bat For Lashes, the stage name of Natasha Khan, started slow and never really sped up, but she did seem to ease into her comfort zone gradually and ended up in control of the initially hesitant crowd. I’d been thinking that the new Two Suns album had really made 2006′s Fur And Gold seem primitive, but I was impressed at how much stronger the old songs were now; “Trophy” and “Tahiti” seemed much richer, and “Priscilla” was a highlight of the set. She sometimes has a mournfulness that approaches PJ Harvey levels, and her voice can be similarly striking, but this cohesive set was a convincing display of Khan’s emerging talent. (CR) The Airborne Toxic Event – 2:30-3:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage The “Airborne Toxic Event” might have been a description of the stench that had permeated the south end of the grounds since Saturday morning, but instead it was a band. This band is so oddly, definably Irish-rock-sounding, yet it’s from L.A. I don’t know for sure if this contributes to how contrived the songs seem, but Mikel Jollett reminds me way too much of Caleb Followill in delivery and tone, and whether or not he believes in what his band is selling, I’m not buying it. (CR) Kaiser Chiefs – 2:30-3:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage The Raveonettes :: Lolla 2009 by Smith Before Sunday, I only had a casual appreciation of Kaiser Chiefs, having only heard a few of their popular radio singles, but after seeing this particular shitkicker I am committed on finding out everything there is to know about this band. Kicking off their set in overdrive, their hit song “Never Miss A Beat” started a thrill ride that wouldn’t cease until the band left the stage. Quintessentially British in every way, the Chiefs have the attitude of The Clash and refined pop sensibility of Blur. Approaching a hiatus for the band, lead singer Ricky Wilson was hellbent on putting on the best performance possible. He jumped into the photo pit numerous times to do a lap around the audience, and at one point he sat on the railing facing his band and commented on how fun it was to watch the Kaiser Chiefs play. Wilson was also the only artist of the weekend I saw doing sign language with the interpreter and jump on the massive stage speakers to rev up the crowd. Conducting the crowd as his band ripped through their slew of Euro radio hits, the lead singer did his best to incite an “Angry Mob” after playing “I Predict a Riot.” The madman wasn’t content unless the crowd was clapping along, moshing, crowd-surfing or getting drunk at all times, and he did his best to play the role of facilitator. Kaiser Chiefs were able to bring the British festival atmosphere of pure pandemonium to Grant Park for their hour long set (in the scorching heat) and it was surprisingly my hands-down favorite performance of the weekend. Ricky Wilson should be given a medal of rock star honor for his service to the people of Chicago. The Rock Gods surely salute you, sirs. (WH) The Raveonettes – 3:30-4:30 p.m., Playstation Stage & Hollywood Holt, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Perry’s The Raveonettes offered a stark contrast to the music of the Kaiser Chiefs with their ethereal, droning New Wave-ish space pop coming from the North side of the park. Their sound just didn’t go over well on a big stage at a massive music festival, but it’d be cool to catch them in a smaller club environment. Moving down towards the Southside I caught my second MGMT sample of the weekend (“Time to Pretend”) in my limited time at Perry’s DJ area with Hollywood Holt. Whether you like it or not, MGMT’s music is almost unavoidable these days. Once again, the ritualistic dancing was in effect at Perry’s; this area of the park seemed to have a narcotic effect on people. (WH) Dan Deacon – 3:30-4:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Neko Case :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Shame on you, Dan Deacon! People are passing out from heat exhaustion and you want us to run around creating human tunnels and interact with each other? I know his reputation precedes him, but if you can’t get at least a little excited about a performance that truly combines sociological experimentation with overpowering goodwill and triumphant dance music you might want to question why you are going to see live music. Deacon creates an experience with his audience that every person who participates will remember forever. And his songs are damn good, too. (CR) Neko Case – 4:30-5:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage Dan Auerbach – 5:30-6:30 p.m., PlayStation Stage After Dan Deacon’s kind of energy, there was an inevitable lull, and Neko Case couldn’t hope to arouse much excitement at this point. She is an incredibly charming and gracious performer, and while I don’t really care for her singing, I’d thought it was because she was cold and dispassionate. I got a different impression at this set, though, where I believed every word I heard, though I still haven’t heard her quite coax the longing in her words out in her singing. Dan Auerbach also just wasn’t quite there. He can really surprise you sometimes with a hot guitar solo, kind of a Jon Spencer/Jack White style, but this blues rock genre is so limited in its scope that it has been done to death even though it remains vibrant in the right hands. Auerbach can bring it to that next level, but he just seemed lackadaisical here, so it came off a bit like store-brand Southern rock. Blame it on the heat. (CR) Vampire Weekend – 4:30-5:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Vampire Weekend fans :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann There is little I can add about this prep school meets Paul Simon group that hasn’t been blogged about 10,000 times. However, I will comment on the mind-blowingly large crowd that was there to see Vampire Weekend. It was hard to tell if they were all there to get a good spot for Snoop Dogg (who had the largest audience of the weekend), but it was very telling of this band’s widespread acceptance. I tried and tried for a while to act like I didn’t like this band but their music is just so damn agreeable. Songs like “A-Punk” and “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” are just too peppy to turn your nose up at… unless you really got something against Northern prep school kids. (WH) Passion Pit – 5:00-6:00 p.m., Citi Stage Summer party heroes Passion Pit are not the band of a generation, or even 2009, by any means, but they did create possibly the most fun album this year and for that they should be commended. As a live act they haven’t quite gotten it nailed down yet, as Michael Angelakos often struggled to keep his breath during high-pitched shrills and the band hasn’t quite reached any real telepathy in their playing. Nevertheless, their synth lines and choruses are extremely infectious and their beaming attitude is constantly ecstatic. You can really tell by the smiles and joy on stage that the band is living in a dream world, floating on a cloud. The live version of “Sleepyhead” is every bit as good as it is on record, and even if “The Reeling” sounded a bit cluttered and confused it’s a damn fun song to get down to. (WH) Cold War Kids – 5:30-6:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Lou Reed :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann Cold War Kids were jittering and jangling just below at the vitaminwater Stage and seemed more comfortable in their own skin than ever before while playing to an enormous late-afternoon crowd. Half of the audience was keenly engaged singing-along with the punkish “Something Is Not Right With Me,” while many were just stopping by en route to Snoop-a-Loop. The most notable song of the set was a rearranged, dubby version of “I’ve Seen Enough” that had Nathan Willett asking, “How’s it gonna feel when summer ends/ Out of money, out of friends.” Always a good show, soulful, delightfully amelodic at times and full of catchy sing-alongs, the Cold War Kids once again did not disappoint. (WH) Lou Reed – 6:30-7:30 p.m., Budweiser Stage A cranky Lou Reed, inventor of indie rock, came out five or ten minutes late, unwittingly kicking a tiny snowball down a large hill. Yeah, it was probably his fault he came on late, and who knows if he consciously or obliviously went twenty minutes past his scheduled end time. Yeah, he has that be-thankful-I-showed-up haughtiness just like Dylan, and he stumbles over his lyrics like a drunk. But, don’t you have to give some leeway to anybody who’s the ‘Godfather’ of