Luckily, Bumbershoot ended up being one of the most efficient and organized festivals I’d ever been to, which made my job a hell of a lot easier. The festival is located at Seattle Center, a large inner city area consisting of Key Arena, Experience Music Project, Memorial Stadium and the Space Needle, which made it easy to use the festival’s gracious in-and-out privileges to take the Monorail back into the CBD, get outside food or ride the Duck Bus. That said, you really didn’t have any reason to leave the festival site.

The portable toilets (affectionately called “Honey Buckets”) were well spread out, usually quite clean and never had too long of a line. The grounds were free of garbage with an ingenious recycling program, there were various vendors hawking everything from bamboo clothing to wines, and the food was tasty and reasonably priced (halibut fish tacos FTW). There seemed to be beer gardens at every stage and if Shock Top wasn’t your cup of tea, there were several Starbucks’ scattered throughout (it’s Seattle, what did you expect?).

The crowd was an eclectic mix of city punks, teenagers letting loose on the last weekend before school, families with apple-cheeked children, young thugs, grunge hipsters and hip grungesters. Those last two were responsible for the most flannel I have ever seen in my life. It was like a Magic Eye painting; once you spotted plaid or flannel, that’s all you ever saw. But considering all of the above accounted for 150,000 people over the weekend, it was amazing that the place never felt too crowded. Aside from the will call line on the first day, you could just breeze right in.

I never saw anyone get too drunk or stupid either, even though security was quite lax and it was more than easy to smuggle a six-pack inside (but I feel sorry for the Wisconsin man who had his Pabst poured out by the police… “I’m from Wisconsin, this is sacrilegious.” ). Maybe the lack of douchebaggery at Bumbershoot was because there was so much to do. Aside from the music, there were comedy shows (The Nerdist, Patton Oswalt), actual art exhibitions, film screenings and theater shows, not to mention entertainment such as Cyclecide’s bike rodeo and Circus Una’s gravity-defying, burlesque babes on a tightrope show.

But with all that awesomeness filling out the sides, I was there for the music. So let’s get on with it!

Saturday, Sept 4th: Lots of folk from fun folks

The Constellations
State Farm Stage, 2:00 p.m.

The first band I started off with was Atlanta’s own, The Constellations, whose rave reviews from Spin Magazine caught my attention. The self-proclaimed supergroup was indeed funky and fresh and a groovy way to ease into the festival. Vocalist Elijah Jones has that 70’s funk swagger down to tee and the backing singers (and hipster eye candy) were a sweet throwback to a bygone era. But the sound wasn’t all harmonies and tambourines. The Constellations have got some serious beats to move to and an eclectic mix of sounds, bringing forth comparisons to the Gorillaz (one of their influences) – albeit if the Gorillaz moved to the South and spent lazy afternoons on the porch. Despite the early afternoon set-time, the sizable crowd at the State Farm Stage was into it and began to bop as a collective whole when Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” was covered with spunk.

Atlas Sound
Broad Street Stage, 4:00 p.m.

Talk about going from one extreme to the other. After I left the upbeat Constellations I ran over to the Broad Street Stage to see Atlas Sound. All I knew about it was that it was “that dude from Deerhunter’s solo project” so I wasn’t sure what to expect. For fans of that “dude,” Bradford Cox, I’m sure they knew what they were getting into: sleepily enthralling music. Cox has a shy stage presence but the fact that he was able to layer sounds and build up the illusion of a full band when it was just him up there with a guitar was mesmerizing. The Space Needle provided an equally hypnotic backdrop to this intricate set.

Civil Twilight
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Next up on my list was the South African band Civil Twilight. Now based in the USA, the band has been compared to Radiohead and Coldplay and after seeing them play the Center Square Stage (aka The Loud Stage) I can definitely see how Coldplay fits into their sound. Radiohead, though? They wish. I didn’t find Civil Twilight to be anything special, but they were a harmless, unmemorable listen. There is obviously some talent there and they had a good way of artfully building their songs, but as a live act they were a bit of a snooze, even with the speakers blaring at deafening levels. They must be doing something right though, as there was a large crowd full of enthusiastic youngsters hanging on to their every note.

Jamie Lidell
Broad Street Stage, 5:45 p.m.

Fun. That’s a simple way to describe the melodic, soul-tinged, beat-boxing singer that is Jamie Lidell. The talented Brit had an energetic and engaging way about him, whether accomplishing vocal trickery by layering tracks and sounds or being supported by his talented and enthusiastic band. He was all about audience interaction, making charming chit chat or checking in with the crowd. Highlights included “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” which had people dancing on the spot to the electronic Motown mix and “Another Day” a happy, soulful number that coincided delightfully with the sun coming out to play.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Broad Street Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Everyone at Consequence of Sound has always waxed on about this band and how darn great they are live, so I finally had to check them out to see what the fuss was about. Walking through the backstage area to get to the photo pit I saw a homeless Jesus kicking about at imaginary things in the air. Oh wait, that was just singer Alex Ebert, who brings “Hobo Chic” to a whole new level. But hey, if it works for him and his “hippie commune in the 70’s” type band, then it works for all of us.

Edward Sharpe actually lived up to all the glorious hype that their debut album Up From Below has garnered since its release last year. Ebert climbed off the stage and said hi to the massive, uncontainable crowd more than a few times, making everyone in the twilight set feel like they were part of his eclectic entourage.

“Janglin” brought about ecstatic crowd surfers and a euphoric sing along with their messiah, but it wasn’t until “Home” was played that I saw the Broad Street Stage explode and the audience reach an epic frenzy. The adjacent beer garden was literally shut down for an hour as it was filled to capacity. Whether you like hype or not, this is a band to see live… just to see it for yourself.

Bob Dylan
Bumbershoot Mainstage, 9:00 p.m.

And then Edward Sharpe finished up and the same crowd made a mass exodus to Bumbershoot’s Main Stage (Memorial Stadium) to see the one and only Bob Dylan. Oh man, where do I begin here? First of all, I must point out that I’m not a big Dylan fan. I appreciate him for what he is and what he has done, but his music has always been a bit too folksy for me. Or maybe it’s his voice. But I’m not alone – as it was, his voice was an issue for everyone at Bumbershoot. It was like we were all watching Adam Sandler do a Bob Dylan impression (“shaba daba da”). To say he mumbled was an understatement. Occasionally you might hear an actual word like “stoned” or “woman” thrown in there, but everything else was incoherent mumbo jumbo. If you looked around at the crowd, everyone’s faces were scrunched up in pure concentration trying to decipher just what the hell he was saying and what damn song was playing. You see, Dylan didn’t just slur onwards, he made tweaks to each and every song, almost changing the melody at times so that you didn’t actually realize what song you were listening to until half-way through.

This isn’t me ripping him apart, though. This was just the truth and what you get when you see Bob Dylan. But as confused and frustrated as it was to listen to, it was exciting – even enthralling – at the same time. Because it was Bob Dylan, man. The man who first plugged in that guitar. He’s still around, up there, doing his thing. Ignoring the lack of pronunciation (by the way I’m sure the American Sign Language interpreter they had was having a great time – what’s ASL for “question mark?”), Dylan seemed to be having a great time and played his guitar and keyboards (and, of course, that harmonica) with enthusiasm. His band too, was fast, tight, and cohesive – the drummer was really something, taking “Highway 61” to a whole new level. And though his classics like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Just Like a Woman” almost became different songs in his hands, they were still a wonder to listen to, the genius is still there. I actually preferred these new versions to the old ones, it was like they were evolving before your eyes (and ears). I guess the moral here is, he’s Bob Dylan and he can do whatever the fuck he wants to do, but he did it with a smile on his face, which in turn, kept the packed to the rafters stadium crowd smiling too.

Gallery by Karina Halle

Sunday, Sept 5th: Reliving my teenage 90′s years

Crash Kings
Center Square Stage, 3:00 p.m.

Unlike Saturday, which twittered between ominous clouds and teasing peeks of sunshine, Sunday was warm, sunny and full-on fabulous. What better way to harness that energy of the festival’s most rock-centric day, then to start with a crash course on the Crash Kings? I hadn’t heard much about the band aside from their single, but was told they might be worth checking out. And yeah, totally worth it. Composed of just a drummer, bassist, and lead singer on keyboards (with whammy bar), this LA trio put on an extremely high-energy and flawless show.

Sometimes it’s hard to really connect with a singer who spends most of his time behind a keyboard, but vocalist Tony Beliveau was a moving, crooning machine who got their young crowd in high spirits. And by high, I mean literally up there. The first crowd surfer appeared and then was quickly escorted by security out of the Center Square Stage area. But you can’t keep the kids down – soon surfer after surfer was being carried towards the stage, giving this Crash King set an infectious vibe that spread throughout out the grounds and caused people to wonder just which band was playing. As a fellow writer said to me, the show made him want to buy their record and that rarely happens.

The Redwood Plan
EMP Sky Church, 3:30 p.m.

A homegrown favourite, the poppy, punky Redwood Plan has been gathering a strong following in the Seattle area for their raucous live shows and danceable, rock pop beats. This was the first band I’d seen in the EMP Sky Church, a dark, trippy stage located in the Experience Music Project (right next to the gift shop, actually) and was the perfect venue for this band that had a bit of darkness to its lively riffs.

The riveting singer Lesli Wood played guitar, keyboards, and high-kicked her gym-shorts clad booty to the eventually-riled up crowd, whipping her shock of neon red hair around to the energetic swirl. The band’s moto is “We’re a party and you’re invited” – I suggest you all RVSP.

The Bouncing Souls
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Wasn’t sure what to expect from these Jersey boys in 2010. In the 90′s I had some of their CDs in my wannabe punk collection and I know I must have seen a few of their shows, but that all kind of goes out the window when it’s been so long. At least that’s what I thought until I heard their opening song “Here We Go” when it all came back to me with poppy punk nostalgia. Yes, the guys are a lot older, but just as the tireless punk of Bad Religion carries on decades later, The Bouncing Souls do too. Singer Greg Attonito looked relaxed and affable as he jumped off the stage to greet fans in the crowd, a gentlemanly contrast to his fellow bandmates with their East Coast swagger, shredding riffs and decades worth of tattoos. The band played a lot of their classics, which the crowd seemed to know by heart, as well as a few new ones like the Rock Band featured “Gasoline,” which showcased a more pop-based Souls for the new decade.

