It’s finally Record Store Eve, everyone! The night in which, uh, Record Santa, throws records down a chimney — or something. While we can’t promise you a visit from some made-up record-slinging fat man, we can promise you that we’ve got another batch of big tunes from heavy hitters including Beach House, The Walkmen, and Hot Chip. So, sit tight, take a listen to these ten tracks, and keep the anticipation going for tomorrow’s big day.

-Adam Kivel
Senior Editor

A.Dd+ – “When Paris Smokes”

This feature’s obligatory 4/20 jam, “When Paris Smokes”, finds Dallas duo A.Dd+ weaving unsurprisingly impressive verses around the topic of Miss Mary Jane. It takes awhile for the track to really kick in, but when it does, Paris Pershun and Slim Gravy cast their early-Outkast-biting tendencies into something elegantly stoned; I can practically smell smoke seeping out of my speakers when it’s on. One issue, though: Shouldn’t these guys be referencing Nowitzki and Terry instead of Parker and Ginobili? -Mike Madden

Arctic Monkeys – “Electricity”

The B-side to Record Store Day single “R U Mine?”, “Electricity” blends dark pseudo-psychedelia with the umpteenth flaunt of Alex Turner’s melodic gifts. Neither the riffs nor the solos feel indulgent, and the track is a perfect example of the band’s currently manifesting maturation; there’s not much negative to say about the Monkeys’ compulsively listenable first few years, but the stuff they’ve been putting out lately has had the potential to satisfy much wider audiences. So you’ll be at your local mom-and-pop tomorrow, right? -Mike Madden

ASAP Rocky – “Goldie”

The first taste of ASAP’s forthcoming LongLiveASAP LP, “Goldie” was produced by “Niggas in Paris” sculptor Hit-Boy and bears no provincial sonic ties (unless you count the somewhat Houstonian chorus). Still, the Harlem native ASAP makes his own world out of the track, flexing his chameleonic flow throughout. Some of the brags and subject matter are rote, sure (“Call me Billy Gates, got a crib in every state“), but that doesn’t really matter when everything else is centered on a backdrop as luxuriating as this one. -Mike Madden

ASAP Rocky – “Goldie”

Beach House – “Lazuli”

This cut from Maryland dream poppers Beach House comes from their soon-to-be-released LP, Bloom (May 15, via Sub Pop), but it’s also one you can pick up on snazzy white vinyl for Record Store Day. It’s entirely possible to picture that 7″ slab spinning like a lost cloud as the chilly synths, lolling vocals, and marshy percussion waft away. There’s a hazy power to this track, hinting at what is one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the year. -Adam Kivel

Beck – “I Only Have Eyes for You”

Between producing LPs like Thurston Moore’s Demolished Thoughts and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks‘ Mirror Traffic, most of Beck’s recent musical output has been through helping others. However, that doesn’t mean dude hasn’t been willing to put out a song or two of his own. On “I Only Have Eyes for You”, a rendering of the Flamingos’ 1959 cover of the post-Tin Pan Alley classic, Beck waxes sweet and soulful atop steady piano plunks and crisp major guitar chords, not to mention the enveloping production. Finger-snapping is all but required. -Mike Madden

Doug Paisley – “Sad Sinner”

The extent of an acoustic singer-songwriter’s talent might best be determined by how willingly, and deftly, he or she embraces vulnerability. This is something Doug Paisley knows full well. On the countrified dirge “Sad Sinner”, the Toronto denizen recruits the likes of timeless mandolin and wistful fiddle to guide him through a lament on his faults and limits. Don’t expect too telling a glimpse into Paisley’s theology, but between the quietly melodious riffs and verses, the whole thing’s a small thrill. Paisley’s five-song Golden Embers EP, from which “Sad Sinner” comes, is out now on No Quarter. -Mike Madden

Doug Paisley – “Sad Sinner”

Hot Chip – “Night and Day”

London electro-poppers Hot Chip have been releasing critically well-received albums every two years, and 2012 doesn’t seem like it’s going to end that streak. “Night and Day” is the lead single from In Our Heads (due June 12 from Domino), the band’s fifth record. The plonky, smoky, synth-laden track seems made for a crowded dance floor. The syncopation and insistent rhythm flow by under Alexis Taylor’s deadpan lines. This track will find its way onto plenty of summer dance party mixes. -Adam Kivel

Major Lazer (Feat. Amber Coffman) – “Get Free”

It’s been three years since we’ve heard an LP from the production/DJ dream team of Diplo and Switch, and they’ve heralded their return in a big way. Not only did they release the first track from their as yet untitled upcoming LP, “Get Free” (which features Dirty Projector Amber Coffman), they’ve given a Bondo de Rolê remix and a sort of sing-along video to go along with it. Coffman’s working on the same sort of weirdo-soul kick as she did on “Stillness is the Move”, and the production is low-slung, even subdued, a strange but alluring change from these notorious party-starters. -Adam Kivel

Shmu – “House of Stares”

One half of Austin, TX psych-rockers Zorch, Sam Chown has developed his own singular voice under the name of Shmu. The multi-instrumentalist sounds at home on “House of Stares” despite its utter left-turn from the material of his other project. The groovy, bouncing rhythm (even including a lithe xylophone) makes for one jazzy, smooth track. Chown’s multi-layered pop sensibility sounds inspired by ’70s pop-rock, the song coming together to make a breezy jam for a sunny afternoon. -Adam Kivel

Shmu – “House of Stares”

The Walkmen – “Heaven”

The Walkmen have spent the last ten years seemingly on the cusp of being the biggest band in indie rock. They’ve done pretty much everything, including Harry Nilsson covers, bar-room stomp, and ripping indie rock. After all of that, though, they’re still rocking here on the title track to their soon-to-be-released 7th LP, Heaven (due June 5 from Fat Possum). The super-jangly guitars and kinetic vocals should make for a live staple, and a blast to hear recorded as well. -Adam Kivel

For Record Store Day (April 21st), Arctic Monkeys are releasing their new single “R U Mine?” on limited-edition 7″ purple vinyl. The B-Side, “Electricity”, is also brand new, and you can preview it below (via We All Want Someone To Shout For).

When I got there, though, I realized that, for many, Coachella is just another California party. Whereas I was going to surround myself with music and people who loved music, like I have done repeatedly at Bonnaroo for the past six years, many here were at Coachella, to, well, be at Coachella. There’s certainly nothing wrong with going somewhere for the sake of going somewhere, plus the added bonus of catching sets of music, but the Coachella experience definitely wasn’t all my pubescent dreams had longed for. I expected massive crowds of cultish fans going nuts for reformed acts like At the Drive-in, Refused, and Mazzy Star. I expected Radiohead heads to overtake the polo field and post up all day at the main-stage waiting for their beloved gods of rock to grace their eyes and ears. Maybe I was hoping for something that really doesn’t exist anywhere but in my head. Maybe I’m outgrowing the magic of festivals. Or maybe there simply were too many young, neon-clad partiers and not enough music-worshippers.

Photo by Ted Maider

For whatever reason, the music never felt as powerful as I would have expected it to, because, when it comes right down to it, for many sets, I felt alone in my excitement. I may be out of line here, but something about Coachella did not sit well with me. The music was great, the setting was phenomenal, I just wish my dreams weren’t so far from the reality. But I guess that’s the reality of high expectations, they can never be met.

I’ll never forget the unique experience of actually keeping an eye out for the Radiohead fanatics, and actually being able to get close for Jeff Mangum right before he started. In many ways, it kept the performances I wanted to see intimate, but in others, I wish I had a community to look on with. Because nobody goes to a festival just to see music, and sadly, for many here, that seemed to be only one of the fringe perks. Maybe Bonnaroo is my perfect festival after all.

Anyhow, here’s what we all saw.

-Drew Litowitz
Senior Staff Writer

Friday, April 13th

Photo by Ted Maider

Abe Vigoda – Gobi – 12:00 p.m.

Abe Vigoda’s tropical goth-rock was a perfect way to ease into the weekend’s festivities. Playing their subtle blend of dream pop, new wave, and doom-goth–a vaguely sunny take on Disintegration era Cure–the California natives sounded pretty good in front of the Gobi stage’s palm tree-lined backdrop. Crush’s “Repeating Angel” was a skittering, tribal romp basking in the desert sun, as Juan Velasquez’s low howl skittered atop the murky synth. -Drew Litowitz

Wolf Gang – Gobi – 1:00 p.m.

With a name like Wolf Gang, I decided to judge a band by its title and check these bros out. After all, I have been known to like a few indie groups with references to animals in their names (oftentimes wolves in particular). But instead of the strange Odd Future/Wolf Parade amalgamation stemming from the deepest, most twisted associative regions of my brain, the roles of Spencer Krug and Tyler, The Creator were swapped out for the sort of standard British pop-singing and songwriting you rarely see performed outside of rom-coms starring Hugh Grant as a washed-up former pop singer. Dude even wore a thin black scarf and a matching vest! In other words, this was not my cup of hot beverage. -Drew Litowitz

Other Lives – Gobi – 2:05 p.m.

Other Lives was one of the most pleasant surprises of the festival weekend. Their show was sort of like what would happen if Talk Talk was part of the Canterbury Folk scene, and Thom Yorke gave Mark Hollis a few singing lessons. (To be clear, frontman Jesse Tabish sounded nothing like Mark Hollis, but for the sake of my stupid comparison to Talk Talk’s instrumentation, let’s just say Mark Hollis started singing like a folkier Thom Yorke mixed with Bowerbirds’ Phil Moore and it ended up sounding like this). And since Other Lives opened for Radiohead on the first leg of their North American tour, Yorke may in fact have given the guy singing lessons. Aside from Tabish’s vocals, though, dissonant strings, brass swells, churning acoustic guitar, and heavy piano made for a set filled with fluttering, grandiose “post-folk” explosions. Subtle, elegant, and ultimately, unhinged. -Drew Litowitz

Kendrick Lamar – Coachella – 2:40 p.m. 

Photo by Ted Maider

It’s hard enough to win over a crowd of anxious festival goers, and even harder when it’s raining and said festival goers have just endured hours of ridiculously long lines, parking, and a seemingly endless series of security checkpoints. But Kendrick Lamar made it look easy, drawing the first real crowd of the afternoon with his sharp flow and huge stage presence. Kicking off with a couple of verses from “Buried Alive”, his feature on Drake’s Take Care, Lamar managed to keep the audience engaged even as he stuck almost exclusively to tracks off of his forthcoming Dre-approved LP, before ending with “Rigamortis” and “Hiiipower”, two highlights off of last year’s Section.80. -Möhammad Choudhery

Jimmy Cliff and Tim Armstrong – Coachella – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

One of Jimmy Cliff’s most renown songs is a cover of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now”, a classic that digresses on rain clouds clearing and people’s situations improving for the best. Given Friday’s downpour, it felt like the wrong moment for a reggae star to sing such a track. Still, it didn’t matter though. If anybody could make people smile, it was Cliff, accompanied by punk legend Tim Armstrong, as they played a handful of reggae jams to try and brighten up the crowd. Cliff was lively on stage, while he danced charismatically and belted out tracks like “Vietnam” and Armstrong’s “Ruby Soho”, which had everyone dancing and looking past the rain. Shortly after his set ended, however, the clouds parted and Coachella returned to its normal state. Something tells me Cliff was behind the weather all along. -Ted Maider

Death Grips – Gobi – 5:45 p.m.

Minutes before the rest of Death Grips took the stage, Zach Hill’s drum soundcheck proved more than enough to inspire the first mosh pit of their set. And once they actually got to playing, it was clear that it’d hardly be the last. Frontman Stefan Burnett cut a downright terrifying figure onstage as he bellowed his way through “Beware” and “Spread Eagle Cross the Block”, both off the group’s first mixtape, the latter of which finds Burnett beasting over Link Wray’s surf-rock classic “Rumble”. New tracks “Lost Boys” and “I’ve Seen Footage” were met with raucous circle-pitting, as was the menacing “Guillotine”, which saw the audience attempt to shout along with Burnett’s half-intelligible shouts. In a way unlike any other act in recent memory, Death Grips fuses the blunt candor of hardcore punk with ferocious, low-slung hip-hop stylings that somehow caught the ear of Epic Records. To their credit, this marriage of ideologies works both on record and on-stage. -Möhammad Choudhery

Arctic Monkeys – Coachella – 6:30 p.m.

The last time they played Coachella, back in 2007, the Arctic Monkeys had just released their second album and were still being dismissed by many as just another NME-championed guitar boyband soon to go the way of the Fratellis, the Libertines, etc. Five years and two very solid albums later, they made their triumphant return to Coachella’s Main Stage, blasting through a greatest hits set that touched on all the best points of their catalog. Alex Turner has developed into one of the finest frontmen around in the years since then, cracking jokes in his dry Sheffield accent and leading his band through hits old and new with all the cocksure swagger and strut of a bonafide rockstar. Fan favorites “Still Take You Home” and “Pretty Visitors” were delivered with blistering precision, as was “R U Mine?”, one of two new songs the band played, whose thunderous groove nods heavily to tourmates and new chums the Black Keys. -Möhammad Choudhery

WU LYF – Gobi – 7:00 p.m.

The lead-up to WU LYF’s evening set was one of the most ridiculous of the weekend. Coachella’s few, proud young-alts packed themselves nicely into the Gobi tent to literally worship the vaguely enigmatic Manchester quartet. I mean, people were chanting “WU LYF” and shouting out “I’ll love you forever!” for a good ten minutes before the guys even came out to play. I really had no idea people were this apeshit over WU LYF up until this point. Shows how much I know. Throughout a set of bombastic, post-rocky pop, self-described by the group as “Heavy Pop”, I was awed by how gravely Ellery Roberts” voice actually was, especially in the live setting. Dude makes Tom Waits sound like Michael Jackson with minor laryngitis. His onstage banter was almost incomprehensible, too, since he even talks like he just swallowed a whole bucket of glass shards. “LYF” and “Heavy Pop” went over great, but the true highlight was probably when Roberts alluded to Kanye West’s “So Appalled” chanting “It’s like that sometimes man ridiculous” for seemingly no reason. Fine by me. After all, “We Bros”. And if we weren’t prior, we certainly are now. -Drew Litowitz

Pulp – Coachella – 7:50 p.m.

Pulp’s Coachella set was hilarious, fun, and exciting. No surprises there. But the relatively small crowd was a tad unsettling. It’s not like this was one of the first of the few U.S. performances this fairly popular band has played in nearly a decade, or anything. ANYHOW, before the band even entered, for a good ten minutes, Pulp’s deliberately overwrought “scrolling questions” introduction set the scene for a lighthearted, nostalgic jaunt through the band’s discography. Featuring green scrolling text operated by a seemingly arrogant, apologetic, insecure, and self-conscious, charmingly British computer, the ten-minute introduction certainly kept the crowd restless, with a seemingly never-ending string of ridiculous questions and commentary. But when Cocker and co. finally emerged, fans were promptly served a plate of the classic arty Brit-pop they anticipated.

With his captivating brand of British wit and his overtly sexual demeanor, Cocker played the role of sex-crazed ringmaster, momentarily turning Coachella’s main stage into Cirque du Pulp. Cocker even offered up grapes (yes, the man was eating grapes on stage) to the crowd, breaking down whatever fourth wall there could have been in a set during which the guy basically talked us through his sexual existence from beginning to present, from hiding in a wardrobe watching two people get it on, to eventually “Doing it for [himself] and entering the adult world,” (“Do You Remember the First Time?”). He even apologized for the band’s slightly slim set with a well-timed innuendo, “I’m usually great with timing, just ask my girlfriend.”

As for the particulars, obviously, “Disco 2000″ and “F.E.E.L.I.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E” hit pretty hard, and “Common People” was exactly the sort of “penetration” Cocker told us it would be. “I know we’ve only just gotten to know each other, and I’m sorry, but now I’m going to have to penetrate you,” he warned. Soon enough, Cocker’s ice cold “Ahs” and sensual whispers climaxed into the song’s yelped appeal for low-class monotony. As promised, we were all fucked. -Drew Litowitz

Frank Ocean – Gobi – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Mystery surrounded Frank Ocean’s debut solo performance at Coachella: Was he going to play tracks off his mixtape, last year’s Nostalgia, Ultra? How many songs could he actually do live? Were other members of Odd Future going to show up?  All of these questions were answered in a very awkward set on Friday. Frank Ocean’s band strolled out in welding masks about 15 minutes late and tipped off the set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Long Time Gone”. Throughout, Ocean kept cutting off his band, and it appeared as if nobody on stage really had an idea of what was going on. In hindsight, the only things that saved the show were Ocean’s fantastic vocals, which plucked all the right heartstrings when they were on, and a surprise appearance by Tyler, the Creator for “Analog 2”. -Ted Maider

The Rapture – Mojave – 8:45 p.m.

Still fresh off the release of last year’s In the Grace of Your Love, New York City natives The Rapture turned in a typically strong performance Friday night, with their blend of ’70s-era disco and spiked dance-punk making for one of the most assuredly crowd-friendly performances of the evening. Frontman/guitarist Luke Jenner was in top form, showcasing his pipes on the sax-infused “How Deep is Your Love”, in between digging into the band’s catalog for “Whoo! Alright, Yeah! Uh Huh.” and the obvious crowd favorite “House of Jealous Lovers”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Mazzy Star – Outdoor – 8:50 p.m.

It makes sense for a band that’s been defunct for about a decade to be a little rusty, but I also expect that same band to rehearse some of the corrosion away before returning to the stage of a major U.S. festical. Unfortunately, Mazzy Star’s Friday night set was a rickety, psychedelic mess. “She sings off key the whole time,” said one guy I talked to afterward. I personally found the band hopelessly in search for a psychedelic looseness, so much so that there wasn’t much for the audience to latch onto. The percussion was slightly out of time, the slide guitars squealed and bent aimlessly, Hope Sendoval’s voice wasn’t really even all that powerful or haunting. Sure, “Fade into You” peaked the crowd’s interest, and to be fair, the song’s sliding guitar melody aligned perfectly with its gorgeous chorus. But for such a draw as a reunited Mazzy Star, the set’s weaknesses were jarring. Certainly one of the weekend’s most disappointing sets. -Drew Litowitz

M83 – Mojave – 10:15 p.m.