something? Anyway, Reed’s set veered wildly between engaging grooves, screeching sax solos, walls of feedback and Lou gesticulating stubbornly as he spat out his words, but at least you could tell that they still mean something to him. Highlights were a belligerent take on “Dirty Boulevard,” the menacing and unhinged “Mad” and “Paranoia Key Of E,” which ended in an extended knob-twiddle jam before resolving into “I’m Waiting for the Man.” (CR) Band of Horses – 7:30-8:30 p.m., PlayStation Stage Snoop Dogg :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Smith When Lou Reed started “Walk On The Wild Side” after already cutting ten minutes into Band of Horses’ slot, some cheered and others groaned. BoH, to its credit, waited until Lou was waving goodbye to start playing. The band’s music is pretty straightforward Americana. Its success hinges largely on whether you like Ben Bridwell‘s voice or not. My only verdict is a shrug of the shoulders. I couldn’t find any fault with the music, so I’ll give the set a marginal thumbs up. The way it ended was destined to make it offensive to non-fans, but legendary for those who were singing-along. (CR) Snoop Dogg – 6:30-7:30 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Snoop Dogg is one cool motherfucker. There, I said it. If for no other cause, the reason he had the biggest crowd of the entire weekend at a festival occurring many years past his prime is because people like to be in the presence of cool. Sampling anything and everything, shouting out to 2Pac and demanding fans to throw up their middle fingers and say, “Fuck tha police,” Mr. Broadus may be pushing 40 but the D.O. Double G still knows how to work a crowd. (WH) Silversun Pickups – 7:30-8:30 p.m., vitaminwater Stage Silversun Pickups closed down the vitaminwater Stage for the weekend and seemed very gracious for the opportunity, thanking the crowd numerous times. There sound is straight up 90s alt rock (like the always mentioned Smashing Pumpkins or a kinder, gentler Garbage) and fits right in with the basic ideas this festival was built on. It seemed like an enjoyable show, it was just hard to get into from afar. (WH) The Killers – 8:30-10:00 p.m., Chicago 2016 Stage Silversun Pickups :: Lollapalooza 2009 by Vann To close down an amazing fifth sold out installment of the new era of Lollapalooza in its permanent home in Grant Park (C3 Presents and the City of Chicago recently agreed to a 10-year extension to host the event in the Windy City), The Killers made themselves right at home, decorating the stage with fake palm trees to create a glitzy, stylized Vegas night club aesthetic. With an enormous production budget, The Killers were able to put on an impressive visual display with a high-powered light rig and a colorful LED Wall offering a stunning array of colors. And, in case you forgot who you were seeing “The Killers” would flash by on the screen every few minutes for those fans who had passed out in a THC-induced haze at Snoop and just come back to Earth. I’ve never quite understood why bands feel the need to put their band name on the video walls, but whatever. Opening with “Human,” a newer song that I still don’t really get, I immediately understood that although not my kind of music it is wholly necessary for this arena rock band to exist and prosper for the world to continue spinning on its axis. Their product is custom built for the Everyman rocker without the time to read music blogs or go digging through the record bins at their local music store. Their songs, image and live presentation are so agreeable that you have to wonder if the band even attempts to fight their primal artistic urges to break the boundaries and try to explore new directions. Danceable, hook-driven and mostly PG-rated, The Killers were able to do their duty as festival closers by giving tired fans an enjoyable, uncontroversial note to go out on, and appropriately played “When You Were Young” to close a long and incredible weekend of live music that provided something for everyone, and in the end, the Everyman. (WH) Jane’s Addiction – 8:30-10:00 p.m., Budweiser Stage Farrell & Navarro – Jane’s Addiction :: Lolla 09 by Smith Jane’s did wait until about 8:40 p.m. to come on stage; BoH made it clear that Perry Farrell is not quite as old as Lou Reed and therefore not deserving of their respect. It was ridiculous having to listen to the nebulous clatter underscore JA’s first four songs as BoH just kept playing. Jane’s did actually inve Read More » Outside Lands Stage Schedule August 12th, 2009 | No Comments San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music & Art Festival Announces Stage Schedule JoJo Hermann – WSP :: Outside Lands 2008 by Weintrob Over 70 musical acts have been crammed into a three-day schedule for the 2009 Outside Lands Festival, set to take place August 28, 29 and 30. Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and Tenacious D (recently announced to replace the Beastie Boys) will headline on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, while an impressive amount of other acts fill out the schedule for the three-day fiesta. And in a brilliant move, organizers have put The Mars Volta on from 7:30-9:00 opposite Dave Matthews Band on Saturday night, giving fans on opposite sides of the spectrum equal reason to stick around. Be sure to look out for Akron/Family, The Dodos, Portugal. The Man, Street Sweeper Social Club, Mastodon, Os Mutantes, Big Light, The Dead Weather, Ween and Robert Randolph & The Family Band over the three-day musical safari in Golden Gate Park. To view the complete daily schedule please click here. Additionally, Outside Lands’ organizers have announced the creation of The Magic Scheduler, which will help attendees of the festival find bands that will are well suited for their musical tastes. By creating a profile and entering in musical preferences, the Magic Scheduler will find what bands are best suited for users. The scheduler hopes to help people discover new bands and music to enrich users musical palates. Outside Lands Schedule Contest: Organizers are launching a contest where a winner will win 2 VIP tickets and 2 VIP ticket-upgrades for friends at Outside Lands. Contestants can enter the contest by using The Magic Scheduler to create a custom schedule. By doing this contestants’ names will automatically be entered to win VIP Tickets, VIP upgrades and merch to this year’s festival. Grand Prize - 2 VIP Tickets and 2 VIP Ticket-Upgrades to the 2009 Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival First Prize - 2 tickets to the 2009 Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival - Outside Lands Merch Package Second Prize - Outside Lands Merch Package If interested in participating in the contest please enter here Outside Lands Lineup Friday Pearl Jam Incubus The Dodos Silversun Pickups Akron/Family West Indian Girl Autolux The Duke Spirit Midnite Built to Spill Tea Leaf Green SambaDa Kinky Q-Tip Tom Jones Blind Pilot Thievery Corporation Los Campesinos! The National Zee Avi TV on the Radio Zap Mama Saturday Dave Matthews Band Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue The Mars Volta Dengue Fever Portugal The Man JJ Grey & MOFRO Robert Randolph & The Family Band Groundation Black Eyed Peas Zion I Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses TV on the Radio Lila Downs Os Mutantes Extra Golden Jason Mraz The Dirtbombs Raphael Saadiq Conor Oberst Street Sweeper Social Club Mastodon Deerhunter Bat For Lashes Infantree ALBINO! Sunday Tenacious D Bettye LaVette Ween The Dead Weather Band of Horses Modest Mouse Brett Dennen Matt & Kim The Avett Brothers Lucinda Williams Alpha Blondy Heartless Bastards M.I.A. John Vanderslice Atmosphere The Morning Benders Cage the Elephant Big Light Lenka Darondo Calexico Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta For coverage of the 2008 Outside Lands fest, go here. Read More » Crüe Fest 2 | 07.30 | Mountain View August 11th, 2009 | No Comments By: Dennis Cook Crue Fest 2 :: 07.30.09 :: Shoreline Amphitheatre :: Mountain View, CA Mötley Crue While scoring supplies at 7-11 on my walk up to Shoreline I was ‘serenaded’ by Extreme’s “More Than Words” on the store’s radio. It was a painful reminder of the ’80s heyday of power ballads and hairspray rock. Even the good acts coughed up such syrup because few are strong enough to resist a wheelbarrow of cash and the chance to stoke feminine good will. Anyone who’s forgotten will be swiftly reminded by the high rotation cable ad for the 50-track strong Monster Ballads – The Ultimate Set. One notable absence