Jay Electronica
State Farm Stage, 5:45 p.m.

After I was punked out from The Bouncing Souls, I checked out Jay Electronica at the State Farm Stage. I’m not big into hip-hop, especially live, but I figured I should try and add a little variety into my musical weekend. I probably could have picked a better hip hop artist to see. While Jay Electronica is a stunning wordsmith with personable delivery, his frequent excursions into a capella territory left me feeling all out of sorts. Where was the beat? Where was the rhythm? The rhyme was in his microphone but it wasn’t enough to keep the energy moving. And then there was the fact that he cut his performance short by 20 minutes. To tell you the truth, I stopped listening long before then. That said, it was highly entertaining to see him thwart the security guards by inviting half the crowd on stage with him. Maybe I need more than just clever rapping to keep me engaged but he sure as hell won over the audience with that move, not to mention the outstandingly talented kid Jahyaire he ended up freestyling with.

Hole
Bumbershoot Main Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Last time Courtney Love was in the Seattle Center, it was two days after Kurt Cobain’s death and she read his suicide note to the candlelit fans who had gathered there. Fast forward 16 years and she’s just as controversial as before. Love her or hate her, everyone in Seattle was talking about Courtney Love – she even made the cover of Seattle Weekly where her illustrated face had her injecting Botox into her lips using the Space Needle. A lot of Hole fans were there, judging by their 90′s era babydoll shirts, but most people wanted to see Love in order to witness the trainwreck first hand. I must admit, I was one of the latter.

Yet, that trainwreck didn’t happen. She took to the Main Stage at Memorial Stadium looking rather good, with a tiara on her head and a sleek black dress. She wasn’t as deathly skinny as she has been in recent years and her face looked pretty normal (then again, I wasn’t that up close). Of course, she was as loopy as ever (one only needs to hear about her unplugged media pre-show) but she performed surprisingly well. Hole is no longer the band it used to be – all of the original lineup is gone – but that didn’t stop Love from playing a rather tight set that spanned the spectrum of Hole’s career. “Violet” and “Malibu” sounded on-par and Love showed she could still scream and screech like a banshee, but at least it was in-tune, and at times sounded better than it had back in the day. Even if you didn’t think you knew a song, you’d find yourself screaming along to it anyway.

And she was personable, funny too. She put a lot of effort in getting the crowd to sing along, even during parts where there were no words (yeah, I’m not sure how that worked). During “Skinny Bitch”, Love ad-libbed “But I’m not (a Skinny Bitch). OK, well kind of. But I’m not the worst!”

There were some downfalls… I don’t have to go into the details of why her cover of Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” was terrible. But Love did warn us “We suck at it. It’s awkward, charming at best.” Well, it was shoddy, brave at best – taking on a hometown hero probably didn’t put her in Seattle’s good books. On that note, the fact that she kept on referring to Seattle as “my hometown” did not go down well either with the audience. Every time the LA-based Love mentioned it, it prompted a flurry of “Oh, shut up. This ain’t your hometown. This is MY hometown” from people around me.

So, in a way Hole was disappointing in that you didn’t really get your trainwreck. On the plus side, it made for a fun and enjoyable set. I’m gonna steal a line from Ms. Love herself and say Hole was awkward, charming at best.

Weezer
Bumbershoot Main Stage, 9:15 p.m.

With Hole done, the Main Stage crowd that had amassed for her suddenly multiplied and pushed on forward. I was carried all the way to the rail, a prime spot for Weezer. I had heard from various people that Weezer didn’t put on the best live shows, but that didn’t really matter to me. I’d never seen them live before, despite being a big fan in high school, and they were probably the only band at Bumbershoot that were a “must see” in my eyes. So I didn’t really care if they sucked live or not, I figured it would be a good time anyway.

And a good time it was. Actually, it was a great time. In fact, it was the most fun I had at a concert in a very long time. Let’s first start with the crowd, shall we? There were a lot of folks there who, like me, had been into Weezer in the 90′s but to my surprise, the majority of the crowd were teenagers. Enthusiastic, hardcore teenage Weezer fans. If Rivers Cuomo was the MC, these kids definitely made the show a party. They were jumping up and down, singing along to every single word in every single song, they were crowd surfing like crazy – just waves and waves of them plopping over the barrier, then running past the stage with a huge smile on their face (and usually with just one shoe in hand). There was even a crowd surfer who couldn’t have been more than 11-years old – he got major props and high-faves from the security guards who plucked him out of the crowd. This audience gave me hope for today’s young people – they weren’t going to watch the band with crossed arms, talking on their phones or gazing at their shoes. They knew that concerts were supposed to be FUN.

Naturally, it helped that it was a Weezer concert, and contrary to all things I had been told, they did not suck live whatsoever. Cuomo was an energetic, tireless nerd machine who set the tone of the evening from the rocking energy of the first song “Hashpipe” all the way to the encore of “Buddy Holly”, which had the entire band joining Josh Freese on a drum solo. In the middle, they played just about every song I knew… “Pork and Beans”, “Beverly Hills”, “My Name is Jonas”, “Undone”, “Island in the Sun”, “Say it ain’t so”, “El Scorcho”, “Dope Nose”, “Troublemaker” and their new song “Memories” (well-received, by the way). Let’s not forget a surreal cover of MGMT’s “Kids” complete with an interjection of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”, which brought out the best sight of the evening: Rivers Cuomo in a blond wig.

And when he wasn’t dressed in drag, Cuomo could be found scaling the stage scaffolding, playing hide and seek with the giant banners, leaping into the crowd to shake people’s hands, climbing on top of a portable toilet and giving fans high fives, bringing a child on stage to sing, hugging his various bandmates (bassist Scott Shriner and guitarist/drummer Patrick Wilson got most of the bro love) and dodging the rolls of toilet paper, giant beach balls and rubber chickens (yes, rubber chickens) that were thrown on stage. All while sounding on top of his game and looking like he was having the time of his life.

I don’t know if these means a new direction for Weezer’s live shows or not since I only have this to base it on, but whatever they are doing, it’s working. It’s been a few days now and I’m still smiling while I type this.

Gallery by Karina Halle

Monday, Sept 6th: Soggy and Subdued

The Whigs
Center Square Stage, 3:00 p.m.

Monday brought cold temperatures, wind and rain to the Seattle area, something that is usually expected but never welcomed. It definitely gave the last day of Bumbershoot a subdued, sad kind of feeling, though that probably had to do more with the fact that it was back to school for most kids the next day and that the onslaught of rain seemed to signal the official end of summer.

That said, there were still quite a few brave folks out there who weren’t going to miss out on their music and for me, I started with the Georgia band, The Whigs. They had been described as scrappy, Southern rock with an electrifying live show. I wouldn’t go as far as that, but they were fun to watch. The trio kept the soaked crowd moving and grooving, and they showed off their musical prowess by including a lot of piano-based songs like “Half the World Away”. There was nothing about them that stuck out in my mind, a lot of the guitar work was reminiscent of Better Then Ezra-era fuzz, but they were talented enough to garner your attention for the whole set, even in the rain.

Baroness
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Swampy. Sludgy. Shoegazing. Aside from genre alliteration, Baroness are all these things and more. To put it simply, they rock. As a fan, I knew this going into their soggy set and as usual, they didn’t disappoint. There were some sound problems thanks to the rain shorting out a lot of the system, but they powered through with their tireless, raging mix of flying locks, intricate guitar riffs, madcap drumming and booming vocals.

The crowd wasn’t moving so much due to the weather and the fact that a lot of the time with Baroness, you just want to listen to the complex patterns and soaring crescendos. But by the end of their set, a sizable audience had gathered, many of them just passerbys who were intrigued by their progressive metal sound. Yes, I am probably biased with my admiration for this band but a lot of the journalists I had talked to about Baroness, ended up thanking me for my recommendation. These boys are going far.

Japandroids
Broad Street Stage, 5:45 p.m.

Japandroids are Vancouver’s hometown heroes, even though the band doesn’t actually get that much play in our fair city. Whatever the reasons though, they are getting more than enough hype elsewhere and the hype is pretty much all warranted.

They had been described to me as “a two-piece Sonic Youth” but I would beg to differ. Sure there was noise, but Japandroids had bounce and melody splashed all over the distorted angst and fuzz. These unassuming guys, singer/guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse, were stereotypically Canadian in their apparent humbleness and shy banter (“We’re from Vancouver. We’re really sorry we brought this weather with us”), but still rocked out the wet crowd with an interesting and varied set. They weren’t boring, they weren’t typical (though “Here’s Your Money Back” had the catchiest, pop-type tune) – they were welcome addition to Bumbershoot.

Plus, they were the only set I saw that had people flinging spinning tortillas into the crowd onto the stage.

Jenny & Johnny (ft. Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice)
Starbucks Stage, 6:45 p.m.

I caught a bit of Jenny & Johnny as I made my way out of Flatstock 2010 (the music poster expo that had tons of artists with their original work) and joined them at the Starbucks Stage. I hadn’t caught an act at this stage before and as you can tell by the name, this is the stage that sounds like you’re sitting in a coffee house, listening to soft cooing, warm vibes and a touch of spice.

Jenny & Johnny is compromised of real life couple Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) and Jonathan Rice . The duo’s collaboration is called I’m Having Fun Now and while I don’t know if anyone was having that much fun in the constant drizzle, it was pleasing set that attracted a variety of people from dance circle hippies to a guy dressed as a faded copper statue (I actually thought he was until I leaned against him). Lewis was a coy, charming personality that spread a little bit of light and joy across the huddled, pensive crowd.

Surfer Blood
Broad Street Stage, 7:30 p.m.

I had heard a lot about Surfer Blood. I was not expecting to see a bunch of 12-year olds on stage. I was also not expecting to be impressed by this band, and yet it happened. Now, I know they aren’t twelve but they do have that naive, youthful look about them that helps sell their Weezer-esque rock songs. They’ve said that the name Surfer Blood isn’t to be taken too literally in terms of their sound but at this show, I found it to be quite fitting. They had that happy, surf rock feel with a touch dark (and at times, wise) lyrics. Sounds like blood on a surfboard to me.