Even the Black Keys and Explosions in the Sky couldn’t keep one of the largest crowds of the weekend from packing into the Mojave tent for M83 just after ten on Friday night. Anticipation built as the lights flickered off and on and the band’s soundcheck went 20 minutes over schedule. Hardly a soul left before Anthony Gonzalez finally took the stage, who was followed closely by bandmates Pierre Maulni and Morgan Kibby, and the collective wasted no time breaking into “Intro”, the gorgeous Zola Jesus-featuring first track off of last year’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. M83′s set mostly consisted of tracks off that album, with the group’s ubiquitous hit “Midnight City” making for one of the most unforgettable moments all weekend. Though fan favorite “Kim & Jessie” was conspicuously absent from their setlist, M83 more than made up for it with killer renditions of “Couleurs” and Daft Punk’s “Fall”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Refused – Outdoor – 11:20 p.m.

Photo by Frazer Harrison // Getty Images

When all is said and done, Refused was one of Coachella’s defining moments. I’ll go out on a limb and say that, barring the almighty Radiohead and the absolute absurdity that was Dre and Snoop’s set, Refused’s late-night Friday set was the true highlight of the entire event. That’s saying a lot for a guy who a) is not all that crazy about punk to begin with (even post-modern punk) and b) is not too familiar with Refused’s recorded output, outside of listening to The Shape of Punk to Come a few times. The band was so intense and involved, they felt as vital as they must have been back when they were consistently touring. These highly complex, thoughtful songs were executed with a more than healthy dose of intensity, really exuding the sort of self-aware, agnostic vigor that made them popular to begin with. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the band had always wanted to do The Shape of Punk to Come justice in concert because they never had a lot of time to promote it.

Frontman Dennis Lyxzén proved to be Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s true godfather, throwing his mic stand to the sky and catching it mid-air without giving his lungs any rest. Lyxzén even appeared to experience an on-stage epiphany, relentlessly appreciative of the crowd that came to watch a “group of Swedish dudes yell” and play songs over a decade old. “Stay curious,” he preached, “and don’t let boredom get you.” He was honestly, and overtly, thankful that Goldenvoice persuaded Refused to join the party in the desert. It was refreshing to see a band so consumed by their own songs. I couldn’t get “We want the airwaves back!” out of my head for the remainder of the festival. -Drew Litowitz

Saturday, April 14th

Photo by Ted Maider

Destroyer – Outdoor – 2:30 p.m.

I’d be hard-pressed to find a less enthusiastic frontman than Dan Bejar. It’s as if the dude is unwillingly being sent on an early morning Sunday school field trip with the lamest kids in his class. He’s almost never looking at the crowd. He sings like he just downed a pint of NyQuil, but then realized he had a show to do. That being said, somehow it’s not a total bore to watch Destroyer. This lackadaisical performing style actually suits Bejar’s ambivalent songs of artistic isolation. It’d be nice to see some enthusiasm, though, to feel like Bejar actually wants to be there, but I guess we just have to make do with the distance. Opening with “Rubies” got the crowd pretty excited, and a slow-burning “Bay of Pigs” closed out a set that was as dazed out as its removed frontman. -Drew Litowitz

Azealia Banks – Gobi – 2:50 p.m.

As one of the most buzzed-about acts of 2012, 20-year-old Harlem rapper Azealia Banks certainly had a lot riding on her early afternoon Coachella set. And though initial technical difficulties and a very early end (perhaps due to her lack of material; her debut EP was just delayed this week, in fact), Banks turned in what was arguably the breakout performance of the weekend, displaying a remarkably captivating stage presence that makes it hard to believe that this was one of her first live performances to date. Even as she delivered some of the downright filthiest lyrics of any performer this weekend (the refrain to her hit “212″ goes “I guess that cunt gettin’ eaten”), Banks was all smiles in a purple wig and black and white spandex. She saved the best for last, throwing down a searing surprise cover of the Prodigy’s “Firestarter” teasing the aforementioned “212″ before breaking into its first verse with the help of nearly everyone else packed into the Gobi tent. Banks was visibly choked up mid-verse when she realized this, but managed to finish the track off a high note. Though her set lasted a mere 25 minutes, the intense energy she brought to the stage and the promise displayed in the few tunes she did play ensure that the next time she plays Coachella, it’ll be for real. -Möhammad Choudhery

Childish Gambino – Coachella – 2:50 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Donald Glover just oozes with talent. When he’s not hosting fictional morning talk shows as Troy Barnes, the dense jock on NBC’s Community, he’s tearing up stages on tour as Childish Gambino. But similar to his acting gigs, Glover takes the Gambino persona to another level, and seamlessly blends the best of both worlds on-stage. For the Hollywood-glazed crowd at Coachella, Gambino, despite a broken foot, delivered the goods, complete with an intense sing-along rendition of “Bonfire” and a crowd-erupting cut of “You See Me”. Nothing could top the surprising uppercut of “You Know Me”, however, which featured dynamite appearances by Danny Brown and Kendrick Lamar, who hopped alongside Glover to equal fervor. Whether he’s Troy Barnes, or Childish Gambino, Glover’s remains one of the most interesting characters in the rap game these days. -Ted Maider

The Big Pink – Mojave – 3:25 p.m.

Despite coming off a decidedly disappointing sophomore effort, this year’s Future This, Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze had no issue tearing up the Mojave tent Saturday afternoon. The duo, joined onstage by drummer Akiko Matsuura and Leopold Ross on bass, leaned heavily on their most recent effort, with noisy pop jams “Hit the Ground” and “Rubbernecking” sounding endlessly better live than they did in headphones. Beginning their set to a half-full tent with Future This‘ lead single “Stay Gold”, the crowd seemed to grow with each successive song, with “Dominos” – a highlight off of the Big Pink’s debut A Brief History of Love – warranting the loudest cheers of their set. -Möhammad Choudhery

fIREHOSE – Gobi – 4:00 p.m.

Mike Watt looks exactly how you’d expect anybody from a seminal 80′s post-punk slacker band to look 20-some years later: like a slob. He has not aged particularly well. On top of that, he’s hard to comprehend. I tried to understand any of his between song banter, but he talked like he was coughing up dust. On the other hand, his bass playing, the actual thing I should be reviewing, was as astounding as it should be. His unique blend of punk-funk rhythm was exciting to watch. Some of the songs felt more like an excuse to pack as much frenetic, technical punk instrumentation in as possible, but no complaints there. -Drew Litowitz

Laura Marling – Gobi – 6:30 p.m.

All I can say is Marling did her best to not let the blasting bass bleeding into the Gobi tent get to her head, but it certainly got to mine. Her precious folk couldn’t stand against the overwhelming low-end if it tried, which it did. I cut out after about two songs, which I could barely make out over the noise. -Drew Litowitz

Jeff Mangum – Outdoor – 7:20 p.m.

I’ve now seen Jeff Mangum a total of four times, and, for better or for worse, almost nothing changes from show to show. His crazed, emotive performances are consistently on-point. For whatever reason (really, it is so unclear as to why Mangum is doing this again, but I’m not complaining) Mangum delivers the songs his fans have been mulling over since 1998 with an unmistakable earnestness and sincerity. His Coachella set was no different. (Though palm trees swaying behind the always awkward Magum was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.) Mangum smiled uncomfortably at outwardly doting fans in between wide-eye, crazed yelps about ashes falling from the sky.

In other words, it was as mind-blowing as any single man playing simple chord structures and singing over them could possibly be. The true surprise, though, was that Milk Hotel’s Santa-esque Scott Spilane and a slew of brass and accordion players made several appearances throughout the set. They came out to play “The Fool” and added the distinctive horns to “In the Aeroplane over the Sea”, which was an unexpected delight. Mangum looked like he hadn’t seen the sun in years, so I’m hoping somebody lathered him up with some SPF 80. -Drew Litowitz

St. Vincent – Gobi – 7:45 p.m.

Led by the ridiculously charming Annie Clark, St. Vincent deftly handled the unlucky fate of having to compete for a crowd against the Shins and a recently resurrected Jeff Mangum, even arguably coming out on top, with the gathered crowd stretching far past the Gobi Tent’s wings and back. The audience erupted when Clark broke out a theremin on opener “Northern Lights”, though the loudest cheers definitely came as she introduced “Cruel” by describing the plot of its music video. Clark’s angular guitar riffage took center stage for most of the set, with standouts including “Cheerleader” and new song “Krokodil”, which saw her temporarily ditch her axe for a bit of crowdsurfing. -Möhammad Choudhery

Flying Lotus – Gobi – 9:00 p.m.

L.A. resident Flying Lotus is hardly a stranger to the Polo Fields, having played three of the last four Coachellas. His stock as a performer has never been higher though; in the time since his lauded 2010 set, his Brainfeeder imprint has grown into one of the most respected labels in the country and he’s since collaborated with artists as diverse as Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu. His Saturday night set, which consisted largely of material from his forthcoming fourth LP, at Coachella’s Gobi Tent was easily one of the best performances of the weekend, exhibiting just how far he continues to stretch the limits of hip-hop and IDM to fit his singular musical vision. An array of Lotus’ famous fans – who ranged from Odd Future affiliate Earl Sweatshirt and Brainfeeder standout Thundercat to Dr. Dre himself – watched from the wings as Lotus had visible trouble containing his excitement. In between premiering new material, most of which sounds light-years from the space-jazz beat odyssey that was 2010’s Cosmogramma, Flying Lotus dropped a series of assured crowd-pleasing bangers, with “Yonkers”, “Hard in da Paint” and “Niggas in Paris”, all of which got the audience very riled up, though in his typically capricious style, nothing he played all night overstayed its welcome. -Möhammad Choudhery

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Mojave – 10:00 p.m.

One of the most hotly anticipated acts of the weekend, Godspeed You! Black Emperor faced the unfortunate fate of sharing a timeslot with David Guetta, Bon Iver, and the half-hour before Radiohead’s set, a fact that meant few would relinquish their vantage point at the main stage for a chance to see the Canadian post-rock titans, but the 20-or-so people who did make their way over to the Mojave Tent for their set were treated to a performance for the ages. Muted applause greeted the band, who took the stage and barely acknowledged the audience, turning instead to form a half-circle facing one another before breaking into the quiet meditative drone of “Albanian”, an unreleased track the band often begin their live shows with. “Albanian” was followed by “Gathering Storm”, the opening movement off of the band’s hallowed 2000 album Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven.

Even as they battled noise bleeding over from David Guetta’s set over at the nearby Sahara Tent, the nine-piece band packed their every note with the riveting intensity that’s synonymous with their name. The spine-chilling evangelical minister ramblings that hark the start of “Chart #3″ quickly gave way to contemplative violin and a fragile, arpeggiated guitar line that swelled gradually into a mighty grand finale. Even as they only managed to fit three of their songs into their allotted timeslot, Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s first major American festival appearance to date proved a resounding success. -Möhammad Choudhery

Radiohead – Coachella – 11:05 p.m.

Photo by Wendy Redfern // Getty Images

On Saturday night, Radiohead returned to Coachella for the first time in eight years. It was a refreshingly familiar set from a band that’s made a business of challenging its fans, ushering them through fields of radio friendly grunge-rock, high-anxiety prog-rock, alienated balladry, prickly IDM, and finally, through the dub-infected rhythmic kaleidoscopes of The King of Limbs. So much has happened in the vast Radiohead landscape since their first trip to Indio, it was hard to know what moves they would bust out when they finally took the stage. Ultimately, though, Yorke and his cronies (including new addition Clive Deamer assisting with percussion) delivered a cohesive set that balanced new material with old (though, only going back as far as OK Computer). The band was loose, energized, and clearly happy to be back.

“Bloom” started things off right, with Jonny Greenwood perched atop a miniature drum set, pounding two oversized snares in syncopated bursts with all he had, cutting straight into Phil Selway and Clive Deamer’s dueling rhythms. The rhythms cracked, skittered, and splintered, creating a sound resembling a pop song being ripped apart by a menacing force, all in its own perfect time. During an explosive “Lotus Flower”, Yorke was at his danciest, raising his arms with his signature, possessed jitter. Select old staples were injected with Deamer’s auxiliary percussion, adding a frenetic flavor to songs with relatively straightforward rhythms. In a set that featured three OK Computer selections (“Karma Police”, “Lucky”, and “Paranoid Android”), three Hail to the Thief cuts (“The Gloaming”, “There There”, and “Myxomatosis”), and two songs off of Kid A, “Everything in its Right Place” proved to be the set’s real gift. In his own subtle dedication to the state of California, Yorke opened by playing a few verses of Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush” on keyboard, before jumping into a decked out version of the meditative live fixture. Deamer’s dubbed-out propulsion felt right at home here, making a decade old composition feel almost completely anew.

Though they played for nearly two-hours, with a light show consisting of formation morphing screens and glass bottle LED lights, exploding in red, blue, and green, nobody there wanted it to end. And who could blame them? -Drew Litowitz

Sunday, April 15th

Photo by Ted Maider

Metronomy – Outdoor – 2:00 p.m.

Metronomy’s minimal synth-pop was yet another pleasant surprise this weekend. Songs began subtly and elegantly before exploding synthesizers and minute drumming brought them above the minimalistic surface. These disco and funk-laden indie pop songs were a great way to start off the weekend’s final day. -Drew Litowitz

Greg Ginn and the Royal We – Gobi – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

I honestly thought Greg Ginn was sound checking for a good three minutes before I realized he had actually started his set. This was a very sorry excuse for a performance, and felt like the guitarist of Black Flag dicking around with a loop pedal, a theremin, and, oh yeah, a guitar for as long as I could put up with it. Seriously, dude, you could do this shit in your garage, but I don’t want no part of it. -Drew Litowitz

Real Estate – Gobi – 4:10 p.m.

Real Estate’s suburban guitar rock fit in so well with the Coachella atmosphere, I almost forgot they hailed from New Jersey. They looked real good in front of Palm Trees/ “It’s Real” had the entire crowd chanting along with its wordless chorus, while “Green Aisles” was as nostalgically heartbreaking as on record. The band’s atmospheric guitar rock was so perfect in the Indio sun, I never wanted it to end. Neither did the band, evidently, slowing the set’s final song to a lurking crawl, its ringing picking patterns drifting through the Sunday heat. -Drew Litowitz

Porter Robinson – Sahara – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Porter Robinson is 19 years old and already DJing in the biggest venues around the nation. What the hell were you doing at 19? I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of dub-step, but when people told me about Robinson’s “shit-show rave” at Oakland’s Fox Theater, he seemed like a safe bet for a good time in the Sahara. Porter Robinson spun everything from his own hits like “Unison”, to tracks from today’s contenders (deadmau5’s “Animal Rights” to name one). What was the crowd reaction like? Girls were mounted on shoulders all throughout the Sahara, and a circle pit formed that spanned a radius of roughly 40 feet. These moshing ravers were not messing around, either. One could have thought they stumbled into a Refused crowd as the fans pummeled each other and tossed inflatables in the air. And all the while, Robinson stood up there mixing, grinning, and slaughtering it. -Ted Maider

The Weeknd – Outdoor – 6:55 p.m.

Photo by Frazer Harrison // Getty Images

With little more than a trio of acclaimed mixtapes and a handful of high-profile collaborations under his belt, Abel Tesfaye has spent the last year developing into one of the most compelling musicians around. For his first-ever gig on American soil and third live performance to date, he tore through a 13 song set in front of one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Tesfaye’s notably disturbed lyrics, which consist largely of harrowing accounts of depraved sex and drug abuse, were delivered without a hint of irony and in the same pitch-perfect croon he sings with on record. Meanwhile, the five-piece live band provided an apt backdrop to his stellar vocal performance, alternatively electric (an uproarious take on Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”) and delicate (on the downright heartbreaking, all-acoustic rendition of “Wicked Games” that closed out the Weeknd’s set) at all the right points. By the end of their hour-long set, Tesfaye and his band had very much warranted every shred of hype that’s been circling Tesfaye since last year’s House of Balloons mixtape surfaced online. -Möhammad Choudhery

At The Drive-In – Coachella – 9:10 p.m.

Photo by Kevin Winter // Getty Images

Perhaps the most awaited of the myriad reunions and first-time appearances to be found at Coachella 2012, At the Drive-In’s subheadlining slot Sunday night is one that’s been “in the works”, rumored, and otherwise heatedly anticipated for so long that I didn’t quite believe it was actually happening until I saw Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s massive curly coif onstage. The audience erupted when they broke right into “Arcarsenal”, followed closely by a searing take on “Pattern Against User”. The rhythm section of Paul Hinojos and Tony Hajjar, on bass and drums respectively, moved like a well-oiled beast of their own alongside the blistering twin guitar attack of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jim Ward, whose finest moment came during the crashing climax of “Napoleon Solo”. While their criminally short nine-song set hardly did justice to their immense catalog nor did it even begin to make up for the ten years of lost time since they disbanded, At the Drive?In’s tremendous performance Sunday night ensured that even if these guys never cut another album, their legacy is as intact as ever. -Möhammad Choudhery

Modeselektor – Mojave – 9:45 p.m.

In a rare West Coast appearance (their first in almost two years), German electro-duo Modeselektor closed out Coachella’s Mojave Tent with a brilliant performance that showcased why they’re regarded as one of the best live acts in electronic music today. Known for blending crafty IDM with their own distinctly glitchy take on hip-hop, Modeselektor’s set consisted largely of material from last year’s Monkeytown. Whispers of a guest appearance from noted super-fan/frequent collaborator Thom Yorke pervaded the performance all the way till its end, but those anxiously anticipating the arrival of Mr. Yorke sorta got what they wanted, in the form of Modeselektor’s epic rework of “Morning Mr Magpie”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – Coachella – 10:35 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Polk // Getty Images

You know how there are all these videos of The Beatles arriving in America to girls screaming uncontrollably? A slightly similar scene erupted when the 75,000 festivalgoers in attendance caught a glimpse of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg arriving at the Coachella main stage. Without missing a beat, the two immediately launched into past hit “The Next Episode” and the chronic smoke engulfed the crowd. Everybody sang each word, and hardly a soul stopped floating the entire time.

As expected, the two legends brought out an entire entourage of guests, which only added another level of excitement. Kendrick Lamar had already announced his guest spot earlier in the weekend, and performed his new cut, “The Recipe”, alongside Dre; Wiz Khalifa showed up for a “session” with Snoop, Eminem made a triumphant appearance, the highlight of which was “Forgot About Dre”; and 50 Cent looked back on his career over three tracks (“Wanksta,” “P.I.M.P.” and “In Da Club”). Of course, everybody was most excited for the holographic resurrection of Tupac Shakur, who performed “Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” alongside an equally surprised Snoop. Everything about this spectacle of a performance was surreal, if not just downright mesmerizing.