is Mötley Crue‘s “Home Sweet Home,” which arguably helped birth the power ballad (actively aided by Jersey doulas Bon Jovi). Perhaps this is because “Home Sweet” is an aberration within a largely hedonistic, rough livin’ catalog. Meaner and a touch more introspective than most of the hair-nests in spandex that arrived in their wake, the Crue, against all expectations, is still alive and thriving, bringing a 10 band lineup to summer sheds and celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dr. Feelgood by playing the entirety of that 1989 post-first-shot-at-rehab album as the centerpiece of a dazzling, vastly entertaining show. One thing’s for sure, I’ve never walked into this Amphitheatre and been greeted by short-short wearing strippers before. Just past the gate, before I’d even put my ticket away, a peroxide pixie with a money draining, will sapping smile curled herself around my frame, whispered a few naughty things in my ear and pressed a discount card for her S.F. pole lair into my hand along with a postcard promoting their Wednesday night Foxy Boxing matches – sanctioned, of course, by the WFBA (World Foxy Boxing Association). It’s as perfect a “handshake” as one could wish as they embark on hours of hard rock, a sub-genre that just throbs with erectile overtones. Looking around at the decent if not sold out crowd, it was a treat to be surrounded by others who, like myself, dig this music without irony. Sure, sophisticated it ain’t but it scratches an itch so caveman basic it makes one want to devour red meat and manhandle things with a grin one’s mom would not approve of. More crudely, Mötley and their bastard children are the difference between ‘making love’ and beast fucking – what it lacks in complexity and subtlety it makes up in visceral whap and dumbstick wiggle. In its second year, Crue Fest added a second stage filled with the next generation of amp crankers topped by Rev Theory. On the main stage preceding the Crue were Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool and aspiring Sunset Strip golden age wannabes Charm City Devils, getting the special “Introducing” nod from the fest headliners. The bit of the Devils’ set I heard making my way inside made it clear they’ve spent time diggin’ through Toys In The Attic, Appetite For Destruction and the titty bar staples in the Crue’s catalog. Silly but fun, as much of this one-night fest would prove. Drowning Pool by Boltkit Photography Drowning Pool, as their grim name implies, proved almost total snarl – sandblasting guitars, all-black clothes, bowel rattling bass and Cookie Monster with strep throat vocals. “Sorry about the seats,” lamented lead vocalist Jason Jones. “Seats are for baseball parks and churches.” Like most metal/hard rock groups, they wanted to bridge the distance between fans and the band, get something tactile going, but Shoreline is too orderly to allow more than a passing semblance of the churning, slam pit action the Pool and others are used to. While I wouldn’t likely put on their albums (or most of the studio work of any of the bill outside Mötley Crue), in context, Drowning Pool was enjoyable, loud and gruff and spoiling for a fight, even if it is odd to experience such music in broad daylight. Closer “Bodies” hit you square in the chest and forced the air from your lungs to yowl, “I don’t care about anyone else!” Again, in context, momentary nihilism and selfishness, especially when contained in such a baldly badass shell as “Bodies,” can be a ball. As Jones’ last gurgle faded a pimply teen in an Uncle Sam hat bellowed, “America!” Yeah, it’s tough to imagine this kinda rock being born anywhere else. Over on the second stage, St. Louis’ Cavo gave a stronger showing than their albums implied they had in them. Live, there’s strong flavors of Living Colour, particularly in the Funkadelic-y touches their excellent bassist, Brian Smith, brings into the fold. And ‘in the fold,’ more euphemistically, is where Cavo likes to spend their time, pushing their hips into party-centric panty moisteners of the modern variety. I preferred the heavy stuff, particularly the quasi-political “We All Fall Down,” but live these guys have some decent swerve. Back at the main stage, Theory of a Deadman announced, “We’re gonna play some rock music in here.” Duh. Riding a steel horse, obviously wanted dead or alive, Theory’s entire set had the specter of Nickelback hovering over it. Since 2001′s Silver Side Up, when the Canadian chart toppers established their formula (a steady assortment of semi-misogynistic rockers, incongruously heart-on-the-sleeve ballads, simplistic odes to rock and self-help manual style philosophy lessons. Wash, rinse, repeat), Nickelback has been the yardstick for mainstream oriented hard rock bands, much the same way Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson form the baseline for mainstream pop-rock. Theory of a Deadman is VERY much in the Nickel-y vein. To wit, their latest single, “Bad Girlfriend,” which proudly describes their amour as a “dick magnet” and proclaims, “I don’t know if she’s drunk or she’s stoned but she’s coming home with me.” Well, how nice for you. However, with a bare bones stage presence – oversized band logo on a banner above a drum riser and eight double tall amp stacks, Theory were amusing, especially by this point when most of the audience had made serious headway with pouring a slurry of booze, nicotine, weed and whatnot into their bloodstream. Spiky guitar solos, a pop sensibility that occasionally sounded like Cheap Trick with sharper incisors, a certain aptitude with slow burners, a good singer and an engaging stage presence managed to override their compositional deficiencies for a playful, kinda enjoyable set. Again, context is everything. Rev Theory by Mike Savoia Out on the causeway, barely legal trim and serious looking buzz cuts acted the fool at karaoke and Guitar Hero booths, belting out “Girls, Girls, Girls” and Scorpions hits while snapping cell phones pics they immediately posted to Facebook pages. The whole notion of corporate sponsored buffoonery sits poorly with me, knocking the legs out from the hooligan spirit behind the Crue and offering visible signs of how times have changed, with Verizon and Best Buy replacing Jack Daniels and Harley Davidson as the obvious benefactors of this coordinated debauchery. That said, like most hard rock/metal crowds I’ve ever been in, most people kept their partying in bounds and didn’t let their good time infringe on everyone else’s fun. It’s a significant difference from the often sloppy, in-your-face antics one encounters at more jam-friendly shows/fests, where a fair number of folks are usually limp and torn up on the pathways long before music has even gotten going. In general, I found the people at Crue Fest this year focused on the music, regardless of who was on stage, and content to accent their revels without letting the spices overwhelm the main dish. I was honestly shocked at how fast Rev Theory got my fist in the air. Their new album, Light It Up, is a slickly produced, well-constructed piece of contemporary, radio friendly rock; not really my cup o’ tea but I can easily understand their appeal. However, put ‘em on stage and they’re a forceful, high wattage head-banging generator. Frontman Rich Luzzi is a giant sized presence and has tremendous flow, further charged by some of the tightest backing vocals in the genre. With axe-raised-high soloing, thunder drums and compositions that really bloom live, Rev Theory – who’ve apparently been around since the mid-90s despite only a handful of releases – were a gonad gripping reminder of why one saunters out to such gatherings. Where some of the other acts here leaned closer to the “Sweet Child of Mine” end of G N’ R, they were thoroughly inspired more by the “Welcome To The Jungle”/”Mr. Brownstone” side of things, full of animalistic sex appeal and testosterone addled energy, occasionally complicated by distant echoes of Queen, particularly in their intros. As some of the medium sized crowd started to disperse to catch the opening of Godsmack’s set, Luzzi barked, “Where are you guys going? We’re not done yet! I don’t want to see anyone leaving this fucking parking lot!” This stopped most in their tracks, who were rewarded with a punky, howling, deeply satisfying final stretch that really did make one want to stand up and shout. Mötley Crue Walking back to the main stage it looked like a Rock of Love bomb (with a few Daisy of Love beef cake grenades thrown in) had gone off. While temporarily worried that people weren’t