Wild Orchid Children
EMP Sky Church, 7:45 p.m.

As had been happening with a lot of bands this weekend, I was running again on recommendations. Someone told me to check out Wild Orchid Children, a Seattle-based band who apparently sounded  a lot like the Mars Volta. Now, maybe I could see that in the various percussionists the band seemed to posses, but that’s where all comparisons end. And I know it’s lazy to make comparisons to other bands, but for this band I can’t help it. During the whole set, I couldn’t help but think this was Rage Against the Machine meets Portugal The Man or something akin to that. The Rage bit comes from vocalist Kirk Huffman with an artfully draped American Flag on his stand, and biting vocals a la Zach de la Rocha. The Portugal bit comes from the psychedelic rock flavorings that the eight-piece band brought forth with a mix of funk and thump.

I think the show might have been more enjoyable had the crowd inside the EMP Sky Church not been so thin (it was raining outside, so you would have thought there would have been more people inside the only indoor venue) and so dead. But it was Monday night and though the Children tried their best to be Wild, the audience could only handle so much. I’d like to see this band in another setting, on another day and see how my perspective changes.

The Thermals
Broad Street Stage, 9:15 p.m.

The piece de resistance for Bumbershoot was Portland indie band, The Thermals. Their name sounds warm and fuzzy but this trio knows how to rock. No-fi, neo-grunge, post-power-pop, alternative punk – whatever you want to call it, it probably falls into The Thermals repertoire. You would have thought that being one of the last bands to close out Bumbershoot, or at least the Broad Street Stage, in the rain would have equaled a sparse crowd, but people were here to see them and say goodbye to the festival in style. The band was cynical, catchy and smart. There was a dance party in the crowd, an encore of “My Name is Jonas” and a feeling of never wanting the set to end.

But like all festivals, Bumbershoot did have to come to an end. And even though it ended on a soggy note, the relaxed, friendly festival brought a bit sunshine to everyone’s ears.

Gallery by Karina Halle

I would proceed to excitedly tell them that before we even get there, one of the nicest cities in Canada to visit will have already seen headlining performances by Iron Maiden, Furthur featuring Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir in their only Canadian appearance, The B-52s, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Flaming Lips, Rush, Arcade Fire, Santana, and Crowded House. To which I would frequently hear the reply, “Um, those aren’t very bluesy bands.”

Can’t argue with that logic. Bluesfest has done a lot of growing up since 5,000 people came out to see E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons at a downtown Ottawa park in 1994. It’s now unarguably one of the largest music events in North America, with more than 230 acts spread out over 12 days at LeBreton Flats as well as other locations throughout the city like the world-famous ByWard Market (where President Obama stopped for cookies in 2009). While blues are still an integral part of the yearly lineup, there have been so many other music genres that have been added to the mix recently to make the festival more commercial that, as much I hate to suggest it, a name change may be in order.

And in 2010, especially during the three days I attended, the indie rock influence was overwhelming, with a number of Canadian bands taking centre stage. It was a kick ass time in Ottawa, and I am honored to be bringing you a recap of the proceedings from my perspective. Now if only my home city of Toronto could get its act together and organize something as wickedly cool as Bluesfest…

Friday, July 16th

The Budos Band
MBNA Stage, 7:00 p.m.

The Budos Band’s funky, jazzed-up instrumental stylings dominated by trumpet and saxophone should have been the perfect way to get anyone’s evening going. Unfortunately, these Staten Islanders’ talents seemed to have been wasted on a crowd clearly waiting to party with popular celtic folk rockers Great Big Sea a few hours later.

Drake
Claridge Homes Stage, 8:15 p.m.

For a great many young adults on Friday, particularly those of the female persuasion, THIS was by far the main event of the entire Bluesfest. The Claridge Homes stage, named after the company developing condos across the street at LeBreton Flats, was looking dangerously overcrowded for the man they affectionately call ‘Drizzy.’ No riots ever did end up breaking out, but I thought I was going to go deaf from all the screaming, which didn’t subside for the length of Drake’s set. While they may believe he’s the best thing since sliced bread, I’m not convinced that the kid from Degrassi has graduated into hip-hop stardom just yet. I certainly didn’t like how he went all auto-tune not even three songs in, and I also didn’t think he had to swear in front of all those kids.

I will give him this, though – Damn is he ever charismatic. Despite the frenzied scene unfolding at the start, I was impressed with how he nonchalantly sang “Forever” standing sideways for a few verses before thrusting himself into the proverbial lion’s den. Is Drake the face of a new musical generation? I don’t know, but it won’t be because his home and native land doesn’t support him.

Stars
Subway Stage, 9:30 p.m.

As I made my way to the far west end of the park, I started to sense something magical in the air. Blonde Redhead had just ended with an awkward whimper, their trance-like brand of dream pop having lulled the several thousand people present into a stupor of sorts. When they came to, instead of a concert stage, they found a setting decorated like we had all been invited to a romantic candlelight dinner, white roses were everywhere, with our dates for the evening being Montreal band Stars.

No tricks or potions were needed to make us fall for them and their music. Between passionate duetting by Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell (Seriously, how cool of a name is that?) as well as some rocking, love-laced synth, we all bore witness to some true Stars being born that night.

First Broken Social Scene, then Metric, and now Stars…Canada’s beginning to cultivate quite the reputation when it comes to producing brilliantly talented indie bands.

Saturday, July 17th

The White Wires
Subway Stage, 2:00 p.m.

Upon returning to the Subway-sponsored stage Saturday afternoon, it was looking as if some ominous dark clouds were going to wreak havoc on Bluesfest…that is until local Ottawa outfit The White Wires saved the day! Once guitarist and singer Ian, bassist Luke and drummer Allie started playing their nifty, fun, and energetic surf rock, the sun came out almost immediately and shone down on everyone. For a good time, hit up their MySpace – I’m pretty sure I saw this address scrawled on a bathroom stall wall at a ’50s sock hop revival not too long ago…

Richie Righteous
Hard Rock Stage, 4:15 p.m.

With the threat of rain having passed, I was all ready to enjoy a little bit of blues courtesy of someone named T.J. Wheeler, but he was being drowned out by what sounded like some pretty aggressive, old school Ice Cube-like rapping coming from the Hard Rock stage to the north. In contrast to its name, the Hard Rock had been where gospel choirs and Christian rock bands had been congregating all day. And now, it was Richie Righteous and his crew’s turn.

I stayed long enough to get the takeaway points from Richie’s presentation. He is one angry dude, he wants to see you dance, and oh yeah, he really, really, and I mean really loves Jesus. Judge R.I.C.H. for yourself at RichieRighteous.net.

The Matt Schofield Trio
Subway Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Hey, what do you know…blues at Ottawa Bluesfest! And Matt Schofield and his band were well worth the wait. This about to turn 33 year-old guitarist from the UK is one cool customer. Very laid back, and very similar to the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan I found in terms of his technique. As I joined my family far away from the stage to watch him jam extensively with his mates, the breeze from the nearby water cooling everybody in the park off just right, I couldn’t help but think to myself that that there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.

The Whigs
Subway Stage, 6:15 p.m.

When you go to a festival like Bluesfest, there’s bound to be that one band that surprises you when you least expect it and becomes a new favorite of yours. That band for us may very well have been The Whigs.

With our two young kids rapidly becoming cranky, we decided after five hours that The Whigs would be our last show of the day. I was really hoping to stay for The Hold Steady, who The Whigs are currently on tour with, but was cool with our decision to leave.

To be honest, we couldn’t have gone out on a higher note. While I knew they were a get down and dirty garage rock band from Athens, Georgia, I didn’t realize just how good lead singer and guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio (with his bush of reddish hair that reminded us of snowboarder Shaun White), and bassist Tim Deaux sounded together.

I think my wife summed it up best during one song of theirs called “Dying”, from their latest album In the Dark. She had two simple yet powerful words to describe how she was feeling about them at that moment – Rhythmically haunting.

Sunday, July 18th

Hollerado
MBNA Stage, 7:00 p.m.

Am I weird in admitting that little-known Hollerado were the band I was probably MOST looking forward to all Bluesfest weekend? Or is that incredibly ‘hipsterish’ of me?

These four fun loving guys from just outside of Ottawa have been busting their butts the last couple of years getting themselves noticed – I first saw them opening for The Dead Weather at a secret Toronto club show in 2009 and bought their CD off of lead singer Menno Versteeg for cool $5 (which came in a Ziplock bag, no less). Their beyond-catchy songs quickly became family favorites and it is so awesome to now see them playing in front of probably their biggest crowd ever at Bluesfest.

And they didn’t let the opportunity for exposure pass them by, pulling out all the stops during their 45-minute set including confetti, wrapped candy, and inflatable beach toys. Kudos to the Bluesfest schedulers – Hollerado’s mischievously rocking nature made them the PERFECT warm-up for the hardcore Weezer fans making up the first dozen or so rows. I simply can’t recommend this band enough to people – Check out their just as playful site here, and do your ears a favour and give songs like “Americanarama”, “Juliette”, and “Fake Drugs” a sample.

Weezer
MBNA Stage, 9:30 p.m.

After 12 days of nonstop concerts, you would think that the good folks of Ottawa may have felt like taking a pass on a band who some critics have insinuated their best days may be behind them.

I think it’s safe to say though, after witnessing them pack in one of the biggest crowds at this year’s Bluesfest (rivaling other, more “time-honored” headliners like Rush and Santana), that Weezer are still pretty darn cool.

It didn’t take long for the dozen or so rows I mentioned earlier to stretch past the soundboard tent, all the way back to the LeBreton Flats park entrance and even further once the first notes of “Hash Pipe” became recognizable. From there it was hit after alt-rock radio hit, each one enthusiastically delivered by the long-time poster child for all things geek chic, Mr. Rivers Cuomo. He even led the charge on more than one occasion of flashing the =w= hand sign, all while looking resplendent in an argyle sweater vest that would have made Mr. Rogers himself jealous, God rest his soul.

One thing that was blatantly apparent with Cuomo the whole show long which was transmitted to the other band members and each and every person in attendance was that he was having FUN. Not only did they play their now-standard “Kids/Poker Face” mash up, complete with Cuomo sporting a Lady Gaga-worthy wig, they even busted out a full on thrash metal cover of Metallica’s “The Four Horsemen”!