In the end, however, a few things didn’t make sense. For one, the set lacked much love for Dre’s landmark LP, The Chronic, and most of the time he stalked the stage in silence, leaving the spotlight instead for Snoop and their guests. Some might argue that was to be expected; after all, the producer has kept behind the scenes for the majority of the past decade. With that in mind, it’s best to take this set as Dre’s idea of a West coast party, and considering the thousands who remained ’til the end, he’s still keeping their heads ringing. -Ted Maider

Gallery

Photographer: Ted Maider, Summer Dunsmore

[nggallery id=353]

Day one of weekend one of Coachella 2012 is in the books, and you can replay full performances by Pulp, Frank Ocean, and Arctic Monkeys below. Pulp played an hour-long set, closing with a particularly epic back-to-back-to-back performance of “This is Hardcore”, “Sunrise”, and “Common People”. Ocean began his set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Long Time Gone” and was later joined by Tyler, the Creator for “Analog 2″. Arctic Monkeys played a career-spanning set, ending with a performance of their new single, “R U Mine?”.

In addition, watch Refused  perform “Liberation Frequency” and “New Noise”. Update: Audio of Refused’s full set is streaming at Daily Motion.

Last night, late night TV was chock full of big name talent making their way to Coachella. Arctic Monkeys appeared on Conan, where they performed their new single, “R U Mine?”. On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Shins showcased “Simple Song” and “The Rifle’s Spiral” from their recently released LP, Port of Morrow. (They also took some time to film a Coachella survival guide.) Leslie Feist tackled Metals‘s “The Bad in Each Other” on Leno. And, over on Letterman, Alabama Shakes ripped through “Hold On” from their debut LP, Boys & Girls. Watch video replays of all four performances below, courtesy of The Audio Perv.

Arctic Monkeys – “R U Mine?”:

The Shins – “Simple Song”:

The Shins – “The Rifle’s Spiral”:

The Shins’ Coachella Survival Guide:

Feist – “The Bad in Each Other”:

Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”:

Last night, The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys played their second show in a month at Madison Square Garden due to overwhelming demand. Hot on the heels of last year’s critically acclaimed El Camino and Suck It And See, respectively, the two bands- who seemed pleased to be back- put on blinding light and sound shows worthy of a victory lap. Arctic Monkeys opened the show with “Brianstorm”, frontman Alex Turner setting off head-banging singalongs in the VIP section when he mugged for the microphone and strutted his stuff on stage. The Black Keys followed dramatic suit, projecting real-time images of their performing selves on giant screens behind them as they blasted through newer tracks like “Dead and Gone” and “Run Right Back”. If you couldn’t snag tickets for either show, check out photos from the concert below.

[nggallery id=340]

Domino Records and its subsidiary Ribbon Music have four releases on tap for Record Store Day 2012, highlighted by new music from Animal Collective and Arctic Monkeys.

AnCo’s Tranverse Temporary Gyrus 12″ complies original tracks and live recordings made for and performed at a unique performance as part of an installation by Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in March 2010. The vinyl comes with an exclusive 24 x 36 foldout poster.

As for the Monkeys, they’re releasing their single “R U Mine?” on limited heavyweight purple 7″ vinyl. The b-side is a brand new track called “Electricity”.

Domino and Ribbon will also release new 7″ singles from singer-songwriters Laura Marling and Caitlin Rose. The former’s single packs “Flicker and Fall” b/w a previously unreleased track called “To Be A Woman”. Rose’s single features covers of Alex Turner’s “Piledriver Waltz” and Arctic Monkeys’ “Love Is A Laserquest”.

Also, as previously reported, Domino and Ribbon are releasing a zine for Record Store Day. Entitled Smugglers Way, the publication packs 24 pages of original art and prose from each label’s artists, as well as five individual, multi-colored flexi discs of unreleased music from Dirty Projectors, Real Estate, Cass McCombs, and more.

With Coachella 2012 taking place over two weekends, a number of the festival’s bands will spend the days in between performing sideshows. Presented by the festival’s promoter, GoldenVoice, the docket includes Bon Iver, Jeff Mangum, Pulp, Refused, M83, St. Vincent and tUnE-yArDs, Arctic Monkeys, Madness, Miike Snow, The Horrors, ASAP Rocky, and more. The full schedule is available in poster form above, and ticketing information for each show can be found on the GoldenVoice’s website.

Arctic Monkeys have unleashed a brand new standalone single, entitled “R U Mine?”, along with its corresponding music video. Check it out below.

You might be hearing this on the band’s upcoming tour with The Black Keys, which starts this week.

Photo by Robert Kidd

Following in the footsteps of Dave Matthews Band, Metallica will stage their very own music festival in Atlantic City this summer. Set for June 23-24th at Bader Field, the Orion Music + More festival will feature 22 hand-picked acts, with Metallica headlining each night. The metal legends promise “special setlists,” including full performances of The Black Album and Ride The Lightning.

Joining Metallica will be a rather indie-centric batch of acts, including Arctic Monkeys, Modest Mouse, Fucked Up, The Gaslight Anthem, Best Coast, Titus Andronicus, Cage the Elephant, A Place to Bury Strangers, Roky Erickson, The Black Angels, Hot Snakes, and Gary Clark Jr. On the metal side, The Sword, Liturgy, and Avenged Sevenfold will also play. Unfortunately, Lou Reed is in Europe that weekend.

A Metallica Met Club pre-sale begins Friday, February 8th, with a public on-sale following on February 11th. Visit the festival’s website for more information.

What: Arctic Monkeys unveil the music video for the Richard Hawley-featuring Suck It And See b-side “You And I”. The “Black Treacle” b/w “You and I” 7″ is in stores today via Domino Records.

“Black Treacle” is the next single off Arctic Monkeys’ Suck It and See LP, and it comes backed by a collaborative track called “You & I” featuring Britpop superstar Richard Hawley on vocals. Give it a listen below (via We All Want Someone To Shout For).

The 7″ vinyl is out February 21st via Domino Records. “Black Treacle”‘s music video is available below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Arctic Monkeys 2012 Tour Dates:
01/28 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau St Jordi
01/31 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
02/01 – Lille, FR @ Le Zenith
02/03 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
02/04 – Paris, FR @ Zenith
02/06 – Toulouse, FR @ Zenith
02/07 – Caen, FR @ Zenith
02/08 – Metz, FR @ Les Arenas
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *
03/24 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Arena *
03/28 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
03/31-04/01 – Santiago, CL @ Lollapalooza Chile
04/04 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Quilmes Rock
04/07-08 – Sao Paolo, BR @ Lollapalooza Brazil
04/13 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/20 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion *
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena *
04/28 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
04/30 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
05/02 – W. Valley City, UY @ Maverik Center *
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
05/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Powerbalance Pavilion *
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
05/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
05/11 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
05/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
05/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
05/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center *

* = w/ The Black Keys

Other notables include St. Vincent, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Justice, Mazzy Star, M83, Explosions in the Sky, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Destroyer, Cat Power, Madness, SBTRKT, Beirut, Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow, fIREHOSE, Miike Snow, The Rapture, M. Ward, Jimmy Cliff with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, The Horrors, Buzzcocks, James, EMA, Girls, tUnE-yArDs, and more.

The lineup also packs Wild Flag, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Neon Indian, Santigold, Modeselektor, The Big Pink, Wu Lyf, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Head and the Heart, Laura Marling, Company Flow, AraabMUZIK, Kaskade, Le Butcherettes, Real Estate, Wild Beasts, La Roux, Thundercat, Azealia Banks, Kasabian, Goyte, Manchester Orchestra, Black Lips, Atari Teenage Riot, and more. Check out the full lineup below or at our Festival Outlook.

Update: Tickets go on sale Friday, January 13th at 10:00 AM PT. According to Pop & Hiss, three-day passes are $285, three-day with shuttle are $335, and VIP are $665.

Photo by Colin Athens

Pulp will deliver their first U.S. performance in over 13 years at this year’s Coachella Music Festival, the band has confirmed on its website. They’ll appear both weekends, playing slots on April 13th and April 20th, respectively.

A formal lineup announcement is forthcoming, but expected sometime this week. However, the festival has already confirmed a number of acts via its social networking platforms, including The Weeknd, AraabMUZIK, Azealia Banks, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse de Racket. In addition, James frontman Tim Booth has self-confirmed appearances for both his band as well as Arctic Monkeys. Check out a complete list of lineup news and rumors at our Festival Outlook.

Coachella 2012 runs April 13-15th and April 20-22nd at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California. Ticketing information is also still forthcoming.

The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys have added a second leg to their joint North American tour. Spanning 16 dates, the leg kicks off in Houston on April 24th and wraps in Milwaukee on May 16th. Tickets for these shows go on sale Friday, January 13th, except for Seattle (Jan. 20th) and Denver (Jan. 21st).

You can find both bands’ upcoming tour schedules below, along with Arctic Monkeys’ new video for “Black Treacle” from their LP Suck It and See.

The Black Keys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
01/23 – Antwerp, BE @ Lotto
01/24 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/25 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
01/28 – Berlin, DE @ Arena
01/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
01/31 – Zurich, CH @ Maag Hall
02/01 – Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
02/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena
02/04 – Edinburgh, UK @ Corn Exchange
02/06 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/07 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/09 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/10 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/11 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *
03/24 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Arena *
04/24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion *
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena *
04/28 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
04/30 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
05/02 – W. Valley City, UY @ Maverik Center *
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
05/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Powerbalance Pavilion *
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
05/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
05/11 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
05/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
05/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
05/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center *

* = w/ Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys 2012 Tour Dates:
01/12 – Sydney, AU @ Horden Pavilion
01/13 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
01/14 – Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage
01/27 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio
01/28 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau St Jordi
01/31 – Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
02/01 – Lille, FR @ Le Zenith
02/03 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
02/04 – Paris, FR @ Zenith
02/06 – Toulouse, FR @ Zenith
02/07 – Caen, FR @ Zenith
02/08 – Metz, FR @ Les Arenas
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *
03/24 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Arena *
03/31-04/01 – Santiago, CL @ Lollapalooza Chile
04/03-04 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Quilmes Rock
04/07-08 – Sao Paolo, BR @ Lollapalooza Brazil
04/24 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion *
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena *
04/28 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center *
04/30 – Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center *
05/02 – W. Valley City, UY @ Maverik Center *
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
05/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Powerbalance Pavilion *
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
05/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
05/11 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
05/12 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
05/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
05/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center *

* = w/ The Black Keys

Arctic Monkeys – “Black Treacle”:

Two of music’s hardest-hitting bands are teaming up this spring for a massive arena tour. In support of their new album, El Camino, The Black Keys are hitting the road with UK rockers Arctic Monkeys. The trek currently spans 15 dates, kicking off in Cincinnati on March 2nd and ending in Norfolk, VA on March 23rd. Along the way, they’ll wreck havoc on places like New York’s Madison Square Garden, Boston’s TD Garden, and Chicago’s United Center.

Along with the U.S. jaunt, The Black Keys will be all over the UK and Europe in the early part of 2012. They’ll also be all over your TV over next five days, with scheduled appearances on Saturday Night Live (12/3), The Colbert Report (12/6), and Letterman (12/7). Plus, on Monday they’ll be playing a record release show at New York’s Webster Hall, which will be streamed live on MTV Hive.

Check out The Black Keys’ full schedule below, followed by the video for their single “Lonely Boy”. El Camino is out December 6th via Nonesuch. Pre-order your own copy on CD or vinyl.

The Black Keys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
12/05 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
01/23 – Antwerp, BE @ Lotto
01/24 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/25 – Lille, FR @ Zenith
01/27 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
01/28 – Berlin, DE @ Arena
01/30 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
01/31 – Zurich, CH @ Maag Hall
02/01 – Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
02/03 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena
02/04 – Edinburgh, UK @ Corn Exchange
02/06 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/07 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
02/09 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
02/10 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
03/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ U.S. Bank Arena *
03/03 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena *
03/04 – Columbus, OH @ Jerome Schottenstein Center *
03/06 – Portland, ME @ Cumberland Co. Civic Center *
03/07 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
03/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center *
03/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
03/12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
03/13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre *
03/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
03/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conesco Fieldhouse *
03/18 -Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
03/19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
03/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
03/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center *

* = w/ Arctic Monkeys

“Lonely Boy”:

As promised, the lineup for Lollapalooza’s second Latin American off-shoot, Lollapalooza Brazil, was revealed this morning. Set to take place April 7-8th at Jockey Club de São Paulo, the festival’s inaugural bill features many of the same acts as its Chilian counterpart, with Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, MGMT, and TV on the Radio leading the way. However, whereas Chile got Björk, Brazil instead promises a performance by Jane’s Addiction, which is led by the festival’s organizer, Perry Farrell.

Other notable acts include Thievery Corporation, Skrillex, Foster the People, Peaches, Pretty Lights, The Crystal Method, Bassnectar, Friendly Fires, Calvin Harris, Gogol Bordello, and Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, along with a number of local acts. To check out the entire lineup, visit our page for Lollapalooza Brazil on Festival Outlook.

Tickets for Lollapalooza Brazil are now available via the festival’s website.

As previously reported, Lollapalooza’s presence in South America expands in 2012, with the return of Lollapalooza Chile and the launch of Lollapalooza Brazil. Set to take place back-to-back weekends, the Chilian offshoot runs March 31st – April 1st at O’Higgins Park in Santiago, while the Brazilian iteration takes place April 7-8th at Jockey Club de São Paulo.

Tonight, the lineup for Lollapalooza Chile was revealed, with Foo Fighters, Björk, and Arctic Monkeys leading the way. Other confirmed notables include MGMT, TV on the Radio, Foster the People, Skrillex, Bassnectar, Thievery Corporation, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

The bill also includes Above and Beyond, Band of Horses, Peaches, Pretty Lights, The Crystal Method, Friendly Fires, Calvin Harris, Gogol Bordello, and † (Crosses), along with a number of local acts. To check out the entire lineup, visit our page for Lollapalooza Chile on Festival Outlook.

Tickets for Lollapalooza Chile are now available via the festival’s website.

The lineup for Lollapalooza Brazil will be revealed tomorrow morning at 11:00AM ET. Check back then for all the details.

“Evil Twin”, the B-Side to Arctic Monkeys’ latest single “Suck It and See”, now has its own music video. Featuring mostly footage leftover from the “Suck It and See” video, the clip isn’t much to look at. However, it does provide your first chance to hear the studio version of the track. Check it out below.

Arctic Monkeys will release the single on vinyl and digital formats on October 31st via Domino Records. Suck It and See the album is out now.

On October 31st, the Arctic Monkeys will release their latest single, “Suck It and See”, on digital and vinyl formats via Domino Records. Purposeful or a mere coincedence, that effort’s B-side is the aptly-titled “Evil Twin”, which the band previewed during their show in St. Louis last night. A bass-centric cut, with a decidedly dark bent to it, “Evil Twin” is a tight, medium-speed jam in line with much of the other cuts that actually made the final cut. Take a listen below (via We All Want Someone).

Suck It and See the album is out now.

Nowadays, lots of musicians seem to have an obsession with bits and pieces of music’s grand history. Whether its the mutated girl group sounds of the Vivian Girls, the melancholy surf rock of The Drums, or even the Crosby, Stills and Nash homage of a Blitzen Trapper, what’s old is very new. In a September 26th appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Arctic Monkeys pay their respects with the especially boss pompadour of frontman Alex Turner. And even with drummer Matt Helders looking like an extra from Grease, the sounds of “Reckless Serenade” are anything but a throwback. As they do on record, their live performance transcends boundaries to achieve pure rock fun. Check out the video below, all you cool cats.

The band’s new album, Suck It and See, is out now. Thanks to The Audio Perv for video support.

Armed with the mother of all undercards — the Arctic Monkeys, Panda Bear, Warpaint, and the Smith Westerns– TV on the Radio returned triumphantly to Hollywood last night for their first show in the city since last May. Chicago’s Smith Westerns got things started early with a short five-song set that showcased the very best off of this year’s Dye it Blonde. Rather than their overlong festival sets that forced them to delve into the record’s duller points, the limited set time suited the four-piece, allowing them to embellish the brighter, glammier points, as on anthemic singles “All Die Young” and “Weekend”. Their lo-fi slacker pop tunes, which would sound perfectly at home on a dingy club PA, rang hollow in the cavernous Hollywood Bowl, especially considering given their early set-time and how little of their audience had settled in.

A nifty stage rotation immediately gave way to LA four-piece Warpaint. Their jammy tendencies and intricate harmonies were a perfect fit for the picturesque scene, the sun setting over the Hollywood Hills. Stella Mozgawa and Jenny Lindberg, on drums and bass respectively, led the band through their tight, grooving jams without any issue. Even as the buzz over their debut The Fool has mostly subsided since it dropped last October, Warpaint have grown into themselves considerably in the past few months, which they’ve spent gracing some of the biggest festivals and stages in the world. “Elephants” was the set’s peak, with its eerie guitar line and Emily Kokal’s haunted refrain of “I’ll break your heart” cropping up in the song’s bombastic final jam section.

Panda Bear – 7:30 p.m.

Panda Bear took the stage on time, joined on his right by legendary drone man/sonic wizard Sonic Boom, real name Pete Kember of Spacemen 3 fame. Kember, whose name has seen a big resurgence as of late with his production credits on MGMT’s Congratulations and Panda Bear’s own Tomboy, manned a gang of analog gear and machines, providing expansive backdrops in the form of mad scientist synth-experiments. Panda Bear, vocals loaded with characteristic levels of reverb, was pitch-perfect as he cooed his way through most of Tomboy‘s stellar first half.

The slamming dub-beat of “Slow Motion” and the huge, reverberant strums on “Tomboy” were matched on visuals by Danny Perez, director of Animal Collective’s mind-bending ODDSAC. Panda Bear harked back to his hallowed back-catalog for his last two songs with the euphoric cadence of “Comfy in Nautica” and surprise closer “Bros”, Person Pitch‘s jangly, pastoral midpoint which made itself welcome with a hooting owl sample. Lennox’s near-perfect set was dampened only by the 35 minutes he was allotted. Here’s hoping the only thing that’s stopped him from taking Tomboy on the road is work on that new Animal Collective album/tour. -Möhammad Choudhery

Arctic Monkeys – 8:20 p.m.

For whatever reason, Arctic Monkeys have not broken into the U.S. market with such massive success as they’ve had in other portions of the world, Europe specifically. So, with that in mind, this was sort of a small stage for the band, especially to not be headlining. Regardless, they destroyed the insanely short 45 minute set they were allotted. Attribute it to his boyish good looks or his thick Sheffield accent, but Arctic Monkeys ringleader Alex Turner is a force to be reckoned with onstage. Sporting a classy pompadour hairstyle (does anyone else miss the long wavy locks?), Turner and co. dazzled the 12,000+ that had gathered at the Hollywood Bowl last night.