getting their glam on like they used to, by sunset the mascara, hair gel, tight polyester shirts and wet looking leather pants were out in full force, and so, so many stupid tattoos that I briefly contemplated bankrolling a removal booth for next year’s fest. Cha-ching! However, the crowd was far more absorbing than Godsmack, who were obviously beloved by most in attendance (and I’ll even vouch for their playing) but came across as one thick haze, the sonic equivalent of room temp Jägermeister forced down your gullet shot after shot after shot. It’s heavy as hell and distracting in intensity but telling songs apart, especially for someone unfamiliar with their catalog like me, was pretty challenging. To the strains of The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” Mötley Crue mounted one of the coolest, strangest stage extravaganzas I’ve ever seen. Normally I’m out seeing serious musicians in small venues with a few house lights, if that. Well, the Crue offer something closer to Broadway theatre, down to the “WTF was that?” gargantuan lighting and stage effects. As Joey and the boys died down, a cute nurse wheeled out a man in a straightjacket and cartoonishly huge wheelchair. Soon it became apparent that it was drummer/porn celeb/reality star Tommy Lee trussed up in asylum white, but he writhed and drooled his way out of it while a small curtain center stage dropped to reveal a padded cell with flashing lights embedded in the walls and a large kit with a big Red Cross symbol on the kick drum. Soon, Vince Neil (vocals), Nikki Sixx (bass) and Mick Mars (guitar) joined the now shirtless Lee to roar into the title cut off Dr. Feelgood, sounding like no time at all had passed since they were Whiskey A Go Go regulars. Their DNA is a swirl of New York Dolls proto-punk, Dio excess and Aerosmith sleaze blues, yet there’s much that’s distinctly Mötley in their make-up. In focusing on a single album – a really enjoyable example of hard rock at its finest to boot – what emerged as their record recreation followed the groove was a band that against the odds has forged a unique identity amidst a menagerie of parrots and dumb chimps. Amongst the elements that set them apart is the sharp bite of Neil’s still-sizzlin’ voice, Mars’ just-enough-but-not-too-much technique, Lee’s impolite thwap and Sixx’s pawing, better-than-you-remember bass work. It all serves a pleasure driven, freedom loving philosophy that’s not without moments of reflection, particularly on Dr. Feelgood, though that’s hardly why the mamma-licious trio of ladies in the row in front of us – a party-hearty middle aged mom that blew out the word ‘buxom’ and her two equally chesty 19-year old daughters – were shaking like short circuiting paint mixers. Nor was it why the refrigerator sized dad/husband let us ogle as the women flirted with us, only occasionally giving us a stare that said, “Go ahead and look – you’re only human. But you stay on that side of the plastic seat, okay?” The reason they, us and the rest of the now fully engaged throng were getting loose is the dirty, dirty sex and fevered intoxication that puts such tasty sap in the Crue’s veins, nicely exemplified by the next two thigh spreaders, “Slice Of Your Pie” and “Rattlesnake Shake,” which had everyone as far as my eye could see chanting the choruses and reacquainting themselves with pelvic reality. Mötley Crue It’s such a treat to be immersed in rock ‘n’ roll you can really dance to, and the corset and stiletto clad back-up singers were a constant reminder that few bands have powered nudie club stages better than Mötley Crue. And without the easier pleasure button movement of hit after hit that marked the first Crue Fest one got to hear how these guys made pretty solid albums even at the point the industry began its crawl towards the model of a few singles surrounded by utter filler that’s the rule of thumb today. Yes, if you just don’t like scream-along hard rock then this display would likely leave you cold, but if you’re the sort (and I surely am) that can embrace music with all the bruised hip bluntness of sloppy balling in a Honda Civic then this was a grand time. Really, I’m not exaggerating, and on top of the music’s brutish appeal there was the crazed stage production, where the padded cell quickly exploded into a macabre hospital set with raised platforms and all manner of twisted LED graphics, pyro and looming, jaw-dropping lighting effects. The cumulative result was the feeling of being part of an event, shoulder to shoulder with shot drinkers and mini-cassette deck bootleggers, shaking wildly to “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.),” fellatio salute “She Goes Down,” the pleasantly unsubtle “Sticky Sweet” and “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away),” while swaying clumsily and oddly choked up during “Time For A Change,” Feelgood‘s closer that was accompanied by a curious mixture of provocative agit-prop images and Flower Power symbolism. After they completed Dr. Feelgood, there was a creaking, dramatic shift in the set and the fire pots and flame jets emerged for a too-small assortment of beloved catalog tracks that began with Mick Mars doing a Jimmy Page style solo display before returning to his supremely nasty, really satisfying riffing with the band. During Mars’ session the spotlights projected fan’s hands on the backdrop, mostly flying the horns, until some enterprising wiseass made a circle with one hand and plowed it hard with his other index finger. We are all of us junior high dorks at times, so most of us laughed, including Mars. The last sequence included “Wild Side,” new gem “Saints of Los Angeles,” rarity “Primal Scream” (introduced by Sixx, “This song is about therapy and you fuckers need it!”) and perhaps hard rock’s most misunderstood song, “Shout At The Devil,” which is really about being strong in the “seasons of wither” and laughing and shouting in the horned one’s face. The encore was a predictable but VERY well received double shot of “Home Sweet Home” and “Girls, Girls, Girls,” two tunes with peculiar personal meaning for me given that I danced at my prom to the former and then years later saw my prom date stuffing singles into her g-string to the latter at a Vegas club. Sometimes our road to ruin is soundtracked by Mötley Crue, but it’s a ride we steer ourselves so they’re hardly to blame for giving us the ideal noise we need to pound the wheel and sing ourselves hoarse. Crue Fest rolls on into September, dates available here. JamBase | Crued ‘n’ Lewd Go See Live Music! Read More » Now, Lady Gaga steps out in technicolour hairdo! August 11th, 2009 | No Comments Popstar Lady Gaga once again stunned onlookers when she stepped out on the streets of Tokyo in a wacky outfit and brand new technicolour hairdo. The ‘Poker Face’ star, who’s known for her bizarre style statement, wore a risque bodysuit and fishnet tights along with PVC boots, reports the Sun. Earlier, the 23-year-old singer had accidentally flashed [...] Read More » Steven Tyler Shoulder Broken After Stage Fall August 7th, 2009 | No Comments Steven Tyler is recovering from a broken shoulder following his stage fall during an Aerosmith show in South Dakota on Wednesday night. Bauer-Griffin The “Dream On” rocker tumbled off stage while dancing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Tyler was checked out be festival physicans before being airlifted to nearby Rapid City Regional [...] Read More » Kyle Hollingsworth: Comments On SCI’s Future August 6th, 2009 | No Comments Kyle Hollingsworth Comments On SCI’s Future Like all good String Cheese Incident fans we’re keeping an eye on keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth‘s blog. Earlier today Kyle posted the following note: So Now What? SCI Well it has been a few weeks since Rothbury and our “Incident” [read the review here] for the year. It was pretty cool to be standing side stage doing the “pre show huddle” and looking out over the sea of excited fans. And when we walked out onto stage to the great big sound of appreciation it felt so good to be up there again. And yes I was a bit nervous I kinda scraped my way through the first tune just trying to keep my head in the game. I thought the show went well. A few bonks here and there, in fact the power went out during “Little Hands” and it caught us off guard for a moment, but we recovered and raged on. Overall I was surprised how easily we all sank into the groove again after not being on stage together for two years. So what happens next? I wish I knew. From my perspective I would love