Not that Weezer ever needed to prove to their fans that they are back, but on this last night of Bluesfest, they showed the world at large that they can be one of the biggest bands in the world.

The band’s travels will begin in Europe with a series of festival appearances, the first being at the Germany based Southside Festival on June 18th. They’ll then makes stops at  Glastonbury, Oxegen, and a bunch of other festivals and venues across the UK and Europe before heading home in mid-July.

We Are Scientist’s latest is receiving more attention in Europe than in North America, which may explain why the outfit is branding the North American tour the “The American Barbarian Tour”. Following the Oxegen appearance, the group will land in Boston on July 13th and hit all the major East Coast markets before aiming Midwest. They’ll then cross quickly through Portland and Seattle on their way to their early August dates in Australia. California will get some love after Australia, and then the band finishes off the world tour with some more European fests — including Reading & Leeds — in late August.

The endeavor will feature new drummer Andy Burrows, formerly of Razorlight, whose first appearance with the band is on Barbara. Also, The Whigs and Chew Lips will tag along for a string of U.K. shows (the “Four-on-the-Floor Tour”) next week.

The tour dates are listed below, and you can get tickets for them on Ticketmaster or Seatgeek.com.

We Are Scientists 2010 Tour Dates:
06/18 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/19 – Scheeßel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/20 – Utrecht, NL @ Helling
06/21 – Cambridge, UK @ Junction *
06/22 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfrun Hall *#
06/24 – Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill *#
06/25 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy *#
06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
07/03 – Albany, NY @ Pearl-palooza
07/08 – Hultsfred, SE @ Hultsfred Festival
07/10 – Kinross, UK @ T inhe Park Festival
07/11 – Eadestown, IE @ Oxegen Festival
07/13 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
07/14 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
07/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
07/16 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
07/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
07/19 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
07/20 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
07/21 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
07/23 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
07/26 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
07/28 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
08/01 – Brisbane, AU @ Splendour in the Grass
08/03 – Sydney, AU @ Metro
08/04 – Melbourne, AU @ Prince of Wales
08/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
08/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
08/19 – Kiewit, BE @ Pukkelpop Festival
08/20 – Salzburg, AT @ Frequency Festival
08/21 – Gampel, CH @ Gampel Open Air Festival
08/28 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/29 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival

* = w/ The Whigs
# = w/ Chew Lips

According to Spin, the tentatively titled “Immortals” is another grandiose arena rock anthem from the foursome. “Mary”, on the other hand, is much more of a beach rock tune, something the band told us to expect with their next LP. But in a return to form, “Southbound”, as it’s being called, and which features tour openers The Whigs, recaptures the magic of the boys’ Southern roots.

Over strummy acoustics, Caleb Followhill croons, “I’ve got something here if you give me one more beer/I’m going back down south now.” Admittedly, the song does its best to capture the jammy, collaboration-friendly vibe of the South. It’s the band’s crack at making something uniquely country despite crafting a clean, polished sound as of late.

Enjoy a couple videos below; the first is decent quality footage of “Southbound” from the June 6th show in Saratoga Springs. The second is an audio of the band playing “Mary”, which is to be viewed if you can stand crummy sound quality.

Enjoy, y’all.

Kings of Leon 2010 Tour Dates:
06/30 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #^
07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #^
07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre #^
07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #^
07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #^
07/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre %
07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #%
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #%
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre %
07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #%
07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #%
08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #%
08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #%
08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live #%
08/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music Festival
08/21 – Chelmsford, UK @ V Festival
08/22 – Staffordshire, UK @ V Festival
09/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverbend Music Center &*
09/08 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium & Star Pavilion &*
09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre &*
09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater &*
09/13– Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek &*
09/17 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre &*
09/18 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre &*
09/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/22 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion &*
09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center &*

* = w/ The Whigs
^ = w/ The Features
# = w/ Built to Spill
% = w/ The Stills
& = w/ The Black Keys

Starting October 18th in Seattle, The Hold Steady will embark on the second portion of its forthcoming summer tour. Stops include Vancouver, Portland, and Pomona, before the trek comes to a conclusion on October 27th in Santa Barbra, CA. Also, I don’t think it is any coincidence the band will be on the west coast around the time of Outside Lands.

And with October dates already scheduled for Philadelphia and New York City, expect even more dates soon.

In the meantime, check out the full list of upcoming tour dates below. West Coasters, grab your tickets starting Friday, May 21st via Ticketmaster.com.

The Hold Steady 2010 Tour Dates
05/22 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^
05/23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^
05/25 – Savannah, GA @ Live Wire Music Hall ^
05/26 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt ^
05/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ^
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/12 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
06/14 – Paris, FR @ Fleche D’Or
06/15 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
06/16 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club
06/17 – Munich, DE @ 59:1
06/19 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/21 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
06/22 – London, UK @ HMV Forum
06/24 – Vitoria, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival
06/26 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
07/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/02 – Hayward, WI @ Lac Courte Oreilles Casino #
07/03 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze Outdoor Stage #
07/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
07/06 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown #
07/07 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
07/08 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Company #
07/10 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater #
07/11 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe #
07/12 – Knoxville, TN @ The Square Room #
07/14 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
07/15 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *#
07/16 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus #
07/17 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
08/18 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
08/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
08/20 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
08/21 – Eugene, OR @ W.O.W. Hall
08/23 – Chico, CA @ Seantor Theatre
08/24 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
08/25 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
08/26 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House
08/27 – Santa Barbra, CA @ Velvet Jones
10/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10/07 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

^ = w/ Twin Tigers
* = w/ The Gaslight Anthem
# = w/ The Whigs

Here’s how it will all go down (take a deep breath): The Ohio outfit will first play a one-off with Pearl Jam on May 20th at Madison Square Garden in New York. A week later, they’ll embark on a week-long headlining tour of the mid-west U.S. with Brian Olive, one which includes a stop at the Wakarusa and Bonnaroo music festivals. In the weeks that follow, the Keys will travel to Europe for a series of headlining gigs before returning to the states for another month worth of gigs. On this batch, which features The Morning Benders as support, the band will play the east coast and Canada (Osheaga included) before heading west for an appearance at Lollapalooza. Then, starting September 3rd, they’ll hitch up with Kings of Leon and The Whigs for another month of dates. (In between the opening spots, The Black Keys and The Whigs have also mapped out a few one-offs.) Finally, on September 25th, The Black Keys will put the finishing touches on their travels by embarking on a west coast leg with Nicole Atkins. And breathe.

If you’re at all confused, check out the complete listing of upcoming tour dates below. Of course, all of this will be in support of The Black Keys’ forthcoming studio album, Brothers, which is due for release on May 18th via Nonesuch Records.

Tickets for the newly announced dates will go on sale starting Friday, May 7th via Ticketmaster.com.

The Black Keys 2010 Tour Dates:
05/20 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden *
06/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot †
06/03 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore †
06/04 – Kansas City, MO @ The Crossroads †
06/05 – Ozark, AK @ Wakarusa Music Festival
06/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave †
06/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave †
06/10 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant †
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06/23 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
06/26 – Evreux, FR @ Le Rock dans Tous Ses Etats
06/27 – Nijmegen, NL @ Rock ‘n Park
06/28 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
07/30 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
07/02 – Belford, FR @ Les Eurockeennes
07/04 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/05 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy
07/06 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
07/07 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Halls
07/09 – Easestown, IE @ Oxegen
07/10 – Kinross, UK @ T in the Park
07/23 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC Performing Arts Center
07/24 – Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Amphitheatre
07/26 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall   #
07/27 – New York, NY @ Central Park SummerStage #
07/28 – New York, NY @ Central Park SummerStage #
07/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing #
07/31 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion #
08/01 – Montreal,QC @ Osheaga, MC @ Osheaga Festival
08/03 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus #
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/08 – Des Moines, IA @ Vel Air Ballroom #
08/09 – Omaha, NE @ The Anchor Inn #
08/11 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheatre #
08/12 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium #
08/13 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Amphitheatre #
08/14 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore #
09/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &^
09/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverbend Music Center &^
09/08 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium & Star Pavilion &^
09/09 – Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavilion ^
09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre &^
09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater &^
09/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek &^
09/14 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel ^
09/17 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre &^
09/18 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre &^
09/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &^
09/21 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues ^
09/22 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion &^
09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center &^
09/25 – San Diego, CA @ Soma $
09/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Paladium $
09/29 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox $
10/02 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre $
10/03 – Vancouver, BC @ The Orpheum $
10/04 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom $
10/10 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom $

* = w/ Pearl Jam
† = w/ Brian Olive
# = w/ The Morning Benders
& = w/ Kings of Leon
^ = w/ The Whigs
$ = w/ Nicole Atkins

As previously reported, Kings of Leon will return from a six month hiatus to embark on a four month North American endeavor, starting June 5th in Atlantic City. The aforementioned outfits will split opener duties; The Whigs will kick things off before Built to Spill and The Features take over beginning July 9th. On July 23rd, it’s The Stills turn. Then, starting August 3rd, The Black Keys and The Whigs will hop on the tour bus, serving as openers for the remaining of the tour. Got all that? If not, just check out the complete tour listing below.

We should also note that The Stills’ stint will prove particularly special as it will mark the return of original guitarist/vocalist Gregory Paquet. Paquet departed The Stills to go back to school after the band wrapped touring on its acclaimed 2003 debut, Logic Will Break Your Heart. After Paquet’s departure, drummer Dave Hamlin, moved out from behind the kit to play guitar in the band, while touring keyboardist, Liam O’Neil became a permanent member. Paquet will renew his duties as guitarist, accompanying his now current bandmates on their two week leg with Kings of Leon.

Tickets for the upcoming tour are currently available via Ticketmaster.com.

Update: Post updated w/ correct opener dates.