Emerging to Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” blaring over the PA, the Sheffield boys quickly doled out their waves and hellos before jumping in headfirst into a massive rendition of “She’s Thunderstorms”. It didn’t take long for the crowd to get engaged, despite having been fairly unreceptive to the three previous acts. As they ran through their setlist, there was little time for stage banter, but leave it to Turner to throw in a slick quip every now and again. Dedicating songs to “that gaggle over there” and doing suave introductions for each of the band members, Turner kept the seventeen song setlist fluid and yet incredibly snug.

Their set peaked during “I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor” (still their biggest hit to date for some reason) which caused the crowd to go nuts. Mark my words, Arctic Monkeys are prime for candidacy for the next stadium act. They put on a tight show, each song receiving its proper attention, and there’s a sort of Dave Grohl charisma in Alex Turner that will surely move things onward upward for the Sheffield boys. One thing’s for sure: this particular show in the hills of Hollywood was a grand step in the right direction. -Winston Robbins

TV on the Radio – 9:10 p.m.

Even with this many headline-worthy acts playing, someone had to cap things off. TV on the Radio did so admirably, establishing yet again their status as one of the world’s biggest names. The Brooklyn six-piece dug deep into this year’s Nine Types Of Light, while throwing in gems off of Dear Science and Return to Cookie Mountain for good measure. The rhythm section of Jaleel Bunton, who’s taken over on bass for the late Gerald Smith, and Jahphet Landis on drums played like a well-oiled machine, adding post-punk grit to the band’s tunes. Dave Sitek and Kyp Malone did their part too, trading distorted licks and frenetically matching Tunde Adebimpe’s frantic delivery.

The jagged rhythm of deep cut “Staring at the Sun”, though played at a more rampant pace than usual which somehow stripped it of much of its power, was met with mad applause, as was the disco rave-up of Dear Science‘s “Dancing Choose”. By the time they started into the breakneck punk of “Wolf Like Me”, they hardly needed the near-capacity crowd’s shouts of “We’re howling forever” to serve as confirmation of how far they’ve come. While it hasn’t quite won the same widespread praise as Cookie Mountain and Science, Nine Types of Light is a big departure, if only for the fact that it isn’t fraught with the same wild paranoia we’ve come to associate with them, relying instead on a newfound sense of joy and euphoria. -Möhammad Choudhery

Photography by Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging.

Panda Bear Setlist:
You Can Count On Me
Tomboy
Slow Motion
Last Night at the Jetty
Afterburner
Comfy In Nautica
Bros

Arctic Monkeys Setlist:
She’s Thunderstorms
Brianstorm
This House Is A Circus
Still Take You Home
Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair
Pretty Visitors
Teddy Picker
Crying Lightning
Brick by Brick
The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
The View From The Afternoon
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
All My Own Stunts
Suck It and See
Do Me A Favour
Fluorescent Adolescent
When The Sun Goes Down

TV on the Radio Setlist;
Young Liars
Blues From Down Here
Dancing Choose
Second Song
Golden Age
Will Do
New Cannonball Blues
Forgotten
Staring at the Sun
Repetition
Wolf Like Me
Encore:
Satellite

Though there’s an occasional bare breast or two, the new video for Arctic Monkeys’ ”Suck It and See” draws  only figuratively from the title. The band’s drummer – coiffed Matt Helder here – hits the road American Graffiti style, but with a firecracker foil for whom he wants to go good. She keeps him bad. Weed, bicep curls, fire, protein shakes, more boobs, broken bottles and sunburns guest. It’s as if Death Ramps were a hellbent motorcycle gang. Check it out below.

Suck It and See, the Arctic Monkeys’ recent long-player of the same name, is out now.

Outside Lands marked its fourth year by showing that after all this time, San Francisco still remains one of the coolest cities on the planet. Hosted by Another Planet, a company known for having their fingers on the pulse of the Bay Area’s musical community, Outside Lands took all the elements of the Bay’s music culture and tossed them into the city’s most beautiful natural environment: Golden Gate Park. There was pretty much something for every Nor-Cal dweller to enjoy; from the jams of Phish to the electronic-dance of deadmau5 and the electro-dance-jams of bands like STS9 and Lotus. Not to mention indie rock icons like Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, and The Shins.

But Outside Lands also kept it local in terms of everything else, which is inspiring to see in a time when everything is done via internet, with people who might live thousands of miles away. Between the food trucks, local wine tasting, local musical acts (Stone Foxes anybody?), and aspiring artists who filled the park with their good vibes, Outside Lands was a festival that compacted all the artistic elements of the city into the polo fields at Golden Gate Park. It literally was a taste of the Bay Area.

Photo by Ted Maider

And while they did encompass all the good things about the city, they also managed to showcase some of the downsides of it. For example, there was too much going on at once. Like any night you spend partying in the Bay, Friday involved a million conflicts, the worst being Vermont’s Phinest up against indie-rock legends The Shins. And Sunday contained another hard decision: deadmau5 or Arcade Fire? And there even managed to be rush hour traffic similar to that found on the Bay Bridge whenever you tried to get from the Lands End to the Twin Peaks stages. It was just utter chaos in that small, grassy section outside the trees.

But it didn’t matter, though, because in the end, everybody’s spirits were lifted. Everybody inside just cared about the good vibes, hearing some groovy jams, and enjoying the rare sunshine. In San Francisco, that’s just about all you can ask for.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, August 12th

The Joy Formidable – Sutro Stage – 1:10 p.m.

Blaring their noisy, little pop gems that are fast proving too big for tiny clubs around the world, Welsh trio The Joy Formidable continued their world domination with a stellar early afternoon set at the Sutro Stage. The band found themselves sudden stars, their foot-stomping rhythms and shout-along chorus of “Austere” proving especially effective as they drew the weekend’s first big crowd. -Möhammad Choudhery

Phantogram – Sutro Stage – 2:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The surprisingly large crowd that showed up for Phantogram received a treat: two brand-new songs from a forthcoming EP and…the duo of vocalist/keyboardist Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter on guitar/electronics just sounded good. Really good. Yet Sutro Stage and moments on other large stages weren’t exactly “sound,” but more on that later. Phantogram pulled heavily and at an efficient pace from its debut, Eyelid Movies. (“When I’m Small” and “Mouthful of Diamonds” got great reactions; “As Far as I Can See” live sounded like Portishead doing club bangers.) Barthel and Carter, joined by a live drummer here, debuted “Don’t Move”, which has a distinct shimmer similar to U2’s The Edge. New song “Sixteen Years” didn’t mess around with a pretty gloss, however. Carter plugged a straight Kevin Shields-type shoegaze solo in, showing that while most of the crowd gawked at the beautiful Barthel, she wasn’t, as Karen O put it, “bigger than the sound.” -Paul de Revere

Foster the People – Sutro Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Apparently, lots of people seem to enjoy Foster the People. This was evident by two things: 1) Their crowd was huge in the sense that you could not get close to the stage if you arrived “just in time” for the show and 2) People did not stop talking about their show all weekend. Foster the People have literally skyrocketed in fame this past summer and rightfully so. They don’t just write catchy songs like some of their electro-pop counterparts; they know how to play. Members switched up instruments constantly in a playful, yet talented fashion, while the crowd sang along to tracks like “Houdini”, the charming “Waste”, and mega-sensation “Pumped Up Kicks” (even though everybody left after that song). Foster the People’s Torches album certainly has put them in the spotlight. Let’s just hope they stay lit. -Ted Maider

Toro Y Moi – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:50 p.m.

For an artist with such lively, fresh beats, Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundick is, as Bay Area bros would put it, “hella” subdued. But there’s still something imposing about Bundick’s sounds. The Stevie Wonder-like monosynth tone of opener “New Beat”, possibly Bundick’s best song to date, filled the large Twin Peaks Stage like it was gaseous. And the vamp only one minute into the song? Forget it. It was full. Toro’s sound filled up the space exactly as much as it needed to. Screw “chillwave,” this is ambient funk. To paraphrase old-school rapper 4-Ever Fresh, “Creating funk music ‘cause I never dug chillwave.” Indeed. -Paul de Revere

MGMT – Lands End Stage – 4:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As the initial racket over how very antagonistic and unfriendly Congratulations was dissipates, people finally seem to be coming around to the record. Not that MGMT mind how long it took. In what more than a few in the crowd interpreted as arrogance (but was probably a bit closer to a “told you so”), MGMT blasted through a stellar sub-headlining set with their usual sort of understated awesomeness. Even as many in the crowd sounded legitimately disappointed at the lack of props, onstage antics, and the conspicuous absence of the band’s megahit “Kids” from the setlist, MGMT simply did what they do best. Andrew VanWyngarden cut surprisingly close to a young Mick Jagger as he howled his way through the band’s neo-psychedelic gem “Weekend Wars”, while James Richardson played guitar hero for a couple minutes, finger-tapping his way through a stellar solo at the end of “The Handshake”. Extra points for the dreamy little jam at the start of “I Found a Whistle”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Ellie Goulding – Sutro Stage – 5:00 p.m.

One of at least three victims (all female) to vocal issues due to the San Francisco’s seasonably cold August, Ellie Goulding hung in there for her set like a champ. She hit some of her vocals tremendously well, holding back a bit of her soaring vocals, of which there’s much in her light, airy, feminine dance-pop. Some of her vocals weren’t ideal. And it was her last U.S. date on her first earnest U.S. tour. But no matter, because it was ladies night (er, late afternoon) at Sutro Stage. The crowd’s female-to-male gender makeup was approximately 5-to-1, and Goulding dressed for it, looking amazing in her bright red coat (she is British, but somehow I don’t think she’s politically in the tank for King George) and heels. -Paul de Revere

Phish – Lands End Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

A giant billboard appeared on the monitors shortly after MGMT left stating, “Phish 6:30-10:30.” To some, this was a sign to turn around and head as far away as possible, but to others, it was a glorious declaration. After Furthur headlined Outside Lands last year, it made total sense for the Vermont quartet to take the reigns this year.  And Phish festival sets…well, they’re a different breed.

See, Phish plays nothing but solo shows throughout the country. It’s never Phish on tour with MGMT or Foster the People or The Shins for that matter. It’s just Phish. The band has played two big rock festivals since their reunion (Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits), and both times they played shows that were not necessarily geared towards their core fan base but rather baiting newcomers. At Outside Lands, plenty of people in the crowd had never seen Phish nor necessarily listened to them, so what happened for the next three hours with tens of thousands of people was a sensation you can only experience in this setting.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Phish arrived with “Kill Devil Falls” and continued to amp the pace for the entire first 90-minute set. The band cut deep with pieces meant to get people moving such as “Wilson”, “Funky Bitch”, “Possum”, the exhilarating “Axilla I”, and a rendition of “Sample in a Jar” that was one of the best versions of the past year or so. After delivering a sonic punch of a first set, Phish left the crowd for 40 minutes as everyone tried to cram in even further. The next set involved more spacey jams like “Piper” and “Fluffhead”, including a showy new track titled “Steam”. But that didn’t stop them from continuing to crank out gold: a cover of “Life on Mars?”,  the now-rare “Birds of a Feather”, and a “Tweezer Reprise” that made Bassnectar’s bass sound like complete shit. It was the perfect way for Phish to play Golden Gate Park.

Basically, what I’m trying to say here is, you haven’t lived until you’re in a 30,000+ Phish crowd, sweating, dancing, singing, and jammed up against the barricade. -Ted Maider

Big Boi – Sutro Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Ah, the set that never was. Big Boi did not, in fact, end up performing on Sutro Stage after having his set pushed back 40 minutes (a fairly last-minute announcement by the festival), leaving the audience, much of which slowly peeled away, hanging for another 30 minutes. Instead, Dave Chappelle, who had a stand-up gig in South Bay that weekend and is a known lover of San Francisco, came out and riffed for about five minutes. ”A lot of black youth never get to go to a concert where there’s beach balls,” Chappelle said.

With great resistance from the wind, the crowd passed one Chappelle’s way. And with seemingly great glee, Chappelle kicked the ball back into the crowd. It almost made up for the fact that Big Boi would end up not performing at all.

According to Big Boi’s Twitter, his DJ went to the wrong stage (apparently taking a fair amount of time getting to the right one). Big Boi continued on Twitter, saying festival staff would only give him 20 minutes to perform because of the delays, which he judged as not worth it. “I will NOT do a half-ass show,” he tweeted. “Tried to go on after Badu. Not possible. Sorry.”

Big Boi cited “artistic integrity” in the matter. -Paul de Revere

Best Coast – Panhandle Stage – 7:50 p.m.

No joke: Best Coast‘s Bethany Cosentino rivals Neko Case, a singer-songwriter nearly twice her age, in withering stage banter. In response to a random audience question between songs: “On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love rock ‘n’ roll?’” Cosentino answered back, “Negative zero.” Ouch.

To be fair, Cosentino talked as well as rocked. She had to save her voice, too, which held up well. And guitar-wise, it sounded better than ever in terms of her live sound, which stayed true to Crazy for You’s analog studio drone, no doubt using the remainder of the Panhandle Stage’s solar power for her and guitarist Bobb Bruno’s amps. There was the one-two step of slow dance numbers “I Want You” and “Our Deal”. “Bratty B” and “Honey” drew sweet coos from Cosentino, where charm actually snaked its way into her repertoire.

“This is our last song,” she said before launching into “Each and Every Day”. “After this, we’re gonna watch Phish.” Deadpan. “Just kidding. I don’t even know what Phish sounds like.” -Paul de Revere

The Shins – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Though they haven’t played a proper show in four years, haven’t put out any new material since 2007, and James Mercer is their only remaining original member, The Shins still warranted a headlining slot way across the park from Phish’s three-hour jam extravaganza. Mercer’s placid voice and The Shins’ calm, serene back-catalog were a perfect fit for the breezy, starlit evening, taking the reported crowd of 40,000 on a nostalgic trip back to cardigans, high school, and otherwise related sweet, sensitive times. Rather than devolving into a greatest hits affair, Mercer sounded as fresh as ever, indeed infusing his tracks (which, at their oldest, are now a decade past) with the energy of his work with Danger Mouse in Broken Bells. Classics such as “Caring Is Creepy”, “Australia”, and “New Slang” were delivered in pitch-perfect fashion, as was the new track — reportedly titled “For a Fool” — that the band debuted. So, uh…how about that new album? -Möhammad Choudhery

Saturday, August 13th

The Stone Foxes – Sutro Stage – 1:25 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

As stated, Outside Lands always showcases local talent, so they booked some of San Francisco’s hottest, homegrown acts. The Stone Foxes were one of the coolest bands of the entire weekend, not just because they lived up the street, but because they brought the rock. The blues-based quartet rocked super hard, thrashing about on stage like raccoons with broken necks to tunes with names like “Psycho” and “Stomp”. It was a call to go wild. Hook, line, and sink… they made me a fan. -Ted Maider

The Vaccines - Twin Peaks Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The UK’s very latest guitar-buzz band is actually pretty good. Who would’ve guessed? Armed with a handful of late-night TV performances, a solid debut record, and the huge sort of performance they put on Saturday afternoon at the Twin Peaks stage, the quartet don’t look like they’ll flounder anytime soon. Blasting through highlights off of their debut, this year’s What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, The Vaccines peaked with an uproarious cover of Minor Threat’s hardcore classic “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Paul F. Tompkins, Moshe Kasher – The Barbary Tent – 3:00 p.m.

Why perform comedy under a tent? Mr. Show alum Paul F. Tompkins isn’t sure why (“We have structures!” Tompkins protested), but, boy, the dapper gentleman sure dressed for the Barbary Tent’s grand occasion. It worked for Tompkins, but Tompkins’ hilariously offensive opener, L.A. comedian Moshe Kasher, just had to keep swearing he wasn’t gay.

Kasher’s story about witnessing a woman in an airport using Fritos to scoop the filling out of a king-sized Snickers ice cream bar is borderline surreal in its gross-out factor. Tompkins kept to his standard 10 minutes of riffing and then a structured story, mostly talking about his pre-comedy career odd jobs and his days at the Largo nightclub in L.A., striking up a creative relationship with director Paul Thomas Anderson and, subsequently, reading through Magnolia seated next to Tom Cruise, a punchline in his own right. It was a regular circus. -Paul de Revere

STRFKR- Twin Peaks Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Portland synth-poppers STRFKR couldn’t contain their excitement at the start of the biggest show of their young career, busting out their camera phones to capture the reported crowd of 15,000. With two records worth of tunes that are at turns emotive and very, very danceable, STRFKR turned in what was easily the breakout performance of the weekend. Touring guitarist Patrick Morris’s overdriven lead guitar lines stole the show on tracks like the hook-filled “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” and “German Love”, while Josh Hodges’ hushed vocals lent the songs a nice, breezy touch. A bouncy, tripped-out cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was capped off by the raucous “Go Crazy”. At which point, of course, everyone did. -Möhammad Choudhery

Vetiver – Sutro Stage – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Maybe it was because Vetiver was going up against Arctic Monkeys or even because of the band’s local residency, but Vetiver’s set was not well-attended. It was all well and good, as it gave the Sutro Stage’s isolated blanket liers, dancers, and the like more room to relax, which was at a premium on the festival grounds. Vetiver’s textured, mellow folk-rock mostly put a relaxed, spa feel to everything… if the spa had pot-scented everything. A cover from The Grateful Dead (“Don’t Ease Me In”) picked up the energy a bit and Michael Hurley’s “Be Kind to Me” was a nice, simple song to change up the sonic drawl of songs like “Can’t You Tell” off Vetiver’s latest, The Errant Charm. -Paul de Revere

Arctic Monkeys – Lands End Stage – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Arctic Monkeys really have harnessed the modern indie sound. You can always tell when it’s them and their high-octane brand of rock. The British crew arrived on the scene playing cuts like “Brainstorm”, a track that is enough to turn the crowd into a boiling pot of water. People sluggishly sang along while glancing at their iPhones to tracks like “Brick by Brick”, but it was during moments like “I Bet That You’d Look Good on the Dancefloor”, “Fluorescent Adolescent”, and “The View From the Afternoon” that people began to bring out the party. Overall, it made for a good afternoon set, but it seems like a waste that they didn’t play “Fake Tales of San Francisco”. Oh well. -Ted Maider

Ximena Sariñana – Barcade Tent – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It’s worth emphasizing this much smaller, more intimate set of Ximena Sariñana’s in the festival’s Barcade Tent, a welcome break from the vast atmospheres of even the festival’s smaller stages. Sariñana performed mostly for die hards and Spanish-language fans, with at least half of her set sung in Spanish. “Wrong Miracle” and “Bring Me Down” were an English language stand outs, conjuring the semi-formal, sweet and quirky songwriting of Regina Spektor. The jazzy torch song “Mediocre”, which Sariñana said would probably “shred” her remaining voice (again), was an incredible peak to end the set. She left it all out on the field and her fans were left wanting more, chanting “Otra! Otra!” -Paul de Revere

Eskmo – Panhandle Stage – 6:05 p.m.