to go out and play some more shows. I cannot say for sure, but it did seem like the band felt the same way. But one thing I do know is that this “break” has been good for everyone. The band came back refreshed and ready to play together again. And although all of our side projects have their own vibe and momentum, I do think there is something to be said about how the six of us play together as a band. There is something special that happens when we are all connected in the moment and in the music. I hope to keep it going! Kyle The String Cheese Incident has no shows scheduled at this point. Kyle Hollingsworth has a bunch of shows coming up, you can check them out here. Read More » All Points West | 07.31 – 08.02 | Jersey August 5th, 2009 | No Comments Words by: Ron Hart | Images by: Rod Snyder All Points West :: 07.31.09 – 08.02.09 :: Liberty State Park :: Jersey City, NJ All Points West 2009 If there was anything that the mud, madness and mayhem of this past weekend’s All Points West confirmed – besides the fact that this writer just might be getting a little too old for this shit – is that after many years of false starts, almost-happens and never-will-go-downs, it looks as though the NYC area finally has an official contender to the large scale international three-day music festival circuit. What promoters Goldenvoice Productions – the folks behind Coachella on the West Coast – didn’t expect, however, was that two out of their three-day concert would be mired in torrential downpours on a near-Biblical level, rendering the festival site on the otherwise beautiful, scenic landscape at Liberty State Park a veritable lake of thick, smelly mud. Thank God this one was a commuter festival and not some glorified sleep-away camp like Bonnaroo, right? Now the romantic in me could look at the events of this past weekend as a truly fitting commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, getting soaked in the rain and trooping through muddy lands similar to the way our parents’ generation did on Yasgur’s Farm back in the summer of ’69. The pragmatist in me, however, kicked that flowery notion right to the curb after navigating around the tents and trailers of such blatantly corporate sponsors as Toyota and Sony Playstation 3, tending to swollen legs after walking what seemed like an eternity between the comedy/electronic music tent and the main stage and dealing with the stench of rain-saturated earth mixed with an unholy (and possibly toxic) combination of goose shit, lawn fertilizer and dirty feet. To be honest, I don’t know who I feel worse for, the landscapers who have to reseed that massive swath of lawn mucked up by the human traffic all weekend or the poor masses risking Paddy foot from trucking through that mess for three days straight. Vampire Weekend :: APW 2009 Yet for all the kinks that didn’t necessarily make what one would-be comedian operating one of the festival merchandising booths hailed on a makeshift cardboard sign as “All Points Wet,” the utopian experience Goldenvoice Productions had hoped for, it did succeed in providing a busy weekend of great live music by bringing together nearly three generations of acts from all areas of interest. And seeing all the aging college rockers and new wavers there to see My Bloody Valentine and Echo & The Bunnymen coexist with the Hot Topic goth kids in attendance for Tool intermingling with the hip-hop heads amped for Jay-Z and Kool Keith in the company of the young blog rockers there to upload images of St. Vincent and Vampire Weekend to their Facebook accounts was certainly a testament to the communal powers of the music festival as a concept. And while you might think that such a wild variety of personalities could stir up a good deal of drama for the overabundance of security and police overlooking the masses, there was a minimal amount of confrontation amongst the mixed assortment of folks in attendance. Well, at least from my perspective. The morning-after posts from the online dailies found a much more hostile vibe amongst concertgoers, with many slinging digital mud at everyone from the youngsters who didn’t “show enough respect” for the likes of Echo and MBV to the concert promoters themselves. “I know I’m going to come off as a grumpy old man here – but the APW crowd (for the most part) are a bunch of twats,” lamented an anonymous poster on Brooklyn Vegan in regards to Echo and the Bunnymen’s raggedly glorious Sunday evening set, which he felt was otherwise ignored and under-appreciated by the younger fans in attendance. “The kids there have no respect for bands like Echo – showing off their ZERO musical knowledge and their attachment to texting useless information during a great gig (and for watching something horrid like Crystal Castles why do these two have a career?). Fuck ‘em – the kids today don’t know shit.” All Points West 2009 Elsewhere, some fans took aim at Goldenvoice Productions, chastising the company for its lack of cohesiveness in choosing the acts to play for this year’s festival. “[APW] still appears to be a random lineup shoveled together by people intent on making cash that are not music fans,” griped one reader on Billboard.com who questioned the sincerity and expertise of those in charge of putting the festival together. “Perhaps if an artist curated it a la Bowie, Morrissey, Reznor, a.k.a. someone who knows what they’re doing AND knows about music, it could be a better experience and I would be more interested in attending again while dropping hundreds of hard-earned dollars on a three-day pass.” While the lineup seemed a little discombobulated to some, there was, in fact, some form of order to the festival, albeit in some odd Chinese arithmetic kind of way. In looking at the schedule of events prior to the weekend, one could easily surmise that Friday was the hip-hop and indie darling combo platter day, Saturday was relegated to a gloomier, heavier rock theme, and Sunday was reserved for the British. On paper it seemed like it could make sense. Yet why was it that acts who looked like they should have been on the Friday bill ended up playing Saturday and those who would have been a better fit on the Sunday lineup wound up performing on Saturday? For example, why did they put the Arctic Monkeys before the rowdy likes of My Bloody Valentine and Tool when they would have been better served to play on Sunday? And why leave Kool Keith and The Cool Kids stranded on the rock-heavy Saturday bill when they would have been much more at home playing on Friday alongside Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion and Jigga? APW was hardly the cultural event that Woodstock has grown into, both in intention and dimension. However, despite some of the rather large generational gaps in the audience, the unity of such a diverse array of people stuck together in the mud and the rain could definitely be seen as a tribute of sorts to the communal spirit of the granddaddy of all rock festivals. That is, of course, if Woodstock had a tent sponsored by H&M that served shitty-tasting tap water and Toyota Priuses shuttling people to and from the site. Nevertheless, this year’s All Points West was certainly an upgrade from last year’s festivities and, given some pretty amazing performances from not only the headliners but the dozens of acts that outweighed the sorrows of soaked heads and sore feet, here’s hoping next year will bring us Metro area folks another weekend of summer sounds. Now if I can only get that stink out of my nose… Friday, 07.31 Fleet Foxes :: APW 2009 Ominous thunderclouds hovered above Liberty State Park on Friday afternoon like a bad head cold that’s about to turn into a full-blown case of swine flu. And while they were staved off enough for the likes of Ra Ra Riot and Seasick Steve to enjoy relatively dry sets in the early afternoon, once Fleet Foxes arrived on the main Comet Stage and kicked into the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Dennis Wilson-isms that have made them such media darlings, the sky ripped open right in the middle of a particularly fervent rendition of “White Winter Hymnal.” Thanks for bringing some of that Seattle weather over here to the East Coast, fellas. Brooklyn-by-way-of-Cincinnati’s The National followed them on the main stage and enjoyed a soggy but inspired 50-minutes of the kind of rainy day rock that perfectly fit the climate. There was even a moment when frontman Matt Berninger went into the crowd to soak in the weather and the adoration of his fans. The storm, however, hit its climactic crescendo during the legendary