Kings of Leon 2010 Tour Dates:
06/05 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Events Center *
06/06 – Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center *
06/08 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/30 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
07/09 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion #^
07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #^
07/14 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #^
07/17 – George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre  #^
07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre #^
07/20 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre #^
07/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre %
07/24 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre #%
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center #%
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre %
07/30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center #%
07/31 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre #%
08/03 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre #%
08/05 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center #%
08/07 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live #%
08/21 – Chelmsford, UK @ V Festival
08/22 – Staffordshire, UK @ V Festival
09/03 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverbend Music Center &*
09/08 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium & Star Pavilion &*
09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre &*
09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater &*
09/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek &*
09/17 – W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre &*
09/18 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre &*
09/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center &*
09/22 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion &*
09/23 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center &*

* = w/ The Whigs
^ = w/ The Features
# = w/ Built to Spill
% = w/ The Stills
& = w/ The Black Keys

The Hold Steady w/ The Whigs:

What: Date for Denver, CO

When: July 7th

Tixs: $20.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Liars:

What: Dates for Minneapolis, MN & Lawrence, KS

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Muse:

What: North American tour

When: October – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Ottawa Bluesfest:

What: Ottawa based festival featuring Arcade Fire, Rush, The Flaming Lips, Weezer, and more

When: July 6-18

Tixs:

Buy: capitaltickets.ca at 10:00 AM Local Time

Rihanna w/ Ke$ha:

What: Tour dates for Los Angeles, LA

When: July 21st

Tixs: $19.75 – $99.75

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Rush:

What: Tour dates for Camden, NJ; Universal City, CA; Irvine, CA, Morrison, CO; Maryland Heights, MO; Columbus, OH; Allentown, PA; & Dallas, TX

When: July – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Silversun Pickups w/ Against! Me:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Are we missing anything? Let us know in the comments below!

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Faith No More:

What: Date for Brooklyn, NY & Philadelphia PA

When: July

Tixs: $25.00 – $50.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Erykah Badu:

What: North American tour featuring N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe, The Roots’ ?uestlove, and Maxwell.

When: June – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Hold Steady w/ The Whigs:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Junip:

What: North American tour

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

LCD Soundsystem:

What: Dates for Hollywood & Pomona, California

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Liars:

What: North American tour

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Mates of State:

What: North American tour

When: June – July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Muse:

What: Dates for Charlottesville, VA and St. Louis, MO

When: October – November

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Brooklyn outfit’s North American tour will be divided into two parts. First, starting May 3rd, the band will travel across California, Hawaii, Florida, and Georgia before playing this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival and then jumping on an airplay. What follows in a month worth  of dates in Europe, highlighted by an appearance at Glastonbury 2010. Then, on July 1st, The Hold Steady will return stateside for two more weeks of dates, this time with Atlanta outfit The Whigs tagging along for the ride.

And, if you take a look at its complete itinerary below, you’ll notice The Hold Steady already have a date mapped out for October 7th at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. So even more dates are probably on the horizon.

Tickets for the newly announced July dates will go on sale starting Friday, April 23rd via Ticketmaster.com. And of course, if you haven’t yet, you can stream Heaven is Whenever, in its entirety, here.

The Hold Steady 2010 Tour Dates
05/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Grammy Museum
05/04 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern *
05/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre *
05/06 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
05/08 – Honolulu, HI @ Next Door
05/22 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^
05/23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social ^
05/25 – Savannah, GA @ Live Wire Music Hall ^
05/26 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt ^
05/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ^
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/12 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
06/14 – Paris, FR @ Fleche D’Or
06/15 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
06/16 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club
06/17 – Munich, DE @ 59:1
06/19 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/21 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
06/22 – London, UK @ HMV Forum
06/24 – Vitoria, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival
06/26 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
07/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/02 – Hayward, WI @ Lac Courte Oreilles Casino #
07/03 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze Outdoor Stage #
07/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
07/06 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown #
07/07 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
07/08 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Company #
07/10 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater #
07/11 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe #
07/12 – Knoxville, TN @ The Square Room #
07/14 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
07/16 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus #
10/07 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

* = w/ The Donkeys
^ = w/ Twin Tigers
# = w/ The Whigs

Still with me?

In The Dark, The Whigs’ third effort, reminds me of a friend of a friend, whose uncanny resemblance to Jesse Bradford always bothered me, but not nearly as much as his insistence on me following his band online. Now, it’s been about six years since we’ve all become addicted to social networks, but this friend — for story purposes, let’s call him Dale — has been in six bands, all of which have friended me, invited me to various gigs, and informed me of various demos or band photos. It’s sort of obnoxious, but at this point, it’s almost comical.

Each band represented a new sound Dale fiddled around with, which would seem natural if he were an original musician in the slightest. Sometimes things are more obvious than they actually appear. It was no coincidence that in 2003-2004, Dale touted around in a screamo-hardcore band, amidst the popularity of My Chemical Romance or The Used. Or, when in 2006, he tried his luck in some new wave bullshit outfit that oddly resembled The Killers (on “good” days) and The Rapture (when they were bored on-stage). If you want to know what act he’s caravanning in these days, just open the latest Spin or Rolling Stone, and look at the top artists. I’ll save you the trouble… it’s a folk-revival quartet. WTF, right?

In the Dark, much like Dale’s four or five musical attempts throughout the past decade, strives to be something that’s already been done. It’s witty-garage rock-turned-polished-arena rock. Sound familiar? Of course. Kings of Leon paraded it across the world all last year. They sold millions of albums in a time when millions of people don’t buy albums anymore. It’s not surprising bands today aspire to mimic that success. Hey, it happened to Nirvana. Only here, The Whigs hardly try to cover up their tracks.

If you find this a loose comparison, you’re not listening to In the Dark. The majority of the LP comes off as a cheaper, less interesting knock off of Kings of Leon’s 2008 uber-successful juggernaut, Only by the Night. Listen to the opening chords of “Kill Me Carolyne”, for Christ’s sake. Between the cajoling chorus, the atmospheric guitar scales, and the runner’s anthem-like drumming, it’s the poor man’s “Sex on Fire”. The only difference is that vocalist Parker Gispert rattles off like a clown at the end of each extended chorus line, mildly singing, “Cause I’m not worthy/Of your affection…” Once you make the comparison, you sort of feel dirty for having listened; you know, how you might react if you ate at a Chili’s in Texas.

“Black Lotus” similarly tries to snag at those KOL-inspired riffs, only it’s a bit more subdued. Vocal hooks and static drumming line the tune, but Gispert’s honest pitch, which sold us on 2008’s Mission Control, is so lost in the mix, it’s hard to feel connected. Producer Ben Allen, the man who made Animal Collective tolerable to the masses with last year’s Merriweather Post Pavillion, manages to strip away the unique parts that made The Whigs distinctive from all the modern garage-rock clutter that’s piled up since 2001.

“Hundred/Million” sounds prepped for a Dodge commercial, working off sleek guitar tones and squeaky clean vocal tracks that come off as obnoxious. Musically, “I Am For Real” or “Naked” could have been a B-side for The Killers or the aforementioned Kings of Leon, but here, they’re just filler. Considering the album is a dying art these days, filler is to an album like trans fat is to America’s youth.

There are some things to take away here. “Someone’s Daughter” stomps about like an old Soul Asylum tune, but it carries the grit and youthful bombast that The Whigs started to trademark on its sophomore effort. “In The Dark” sees Gispert sounding like Win Butler at times, but it’s the only song where the production actually works. It’s dance-y, sure, but amongst the mess here, it’s audibly warranted.

But what In the Dark really stands for is a band trying desperately hard to uproot itself from the very genre and scene that birthed them. Musicians should grow and evolve, that’s only a part of the process, but when it’s so forced and with all the wrong motives (which only seems blatant here), it’s less an effort and moreover a knock-off. It’s sort of like when big-budget blockbusters hijack the theaters during the summer, and similar direct-to-video releases (most likely starring someone from Step by Step or Melrose Place) pop up in the video store weeks ahead. Nobody wants that. Just ask my friend Dale.

Well, it took a little long than expected, but Mr. Zislin has returned to announce which of these stars will hanging out on from May 14-16. Among them include the now Grammy Award winning outfit the Zac Brown Band, John Legend, The Black Crowes, and Allison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas).

Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, and Brett Dennen are also confirmed to take part, as are The Whigs, OK Go, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Toubab Krewe, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and A.A. Bondy.

Three-day passes, priced at $159, will go on sale beginning Monday, February 15th. VIP Packages will also be available. Attendance will be limited to 35,000 people per day.

Coachella (April 16-18; Indio, CA):

• Muse – Already confirmed.

• Beastie Boys – Coachella’s other big comeback.

• Gorillaz – Not the most prototypical headliner, but Damon Albarn’s acclaimed project will have a new album and show by then. Coachella sounds like a perfect place for a debut.

• The Other Headliner: Who will be that other big name at this year’s Coachella? That’s the million dollar question. Could it be Pearl Jam, who will be playing the New Orleans Jazz Festival a few weeks later? What about Soundgarden, who are currently mapping out west coast dates and are said to be “into the idea” of Coachella? Or possibly The Rolling Stones? If we had to bet, our money would be on Pearl Jam, but none of the three names would shock us.

• Faith No More – Supposedly touring the West Coast in April? Seems like a no brainer at this point.

• Smasing Pumpinks – Billy’s new band is confirmed to be touring this Spring. We were shocked when he dropped Coachella as a launching point in a recent interview, but it certainly seems plausible.

• Vampire Weekend – A solid sophomore album earns you a sub-headlining spot.

• LCD Soundsystem – Will be touring then.

• Orbital – We haven’t heard anything, but the English electric duo already has several European featival appearances scheduled this Summer. A Coachella appearance seems long overdue.

• The Dead Weather – Jack mentioned he would probably return to Coachella in 2010. Looks like it will be with The Dead Weather.

• Others: Them Crooked Vultures, The Specials, Interpol, Deftones, Liars, Spoon, Echo and the Bunnymen, Hot Chip, The xx, Tegan and Sara, Dirty Projectors, The Big Pink, The Avett Brothers, Yeasayer

Bonnaroo (June 10-13; Manchester, TN):

• U2 – It’s beginning to appear more and more that Bono and Co. will be making their way to Manchester.

• Roger Waters performing The Wall - Word on the street is that The Who isn’t happening. Roger Waters seems like a suitable replacement.

• The String Cheese Incident – This year’s Phish.