In what was likely one of the best-sounding sets at Outside Lands, San Francisco-based electronica producer Brendan Angelides, aka Ninja Tune Records artist Eskmo, absolutely tore apart the Panhandle Stage with few there to notice. It hardly mattered. Eskmo was too busy recreating his own production: ripping pieces of paper against a microphone and using various wood blocks and a frying pan among other items. Angelides also created his own vocals and vocal loops live on stage. You can’t say that for, you know, 99% of electronica producers. If Four Tet and Squarepusher had a club-banger collaboration project that defied you to dance, it might sound like Eskmo. Truly one of the best sets of the weekend. -Paul de Revere

The Black Keys – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In the four years since the White Stripes forfeited their seat as the blues’ ambassador to indie rock, The Black Keys have seen a huge ascent that culminated in Brothers’ smashing success last year. Here, sub-headlining at Outside Lands’ main stage, the duo proved to be every bit the monolithic force they’re reputed to be, as they tore through renditions of their golden oldies “Thickfreakness” and “Busted” before inviting a couple other band members to play through highlights off of their latest record, including “Tighten Up”, “Howlin’ for You”, and “Next Girl”. The duo closed things out with the one-two punch of Attack & Release’s “Strange Times” and their very own blues epic, “I Got Mine”. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Roots – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:50 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everybody likes a show from The Roots. I mean, Jimmy Fallon picked them to be his house band for a reason. The Roots kicked back with their brand of funk-rap, and so did the San Francisco crowd. As the sun set behind everybody, people danced, climbed trees to get a better view, and enjoyed tracks like a sped up version of “The Seed 2.0” and the oft-covered “Jungle Boogie”. Seeing everyone in such high spirits certainly indicated that the Roots were there for the right reason: to spread the good vibes. -Ted Maider

Muse – Land’s End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

How’s this for an opening trifecta? “Uprising”, “Supermassive Black Hole” into a Jimi Henrix-style “Star-Spangled Banner” in full view of a United States full-sized stars and stripes flapping in the cool breeze, and then “Hysteria”. Perhaps the interlude paired with “Hysteria” makes an implicit comment about the state of U.S. politics. Perhaps. But wait, what about Muse’s home country? Things are literally on fire there.

Well, Muse didn’t say a word, curiously. Though, the band’s cover of “Negative Creep” (yes, the Nirvana song) could’ve been a nod to a violent rioter’s state of mind. Nonetheless, “Negative Creep” isn’t very epic, and that’s what this show was for the most part.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

But, really, Muse is epic in a totally different way. Muse is theatrical not like U2 but like actual theater. “United States of Eurasia” is basically the disembodied finale reprise of a musical. A really, really big rock musical, one akin to 80′s progressive rock band Queensryche… or Rush. A riff or two of “House of the Rising Sun” into “Time Is Running Out”? Come on, how is this even Britpop anymore, except that it’s from Britain?

Yes, Muse fans, you like what is essentially a progressive rock band. This band’s ambitions don’t just reach into politics (which singer/instrumental genius Matt Bellamy spoke not one word about), they reach for the stars, they reach for fantastical heights. This band wants to grab starlight in its collective hand and throw it onto a stage for its fans’ viewing pleasure. And the band’s lasers are cooler than Coldplay’s, anyway. Just sayin’. -Paul de Revere

Girl Talk – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

You can try to prep yourself for a Girl Talk performance with what seems to be everyone’s simple description: a guy puts a 90-minute dance/electro set together on the fly by meshing together a ridiculous assortment of samples from nearly every genre imaginable. What you can’t quite prepare yourself for is how well said meshing is done. Or how perfectly it all comes together, for that matter. Kicking things off with the ominous opening riff to the Sabbath classic “War Pigs”, Girl Talk mashed together everything from 80′s radio hits to rap acapellas to Neptunes beats to create a sort of otherworldly dance music. The best part: a confetti-burst finale set to the solo from “November Rain”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Sunday, August 14th

tUnE-yArDs – Sutro Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

tUnE-yArDs, that’s one-woman band Merrill Garbus in particular, is so talented, it’s not even funny. So, why was she forced to play so early in the day? Perhaps because Garbus, an Oakland native, just had to cross the Bay Bridge to get to work. Who knows? Regardless, Garbus punched in early, and delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Her performance on songs like “Powa” (for which the crowd stayed quiet during its long buildup), “Bizness” (the crowd followed Garbus’ instructions to limber up before dancing), and “Gangsta” (the crowd obliged with the song’s ritual fist-raising) speak for themselves. “I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at a festival,” Garbus stated. Yeah, that’s because you’re easily one of the best acts of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Junip – Twin Peaks Stage – 1:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Led by folksinger José González (already with a successful solo career to his name), Swedish quartet Junip broke it down at the Twin Peaks stage while most of Outside Lands seemed to be racing down to Golden Gate Park’s other end for tUnE-yArDs. Though a bit more steeped in electronica than González’s solo work, Junip’s set mostly played like a fuller take on his own, spacious sound, as on the expansive “Without You”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Mavis Staples – Land’s End Stage – 1:45 p.m.

To be blessed by Miss Mavis Staples is a beautiful thing. It’s a passing of the torch, if you will. Colin Meloy of The Decemberists got the endorsement at Newport Folk Festival and so did Win Butler during Staples’ set at the Land’s End Stage, the festival’s largest. In a beautiful rendition of The Band’s “The Weight”, Butler took the fourth “Crazy Chester” verse of the famed song to huge screams. Otherwise, Butler demurred toward rhythm guitar. After he left, other Staples classics rolled out, including the Staples Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” (“The Staples Singers have been takin’ y’all there for 61 years… Now we want you to take US there,” Miss Mavis said) and gospel standards like “Wade in the Water”. Staples, at over 70 years old, still has it and had the best voice, gutbucket soul and all, of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Grouplove – Panhandle Solar – 2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

With an opening tour with Florence + the Machine and a highly regarded EP under their belt, Grouplove seem poised for a big break. Christian Zucconi led the LA-based five-piece through a set of rootsy folk-pop that leaned heavily on their acclaimed self-titled EP, while offering a peek at their forthcoming full-length, Never Trust a Happy Song, in the lilting harmonies of “Lovely Cup”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Latyrx ft. Lyrics Born and Lateef – Sutro Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Latyrx had a big band to organize on stage, but the band was assembled on time by 2:30 p.m.. Ten minutes later, Lyrics Born and Lateef took the stage and began to rap. Their flows were totally on point, and their antics were appreciated by the crowd, as they gave shout-outs to towns in the Bay like Vallejo, San Jose, Emeryville, and of course, San Francisco and Oakland. Meanwhile, a majority of the backing band just stood there, while the two rappers stole the show. They should have just hired a DJ, and nobody would have batted an eye. -Ted Maider

!!! – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:05 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

So, if LCD Soundsystem is retired and James Murphy stops performing, does that mean !!! inherits the live-disco DFA sound? Because it sure sounds like it. Like LCD, !!! use no computers of any kind (none that I saw, anyway) to create its disco jams. !!! lead singer Nic Offer is younger and less sedate than Murphy, jumping his silly ass around everywhere as a frontman. But similar to Murphy, he leans toward a bandleader role, indulging in an extended series of James Brown-style “hit me”’s. “Two times!! Three times!!!” And the band’s sonic textures make for interesting listening and great dancing: a rare combination. -Paul de Revere

Major Lazer – Twin Peaks Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Asses shaking everywhere on stage after cute girls get brought up, serious towel-swinging hype men, silly string sprayed everywhere, and a field of people helicoptering their shirts: This is a Major Lazer show. You might expect it on the beach or somewhere with warm weather or indoors in a club. Would you expect anything else? But the setting of Pacific Northwestern redwoods, pines, and oaks swaying in a chilly breeze with Major Lazer’s music? Well, that’s just incongruous as hell. And fun as hell.

The list of drops is too many to count, much less list. Major Lazer debuted a new, untitled song (with a martial snare riddim and clipped robot-rock vocals), two big dubstep drops that actually got the white folks really into it, a mash up of “6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil’ Wayne with the Jamaican traditional “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, sung by Harry Belafonte, and a drop of “Jump Up” that shook the earth of Golden Gate Park when Diplo instructed everyone to pogo. Louder sound and better subs on the Twin Peaks Stage would’ve really put this over the top but it was insane fun regardless. -Paul de Revere

Wye Oak – Panhandle Stage – 5:30 p.m.

One of the most confident young bands in indie rock today, Wye Oak took to the Panhandle Stage with poise, having already performed earlier on Sunday. To a warm, setting sun, Jenn Wasner’s guitar growled and howled like a well-trained bear the way a trainer wields it. Wasner may be one of the best guitarists in indie today, as she may have already gained a Thurston Moore/Neil Young-like confidence in her guitar sound after only three Wye Oak records in five years. Andy Stack’s double-duty as drummer and keyboardist provides the ground on which Wasner’s trained animal can roam, providing so much bottom end. For a duo, Wye Oak make a lot of noise like Young or Sonic Youth but can be tender like Yo La Tengo. Their set’s second song “Holy, Holy”, off its Merge Records-released Civilian, was a perfect example. Wasner braved the chilly wind hurting her hands to bust out wash after wash of guitar. If Sunday was good for any kind of performer, it was good for scrappy, determined bands like Wye Oak. -Paul de Revere

STS9 – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) was exactly what a festival in the Bay Area needed, a band that combines elements of jamming with electronic music, although their blend was more hip-hop-based. Girls climbed on boyfriends’ shoulders and were still rocking harder than most people on the ground. People waved everything in the air, ranging from giraffe heads to inflatable chimps, all to emphasize their joy, excitement, and the fact they could feel the groove. Dancing refused to subside as STS9 ripped their many synthesizers, bongos, and bass heavy grooves. It was easily one of the most surprising sets of the weekend. -Ted Maider

The Decemberists – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Following up a great performance by legend John Fogerty, The Decemberists were in high spirits late Sunday afternoon, playing a set heavy on songs from the old-timey The King Is Dead. Frontman and indie-folk’s poet laureate Colin Meloy cut a charming figure, as he worked his way through his own wordy lyrics and clever between-song banter, even offering up the band’s “The Soldiering Life” as camel-fighting music. (It worked. No less than three camelfights broke out in the crowd.) And who knew “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, that weird nine-minute sea-shanty off of Picaresque, could be such a huge, crowd-pleasing festival set closer? -Möhammad Choudhery

Deadmau5 – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

“I’m with deadmau5! And where you at, hater?” –Haley Morenstein

It’s clear that Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, is appreciative of his fans. Just “Like” him on Facebook to find out. But everybody at Outside Lands was able to see it in person. deadmau5 and his cube of glory graced us with their presence 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and with the sun setting just in front of him, no less. That didn’t stop the one-man wonder from turning the crowd upside down. To kick things off, the celebrated DJ delivered newer cuts like “Bad Selection” and a rendition of “Some Chords” that caused the temperature in the crowd to raise to at least 10 degrees. But he also brought it back, playing the most hypnotic (and perfectly timed) version of “Arguru” and teasing with “Sometimes Things Get, Whatever”. People did not stop moving, though, and they continued to shove through the crowd to try and get closer. Their attempts were made more difficult when “SOFI Needs a Ladder” (complete with SOFI) and a new mix of “Ghosts N’ Stuff” came out of the speakers. People may knock on him as an artist in the blog world, but he can put on one hell of a show. Where you at, hater? -Ted Maider

Arcade Fire – Lands End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

If nothing else, Arcade Fire winning last year’s Grammy for Album of the Year cemented their place as indie rock’s first graduate to stadium rock supremacy. Between headlining every festival in the book over the past year and earning the egotistical rep that comes with their new stature, Arcade Fire have grown rather nicely into themselves. Closing Outside Lands out across the fields from deadmau5’s electro-party, they put on a dance party of their own. Even though they work the same stage setup and Spike Jonze-directed film clips and rock the same setlist as they have this whole tour, nothing felt remotely canned as the musicians switched parts, beat at their instruments, and howled into their mics with a fervor more akin to a circus troupe than a band of Canadian arena-rockers.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

At points on The Suburbs, such as the molten “Month of May”, it’s a bit hard to sell. Live, though, the band chug right through it, very at home in the heavy riffage before breaking into a spirited rendition of “Rebellion (Lies)”. The crowd was on their toes, dancing along and singing every line throughout the night. The band soon took their bows and left the stage, returning with their unforgettable symphonic anthem, “Wake Up”. For all I’d built it up to be, I couldn’t have possibly braced myself for that transcendental moment when all 30,000+ in attendance burst into the same wordless yell at the top of our collective lungs. Chills, man. Chills. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Culture of Outside Lands

Gallery by Ted Maider and Debi Del Grande

[nggallery id=252]

Whether or not that was the methodology behind Perry Farrell’s Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL, remains to be confirmed. However, that’s what he’s done. Stepping into the gates at Congress and Michigan, one can’t help but feel they’re about to enter another plane of existence. Yeah, yeah, what a cliché, simplistic statement, but let me ask you this…

Over the weekend, did you see:

• Hall & Oates look-alikes, complete with the leisure suits, dancing in 85-degree heat
• A “lobster corn dog”
• Chic Euro-looking women–or, those who look “primed for the runway”–rocking out next to a slew of Jim Belushi look-alikes
• Sweaty, exhausted teenagers, crying their eyes out at a colossal rave; it’s also only noon
• Thousands of people singing about the Cubs winning
• Fireworks behind an award-winning rock act
• Drunken fortysomethings asleep atop Connie’s Pizza slices
• ?uestlove chatting food with Graham Elliot
• Skateboarding youths, rolling away to their next favorite band
• Lasers washed over the Chicago skyline
• Mud-covered fans, diving in for more… mud
• Ironic shirts next to sports shirts next to a pair of male nipples
• War-torn Converses and sod-stained high heels tapping to the beats
• People stumbling out of Port-o-Potties shoeless
• A fairly short line to eat a burger from Kuma’s
• Shoes tossed at fans by a frantic lead singer
• Perry Farrell

Odds are if you weren’t in Grant Park this past weekend, you didn’t catch any of this… let’s call it… chaos? Hmm, that’s not fair. Chaos is such a frowned-upon term; it’s usually linked to things like “riots” or “fires” or “talking to yourself alone in the car.” With Lolla, this sort of orchestrated chaos tastes nothing short of delicious. It’s the sort of madness that builds character… or just crosses things off on those proverbial bucket lists. C’mon, lobster corn dog.

This year, the festival celebrated its 20th birthday–you could say, in style. Perry’s Stage received a face-lift (or, a temporary warehouse). Festivalgoers had the choice of four headliners per night. After-parties continued to thrive. One can’t dismiss Farrell’s electronic extravaganza, either. Over three long days, the new installment never witnessed a dull moment. As a result, it bred countless “believe it or not” tales of folklore, contributing a great chunk to the laundry list above.

While not the best Lollapalooza, it did produce some of the greatest memories in the festival’s history. That’s what matters, right? Also, think of it this way: Who ever remembers their 20th birthday, anyhow? It’s the following year that glues to the mind.

Until then…

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Friday, August 5th

Wye Oak – Sony – 12:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Baltimore indie duo Wye Oak took the stage in the sweltering midday heat, launching into the gnarled dreamscape of “The Altar”, followed by the Sonic Youth-isms of “Holy Holy”. Despite the addicting, sped-up shreds and mournful howl of vocalist/guitarist Jenn Wasner, bolstered by Andy Stack’s ethereal keyboards and simultaneous drumming, the band kept stopping to adjust their equipment, ceasing to play entirely midway through “Plains”. They switched out amps and had the same wonderfully rough quality for the rest of the set, but Wasner continuously (and needlessly) apologized in a fashion similar to her back pain complaints during a Decemberists show at The Riviera earlier this year, another killer set plagued by momentum-halting repents. While altogether a solid show, Wasner needs to stop making excuses for a band that needs no excuses at all. -Dan Caffrey

Tennis – Google + – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Out of the ashes of the 1980′s and Roxy Music album covers rose Tennis, who played every hot moment of their 45-minute set, with an abundance of “whoa-oh-ohs.” Lead singer/keyboardist Alaina Moore let the crew know she was having some problems with her keyboard for the first couple of songs, but she didn’t let any technical issues dampen the afternoon. Moore (jokingly?) suspected airport security sabotaged her keyboard before leaving from Moscow, but it’s hard to imagine anyone damaging anything of Moore’s; she’s too likeable. Breezy surf-pop followed, including the jaunty “Seafarer” and “Robin”, the latter of which borrowed lovingly from “Love” off the Robin Hood soundtrack. -Justin Gerber

Reptar – Google + – 2:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The Google + Stage got a little bigger this year, which upped the ante for many of the young, fresh-out-the-club bands. Reptar were one of the younger, erm, Rugrats on that stage, and they showed up with heaping portions of excitement and eccentricity to carry their set. They have a kind of Portugal. The Man by way of a Cuisinart blender sound to them, with Graham Ulicney’s vocal performance warranting the most notes. “I’ll get you next time, Gadget,” I wrote about his voice, and for a band whose namesake is a made-up cartoon inside of another kids cartoon show, it felt justified. But add to the odd pot the synth player dancing about in a jet blue unitard, and it all sort of came together in a garagey synth fun house kind of dance party. -Jeremy D. Larson

Foster the People – Sony – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

“This is the most amount of people we’ve ever played in front of before,” said Mark Foster, lead singer/multi-instrumentalist of Foster the People. From the crowd reaction, you’d have thought they were Lolla pros, as the band played instruments ranging from standard guitars to maracas, then had three members playing keyboards/effects simultaneously. No one had a bigger smile on his or her face during day one than Foster, whose onstage dancing was simply infectious, leading to crowd surfing, sing-alongs, and clapping to every beat. Standout songs included the big beats of “Miss You”, a cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, and set closer “Helena Beat”, which sent the crowd dancing out the exit. -Justin Gerber

Le Butcherettes – Google+ – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

“I want to lick your tongues with my loving.” Yep, that’s Teri Gender Bender for ya. Fearless and wild-eyed, the Le Butcherettes singer annihilated both the stage and her body, tossing and turning with antics as erratic and visceral as her cannibalistic punk rock. In a word, it was filthy. But, in two words, we’ll go with filthy sexy. Dangerous yet sludgy cuts of “Dress Off”, “Henry Don’t Got Love”, and new tune “No Owe” left quite a mess on the Google + floorboards, especially as drummer Gabe Serbian threw up water after every other song and bassist Jonathan Hiscke treated the cozy stage as a sauna. They rained sweat. But that’s because they never stopped moving. And although Teri remained barefoot throughout most of the performance–she threw her shoes at her fans, who scooped ‘em up as a prize–she made several advances into the engaging crowd, including some post-show crowd surfing. Punk rock? Perhaps. We’ll just call it violently entertaining… and demand more. -Michael Roffman

Exclusive: Cluster 1 HANGOUT – CoS/C1 correspondents Nick Freed and Michael Roffman hang out with Teri Gender Bender and Jonathan Hiscke at Lollapalooza, pulling crazy hi jinks all around the park. Things get “wild.”