Queens-based underground rap duo Organized Konfusion‘s first live show together in over a decade. But the rain didn’t put a damper on the reunited duo of Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch‘s fiery and unforgettable set peppered with material from all three of the group’s classic albums (1991′s Organized Konfusion, 1994′s masterful Stress: The Extinction Agenda and 1997′s The Equinox), highlighted by an appearance from longtime friend and fellow under-appreciated rhyme hero OC of the DITC Crew, who is said to be officially joining the group in 2009 alongside the group’s other new member, the mighty DJ Boogie Blind of the new X-Ecutioners crew. For the modest legion of true underground hip-hop heads in attendance at APW, this particular set proved to be one of the great highlights of the entire festival. Karen 0 – Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: APW 2009 In spite of the driving rain, Vampire Weekend, NYC’s most loveable Afro art poppers since Talking Heads, maintained positive vibes throughout their fun-filled set jam-packed with such hits as “Cape Cod Kwasa Kwasa,” “Oxford Comma,” “M79″ and “Walcott.” “Beautiful park, New York City behind us, it’s not so bad,” enthused frontman Ezra Koenig before debuting a new song, “White Sky,” which presumably will be featured on the group’s forthcoming sophomore album, which is rumored to come out later this year. A long trek across the festival site from the main stage to the comedy/electronic tent was well worth the screaming kankles as we walked in on Los Angeles abstract hip-hop young blood Flying Lotus deep in the mix of a kinetic set. Fans who were expecting to hear the heady Madlib-meets-Aphex Twin grooves that helped to make FlyLo’s Warp debut, Los Angeles, one of 2008′s finest moments were greeted with a more dance-heavy blend from Alice Coltrane’s grandnephew with snippets of Snoop Dogg and dialogue from WarGames tossed into the chopper for good measure. Hearing the tit-for-tat between the WOPR and Matthew Broderick about chess and global thermal nuclear war ride atop skittering tech-hop beats was certainly well worth missing half of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set, although Karen O and co. certainly were doing their thing quite impressively as we were walking back and caught images of guitarist Nick Zinner looking quite funny sporting some sort of reverse Kate Gosselin haircut on the giant jumbotrons on the horizon. Q-Tip :: APW 2009 As the sky cleared up, New York City’s garage punk-cum-new wave dance mavens were steady rolling through a stream of crowd favorites, including some great choice cuts from their pop-tastic new album, It’s Blitz!, like “Heads Will Roll” and “Zero” intermeshed with old fan favorites like “Y Control” and a beautiful reading of “Maps,” which Karen, wearing a white arm band in his honor, dedicated to Adam “MCA” Yauch, whose recent cancer diagnosis forced the Beastie Boys to cancel their headlining performance on Friday. Q-Tip, delivering that low end theory he does so well on the smaller Bullet Stage with an amazingly talented band in tow, also paid homage to MCA by performing a snippet of his verse from “Get It Together,” Tip’s collaborative hit from the B-Boys’ 1994 masterpiece Ill Communication. “That’s my family right there,” Tip proclaimed before going into the Midnight Marauders gem “Sucka Nigga” followed by a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” in homage to the fallen King of Pop. The most poignant tribute to Yauch, however, came from the man who pinch-hit for the absent Beasties on Friday night. Flanked by a full band on par with the likes of Prince and D’Angelo, Jay-Z kicked off his set with a genuinely rockin’, verse-for-verse version of “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” “Born and bred in the U.S.A., they call me Adam Yauch but I’m MCA,” Jigga lovingly proclaimed to a sea of adoring fans dancing in the mud like they didn’t care before setting fire to the Comet Stage with a 28-song performance spanning the entire length of Mr. Carter’s 15-year career in hip-hop, on his very first appearance at a U.S. music festival. “I want to dedicate this show to Adam,” said Jay-Z prior to delivering an expertly executed set featuring such classic Hov anthems as “Blue Magic,” “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” (which featured a shout out to Michael Jackson with the reconfigured line, “Ladies love me long time like MJ’s soul”) and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” Jigga announced, “Y’all are pioneers. One of the reasons I’m on this stage is because of y’all.” Jay-Z :: APW 2009 For over 90 minutes, Jay and his band blasted through the Brooklyn MC’s catalog with the breathless pace of a Green Lantern mixtape, delivering knockout punches with heated renditions of his Reasonable Doubt gem “Can I Live,” a brassy cruise through “Roc Boys” and his latest heater “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” which saw images of bling and boxes of the notorious voice manipulating computer program exploding into pieces like the Death Star at the end of Star Wars. Jigga also took time to contemplate some major cultural turning points as well. Following a soulful run through his Vol. III: The Life and Times of Sean Carter anthem “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” Jay’s DJ played the song’s source sample, The Jackson 5′s “I Want You Back” as images and footage of Michael Jackson and his brothers filled the jumbotrons to the delight of verklempt fans still reeling from the Gloved One’s sudden death in July. “If you take one thing from this concert, remember this,” an emotional Hov declared, “we don’t mourn death, we celebrate life.” When Jay reemerged for the encore, he offered up an a capella preview of a verse from his upcoming Blueprint 3 album before literally pummeling the crowd with a sprint through some of his biggest hits, including “Big Pimpin’,” “99 Problems,” “Can I Get A…” and “Hard Knock Life.” Then, following an extended thank you that saw him shouting out random people in the crowd (“I see you Guido,” for some reason, had me howling with laughter), the Jigga man hopped into an awaiting Maybach backstage and jetted as quickly as he emerged. Jay-Z Setlist No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Brooklyn Go Hard, Say Hello, D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune), U Don’t Know, Blue Magic, My President Is Black (Remix), Beware Of The Boys, I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me), Show Me What You Got, Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix), Roc Boys (And The Winner Is), Izzo (H.O.V.A.)/I Want You Back, Can I Live, Swagga Like Us, Jigga My Nigga, Jigga What, Jigga Who, Public Service Announcement (Interlude), Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Run This Town Encore: A verse from The Blueprint 3, Medley: Money Ain’t A Thing/La La La (Excuse Me Miss Again)/Fiesta(Remix)/Where I’m From/”Feelin’ It, Can I Get A…, 99 Problems, Big Pimpin, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), Encore Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage of APW… Saturday, 08.01 All Points West 2009 Though Saturday’s attendance was sparse compared to Friday’s, those who made the second day of All Points West benefited from the beautiful, sunny weather even though the heat and dryness wasn’t enough to harden the mud, which still proved to be a messy issue throughout the day. But the festival certainly did not get any more diverse or freewheeling than it did on Saturday. My day, personally, really kicked off in the comedy tent during comedian and 30 Rock star Judah Friedlander‘s hilarious stand-up set where he played up his “World Champion of the World” routine to maximum funny, talking about kicking Tool’s ass backstage and riffing on the absurdities of Facebook and Twitter. The Cool Kids were, in fact, anything but, as their attempt to deliver “that old school rap” fell flat in comparison to all of the great hip-hop performances on Friday. However, Kool Keith, who has been laying low for a while after his overexposure in the late ’90s/early ’00s, made a comeback for the ages on an estrogen-heavy Bullet Stage. Sensitive fans who may have been saving their spaces for St. Vincent and Neko Case were surely mortified by the rap legend’s raunchy performance, as he and his entourage (augmented by a surprise appearance from his Analog Brother running buddy, gangsta icon and superstar TV cop Ice-T, who dubbed himself “the world’s most expensive hypeman”) barreled through