• Guns N’ Roses – If Axl were to play any music festival this summer (and we know he wants too), then it would have to be Bonnaroo.

• Jay-Z – Might be a bit of a stretch considering he already has a date in Europe that weekend, but Bonnaroo does need some hip-hop and it only makes sense that the world’s biggest festival would tap the world’s biggest rapper. Late night set? Thank goodness there are things such as airplanes.

• Pavement – Exclusivity won’t matter by then. Why not have them?

• Pixies – Keeping the reunion going.

• My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket and Bonnaroo belong together.

• Others: The Flaming Lips, Them Crooked Vultures, She & Him, The Whigs, Deftones, The National, Rufus Wainwright, Drive-By Truckers, STS9, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Rothbury Music Festival:

• Phish – Rothbury’s turn?

• Neil Young – Rothbury couldn’t make it happen last year.

• Wilco – The one major music festival that the Chicago outfit has yet to hit.

• Umphrey’s McGee – Duh.

• STS9 – Duh, redux.

• Furthur – No Dead… next best thing.

• Other: Disco Biscuts, Ghostland Observatory, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Gov’t Mule

Lollapalooza (August 6-8; Chicago, IL):

• Muse – Yes, they have a date in Chicago next spring. But so did The Killers in 2009…

• The Strokes – The Strokes will return in July. Could Lollapalooza be their big U.S. comeback?

• Green Day – They’ll be supporting Green Day Rock Band in 2010, and with European festival appearances already announced, Lollapalooza looks like a realistic possibility.

• Beastie Boys – The trio will return to Grant Park to make good after last year’s cancellation.

• Arcade Fire – They’ll be playing lots of places by then.

• Weezer - We had to squeeze Rivers in somewhere.

• Phoenix – Our first confirmed band.

• LCD Soundsystem – Why not?

• The Dead Weather – Lollapalooza and Jack White have a long history together. We’re guessing The Dead Weather will be around all Summer, so an appearance makes sense.

• Others: The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Interpol, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, The Whigs, Yeasayer, Wale, Dirty Projectors, The Thermals

Beginning October 28th, the Athens, GA based outfit will embark on a six-week U.S. tour, a venture that will see them paired with the likes of The Features, The Dead Trees, and Mean Creek. It will also see the band debut songs from its forthcoming studio album, which is titled In The Dark and scheduled for an early 2010 release via ATO Records.

The Whigs haven’t given much in the way of details pertaining to the new album, but they have provided a preview in the form of the title track, which you can stream below.

Tickets for the newly announced dates are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.

Check Out:
“In The Dark”

The Whigs 2009 Tour Dates:
10/28 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
10/29 – Syracuse, NY @ Funk & Waffles
10/30 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
10/31 – Akron, OH @ Musica
11/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mad Hatter
11/03 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
11/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Birdy’s
11/05 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery
11/06 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
11/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
11/10 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
11/13 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
11/14 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
11/15 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/18 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
11/19 – Las Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
11/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
11/21 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
12/01 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
12/02 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
12/04 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
12/05 – Chattanooga, TN @ Rhythm & Brews
12/08 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite
12/10 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
12/11 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore
12/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star
12/14 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
12/15 – Charleston, SC @ Pour House

The Athens, Georgia trio are still riding high on the heels of their excellent sophomore record, Mission Control, that hit shelves over a year ago. The energy obviously hasn’t faded, however, as they hit the stage later than usual for a riotous mid-week show — despite supporting a record that comes off as somewhat polished. Nevertheless, the set was a reminder of the band’s garage rock roots as the vocals were grittier, and the night’s opener “Mission Control” was louder and heavier. The backlit effect silhouetted the band members for an even more dramatic look with Julian Dorio’s hair flying about madly as Deaux and Gispert thrashed and flailed.

While a Mission Control heavy set, the night did feature some older tunes from their first full length, 2005’s Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip. “Don’t Talk Anymore” and “Nothing Is Easy” provided a few sing along moments for the older fans. “How many of you have to work tomorrow,” Gispert teased the audience, only half of which responded with reluctant cheers. After all, they were just reminded of the cruel morning headache that was only a few hours away.

“Nothing Is Easy” was then dedicated to those early morning worriers. A new track from the still-in-progress-third-record was also debuted right before launching into the organ heavy “Sleep Sunshine” with Deaux taking over guitar duties. It was a sound that took a whole new life in the live setting, an element that worked amazingly well, introducing the closing half of the set that moved deeper into the southern rock influences.

There was a deeper message to the night. It showed us a new faze for the oldest form of rock, combining elements of punk and noise with the already psych-heavy influences. It also showed us just how much power this small band has as they commanded the stage during the mind numbing build up and outro for the “Right Hand On My Heart”. However, what was most surprising was to see the audience give into the early wake up times as they thinned into the night. By the time the set was over it felt like only half the numbers remained. Staying true to tradition, the band stepped back out on stage for the two-song encore.

“Need You Closer” was the sad good-bye for those that had stuck around. The night was a fantastic rush of what is to come for a new wave of Athens-based rock. Dead Confederate had me floored, and The Whigs kicked me around. It was the kind of small club rock show that you always hope for.

Photo support by Shantell Mitchell.

———

]]> Mission Control, that hit shelves over a year ago. The energy obviously hasn’t faded, however, as they hit the stage later than usual for a riotous mid-week show -- despite supporting a record that comes off as somewhat polished. Nevertheless, the set was a reminder of the band's garage rock roots as the vocals were grittier, and the night’s opener “Mission Control” was louder and heavier. The backlit effect silhouetted the band members for an even more dramatic look with Julian Dorio’s hair flying about madly as Deaux and Gispert thrashed and flailed. While a Mission Control heavy set, the night did feature some older tunes from their first full length, 2005’s Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip. “Don’t Talk Anymore” and “Nothing Is Easy” provided a few sing along moments for the older fans. “How many of you have to work tomorrow," Gispert teased the audience, only half of which responded with reluctant cheers. After all, they were just reminded of the cruel morning headache that was only a few hours away. "Nothing Is Easy" was then dedicated to those early morning worriers. A new track from the still-in-progress-third-record was also debuted right before launching into the organ heavy “Sleep Sunshine” with Deaux taking over guitar duties. It was a sound that took a whole new life in the live setting, an element that worked amazingly well, introducing the closing half of the set that moved deeper into the southern rock influences. There was a deeper message to the night. It showed us a new faze for the oldest form of rock, combining elements of punk and noise with the already psych-heavy influences. It also showed us just how much power this small band has as they commanded the stage during the mind numbing build up and outro for the “Right Hand On My Heart”. However, what was most surprising was to see the audience give into the early wake up times as they thinned into the night. By the time the set was over it felt like only half the numbers remained. Staying true to tradition, the band stepped back out on stage for the two-song encore. “Need You Closer” was the sad good-bye for those that had stuck around. The night was a fantastic rush of what is to come for a new wave of Athens-based rock. Dead Confederate had me floored, and The Whigs kicked me around. It was the kind of small club rock show that you always hope for. Photo support by Shantell Mitchell. --------- ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/the-whigs-cross-the-black-cat-34/feed/ 2 http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/the-whigs-hit-the-road-in-09/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/the-whigs-hit-the-road-in-09/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:30:46 +0000 Andy Keil http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=10747 Last fall, one of America’s best rock trio’s, The Whigs, toured with The Kooks and then Kings of Leon. The tour with the Kooks exposed the band to indie fans while the Kings of Leon exposed them to the southern rock crowd. But, don’t call them indie, “cuz we’re not, we’re rock n’ roll” says lead singer, Parker Gispert.

Anyways, if you didn’t have a chance to catch them on one of the fall dates, don’t fret because the guys finally have a headlining tour of their own. Starting March 4th in Washington, DC, The Whigs make a run down the East coast with a string of dates which take them back up to the Midwest, where they’ll finish up in St. Louis, MO. After the tour, they plan to take some time off and start recording the follow-up to 2008′s Mission Control.

It’s safe to say that The Whigs built quite a name for themselves in the past few years. Not only did they tour with The Kooks and the Kings of Leon, but they also toured with the likes of Tokyo Police Club, Toadies, Drive-By Truckers, and Dead Confederate while finishing out the year by playing a New Year’s Eve gig alongside Band of Horses. Currently, The Whigs are finishing their present adjoining tour with the Kings of Leon that ends at New York’s Madison Square Garden on January 29th.

Check Out:

The Whigs 2009 Tour Dates
01/15 – Athens, GA @ The 40 Watt %
01/20 – Louisville, KY @ Palace Theatre #
01/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre #
01/23 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater #
01/24 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues #
01/27 – Columbus, OH @ Lifestyles Community Pavilion #
01/29 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden #
03/04 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
03/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Note
03/06 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
03/07 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03/09 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
03/10 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
03/12 – Indianapolis, IN @  Birdys
03/13 – Chicago, IL @  Bottom Lounge
03/14 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar

% w/ Drive-By Truckers
# w/ Kings of Leon

Victoria is a city of only 330,000 people, and has a reputation as a haven for the “newly wed” and “nearly dead.” So when word came that Canada’s Garden City would be the latest Pacific Northwest location to offer a summer music festival, one couldn’t help but question the decision.

But by weekend’s end, the inaugural Rifflandia Music Festival not only proved to be a success, but also another example as to why 2008 has truly been the year of the music festival.

Day One – Friday, August 29th

For anyone who has been to a music festival before, you know that there is typically some preparation that must take place before those first chords are strummed. You have to examine the schedule and handpick all of your “must-see” acts. You have to make room on your camera by deleting those drunken pictures from last weekend. You have to toss your favourite concert Tee in the wash. But most importantly, you have to let the excitement of what you are about to experience overtake you. Before this festival I did none of those things…

In fact, I had very little expectations coming into Rifflandia. My weekend began with a short 25-minute walk from my house to downtown Victoria. The festival offered six venues, each within a 5-10 minute walk. Festival organizers opted to schedule acts into a number of “showcases” a la SXSW. So really it felt more like I was going to a bunch of shows rather than a music festival.