Feed Me – Perry’s – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Currently representing deadmau5′s Mau5trap record label, UK’S Jon Gooch broke in the newly renovated Perry’s Stage early Friday under his electro-house/dubstep moniker Feed Me. Gooch kick-started his set by sending effervescent bubbles of electronica, kept aloft with a heavy bass line, across the audience. As the set progressed, Gooch often seemed rushed by the time limitations associated with a festival performance, shuffling between electro-grime, melodic dubstep, and glistening synth runs. As soon as the growing audience could get into a rhythm, Gooch was already pushing a new genre and tempo. Still, there’s little wrong with leaving an audience anxious for a club-setting return. -Derek Staples

Kids These Days – BMI – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Chicago’s own Kids These Days (KTD) made a well-earned splash with this year’s Hard Times EP, a funky simmer of a debut that seamlessly blended blue-eyed soul, R&B, jazz, and hip-hop. At a breezy 23 minutes, the entirety of the record is usually played at their shows, leaving the rest of the set to be filled in with live mash-ups and newer material, as was the case with their Lolla performance. But while KTD’s musicianship and stage presence is consistently uncanny, the more recent tunes feel somewhat insincere and far-reaching, skirting the band’s genre-melding to lean heavier on rapper Vic Mensa. His latest rhymes go for a harder edge than exhibited on the band’s nostalgic single “My Days”, with an entire song devoted to how much he likes to smoke weed. While he’s surely tried the stuff (hell, maybe he does it a lot) and while there are plenty of classic hip-hop songs about that very topic, it appears he wrote it because he thinks that’s what rappers are supposed to do, as opposed to the words coming out of genuine love for the herb. -Dan Caffrey

Cults – Google + – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Michael Roffman (via Colorizer)

The sun was angled directly at the crowd, but it was also in the 50′s during Cults. Twee throwback does a body good in the middle of the afternoon, and the original Cults duo of Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion punch up their sound a bit live by adding three equally long-haired bandmates. However, it was a tentative performance, with Follin’s voice being swallowed up by the festival setting, and it almost seemed like she was afraid to commit to the politeness of the record. When she went for it on “You Know What I Mean”, it was fantastic, and sound and vocal discrepancies notwithstanding, I left their show feeling just the tops, because while they may not have carved out their live sound yet, they can still rest on the laurels of their outstanding songs. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 – Perry’s – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Although relegated to the Lollapalooza dance tent, The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 are led by one of the most skilled and enigmatic musicians today, Bob Rifo. During their epic live performance, the classically trained Rifo manned two stacks of synths, the guitar, bass, and was also the sole vocalist, although that mainly consisted of yelling. With Tommy Tea DJing and Edward Grinch on drums, the trio pumped out an hour of sweat-drenched, punk-inspired, raucous electro-house. As soon as the first few notes of “Warp 1.9″ filled Perry’s, the entire crowd broke into hysteria, forcing those not familiar with a Death Crew experience to scurry toward the back. To keep revelers from overheating, Rifo controlled the set’s tempo with periods of atmospheric house and beautiful synth solos. -Derek Staples

The Mountain Goats – Playstation – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

John Darnielle and The Mountain Goats have been plugging away for years and are finally getting their just due. They snagged a prime, late-afternoon spot this year, and I’m sure made some new fans. The band came onstage to loud metal music—something I’m sure metal fan Darnielle handpicked—and an enthusiastic crowd that grew larger and larger as their set went on. Starting slow with Get Lonely’s “Wild Sage”, they blasted through the opening half of their set, which included “Going to Georgia”, “Charles Bronson”, and “Birth of Serpents”, before Darnielle went solo for crowd favorite “You Were Cool”. He then said, “We haven’t been playing many solo songs on this tour, but I couldn’t do just one solo song, so these others have only been so I could play this for you, Chicago.” He then launched into “Cubs in Five”, a song that most Cubs fans miss the meaning of, I think. Darnielle closed out their energetic set with fan gems “No Children” and “This Year”, which included Jen Wasner from Wye Oak, and a fantastic cover of “Babe” by “a favorite Chicago band of [The Mountain Goats],” Styx. -Nick Freed

A Perfect Circle – Music Unlimited – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Excerpts from The Sound of Music played just before A Perfect Circle entered the stage. It makes sense in some universe, but the band switched moods quickly enough as the short “Annihilation” led into an even more melancholy version of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, with James Iha on keyboards. As the band’s logo took up most of the backdrop, lead singer Maynard James Keenan made his presence known throughout the show by stomping along to either the thudding percussion during “Weak and Powerless” or the crunching guitar of “Pet”. “I’ve done this five times,” Keenan said, referring to previous Lolla gigs. “You’ll probably have to speak up. I’m a little old.” His vocal delivery during the one-two punch of “The Package” and “The Noose” sounded like the same man who graced the Lolla stage nearly two decades earlier. -Justin Gerber

Skrillex – Perry’s – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Skrillex, aka Sonny Moore, has spent most of 2011 on the festival scene, but that still doesn’t ensure a smooth set, and the onset of Moore’s Friday performance was very, very rough. After some volume issues, Moore was set to drop the bass on a La Roux “In for the Kill” remix, and with just a single, accidental space bar touch, the track lost all definition and momentum. Moore quickly regained composure and spent the next few minutes blasting ear drums with his signature bass aesthetic. Following fan favorite “Kill Everybody”, Moore brought forward a series of remixes, including House of Pain’s “Everybody Jump” mashed up with DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat” and the Jackson 5′s “One More Chance”. Moore will probably remain best known for his bass music, but when he lets the oscillator rest, turns down the volume a few notches, and expands on his melodic undertones, he will get any club rocking, be it filled with househeads, candy-kids, or nu-disco fans. -Derek Staples

Bright Eyes – Bud Light – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Fans who may be weary of seeing Bright Eyes play a huge festival like this because they don’t want to watch Conor Oberst mope around the stage should eat their words and fears, because Bright Eyes easily nailed one of the best sets all day. They were dynamic, fun, loud, and most of all damn entertaining. The crowd grew louder and more enthusiastic as hit after hit was delivered with a precision and an energy no one was expecting. The set list spanned nearly their entire catalog from The People’s Key’s “Jejune Stars” and “Shell Games” (which Oberst said was for “all the phonies in the audience”) back to Fevers and Mirrors favorite “The Calendar that Hung Itself”. The band expertly adapted normally electronic songs like “Take It Easy” and “Arc of Time” into catchy, beautiful rock songs. Bright Eyes filled the huge space and huge crowd like nothing I was expecting or had seen from such an introverted band. Even the slower songs like “Old Soul Song” and “Land Locked Blues” had an urgency that was captivating. Oberst himself spun like a tornado and ran all over the stage during faster tracks like the fantastic “Road to Joy”. By the set’s conclusion, everyone was left thinking the same thing: “Since when did Bright Eyes become such an amazing stadium rock band?” -Nick Freed

Crystal Castles – Sony – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

With the sun still occupying the picturesque Chicago skyline, Ethan Kath and Alice Glass of Crystal Castles could not hide behind their trademark panels of white light. The daylight didn’t seem to affect Kath, who is rarely actually seen producing live, but the fully healed Glass never seemed totally committed to the performance. Maybe that’s because it was just too hard to jump in and out of the crowd due to the elevation and distance from the audience of the Sony stage. Glass did come to life during “Crimewave”, stepping atop the drum kit platform and banging away on live drummer Christopher Chartrand’s cymbals. To the crowd’s enjoyment–and the stage crew’s worry–Glass did make it into the audience for the majority of “Baptism”. But just as the sun dipped and Glass seemed to find a spark, the band stepped offstage at least 20 minutes prior to the set’s scheduled conclusion. A smattering of hardcore fans stayed for several minutes chanting for one more song, but the vast majority had already had enough and were more than ready for Friday night’s headliners. -Derek Staples

Ok Go – Google + – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Jack Edinger

OK Go‘s crunchy power pop has always been a party, but it didn’t really start kicking until they accompanied it with colorful theatrics such as elaborate music videos and jovial live spectacles. Their dusk performance at Lolla was no different. After taking the stage in their trademark solid, pastel suits amidst a sea of rubber balls and bubbles in the audience, the band chugged through the finest from their catalog, adding whimsical but never overwhelming touches such as crowd sing-alongs with set closer “This Too Shall Pass”. The highlight of the evening was an unexpectedly moving rendition of “Return” performed entirely on hand-bells by all four band members. -Dan Caffrey

Coldplay – Bud Light – 8:30 p.m.

“We’re gonna try to rock your fucking socks off this evening!”, lead singer/guitarist Chris Martin promised near the beginning of Coldplay’s set, their first ever at Lollapalooza. It was an evening of colors; for “Yellow”, yellow lights shined across the sea of thousands. Likewise, a purplish light was served out during “Violet Hill”. Rumors of a Jay-Z cameo, heightened even more thanks to a “99 Problems” intro before the band took the stage, were for naught, though “Lost” was performed to a still-receptive audience without Chris Martin’s besty. Cameos weren’t necessary, though. All the crowd needed to whip itself into a frenzy was a beefed-up “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face”, during which Martin and Co. lined up in front of drummer Will Champion for its pounding buildup.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

But the story of the night was the new songs, which is a risk, especially if you’re headlining. In the same time slot last year, The Strokes stuck to their past glories instead of creating new ones. Coldplay opted to go for it, opening with a laser light show with fireworks for the uplifting “Hurts Like Heaven”, indicating an album full of “Lover in Japan”-esque tunes (compliment). Martin claimed the acoustic “Us Against the World” was inspired by a love affair between Bill O’Reilly and Sarah Palin (he was kidding), and they actually finished their encore with “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”. The new songs sound infinitely better live than they do on computer speakers, so that’s certainly encouraging. Fireworks and new songs wound up bookending the evening, as Coldplay continued to defy the critics and entertain their throngs of fans. -Justin Gerber

Muse – Music Unlimited – 8:15 p.m.

It’s only been four years since Muse last headlined Lollapalooza, and god, how so much has changed. Back then, the English trio were a year out in supporting 2006′s Black Holes and Revelations, and they were coming off an oddball supporting slot for, ahem, My Chemical Romance. Now, they return as arena rock saviors. Why? Blame it on Guitar Hero (“Knights of Cydonia”, anyone?), opening slots for U2, Twilight, the Grammys, or that mediocre 2009 effort, The Resistance. Whatever the case, and suffice it to say, America arrived late.

“Thanks for coming out and seeing us,” Matt Bellamy exclaimed. “We know you had options. You chose the right one.” Did they? Sure, highlights ricocheted in a three-hit punch of “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Hysteria”, and “Map of the Problematique”, with the latter syncing up beautifully to a nearby fireworks display, but lukewarm additions of “Guiding Light” and “United States of Urasia” teleported much of the crowd’s energy–and plenty of fans, who likely trekked north to salvage what was left of Coldplay’s set. The mood just fell flat midway through, and it didn’t pick up until they flirted with the trademark riff of “House of the Rising Sun”, which segued naturally into “Time Is Running Out”. As you could have guessed, they closed with crowd favorite “Knights of Cydonia” but not before dusting off “Plug in Baby”. Ah, there’s another Origin of Symmetry track–they punched out “Citizen Erased” earlier–but where were the rest? We won’t ask about Showbiz, either. Yes, things have changed. -Michael Roffman

Photo by Brad Bretz.

Ratatat – Google + – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

While Coldplay took the Bud Light stage and wowed fans with an epic spectacle of fireworks and state-of-the-art lights, Ratatat put on a smaller, but equally dazzling show. The only words uttered by the soft-spoken duo were polite thank yous between songs, allowing the band’s bizarre instrumentals and digital imagery to do the talking for them. As random as the footage from Predator may have seemed, the majority of the audio-visuals conjured an aesthetic of perverse classicism, melding the video game guitar and farting robot keyboards of fan favorites such as “Seventeen Years” with projections of fluorescent busts of Venus placed next to a large black woman dancing in a Hawaiian skirt. Elsewhere, synthesized harpsichord bubbled over the band’s twin electronic drum solos and films of blindfolded chamber musicians. “Wildcat” was the crowd favorite of the night, a sparkling gem of lucid performance art where a film of a rhythmically bouncing necklace transformed into the face of a golden cougar with every canned feline growl in the song. -Dan Caffrey

Girl Talk – Perry’s – 8:45 p.m.

Perry’s Stage came off as either a wicked fun dance party or a shitshow, depending on your personal preferences/level of intoxication. I walked over there, and there were six ambulances, two of which had actual patients in them. I don’t recall anyone passing out during The Mountain Goats, nor did anyone appear to be “rolling hard” at Bright Eyes, but the mood shift was jarring. I arrived just at the end of Afrojack’s set, which–come on, dude. It was like being bludgeoned with an inflatable hammer; it was irritating, immature, and totally predictable. He was self-aggrandizing and flippant onstage, periodically just turning his back to talk to his friends backstage while everyone waited for “that drop.” It was condescending to say the least.

Photo by Will Rice

Then Gregg Gillis bounded onstage, hopped up onto his DJ table, yelled, “Chicago come with me!”, and opened with an unaltered “Oh No” from All Day. Perry’s is where you want to be if you favor sensory stroking due to a state-of-the-art sound and light system that rivals any I’ve seen and a barrage of electronic acts that are down to get your hands up. And to be honest, I was in the the right mood to just turn my mind off and play name that tune with Mr. Gillis. Little did I know that I would only really dig it for a scientifically precise 15 minutes. With the displacement of people moving in and out of the very crowded canopied area, it was hard to really be in the fray without having to stop and let someone out (or worse, someone in). But that’s a part of every fest. What bothered me most about Girl Talk‘s show was that it was just too easy, and it felt like a goddamn wedding reception with people around my half shouting lyrics to MOP’s “Ante Up” or Drama’s “Left, Right, Left”.

Photo by Will Rice

When I go to a wedding, I expect to just get drunk and begrudgingly sing along to songs I really don’t care for. I don’t want to do that at a festival. I think I reached my breaking point when Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” was met with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. People went ape; I moved to the back. The thing I like about Girl Talk are the moments of surprise, and there were precious few at the show. (The Waka’s “Hard in the Paint” with Heart’s “Baracuda” mashup got my attention.) Gillis had to cut his set short due to some sort of security issue, adding that security were “straight being dicks” and disparaging Perry’s Stage; he said that he wished he could play on a regular stage “like a normal band could play.” I kind of felt for him, and perhaps if he were given more time to dig deeper into some different mashups, it would have felt less like I was surrounded by my drunk relatives. He (almost) closed with “Shout”. Do you need more proof that this was like your cousin’s wedding reception? Fun but lacking practically anything to remember it by. -Jeremy D. Larson

Saturday, August 6th

Typhoon – BMI – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Shortly after Typhoon began their set, the rain started to come down. Coincidence? Well, yes, but the band managed to fight through the conditions and play through their allotted time slot. The music attempted to reach the production swells of In the Aeroplane over the Sea but fell a bit short. The issue with Typhoon wasn’t necessarily the talent; it was having too much talent on the stage. Thirteen members crammed together on one of the smallest stages of the venue made for a claustrophobic experience. The horn- and string-filled sections weren’t allowed to breathe within a lineup that could be condensed by half. -Justin Gerber

Friendly Fires – Bud Light – 2:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

The main thing that drew me into Friendly Fires was Ed Macfarlane’s carefree dance moves. He dances like me, and it’s proven (somewhere) that we like things that we can associate with. In addition to the Gumby white-boy dance, Friendly Fires played essential festival music: feel-good, sun-kissed dance tunes with nothing but positive vibes. The fact that their whole show made me forget about how anti-kinetic their album is on speakers was a formidable feat. There may even have been some shivers up and down my arms during “Hawaiian Air”. It’s hard to reject something that uplifting, even if at times they border on 30 Seconds To Mars-esque mugging and cringe-worthy lyrics. (“A thousand butterflies from your lips to mine” makes me angry.) 2:30 p.m. big, happy dance party achieved. -Jeremy D. Larson

Dom – Google+ – 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

I’m still not sure who’s gonna win the Lolla cover battle, but a strong contender might be Dom‘s take on The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry”. I get it, though. I know smaller bands throw in covers so people are like, “What’s that one band that did The Cure?” “Dom, I think.” “Oh yeah, those guys are pretty good, too.” And they are, with their could-give-a-fuck amalgam of sounds from lo-fi garage to chillwave beach tunes, which prevents me from comparing them to any other band. Highlight “Burn Bridges” has this arena chorus that belies the rest of their DIY aesthetic, which makes me think they’ll be on to bigger and later set times throughout their career. -Jeremy D. Larson

TBD Special Guest – Kidzapalooza – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Let’s look at the timeline, shall we? 2005: Peter DiStefano & Perry Farrell/Saul Williams & Ladybug, 2006: Patti Smith, 2007: Jim James, Patti Smith, Ben Harper, 2008: Jeff Tweedy, Rogue Wave, Perry Farrell & Slash (complete with cigarette, if memory serves correct), and G Love, 2009: Yuto Miyazawa, 2010: The Verve Pipe, and for 2011? Little Hurricane. Not that anyone’s going to hang out at the Kidzapalooza stage for hours on end, but the surprise guest has always been a fun little break at the festival. This year, it was a letdown, especially given the celebrity presence in Grant Park. Sadly, many left an otherwise tight little set from the San Diego duo. Hard to blame them. Again, it’s just Kidzapalooza, but something special was slightly lost. -Michael Roffman