every aspect of Keith’s 25-year career in the game, highlighted by gems dating back to his Ultramagnetic MCs days like “Two Brothers With Checks” to his Dr. Octagon psychedelic anthem “Blue Flowers” to the golden shower-loving title track off his 1997 XXX classic Sex Style to the Black Elvis/Lost In Space deep nugget “In Your Face.” Even at 45, Keith can still swing the non-linear swagger like nobody else. Eugene Hutz – Gogol Bordello :: APW 2009 One-time indie guitarist for hire Annie Clark and her band St. Vincent proved to be a jarring juxtaposition with the porned-out antics of Kool Keith on the Bullet Stage, but she nevertheless dazzled her fans with her uncanny skills on the six-string, setting fire to tracks from her new album, Actor, like “The Strangers” and “Laughing with a Mouth of Blood” with her Robert Fripp-like scale techniques. She even stumped some of the novice Beatles fans in the crowd with a quixotic cover of the deep Let It Be cut “Dig A Pony,” where she managed to play both John Lennon’s and George Harrison’s guitar parts at the same time. Meanwhile, on the Comet Stage, England’s Arctic Monkeys flexed the darker side of their otherwise chirpy Brit-pop by showcasing material from their harder-edged third album, the Josh Homme-produced Humbug, highlighted by a particularly caustic rendition of the new album’s opening track “My Propeller.” Lower East Side gypsy punkers Gogol Bordello seemed completely out of place nestled between the Monkeys and My Bloody Valentine on the big stage, but from the fun that Eugene Hutz and co. seemed to be having, it made no matter. As someone who never quite got into Gogol before seeing them on Saturday, I personally have to say that after watching the group’s Clash-meets-Klezmer dance party up on that massive stage – reaching its crescendo during a high energy run through their fan favorite rabble rouser “Start Wearing Purple” – they most certainly won me over in spades. A most amazing performance, to say the least. Kevin Shields – My Bloody Valentine :: APW 2009 The most controversial set of the day, however, certainly came from the recently-reunited shoegaze icons My Bloody Valentine, whose near-hour of pure, concentrated layers of chaotic squalls of guitar feedback polarized the audience standing before them in a way I have never seen in all my years of concert-going. Oh, the blogosphere was set afire on Monday morning with old school alt-rockers defending their longtime heroes and the unorthodox union of lunkheaded Tool junkies and precocious Pitchfork fanboys (and girls) waging a Tweeting war over the group’s performance, which literally had some folks walking away with middle fingers in the air while chanting “Tool! Tool! Tool!” Yet for every hater there was a diehard noise monger blissfully entranced by the twin guitar attack of Kevin Shields and a rather lovely looking Bilinda Butcher that could be described as the sound of an atomic bomb going off on Manhattan Island as the roar of one thousand 747s departing simultaneously from JFK and LaGuardia flew overhead. It was that loud, and, as a fan of noise I found it bloody glorious. And the way the band just stood their ground so stoically as they created a sonic apocalypse around them was really just a sight to behold, especially during the group’s final song, the 12-minute “You Made Me Realise”, which I am certain gave people on the other side of the East River some serious 9/11 flashbacks. And then there was Tool. Tool :: APW 2009 These Los Angeles art metal linchpins are one of the most creative and celebrated bands creating music today. Though they only have four full-length albums and one amazing EP to their name, each title is a classic in its own right. They have created a wholly unique sound that picked up where fellow California luminaries Jane’s Addiction left off in 1991 and brought the sound into deeper, darker and more distant territory, essentially replacing the Bauhaus influence with that of King Crimson. The last time I saw Tool was in 1997. They had The Melvins opening up for them at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, and they were, simply put, fucking phenomenal in every sense of the word. Maynard Keenan, covered in fluorescent black light blue was brilliantly and challengingly backed by guitarist and videographer Adam Jones, bassist Justin Chancellor and drummer Danny Carey, whose firm belief in the ways of Sacred Geometry dictate the patterns by which he performs. Playing songs off their two best albums, Ænima and Undertow, the group sounded hungry, eager to crawl inside our brains and shake things up from the homunculus on out. Seeing them 12 years later headlining Saturday night at All Points West, I did not get that same sense of wonderment that I did in Poughkeepsie back in ’97 nor at Lollapalooza ’93 in New Jersey’s Waterloo Village. Instead, I got the same feeling I did when I saw Pink Floyd during their Division Bell Tour. On this night, Tool felt as though they were phoning it in. Sure, on a technical level, the band’s performances of such favorites as “Stinkfist,” “Schism” and “Ænima” were spot-on and skillfully played, no doubt, but the feeling didn’t seem there at all. They really did sound like they were going through the motions, right down to the almost same tired setlist from their 10,000 Days tour. I know this is going against type here, as most everyone who saw Tool on Saturday night and wrote about it just couldn’t stop singing their praises, but I gotta keep it real, and it was a little bit of a snooze, right down to the non-Adam Jones video art they put on display compared to the amazing visuals they had going 12 years ago, where they literally made their outstanding album art come to life. This time the stuff they were projecting beyond their videos looked like something you’d see in a commercial for a graphic design school on a Saturday afternoon commercial break. Yes, they really did play great, especially the stuff off 10,000 Days which sounded phenomenal, especially “Rosetta Stoned,” but overall a pale shadow of their sound and presence back in the day. Tool Setlist Jambi, Stinkfist, Forty-Six & 2, Schism, Rosetta Stoned, Flood, Ænema, Lateralus, Vicarious Continue reading for Sunday’s coverage of APW… Sunday, 08.02 All Points West 2009 As a make-good for attendee’s troubles in sitting through their concert in the pouring rain on Friday, Goldenvoice announced, via Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, that their tickets for Friday would be good for reentry for either Saturday or Sunday. This was news that certainly made my fiance very happy, as she is a hardcore Coldplay fan and was hoping to get miracled into the Sunday show to see them in some form or another. However, what nobody expected for the last day of the APW weekend was how bad the rain would return. If Friday was bad in terms of weather, what we woke up to Sunday morning was nothing short of a storm of near-hurricane proportions. It was so bad, in fact, that APW promoters were forced to delay the start of sets until later in the afternoon, causing the cancellation of the early part of the day’s festivities, including the performances of such acts as The Gaslight Anthem and the retro country outfit Kitty Daisy & Lewis. As fans began to arrive to the festival site, they were greeted by a denial of entry, causing a huge, cattle-like line of angry people looking to get in and start their day. Chants of “bullshit” grew with every minute the overzealous security refused to open the gates until they eventually succumbed to the growing crowd agitation and started letting people in. Those who were looking forward to seeing comedians Dave Barry, Christian Finnegan and Janeane Garofalo in the comedy tent were treated to truncated 10-minute performances from each, the majority of which were finished just as people were getting settled in. Seth Olinsky – Akron/Family :: APW 2009 Meanwhile, on the Bullet Stage, Akron/Family was gearing up for an amazing Sunday afternoon performance that was mostly culled from the reconfigured Brooklyn band’s latest, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free (JamBase review here), a brimming combination of hippie rock warmth and free jazz cool that is one of the finest releases this year. Live, the group is much more animated than their music suggests, and they played their set with maximum urgency and passion. On the Comet Stage, British rockers Elbow delivered a fine sense of English charm and wit to the day, doing shots on stage and delivering stunning renditions of songs that are far