There were a number of innovative ideas for Rifflandia that certainly added to the experience. Since it was located in the city, many local stores offered discounts to festival attendees. It was a nice incentive, and we were able to go out for lunch, do some shopping, and then hit a show. Perhaps the most revolutionary idea of all: Rifflandia Festival had its very own limited edition beer! Local brew masters Phillips Brewery formulated a magical concoction affectionately titled “Rifflandabru.” I can tell you that festival goers absolutely annihilated the entire supply by Sunday night.

5:00pm – Cobras Cobras Cobras

Cobras Cobras Cobras are a local band who could best be described as spaz rock. They brought the energy big time, and really set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Many of the songs were percussion driven, with the rhythm guitarist often switching to a single snare drum and wailing away along with the full-time drummer. Cobras X3 were a fantastic choice to open up for Man Man. A short 30-minute set definitely left me wanting more. It was also great to see the fellas checking out other shows all weekend long.

6:00pm – Man Man

I decided to attend the first of two Man Man shows on that evening because the late show conflicted with The Walkmen. The anticipation of watching the Philadelphia five-piece set up is comparable to a 6-year-old gawking at a giant sundae being assembled right before his/her eyes. I knew I was in for a big treat. I watched and wondered how the band could possibly navigate through the massive clusterf*ck of whistles, cymbals, cowbells, and other gadgets that decorated the stage. After an understandably long wait, Man Man the members of the band emerged dressed completely in white and sporting war paint on their faces.

To continue my horrible analogy, if the setup is like watching that ice creamy treat being made, then listening to the band is like eating up every last mouth-watering bite. They began with a ferocious rendition of “Mister Jung Stuffed.” The set relied heavily on material from their most recent album, Rabbit Habits.  Lead singer Honus Honus led the charge with vocals that ranged from raspy to yelping and yodelling. Let me tell you, the dude also gets his exercise on stage while jumping around sporadically. While it may look like complete, avant garde chaos, Man Man are a surprisingly tight live band. Another highlight was “The Ballad of Butter Beans,” which features a xylophone part that recalls the orchestral piece, “The Flight of the Bumblebee.” To add to the fun, a wide-eyed Honus Honus had everyone in the audience grab the keys from their pockets and shake them along to the song. Other weird and wonderful sound effects included: throwing a handful of cutlery across the stage and pouring a glass of water into a metal bowl beside the microphone. My only complaint was that they only played for about 45 minutes. But it was reasonable given that they were set to play again in another six hours. Man Man played a one song encore of “Doo Right,” which was really the cherry on top of that oh-so-delicious sundae.

7:00pm – The Whigs

The Whigs played at a venue called Alix Goolden Hall, which is a former church. Frontman Parker Gispert commented that it was the first time the band had ever played to a seated audience. It did seem a little blasphemous to have an audience seated in pews for a garage-rock show. On the plus side, Alix Goolden has amazing acoustics, and that could not have been lost on the acts that performed there.

The Whigs also commented that they were a long way from home (Athens, GA.), but that their parents were in the crowd for their first ever show in Victoria. The announcement garnered a big cheer from the audience. The set began with a slew of pop songs. I was expecting the band to rock way harder and began to wonder if the venue was the issue. After all, the atmosphere in a massive domed church with stained-glass windows is much different than in a dark, smoky bar. Just as I was beginning to jot down notes about their disappointing wimpy sound, the first notes of “Right Hand On My Heart” rang out across the hall. By the time the song ended I had crossed out everything I’d just written. The Whigs are unquestionably at their best when they are rocking out. The opening pop songs received a warm response from the “polite” crowd, as Gispert put it. But by the end of the set people were screaming and shouting for the band. Overall, The Whigs put on a very enjoyable show, but you can bet they don’t plan on playing to any more seated crowds in the near future.

8:00pm – Johnny and the Moon

Johnny and the Moon were one of the more renowned Victoria bands at the festival. They are fronted by Dante DeCaro (formerly of Hot Hot Heat, and sometimes Wolf Parade). Playing a mix of folk rock and alt-country, the band managed to incorporate harmonica, music box, and saxophone into the tunes. To be blunt, most of the songs were flat-out boring. Often channelling 60’s nostalgia with twangy guitars and lyrics about heartbreak, Johnny and the Moon seemed hardly excited to be playing. However, the apparent lack of interest may have been mistaken for frustration, as DeCaro pleaded with the sound guy to turn monitors up or down between almost every song. Things didn’t pick up until the end of the show, when the band broke into a number of banjo-infused toe-tappers including standout track “The Ballad of Scarlet Town.” While the band cranked up the energy, it wasn’t quite enough to save what turned out to be a bit of a disappointing show.

9:00pm – Black Mountain

Black Mountain drew in a huge crowd for its Friday headlining set. Things kicked off with a great introduction from a festival organizer who got everyone fired up and cheering. For the first time it really felt like Victoria had a festival to call its own.

The Vancouver-based band wasted no time getting started. The band embarked on a drawn-out, synth-heavy intro to “Stormy High” from their Polaris Prize-nominated album In The Future. As lead-guitarist Stephen McBean ripped into the Zeppelin-esque riff, the crowd decided they’d sat down long enough and the entire audience rushed towards the stage. Up next was the psychedelic ballad “Angels” which got the crowd swaying back and forth. Amber Webber’s quivering vocals on “Night Walks” were haunting enough to put the audience into a borderline coma. While the venue was not ideal for a band like The Whigs, seeing Black Mountain in a church was quite surreal. Their sweeping keyboards and guitar fuzz threatened to blow through the ceiling (and everyone’s ear drums).

But as wonderful as the first few songs were, things began to get dull quickly as the show progressed. I was surprised to read Matt Melis’ unfavourable review of the band’s appearance at New American Music Union a few weeks ago. However, after seeing Black Mountain for myself I completely understand Matt’s apparent disconnection with the live show. I’ve always had the personal opinion that Black Mountain is sort of like Wolfmother for the advanced listener. There is no doubt that the band has crafted some fascinating and complex songs, however they could also use a lesson in showmanship from Mr. Andrew Stockdale himself. I’m sure he’s got some free time on his hands…

After about 40 minutes of Black Mountain, I decided to bounce in favour of checking out my all-time favourite local band (yes, even more than Nelly Furtado).

9:45pm – The Paper Cranes

The Paper Cranes were supposed to be Victoria’s next big thing. Their first official release came in 2006 with the Veins EP. With encouraging reviews from Pitchfork and Exclaim!, and considerable buzz circulating around the net, the band was poised to take the next steps to indie rock stardom. But things don’t always work out the way they should. It’s now almost three years later, and after releasing their first full length album, Halcyon Days, in 2007, the band appears to be right back where they began.

With only two of the original members remaining (frontman Ryan McCullagh and keyboardist Miranda Roach, who also happen to be husband and wife), the band is primed for a “comeback” of sorts. Playing infectious indie pop full of hand-claps, harmonica, and tambourine, it’s a challenge not to nod your head along to the beat. Halcyon Days standouts “Middle-Class Guilt” and “I’ll Love You Till My Veins Explode” are two of the catchiest songs you’ve never heard. While I may be slightly biased, I absolutely loved every second of their live show, and encourage everyone to give The Paper Cranes a listen.

10:30pm – The Upsidedown

Up next were Portland, Oregon natives (and Dandy Warhols buddies), The Upsidedown. The band single handedly thwarted my attempt to escape from psych-rock music for the day. In the first (and only) major scheduling hiccup of the festival, organizers billed The Upsidedown directly after Black Mountain, and their sounds were annoyingly similar. They even shared vocals between a man and a woman. I won’t elaborate much on the show. After all, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, right?

11:30pm – You Say Party! We Say Die!

The acronym-friendly Vancouver  outfit, You Say Party! We Say Die!, brought the sexy to Sugar nightclub big time on Friday night. Frontwoman  Becky Ninkovic is up there with the likes of Karen O and Jemina Pearl when it comes to pure energy and sex appeal. While I’ll admit I’ve never been a huge fan of the band’s dance punk anthems, I’ve got to give them a ton of credit for putting on one of the most fun shows of the weekend and getting everyone dancing and sweating.

12:30am – The Walkmen

One of the biggest perks of a small festival like Rifflandia is that you can easily see your favourite bands up close and personal. For the night’s grand finale, New York’s The Walkmen graced the stage to a packed house. I opted to put away the notebook, and had no problem getting to the front row about 15 minutes before the start of the show. Good luck doing that at Bonnaroo or Coachella!

The set was dominated by material from their extraordinary new album You & Me. First up was minimalist guitar track “New Country”, a great showcase of Hamilton Leithauser’s amazing vocals for those who might have been unfamiliar with the band. The Walkmen have always been known for their unique sound and use of vintage instruments. These characteristics are even more prevalent during their live shows. New song “Canadian Girl”, which surprisingly didn’t garner much of a cheer when announced, was a perfect example of how the band have fine-tuned their sound, perhaps towards the style of music their vintage instruments were designed to play. Leithauser channeled his inner 1950s crooner as he sang, “only I still call you mine, only I’m still hangin’ on.” Another welcome change was the addition of a two-man horn section to the band. This added yet another layer to The Walkmen’s already multifaceted sound. The trumpet player seemed to agree, as he appeared to have consumed a few too many Rifflandabrus before the show. The rest of the band shot glances in his direction before each horn part, but he managed to hold it together. Other highlights from You & Me included “Four Provinces” and its thunderous hook, first single “In The New Year”, and “On The Water“, which chugs along slowly like a locomotive until it is derailed by an explosion of reverb, synths, and melodic whistling.

Toward the end of the set, The Walkmen returned to the rest of their catalogue, including barnburner “The Rat”, which nearly took the house down. An encore of Bows + Arrows favourites “What‘s In It For Me“ and “Little House of Savages” left the crowd salivating. After nearly 90 minutes of bliss, fatigue began to kick in as I braved the now seemingly not-so-short walk home.

Day Two – Saturday, August 30th

After a day overflowing with goodness, the second day of Rifflandia not boast nearly the same kind of depth as the first, however there was certainly a wide array of musical genres and talents to be had.

5:30pm – The Blakes

The Blakes are a garage-rock trio from Seattle. They are raw. They are loud. But most of all, they rock hard. Much like The Whigs on Day One, it took a few songs for the crowd to warm up to the band. While the relatively small crowd seemed reluctant to hit the dance floor, there were plenty of good times and Rifflandabru to go around. By the end of The Blakes show, I had a strange urge to crack a bottle of JD and snort a line of coke (but seriously kids, don’t do drugs).