The Chain Gang of 1974 – BMI – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Frontman Kamtin Mohager, smoking a cigarette and dressed semi-Goth, may have given off the perception that this was going to be a dour 45 minutes. Quite the contrary. “It’s a fucking honor to be here,” Mohager declared, and you’d believe him as he launched into “Heartbreakin’ Scream”. The Chain Gang of 1974 launched into a set that had the crowd hopping up and down from the get-go. The reaction to the New Wave-tinged dance music was only enhanced when Mohager brought his mic stand with him into the crowd for “Devil Is a Lady”. There was a dance party at four o’clock in the afternoon inside a forested area. Must be Lollapalooza. -Justin Gerber

PerryEtty vs. Chris Cox – Perry’s – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Steve Wruble

As if Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell would expand his titular tent to roughly the size of a football field and not take at least one stab at ultra-stimulating the constantly packed crowd. Farrell has long been comfortable with a DJ set–just watch footage of early DJ Peretz–but people still flocked to the tent with hopes of catching the legendary frontman in front of the decks, and he definitely did not disappoint. With Chris Cox spinning the tracks seemingly solo, Farrell was busy fist pumping, supplying vocals, and performing with his wife and third member of the collective, Etty Lau Farrell. The electro set was decent, and with the exception of Farrell at the helm, it did not stand out among the rest of Perry’s international talent. Most likely, PerryEtty vs. Chris Cox will make a return at Lolla 2012, hopefully with a companion Porno for Pyros or Satellite Party set to keep Farrell occupied throughout the weekend. -Derek Staples

Death From Above 1979 – Bud Light – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Canadian duo Death From Above 1979 have released exactly one studio album, 2004′s universally acclaimed, dance metal thrasher You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. The group disbanded citing creative differences, and their recent reunion has been one of the most hyped acts at Lolla. However, their set, while energetic, displayed little chemistry between the members. It’s always a marvel to see how many twisted sounds Jesse F. Keeler can pull from his bass, and drummer/vocalist Sebastian Grainger blazed through spastic yet scary cuts such as the album’s title track and “Romantic Lights” with precision and snarl, but their apathetic communication made you wonder how much fun they were really having. -Dan Caffrey

Big Audio Dynamite – Music Unlimited – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

There were several elder statesmen represented at Lollapalooza this year, and though Big Audio Dynamite definitely fit the bill as “elders,” their youthful energy was impossible to dismiss. They began with a revved-up version of “Medicine Show”, which saw frontman Mick Jones slinking back and forth across the stage as he’s been doing for over 30 years. “This is the first B.A.D. song we ever wrote,” Jones informed the crowd before beginning “The Bottom Line”. The reception to that song was only surpassed by that for set closer “Rush”. The mud that stuck on people’s shoes, sandals, and feet was being kicked up into the air by the time that classic was ringing out of the Music Unlimited Stage. -Justin Gerber

The Drums – Google + – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Many people think The Drums are from the UK, and rightly so as their records could fall right in line with New Order or The Cure. But live they add a drummer, and their sound takes a direct flight to their actual home of NYC with Television bass lines and J. Casablancas swagger. The sort of lackadaisical ennui that singer Jonathan Pierce exudes is dampened by a sneaking suspicion that you could probably kick his ass if you wanted to, which makes his stumbling around the stage and limp posture actually kind of endearing. New song “Money” created the most tenacious earworm of the day and also sees the band taking steps toward carving out their own sound that comes out ahead of post-punk and New Wave revival acts. -Jeremy D. Larson

Exclusive: The Drums Interview – Frontman Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham discuss the new LP, changes in sound, and shifts in lineup.

Local Natives – Sony – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Taylor Rice is related to John Oates, right? Winner of this year’s Best ‘Stache goes to the Local Natives frontman, who led the lineup through their Vampire Weekend-meets-Fleet Foxes musical stylings. “Camera Talk” started things off on the right foot, and you can’t deny the afro-pop sensibilities. “This is insane!” Rice exclaimed. “This is the biggest crowd we’ve played by far.” He echoed the sentiments of Foster the People’s Mark Foster from the day before. Humbled and gracious is the best way to describe the young acts that played Lollapalooza. And mustached. -Justin Gerber

Chuckie – Perry’s – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

So, when exactly did moshing and crowd surfing become part of the dance music community? Because I definitely missed the memo. Sure, the bass monsters, like Friday performer Skrillex, can get revelers heated, but one would expect the hip-hop/house arrangements courtesy of Surinese-Dutch DJ Chuckie to result in a more subtle dance party. Chuckie’s deep-house set began with a remix of David Guetta’s “One Love”, then flowed into a mashup of his own “I Like the Way You Move to the Drum” with Justice vs. Simian’s “We Are Your Friends”. Other remixes included Daft Punk’s “Around the World”, the crowd-pleaser “Where’s Your Head At”, originally done by The Bassment Jaxx, Dead Prez’s “Bigger Than Hip Hop”, and “Warp 1.9″, which many in attendance recalled from the Bloody Beetroots’ Friday performance. Chuckie cultivated an amazing flow, but next time, a tiny bit more dancing room would be much appreciated. -Derek Staples

Ellie Goulding – Google + – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It happens every year at Lollapalooza: A big fish swims in a small pond. For 2011, the tradition continues with the UK’s latest addictive export, Ellie Goulding. Through power pop numbers “Lights”, “Salt Skin”, and “Starry Eyed”, the 24-year-old multi-instrumentalist — yep, she sings, plays guitar, and hits a drum (sometimes) –bottled up the hearts of every male and female that walked by the Google + Stage. Was it really that hard, though? Try watching one of Goulding’s videos; within two minutes you’re in love. Now, imagine what it’s like onstage. If her cute-as-hell wardrobe didn’t win you over (Those leopard print platform shoes? Puh-lease!), then her little sound bites worked their magic. When she exclaimed, “You’ve been fucking brilliant,” a thousand Americans let her know she’s more than welcome in the States. Some might have offered her a place to stay, too, but yeah, let’s not go there. -Michael Roffman

Lykke Li – Google + – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The Google + Stage was blessed with the presence of two great back-to-back pop acts. After Ellie Goulding pawed at the crowd, Swedish femme Lykke Li made us work a little harder. Her gothic undertones and tom-centric grooves are easily digestable pop fare but far less “Baby you’re a firework!” than her contemporaries. The allure of Lykke Li is that gothic danger lurking beneath those hooks, made evident by her slithering about the stage in her flowing outfit–sultry and sad. When Li strummed the zither on “I Know Places”, the crowd was rapt in the newborn power being infused in the song. Not long after, though, we’re back to Li attacking her tom and getting everyone moving and shaking to “Youth Knows No Pain” mixed with Kanye’s “Power”. It was a great, brooding set that was as uplifting as it was noir. (n.b. Her cover of The Drifters’ “Please Stay” was inspired, fine, but a far cry from some of the other covers heard at the fest.) -Jeremy D. Larson

My Morning Jacket – Bud Light – 8:00 p.m.

My Morning Jacket is no stranger to the festival circuit, and they were a highly anticipated headliner for day two. The crowd at the Bud Light Stage consisted of fans that had been camped out most of the day waiting for the high-energy jammers to blow them away. When the time came, Jim James and company blasted onto the stage with the opening track to Circuital, “Victory Dance”, and barely took time to breathe as they barreled through song after song. James gave the band a five-minute break to tell the story about how his first concert experience was at Lollapalooza in 1994 and how it was “fucking amazing” to be playing here now in 2011. That was the only break they took.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The set included tunes from their last four albums all played at a fevered and energetic pitch–everything from new tracks like “Circuital” and crowd favorite “Holdin on to Black Metal” to older tracks “Gideon” and “One Big Holiday”, the latter of which was used as an epic closing jam session. Jim James maintained a breakneck energy level throughout, jumping around the stage, shaking violently like a joyous born-again, and even adding a rock star knee slide across the stage that was met with crowd uproar and a stagehand placing a James Brown-esque cape over his shoulders. In the end, the crowd seemed completely content with the amazing set, while the band was soaked head to toe in sweat: a true sign of a job well done. -Nick Freed

Pretty Lights – Perry’s – 8:30 p.m.

More than ever, the Pretty Lights moniker is fitting for Derek Vincent Smith’s unique fusion of funk, soul, and electro. Perched atop a wall of ever-changing visuals, Smith bangs away at his controllers and dual laptops, as multiple towers of light dazzle grind-happy, well-baked fans. Due to the complexity of the new rig–a look of concern was recognizable on the face of at least one of the stage crew–Smith took the stage 10 minutes late but was still received with a boisterous reaction.

Photo by Derek Staples

With only an hour to perform, Smith shelved his growing list of popular music remixes, choosing instead to start the set with “High School Art Class”, and then he continued to fill the city’s skies with tracks from across his already expansive catalog, including “How We Do” and the Chicago-inspired “More Important Than Michael Jordan” off of Filling Up the City Skies, Passing By Behind Your Eyes‘ ”Sunday School”, and the hip-hop-heavy ”Hot Like Dimes” from Spilling Over Every Side. The vibrant set selection kept the earlier moshers at bay, offering those up front with a sense of relief and a little more safety in cozying up with friends old and new. -Derek Staples

Eminem – Music Unlimited – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Ashley Garmon

A vast majority of those Lollapaloo’ers squeezed into Grant Park’s South Side on Saturday night were raised on Eminem. Hell, my first CD purchase was his 1999 breakout, The Slim Shady LP. But the days of Eminem as Slim Shady/Stan/a captivating yet terrifying rapper who blew minds and caused a generation to bleach their hair (me included) left us long ago. Unfortunately, the Detroit-bred rapper has struggled to find a new identity–sobriety and maturity are double-edged swords–and his headlining performance at Lollapalooza was both unfocused and uninspiring.

The 90-minute set was in part a real-time commercial for Relapse; Eminem’s hype man, D12′s Mr. Porter (aka Kon Artis), has no qualms of squeezing a CD sales pitch into the middle of every song. Another 15 minutes were dedicated to hearing how loud the crowd could scream. Right after Eminem reached back to two of his most exposing narratives, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and “The Way I Am”, pop super star Bruno Mars showed up for a good 180 seconds, dishing out a glitzy chorus for Bad Meets Evil’s “Lighters”. There was a tribute to Nate Dogg, then a brief performance of Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” (sans Dr. Dre). And then, for the most uncomfortable part of the performance, Eminem “tried” to “relapse.”

“I love Chicago so much because Chicago and Detroit are so close to one another, there are so many similarities,” Eminem explained. Apparently, this provided a good enough reason to relive the glory days by “relapsing,” with Eminem then asking the crowd, “Can I relapse with you tonight?” It gets better: After swigging a giant bottle of voda, he proceeded to “leak” through his hoodie. “Give my man a hand for staying sober this long,” followed Kon Artis. Not even his 8 Mile acting chops could save this one.

Eminem relapsed anyway, capping off his set with “My Name Is”, “The Real Slim Shady”, and “Without Me”. For the encore, the rapper dished out his underdog anthem “Lose Yourself”; the song ends with the line “You can do anything you set your mind to.” If Eminem’s goal was to awkwardly bridge two eras that couldn’t be more different, then mission accomplished. -Alex Young

Photo by Dave Mead

Beirut – Google + – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I have never seen a crowd go nuts for trumpets. Trumpets! Every time Beirut‘s Zach Condon and his horn section would put those things to their lips, people just screamed as if doleful gypsy/mariachi music was the only answer for anything ever. When Condon and his fellow horn section about-faced, stood bolt-upright, and sounded off on “The Shrew”, it was like the crowd was welcoming a guest artist onstage. But, you know, classically trained musicians and composers getting a chance to show off in a headlining spot at Lollapalooza certainly is an occasion worth honoring at every opportunity.

Beirut’s show was a virtuosic display of musicianship, songwriting, and showmanship all while not shoving theatrics and hype down the crowd’s throat (and considering who they were up against, there was a very big turnout for these guys). Condon’s wealth of talent reared its head at every turn, from the drunken waltzes of their earlier material to the chamber-pop celebrations from their latest LP, Rip Tide. The die-hards swooned and sang along to the classics like “Elephant Gun” and the heart-squeezer “Postcards From Italy”, the latter of which purportedly underscored a marriage proposal in the audience. It was a perfect setting for Beirut, not too big to get swallowed but big enough for their strident brass to echo through the crowd.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I think “East Harlem” might be the best song they’ve recorded, and hopefully it’ll flex a bit more live in the future, as it leaves plenty of room for some improvisation. My only qualm with Beirut’s show is that it seemed scripted and stiff at times. For as talented as everyone is, I’m surprised they didn’t take the opportunity to unpackage their songs a bit more and let sections of songs breathe into the night. Having a tight show has its perks, though, like keeping the Lolla audience rapt for an entire show plus encore. Must be the trumpets. -Jeremy D. Larson

Titus Andronicus – Reggie’s – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

I’ve seen Titus Andronicus five or six times now and was kind of just going to see them raze a small club, but it turns out that it was a pretty special show, as the NJ arena punkers trotted out two new songs. Both were (comparatively) shorter, furious, east coast drunken punk burners, so get excited for that. Of note, too, was the new bass player, who blended well with the group, the commitment Patrick Stickles still has to these golden songs he’s been playing for well over a year on the road, and the cover of Nirvana’s “Breed”, which, if they forgo at Lolla, will be the worst decision they’ve ever made. Another great Titus show in the books. -Jeremy D. Larson

Foo Fighters – Metro – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

“I gotta be honest,” a sweaty, breathless Dave Grohl digressed. “I was kind of looking forward to this, instead.” He wasn’t alone in his sentiments. As the lucky hundreds attested, Foo Fighters‘ Saturday pre-show at the Metro–announced less than 72 hours prior–may have set an unapproachable benchmark for the weekend. With a full performance of the band’s latest acclaimed LP, Wasting Light, a rotary’s worth of hits, and one dazzling opening set by The Joy Formidable to boot, well, you sort of forget about the dried mud on your shoes and ankles.

Amicable as ever, Grohl ingested the surrounding die-hard fanaticism feverishly. It was rare to see him without that hyena-like smile of his or without a chummy quote that always incited laughter. He couldn’t help but note the difference in setting, especially since his arena rocking troupe would be performing to thousands a mere 21 hours later. “You see, tomorrow night we only got two hours, but tonight we can play for as long as we fucking want.” Enthusiastic roars were near-deafening. It was a mini arena rock show.

After being tied down to the stage for Wasting Light and dishing out seven solid hits (“All My Life”, “Learn to Fly”, and “The Pretender”, to name a few), the straggly hair guru abandoned his post during the jammy midsection of “Stacked Actors”, appearing on the balcony above to duel on his guitar with Chris Shiflett, who remained onstage below. Think Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen connects with his fans? Try this on for size: To get back to the stage, Grohl handed his Gibson to adoring fans below, where he trusted them to deliver it to him onstage as he made his way back. It was returned sans a knob, but hey, it was the thought that counted.

The midnight oil could only burn for so long. Two-and-a-half hours in, even Grohl seemed wrecked, adding, “How many songs are we doing? Shiiit.” Still, Taylor Hawkins, more or less a mustachioed drum machine at this point, managed to ignite an electrified closer in “Everlong”. There was no following that. Before he walked off, Grohl waved and said, “Thank you for letting us practice with you.” No problemo; just keep us in the loop for next rehearsal. -Michael Roffman

Gallery by Heather Kaplan

[nggallery id=248]

Sunday, August 7th

The Joy Formidable – Bud Light – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

The sun was bright for the Welsh trio’s set, and they met the heat with a towering wall of poppy guitar-gaze and pysch.Ritzy Bryan’s vocals are sharp and powerful, dwarfed only by the sheer volume she pulls from her guitar. It sounded like 100 Fender Strats coming out of the speaker, especially during the second half of “Austere” where the guitar tones were so thick you could have stood on them. Her happiness and elation to be playing Lollapalooza was endearing, and she played for keeps during the finale and smashed that magic guitar against a gong upstage as three black cat heads inflated around the band. A perfect primer to a a very rock-centric day. -Jeremy D. Larson

Rival Schools – Playstation – 1:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

And I didn’t really want Joy Formidable to end, so I kind of approached Rival Schools with a bit of a “you don’t love me like my real dad does” vibe. They are in many ways like a step-parent, trying their best to fit in and do a good job appealing to everyone, but it just isn’t the same as, well, real music. It wasn’t as bad as all that, but it was a rather toothless outing that could desperately have used at least some hardcore touches that the band members tout in their artist bio. I think those corners could be sharpened a bit to just get out of the murky waters of indie pop-punk. -Jeremy D. Larson

Exclusive: Rival Schools Interview – Frontman Walter Schreifels discusses what’s next for Rival Schools, festivals and touring, and the alleged third studio LP from Quicksand.

Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses – Music Unlimited – 2:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Ryan Bingham and his bandmates came dressed for a show at a local pub, with Bingham’s cowboy boots as their most telling accessory. They wound up playing one of the main stages at Lollapalooza and kept the audience involved with their alt-country brand. The extended jam during the mid-tempo “Bluebird” saw their lead guitarist attempt to jump upon a speaker, only to slip off in spectacular fashion. He leapt back up and kept playing through the rest of the song, the crowd roaring with approval. The weather was at its hottest during this set, the sun at its brightest, but it wouldn’t last much longer. -Justin Gerber

Lia Ices – BMI – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

First, Lia Ices is wearing an evening gown, which effectively makes everyone in the crowd look like her hand servants. Second, the lovely Ms. Ices should really be surrounded by melty wax candles and flowing, slow-motion fabric. As an unapologetic balladeer, Ices cooed and crooned into the shade of the small BMI Stage, evoking a Tori Amos timbre often but adding her own unique vocal quirks–like a quick leap into her upper register at the end of a phrase. If you wanted an escape from the clamor of eager-beaver rock and roll, Ices’ melancholic dirges were your best bet. Her version of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” felt right at home, which is not often said when that song is touched on at a festival. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Sony – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Shortly after three in the afternoon, the sugary synths of “Heart in Your Heartbreak” coated the fetid southern fields, where New York’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart reconstructed its latest LP, Belong, onstage. With a crowd as apathetic as the band’s music, frontman Kip Berman kept things relatively “chill”, leaving most of the talking to keyboardist Peggy Wang. It wasn’t like he had a chance to speak, either. Thick slices of distortion concealed much of Berman’s vocals, especially on 90′s burners like “Heaven’s Gonna Happen Now”, “My Terrible Friend”, and “Come Saturday”. It was odd seeing an act that capitalizes on moody noise pop both outdoors and under a lethal, unforgiving sun–though, in hindsight, somewhat humorous, given the sludgy downpours that would follow hours later. However, the quintet’s ample followers enjoyed the set, even clapping at a few beats, which is more than anyone should expect from a shoegazing crowd. Wang appreciated this, exclaiming, “This is the best crowd we’ve ever had.” Well, they have that…which is nice. -Michael Roffman

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jr. – Google + – 3:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Shtick aside (and that may take a while ), Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have the most chutzpa out of any young band I saw at Lollapalooza. Their carpe diem attitude was so sincere I almost pitied them, and I would have if it weren’t for their fully fleshed-out live show complete with perhaps the most fun cover of the weekend, Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love”. Thousands of bubbles blew out from the front of their stage while they delivered happy-go-lucky indie synth-pop that drew more and more people in by the minute. Though they will probably be remembered as the band with the “Your Ad Here” t-shirts, the skeleton-masked helpers, and their band name alone, their closer “Nothing But Our Love” was a damn near perfect song. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Cars – Music Unlimited – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

It’s easy to rag on a group of four old guys. It’s easier when the four old guys act, well, old. For all the hoopla surrounding their reunion, one would like to think Ric Ocasek returned to The Cars for a reason. If one were to find that reason at Lollapalooza, they’d be hard-pressed. With perfect weather and a hungry audience, the legendary Boston quartet had the perfect opportunity to repeat what Devo accomplished in 2010: reclaim their fame. Unfortunately, given the snail-like renditions of “Good Times Roll” and “My Best Friend’s Girl” early on, it quickly became apparent that wasn’t going to be the case. To be fair, keyboardist Greg Hawkes at least made some attempts to kick things up a notch, but it was the stoic nature of Ocasek that soured things. The prolific songwriter lurched forward through each hit as if he were a depressed animatronic on display, hardly acknowledging his dedicated fans or his music. By the time “Just What I Needed” or “Moving in Stereo” whizzed by, so did the crowds. -Michael Roffman

12th Planet – Perry’s – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Touted as America’s first king of dubstep, 12th Planet (born John Dadzie) didn’t work into his set, he simply took to the controls and performed a brand-new dubstep production. With the track blasting, Dadzie stepped atop his setup and hyped the crowd of bass fiends. In between his own bass-heavy electro production, Dadzie once again delivered a slowed-down, chopped-up remix of The Bloody Beetroots’ “Warp 1.9″ to the Perry’s faithful and closed out his set with “All of the Lights” by Kanye West, Rihanna, and the evening’s stage closer, KiD CuDi. Throughout the performance, Dadzie was continually working the crowd, getting the audience to jump, calling out beat drops, and spending a considerable amount of time at the front of the stage communicating with fans. -Derek Staples

Cage the Elephant – Playstation – 5:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

As Sunday afternoon strolled by, the northern section of Grant Park hosted some of its largest crowds–just as a conglomerate of deadly clouds circulated nearby. Perhaps it was a combination of Flogging Molly fans leaving that band’s set at the Bud Light Stage and the influx of fans turning out for the Cage the Elephant‘s program, but whatever the reason, it was an ocean of sticky flesh for as far as the eye could see. Opening song “In One Ear” grabbed everyone’s attention, though the line “We ain’t got the tunes that’s goin’ to put us on the map” was apparently inaccurate. Halfway through the set, those trusty clouds delivered, and the rain came pouring down. However, like every other act, the band played on. The difference? You can’t beat that hungry, dedicated crowd; no wonder Matthew Shultz jumps into them religiously.  -Justin Gerber

Best Coast – Google + – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Best Coast may have had one of the poppiest sounds at Lollapalooza, but the band was greeted with a torrential downpour that lasted for the entirety of their set. “You can tell your grandkids that you saw a band known for singing about the sun play in the rain at Lollapalooza in 2011,” joked frontwoman Bethany Cosentino. Older audience members (CoS staff included) huddled under umbrellas while gangs of teenagers jubilantly skanked and played in the mud, all while the band blazed through California pop punk gems such as “Bratty B” and the apt-titled “When the Sun Don’t Shine”. The music itself was moodier than on record, with Cosentino’s vocals and Bob Bruno’s guitar both taking on a more ghostly tone. The spacious sound made for compelling juxtaposition; melancholy renditions of sunny songs played in the rain while a celebration happened in the mud. Rays of sun burst through the trees as soon as closer “When I’m With You” began, capping off one of the most memorable and uplifting sets of the festival. -Dan Caffrey

Busy P – Perry’s – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Pedro Winter, better known in clubs worldwide as Busy P, is the manager/owner of France’s Ed Banger Records and is currently on a mission to bring real dance music back to the United States. Winter’s electro-house tracks kept the bass on medium, with more emphasis on the middle and high end, resulting in bright bangers more fit for booty shaking than crowd surfing. The pinnacle of the performance came near the end when the first few bars of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” crept over the loud speakers, and the entire crowd screamed the first few verses in their entirety. Let’s all hope that some more French-electro makes its way to Lolla 2012. Well, one big name would do. -Derek Staples

Arctic Monkeys – Music Unlimited – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

The rain from early in the morning returned late afternoon and soaked all concertgoers straight through what limited clothing they had and turned the field in front of the Music Unlimited Stage into a stinking mud pit. Unfortunately, it also delayed the Arctic Monkey’s set for nearly 20 minutes. The boys from “Highfield, Sheffield, Australia” (as lead singer Alex Turner put it) didn’t let the delay ruin their moment. After blasting through new song “Library Pictures”, Turner returned to the mic to say, “Thank you all so much. We have a short amount of time, so we’re just going to get to it.” The band sounded tight, and Turner was playful and upbeat. The set included highlights “She’s Thunderstorms” (Turner dedicated it to Mother Nature with a fantastic, sardonic laugh), “Crying Lightning”, and set closer “When the Sun Goes Down”. They were the perfect band to get the crowd to shake off the water and mud in order to get back to the business of rocking. -Nick Freed

Modeselektor – Perry’s – 6:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Lollapalooza

One of the bonuses of a DJ set is the lack of set change-over time. Not even two minutes after Busy P left the table, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary of Modeselektor were already declaring the benefits of “German engineering.” The duo’s set was unlike any performance beneath the massive tent over the three-day festival, based predominantly in mid-tempo IDM. The 75-minute set was mixed atop earth-rattling bass, and neither Bronsert nor Szary were thinking about letting up, even as a torrential downpour soaked everyone in attendance. Modeselektor demonstrated just how much they love their audience as they flipped everyone the bird during “Black Block”; we all chose to take it as a compliment. As the crowd dispersed to seek shelter from the rain, or catch the day’s headliners, the duo had one powerful request: “We need the bass drum! We need the hardcore!”  The rare American performance featured custom visualizations, including the ape face, dripping blood over a static whiteout, and a dark forest scene near the set’s conclusion. -Derek Staples

Explosions in the Sky – Sony – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Unlike Best Coast, whose sunny sound was fascinatingly offset by the rain, Explosions in the Sky is characterized by dramatic instrumental sweep that felt right at home in the storm. As the band energetically thrashed through opuses of cinematic ether, the clouds swirled, and the mud thickened. When they closed with “The Only Moment We Were Alone”, one couldn’t help but picture the Dillon Panthers trudging through the state playoffs and heartbreak with the band’s fans on the field. -Dan Caffrey

Foo Fighters – Music Unlimited – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

After a merciful reprieve, the rain returned a few songs into Foo Fighters’ headlining performance. Dave Grohl wasn’t phased. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s raining tonight,” he howled to the thousands of adoring fans getting drenched. The feeling was mutual, as plenty leapt up and down throughout the band’s set – especially on a rousing, iconic cut of “My Hero”, just as the torrential downpour hit the hardest. A jam session during “Stacked Actors” put My Morning Jacket to shame, and the chaotic lights during “White Limo” rivaled that of Coldplay’s performance two nights earlier (well, maybe not that so much).

Photo by Heather Kaplan

After playing nearly three hours the night before, the ageless group didn’t seem to be dealing with any exhaustion. Grohl still delivered his screams and shouts during every song but dialed back when the moment called for it, notably for the solo-electric intro to “Times Like These”, before the band returned to blast the song into the rain-soaked fans. As for the new songs, “Bridges Burning” proved to be a worthy intro, and “Walk” seems destined to become a staple for future live shows. Foo Fighters stole the weekend with their passionate shows at the Metro late Saturday night and the Music Unlimited Stage on Sunday. Hell, they might have stolen the whole year. -Justin Gerber

deadmau5 – Bud Light – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

It has been rare for an electronic artist to headline at Lollapalooza, so deadmau5 seemingly had something to prove Sunday evening. Wearing his customary LED-laden mau5head, deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman) was surrounded by visualizers. Like the tension and acceleration of a deadmau5 performance, the visualizers were only meant to highlight the tracks, not as a crutch to make the set palpable. Zimmerman chose not to bring along a live drummer for the set, a feature that has prevailed during his sets at other electronic festivals, but he did bring along vocalist SOFI. Roughly midway through the performance, the lovely SOFI came onstage to sing “SOFI Needs a Ladder” followed by  ”One Trick Pony”, each off deadmau5′s latest album, 4×4=12.

Photo by Brad Bretz

After SOFI left the stage, Zimmerman paid tribute to another legendary electronic Lollapalooza headliner by remixing “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Daft Punk. Next, Zimmerman traded the mau5head for a white bed sheet for “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff”, which also featured giant Pac-Man-esque blobs floating their way around the stage. But a deadmau5 set is more than progressive-house thumpers. Zimmerman mixed in electrifying piano/synth runs, techno tracks, and the surprisingly refreshing “Raise Your Weapon”. And the mau5 did it all while sporting an ironic kitty tee. -Derek Staples

The Culture of Lollapalooza – Part 1

Gallery by Brad Bretz

[nggallery id=250]

The Culture of Lollapalooza – Part 2

Gallery by Heather Kaplan

[nggallery id=249]

Lollapalooza by Windows Phone

Images created using Apict & Colorizer

[nggallery id=251]

Though a little weather may have cut short the Arctic Monkeys’ Lollapalooza set, the following is possibly a small mea culpa from the band. Courtesy of Some Kind of Awesome, check out the Suck It and See B-side “Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Rider)” released under the band’s psuedonym The Death Ramps and featuring guest vocalist Miles Kane (The Last Shadow Puppets). The Death Ramps moniker was also used by the band to put out B-sides after the release of Favourite Worst Nightmare. This new offering, though, is equally psychedelic and rollicking as cuts from the band’s latest LP; plus, the only thing it rains down are gnarly guitar riffs.

A number of highlights from this year’s recently-completed Lollapalooza are now available to watch in video form. From Lykke Li’s mash-up of Kanye West’s “Power” to Bright Eyes’ captivating performance of “Arc Of Time (Time Code)”, not to mention Foo Fighters’ earth-shattering, rain-soaked set to close out the weekend, check out the clips below.

Also, stay tuned for our full report from this year’s festival, which will be posted shortly.

Arctic Monkeys – “The View from the Afternoon”

Big Audio Dynamite – “Sightsee M.C.“

Bright Eyes – “Arc Of Time (Time Code)”

Coldplay – “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”

Deftones – “Sextape”

The Drums – “Money”

Foo Fighters entire performance

Local Natives – “Sun Hands”

Lykke Li – “Youth Knows No Pain”/”Power” (Kanye West) mash-up

The Mountain Goats – “You Were Cool”

My Morning Jacket – “I’m Amazed”

]]> Arctic Monkeys - "The View from the Afternoon" [youtube m0B6W7U5HM8 500 325] Big Audio Dynamite - "Sightsee M.C." [youtube gSwFM3Mcshs 500 325] Bright Eyes - "Arc Of Time (Time Code)" [youtube siZNPwlfuqY 500 325] Coldplay - "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" [youtube VdG72R0PvgU 500 325] Deftones - "Sextape" [youtube f1O4gFV957c 500 325] The Drums - "Money" [youtube vZtTL4tbJLs 500 325] Foo Fighters entire performance [youtube fgpGV5aOW0E 500 325] Local Natives - "Sun Hands" [youtube ll3x0DvUjjo 500 325] Lykke Li - "Youth Knows No Pain"/"Power" (Kanye West) mash-up [youtube cwqUOFShwDo 500 325] The Mountain Goats - "You Were Cool" [youtube C-suLIA_idE 500 325] My Morning Jacket - "I'm Amazed" [youtube v1l2I-ygRoc 500 325] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/lollapalooza-2011-video-highlights/feed/ 0 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/the-results-are-in-your-favorite-albums-and-songs-of-2011-so-far/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/the-results-are-in-your-favorite-albums-and-songs-of-2011-so-far/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Albums-of-the-year-vote-thumb.jpg Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:15:00 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=137739

At the beginning of this month, we asked you — the ever-enchanting reader — to tell us your favorite album and song of 2011. Well, we listened. We also collated all the results into a tight, easy-to-read list for your leisure. Why are we so good to you? Who knows!

Despite such an eclectic readership — c’mon, we have fans of 311, Skrillex, and Eleanor Friedberger co-existing together — you collectively assembled quite a knock out of a list. If there’s one thing we learned, however, it’s that Bon Iver wins in any party. Justin Vernon’s latest LP took off with this list, quickly claiming the throne with many votes to spare. And despite all the complaints over Radiohead’s latest effort, it still managed to squeeze in the top three, and also reign over the top songs with, of all tracks, the very Thom Yorke-heavy “Lotus Flower”.

Not too many surprises, either. In fact, most of the entries in the top 10 albums were all CoS Top Star winners, with the exception of Radiohead, TV on the Radio, and Arctic Monkeys. What does that tell us? Nothing really, but something intriguing to note. We were a little surprised to see Panda Bear so low and The Strokes so high — how did that happen? Perhaps those comments on the reviews aren’t always telling. Hmm.

Anyways, it’s a pretty nifty list. Hard to argue too considering, well, you put it together. Ah, it feels good to take the proverbial “weight” off our back. Enjoy.

Best Albums:

01. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
02. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
03. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
04. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
05. James Blake – James Blake
06. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See
07. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
08. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
09. The Antlers – Burst Apart
10. Cut Copy – Zonoscope
11. Yuck – Yuck
12. Cults – Cults
13. The Strokes – Angles
14. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
15. Panda Bear – Tomboy
16. Tyler the Creator – Goblin
17. Destroyer – Kaputt
18. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2
19. Wild Beasts – Smother
20. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

Best Songs:

01. Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”
02. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
03. Tyler the Creator – “Yonkers”
04. Bon Iver – “Holocene”
05. Foo Fighters – “Walk”
06. Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks”
07. Battles – “Ice Cream”
08. Panda Bear – “Last Night at the Jetty”
09. Radiohead – “Separator”
10. The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness”
11. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
12. Fleet Foxes – “The Shrine/An Argument”
13. My Morning Jacket – “Circuital”
14. Bon Iver – “Towers”
15. My Morning Jacket – “Holdin’ on to Black Metal”
16. Toro Y Moi – “Still Sound”
17. TV on the Radio – “Will Do”
18. Beirut – “East Harlem”
19. Cults – “Abducted”
20. Bon Iver – “Perth”

Arctic Monkeys have mapped out their third leg of U.S. tour dates behind their recently released fourth LP Suck It and See. This fall trek, which follows the band’s already announced summer run, kicks off on September 29th in Vancouver and runs until October 16th in Pittsburgh. Along the way, the Monkeys will play a trio of co-headlining shows with TV on the Radio, plus they’ll hit Florida for three dates.

Update: Smith Westerns will serve as the tour’s opener.

Arctic Monkey’s full touring itinerary follows. Also, you can watch a full HD recording of the band’s recent appearance at London’s iTunes Festival by clicking here.

Arctic Monkeys 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
07/11 – Lyon, FR @ Les Nuits de Fourviare
07/14 – Meco, PT @ Super Bock Super Rock Festival
07/16 – Benicassim, ES @ Benicassim Festival
07/17 – Bern, CH @ Gurten Festival
07/29 – Naeba Ski Resort, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
07/30 – Seoul, KR @ Jisan Valley Rock Festival
08/01 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium *
08/02 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs *
08/03 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues *
08/05 – Kansas City, KS @ Kanrocksas
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues ~
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/10 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox *
08/11 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
08/12-14 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
08/12 – San Franciso, CA @ The Independent *
08/19 – Biddignhuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/20 – Chelmsford, UK @ V Festival
08/21 – Weson-Under-Lizard, UK @ V Festival
08/27 – Domaine National De Saint Cloud, FR @ Rock En Seine
08/28 – Munich, DE @ Energy in the Park
09/03 – Bologna, IT @ I=Day Festival
09/23 – Las Vegas, NV @  The Cosmopolitan ^#
09/24 – San Diego, CA @ OAT ^#
09/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^&#%
09/28 – Vancouver, BC @ The Orpheum #
09/29 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom #
09/30 – Saskatoon, SK @ The Odeon #
10/01 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre #
10/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Ballroom #
10/04 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant #
10/05 – Nashville, TN @ War Memorial Auditorium #
10/07 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live #
10/08 – Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Music Festival
10/09 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz #
10/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle #
10/12 – Raleigh, NC @ Disco Rodeo #
10/14 – Atlantic, NJ @ House of Blues #
10/15 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live #
10/16 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion #
10/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE #
10/28 – Nottingham, UK @ Capital FM Arena #
10/29 – London, UK @ O2 Arena #
10/30 – London, UK @ O2 Arena #
11/01 – Cardiff, UK @ Motorpoint Arena #
11/02 – Manchester, UK @ Man Arena #
11/04 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena #
11/05 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena #
11/06 – Aberdeen, UK @ AECC #
11/08 – Glasgow, UK @ SECC Hall 4 #
11/09 – Liverpool, UK @ Echo Arena
12/30 – Tasmania, AU @ Falls Music & Arts Festival
12/31 – Victoria, AU @ Falls Music & Arts Festival
01/07 – Busseltown, AU @ Southbound Festival

* = w/ The Vaccines
~ = w/ Disappears
^ = w/ TV on the Radio
# = w/ Smith Westerns
& = w/ Panda Bear
% = w/ Warpaint

From the very first listen of Arctic Monkeys‘ latest LP Suck It and See, we had almost no clue what the title of “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” was referring to (perhaps a new Ben & Jerry’s flavor?) But now that the video for the big burned-out number has dropped, we have even less of an idea. What we do know, though, is that it all somehow involves life on the road and a hottie in a jumpsuit, so who needs anything beyond that? Check the clip out above and try to figure out what it all means yourself. Then come back and tell us, please.