more popular on their side of the pond than ours, including “Grounds for Divorce” and “The Bones of You.” Back on the Bullet Stage, Scotland’s Mogwai certainly made a much lovelier wall of noise than their Irish neighbors My Bloody Valentine did the night before, delivering a set of some of their most beloved rackets, including “Hunted by a Freak,” “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” and the epic “Mogwai Fear Satan.” The Black Keys, also on the Bullet Stage, never cease to amaze at just how two men can create the sound of four, as guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, who broke four sticks during the duo’s set, delivered a raucous, bluesy 50-minute show loaded with cuts from their five-album catalog. Echo & the Bunnymen :: APW 2009 For the elderly of the alternative nation, however, the highlight of Sunday came when British post-punk legends Echo & the Bunnymen took the stage. The group sounds much more rugged and ragged on stage than they do on record, giving their sound a more classic rock edge than their synth-heavy studio endeavors may suggest. As the group tore through their most beloved singles, including “Lips Like Sugar,” “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” “The Killing Moon” and “The Cutter,” one can easily hear the sizeable chunk of their sound that U2 took a bite from and spun into platinum. The band also made nods to their own influences as well, working in The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” during “Villiers Terrace” and weaving in Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” in the middle of “Nothing Lasts Forever.” The group even debuted a new song, the promising “I Think I Need It Too,” from their forthcoming new album, The Fountain, which is scheduled to come out October 12. Now, I’m not sure how blasphemous it is to say that I actually enjoyed Coldplay more than Tool but I’m not gonna lie. Having seen them three times prior with my girl, the Brit-pop demigods continue to impress me with their strong stage presence and tremendous sound live. Though you will certainly not catch me with any of their studio albums on my stereo any time soon, hearing these songs live is quite enjoyable and the group certainly delivered one of the strongest sets of the weekend. Chris Martin – Coldplay :: APW 2009 “As four people who grew up in the mud and the rain, we take off our proverbial hats to you,” proclaimed Chris Martin to the crowd before blasting into “42″ off the band’s latest, Brian Eno-produced album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Their 90-minute set played out like a greatest hits package come to life, as they barreled through such beloved anthems as “In My Place,” “Yellow” (complete with giant yellow balloons tossed into the crowd), “Clocks,” “Fix You” and “Politik.” Not to be outdone by his new BFF Jay-Z, Martin staged his own tribute to Adam Yauch by delivering a piano ballad rendition of “Fight For Your Right (To Party).” Cheesy, yes, but the passion with which Martin sang, “Your mom threw away your best porno mag,” was both funny and endearing all at once. In a move nicked right from the playbook of their most direct inspiration, U2, Coldplay went into the crowd and trucked through the mud onto a small stage on a catwalk in the middle of the audience a la the “Zoo TV Tour” to deliver an acoustic set highlighted by a stunning version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which beats Chris Cornell’s tired take by a country mile. The Viva La Vida songs sounded great live, especially the title track, which saw guitarist Jonny Buckland do the job of an entire string orchestra as drummer Will Champion pounded on his drums as though his life depended on it during the uplifting “Lovers in Japan.” “You probably won’t be seeing us again for a while, which is probably good news for some of you,” joked Martin towards the end of the group’s set before launching into “The Scientist,” not only the band’s greatest song but one that continues to grow more beautiful with every listen. As we left the festival grounds to the pulsing sounds of French house maven Etienne de Crecy, eager to clean the mud off our legs and plunge our sore tootsies in a bath of Epsom salts, we could only hope aloud that Mother Nature will be kinder to the All Points West Festival when it comes back around in the summer of 2010. Coldplay Setlist Life In Technicolor, Violet Hill, Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, 42, Fix You, Strawberry Swing, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, You Gotta Fight (Chris on piano – Beastie Boys cover) Viva La Vida, Lost!, Green Eyes (acoustic), Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic, sung by Will) Billie Jean (acoustic – Michael Jackson cover), Viva La Vida (remix interlude), Politik, Lovers In Japan, Death And All His Friends Encore: The Scientist, Life In Technicolor ii, The Escapist Continue reading for more pics of APW 2009… Friday, 07.31 Heartless Bastards The Knux Seasick Steve Seasick Steve Telepath Ra Ra Riot Ra Ra Riot Fleet Foxes The National The National Xavier Rudd Q-Tip Vampire Weekend Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs MSTRKRFT MSTRKRFT Jay-Z Jay-Z Jay-Z Continue reading for more Saturday pics of APW 2009… Saturday, 08.01 Cage the Elephant White Rabbits Electric Touch The Cool Kids Kool Keith St. Vincent St. Vincent Arctic Monkeys Gogol Bordello …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead My Bloody Valentine My Bloody Valentine Tool Tool Tool Tool Tool Continue reading for more Sunday pics of APW 2009… Sunday, 08.02 Akron/Family Mogwai Silversun Pickups Elbow The Black Keys Echo & the Bunnymen MGMT MGMT Coldplay Coldplay Coldplay Coldplay Coldplay JamBase | Jersey Go See Live Music! Read More » Eugene Celebration: Set Times w/ HBR, Bridge, Extra Golden, Gab August 4th, 2009 | No Comments The Eugene Celebration Announces Schedule For 2009 Festival Outdoor Festival Scheduled For September 4, 5 & 6 Hot Buttered Rum The Eugene Celebration Festival has announced the complete live music program for the Outdoor and McDonald Theatre stages during the 2009 fest in downtown Eugene. The small scale music festival features some strong names in the jam, reggae and bluegrass scenes. Three day general admission passes are on sale for the low price of $12 and can be purchased here. To view the current live music schedule, set times and updates, please visit eugenecelebration.com. Following is a list of confirmed bands & stages: KLCC Rogue Stage -Friday, September 4: 10:30pm-Sonny Landreth; 9:00pm-The Bridge; 7:30pm-Izabella; 6:00pm-Just People. -Saturday, September 5: 10:30pm-The Iguanas; 9:00pm-Extra Golden; 7:30pm-Thomas Mapfumo, 6:00pm-KEF, 4:30pm-Don Latarski; 3:00pm-Apropos; 1:00pm-Jessie Marquez. -Sunday, September 6: 4:30pm-LeRoy Bell & his Only Friends; 3:00pm-Wendy Darling; 1:30pm-Blame Sally. McDonald Theatre Stage -Friday, September 4: 11:00pm-Woodland; 9:30pm-Scott Huckabay. -Saturday September 5: 11:00pm-Gift of Gab; 9:30pm-Crown City Rockers; 8:00pm-Bach Remix winner. Library Stage -Friday, September 4: 10:30pm-Prezident Brown; 8:30pm-Reeble Jar; 7:00pm-Medium Troy. -Saturday, September 5: 10:30pm-Melvin Seals & JGB; 9:00pm-Heavyweight Dub Champion; 7:30pm-Zepparella; 6:00pm-Black Joe Lewis; 4:30pm-Volifonix. Broadway Stage -Friday, September 4: 10:30pm-Studabaker John & the Hawks; 9:00pm-Ty Curtis; 7:30pm-Broh Taylor Blues Band; 6:00pm-Vicki Stevens Band. -Saturday, September 5: 10:30-Mark Hummel & Rusty Zinn; 9:00pm-Henry Cooper & the Purple Cats; 7:30pm-Rooster AllStar Jam; 6:30pm-Walker T. Ryan; 5:45-Parade Awards; 4:30pm-Sassparilla Jug Band; 3:00pm-Casey Neil and the Norway Rats; 1:30pm-Conjugal Visitors; 12:00pm-Bad Mitten Orchestra. -Sunday, September 6: 7:00pm-Hot Buttered Rum; 5:30pm-Hillstomp; 4:00pm-Paul Wright & Rootdown; 2:30pm-Andrew Heringer Band; 1:00pm-Swing Shift. Read More » Page 5 of 10« First...«34567»...Last » Latest Video 'Fight For Your Right Revisited': Beastie Boys' Film Trailer (VIDEO) Recent Posts Tim McGraw giving away homes to wounded military veterans while on tour Kyle Hollingsworth Announces Summer of Brews Events The 10 Tackiest Celebrity Mansions Democrats yet to decide on candidate for PM Democrats fail to decide on candidate for PM German chancellor “locates” Berlin in Russia German chancellor “locates” Berlin in Russia The Sadies: Summer U.S. Dates FIFA suspends its decision on Kosovo FIFA suspends its decision on Kosovo Copyright © 2012 ICT magazine - News portal Powered by WordPress | designed by ThemeTiger.com