APW in Review: Sunday, August 10th
The third and final day of the inaugural All Points West Music & Arts Festival appeared gloomy, but reality told a different story. Bands rewarded fans for their dedication, with a few notable artists giving those braving the rainy weather some of the best performances of the weekend. One thing for sure, Sunday’s lower attendance numbers made everything a bit more bearable, as fewer crowds eased traffic, cut down lines and gave the concertgoers VIP views to popular main stage performers, such as Cat Power, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson.
The raindrops came down slowly, but were massive in size as Rodrigo y Gabriela took the stage. They came down so hard that those in the audience with “eggshell skull,” should have been running for cover. Meanwhile, the Mexican guitar dualists exerted a force from the stage. Using the stringed instruments as lead, rhythm and bass guitar, as well as eclectic-sounding percussion devices, the duo once again amazed those unfamiliar with their music and abilities. If you have seen them play before, you know that picking one highlight is an arduous task. For many in attendance, it may have been to hear Rodrigo y Gabriela’s take on Metallica’s familiar “Orion” (originally from their classic Master of Puppets.) Yet, it is hard to deny the intensity of the climactic finale. Alone on stage, Rodrigo handled an incredible song bringing in Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” As the crowd encouraged him, Gabriela rejoined him on stage and the song melded into an extended version of their stunning “Tamacun” with a crazy drum beat piece carved out in the middle. However, despite how anything after could not have matched the intensity, the crowd wanted more. As they bowed to a thunderous applause, screams of “MORE!” and “Play another!” were the only decipherable phrases from the packed-in audience.
Next up on the Blue Comet mainstage, Cat Power (aka, Chan Marshall) held down a magnificent set to by far the largest crowd of the timeslot. Starting off with some mellow songs, the grounds around the stage steamed with skunky essence. Her soulful crooning led one fan to exclaiming that this was by far the best performance out of all of the many Cat Power shows that she has attended over the years.
Cat Power mentioned that it looks like the wind was blowing the rain away, but it was the fi
rst chord of Earl Greyhound that seemed to blow the clouds up and clear the sky for the first time on Sunday. Walking on stage in Sunday whites, the Brooklyn trio kicked it off with their biggest hit “S.O.S.” and did not let up until the end of the set. Showcasing five new songs (out of the nine song set – ten depending how you count), the band rocked the faces off of dedicated fans and newcomers alike. Some type of smoke machine added to the ambiance and mystique of the band, creating a psychedelic edge to the modernized glam feel and sound. Out of the new songs, two in particular stood out. The first (possibly titled “We Are”?) saw Kamara Thomas starting out at the keys, but repositioning back to her bass and spot next to Matt Whyte at the front of the stage in the middle of the song. The second, a slowed-down track with a beautiful jammed out portion in the begging featured the afro rocking beaut on vocals and a blues-enriched sound. Yet, all in all, the highlight of the set had to be the final combined song of “I’m the One/Monkey” (both tracks are off of Soft Targets). The psychedelic rendition full of tempo changes, allowed Whyte to bust open an intense guitar solo up at the front of the stage, while Thomas positioned behind with her bass held out perpindicular from her legs, ripped apart the strings, and drummer Ricc Sheridan pounded away on his custom set, leaving those watching gaping with mouths open. While Cat Power maintained her large crowd (starting 15 minutes earlier on the opposite side of the grounds), every single person watching Earl Greyhound relished with elation at how amazing they performed, seemingly emitting uncontrollable words of adoration.
Ben Harper stuck it through initial technical difficulties with much poise, joking “It’s all my fault. I’m the kinda guy, I walk into the room and your toaster breaks.” Everyone must’ve saved the little pot they snuck in for Ben and the Innocent Criminals, because by the end of his set everything. . . seemed. . . a little. . . slower.
As darkness set on Liberty State Park, Jack Johonson soon took the stage to close out the third and final day of All Points West…
Additional photos via WNEW.com…
Does anyone know what Cat Power’s setlist was?
Rodrigo and Gabriela are not siblings.
Whoops! Good catch ernie…