7:30pm – Blitzen Trapper

It was a night of firsts for Blitzen Trapper. It was the Portland band’s first time playing in Victoria. It was their first show in “quite a long time.” And it was the first time they played material from their highly-anticipated new album Furr. Unfortunately, all of these firsts resulted in a pretty rough show.

Blitzen Trapper began with a couple of new songs, which I must say sounded extremely different from anything on the critically acclaimed Wild Mountain Nation. The songs were louder, more experimental, and very messy. The beginning of the set was plagued by sound issues, the worst of which included frontman Eric Earley’s guitar, which completely stopped working. He had to temporarily borrow Dan Boekner’s axe (of Handsome Furs). A few songs later, after reminding the crowd that they hadn’t played in a while, Earley had to run backstage because he forgot his capo.

Thankfully, they managed to work out the kinks by the second half of the set. The title tracks of Wild Mountain Nation and Furr steered the band back in the right direction. The latter song was reminiscent of classic Bob Dylan, featuring finger-picked guitars, wailing harmonica, and tell-tale lyrics, to boot. Interestingly, for the second time in as many days a band (the other being The Whigs) commented on the polite nature of the crowd. I wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or not…

Next came the toughest decision of the festival. Whether to stick around for Handsome Furs (who were spotted hanging out with Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays during Blitzen Trapper), or to head back to the church for Owen Pallett’s Final Fantasy. Ultimately the decision was made to go to Final Fantasy, mainly because my legs were aching like crazy after two days of standing and those pews were looking awfully comfy. Little did I know that not only my legs, but also my eyes and ears would be thanking me later for the decision.

9:00pm – Final Fantasy

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Owen Pallett, aka Final Fantasy, he is a violinist, pianist, and composer from Toronto. He is also essentially the coolest one-man-band you will ever see, and his compositions can only be described as amazing musicianship. Each time Owen plays a song live,  he records individual parts of the song then plays and loops the recordings back simultaneously as the song continues to build and evolve. It is truly a sight to behold and a feast for the ears.

The set was mainly comprised of new material, for which Owen unnecessarily apologized.  Mr. Pallett was alone on stage for the first few songs, which really put the focus on his incredible talent. But then he brought out a woman named Stephanie, and the concert transformed into more of a spectacle. Not only was the music awe inspiring, but the visuals were as compelling and innovative as a Radiohead show. So what kind of crazy video screens, lasers and lights did Final Fantasy have? Well, actually there was only an overhead projector, just like the one from your Grade 8 Math class. Paper stencils were layered and shifted around to create pictures and stories, often related to the songs. The projections were occasionally cast toward the ceiling to create an eerie light show while everyone in the audience gazed skyward. From start to finish, the Final Fantasy experience left me with a serious case of goosebumps and a huge smile.

12:00am – Brother Ali

The first major hip-hop act of the festival came in the form of a late-night show from Minneapolis-native Brother Ali. After a legendary show last year, Ali’s second appearance in Victoria was highly anticipated. The crowd was respectable (although not quite as large as the crowd for The Walkmen about 24 hours earlier). Brother Ali was joined on stage by long-time collaborator DJ BK-One who took control of the decks, and also right-hand-man Mr. Wright (pun intended). The politically charged lyrics and sing-along choruses were welcomed by all in attendance. My only complaint (and it is a common one at hip-hop shows), was that the bass was pounding so heavily that most of the songs’ fascinatingly complex instrumentation was virtually inaudible. Unlike the night before, severe fatigue started to become an issue for me before the end of Day Two. We opted to leave Brother Ali after a few songs, and headed home in preparation for tomorrow’s fun, which would inevitably require every last ounce of energy we had left.

Day Three – Sunday, August 31st

If Days One and Two were all about the music, then Day Three was unquestionably about the party. After a few local DJs performed earlier in the day, the third and final day of the festival really kicked off with DJ Z-Trip (who I mistakenly referred to as “Zed”-Trip all weekend. Lost in translation indeed).

8:30pm – DJ Z-Trip

After a lazy day, I arrived at the Strathcona Rooftop (a freakin’ bar on the roof, complete with beach volleyball courts!), about 15 minutes into Z-Trip’s set. We were welcomed by a sizable line, and word that the venue was already at capacity, which can’t be much more than 150 people (a far cry from the 500,000 person crowd he performed to at the Rolling Stones‘ SARS concert a few years ago in Toronto). One agonizing hour later, I finally made it onto the roof. Luckily, Z-Trip was set to play for a total of two hours.

Yes it’s true, Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) may be the flavour of the week when it comes to mash-up DJs, but there is no doubt that Z-Trip is the original maestro. With cuts that included everything from Nirvana to Beastie Boys to Led Zeppelin, not only was the nearly 2.5 hour-long set a full-out dance party, but also a lesson in music history. At one point Z-Trip proclaimed, “you know what sets me apart? I play Fleetwood Mac”, before firing up a track featuring the aforementioned band. Not only is Z-Trip the king of the mash-up, but he also spins and scratches masterfully. He seemed genuinely happy to be playing to the modest crowd and thanked everyone numerous times for “getting him so drunk” as he urged them to let loose. The show ended in epic fashion with the ultimate sing-a-long song, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

11:30pm – The Beatnuts

First, I want to quickly give props to Sweatshop Union, who opened up for The Beatnuts. They are a hip-hop collective from Vancouver, who have had some commercial success in Canada. I’ve never been a fan, but they put on an entertaining show while trading verses and rhymes between six different MCs. Between sets a few local b-boys hit the dance floor to showcase their skills. It was an entertaining way to pass the time while waiting.

Up next were New York-rap veterans The Beatnuts. Surprisingly, the duo of JuJu and Psycho Les did double duty by acting as their own DJ and rapping. The crowd pleasers came early and often with tracks such as “No Escapin’ This” and, of course, “Watch Out Now.” Rap fans and non-rap fans alike seemed to enjoy the ‘Nuts, as they extended the party started by Z-Trip a couple hours earlier. As was often the case over the weekend, things ended with a bang as two ladies from the crowd hopped on stage and shook it along with JuJu.

12:30pm – Guns n’ Bombs

Just when I thought the party couldn’t go any longer, I met Guns n’ Bombs. The L.A. electronic duo brought the dirty techno big time and kept everyone dancing into the wee hours. However, I was unsure why Turbotito (Filip Nikolic), was the only member on stage for about 90% of the set. While he hardly acknowledged the crowd, the music certainly did the talking.

Guns n’ Bombs are signed to French-label Kitsune Records, which is known predominately for its European acts (Bloc Party, Klaxons, Hot Chip). These guys, while clearly influenced by their label mates across the pond, appear poised to bring the spotlight back to the L.A. dance music scene. I must admit it’s difficult to give a detailed critique of the Guns n’ Bombs show, simply because I was too busy dancing the entire time. But really, I guess that’s all you need to know.

Rifflandia – The Verdict:

After all was said and done, the first ever Rifflandia Music Festival was a great success. Organizers did a fantastic job realizing that the only way the event would flourish was if they offered something unique. The city festival experience is drastically different then an outdoor festival. The best things about outdoor festivals include the opportunity to travel somewhere new, meet new people, and participate in unruly shenanigans along with thousands of other campers. However, there are often may restrictions within the confines of a festival site. At Rifflandia the options were limitless. I could go anywhere to eat, meet up with friends who weren’t at the festival, and go to sleep in my own bed at night. While I didn’t travel to the desert or a giant farm, I still discovered many new things about my city and met lots of new people.

And, true, the festival’s lineup did not feature many household names, but it did possess excellent diversity and amazing musical talent. It was also great to see the inclusion of some 40 local acts, many of which I’m sure made some new fans. Ticket prices were also very reasonable at $66 for a weekend wristband. Wristbands were also sold for single days, and single ticket sales for individual shows allowed concert goers to see as much or as little music as they liked.

With the apparent over-saturation of the music festival market, promoters should really take a close look at small-scale fests like Rifflandia. It was created by locals, for locals. Keeping everything so simple kept costs low for organizers and attendees alike, and helped everything run smoothly. There was a real sense of community among festival-goers and artists. Performers were spotted taking in the sights and sounds throughout the weekend. And seriously folks…they had their own beer! What more could you ask for?

To answer my original question: it turns out that Victoria was the perfect place to launch another music festival. But that’s not to say it was a better location then your city, or any other city for that matter. It simply illustrates that any city, big or small, has the ability to host its own festival, as long as it is tailored for that specific locale. Who knows? Maybe your city could be next…

Saturday, August 30th

At first arrival, Bumbershoot can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, as it’s spread over 74 acres and has an attendance of roughly 50,000 each day. But once you settle in and realize that it will take time to get to the various stages and events, you’ll relax and have an amazing time.

Opening up Saturday’s events, Rock-a-Billy artist Nick Vigarino added a jazz twist to his country sound by having a tenor saxaphone. As if to keep the sound consistent, Neko Case and Lucinda Williams maintained the alt-country sound. Unfortunately, many missed Case’s first song or two because security had yet to let people in for the performance. Not sure what was the problem, but the line moved quickly once it started. Case was fantastic as always playing mostly songs from her past album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood; however, she managed to pull out a few new songs that will be on a future release. Whereas Case was very soothing, Williams was more rockin’ in her country-tinged, blues rock.  She played some new songs, which at times were corny (e.g. “Real Love”), but you can’t help but love her voice and instrumentation, especially for a woman of 55. Both Case and Williams’ new albums will be something to look forward to in the near future.

Local, listener-funded, radio station KEXP puts on several intimate shows each day in a secret location, with no more than 200 people admitted. The first was with Nada Surf. Unfortunately, bassist Daniel Lorca was injured, so he was replaced by Ozma bassist Jose Galvez, who did a fine job in Lorca’s absence. They played seven songs, all acoustic with Ira Elliot on the Cajon, a box-like drum that the musician sits on and hits with his palms. The highlight of the show was the boys playing “Amateur” from The Proximity Effect, a song that rarely shows up on their setlists. If you enjoy indie rock, this is a band you need to know.

As mentioned above, Bumbershoot is not all about the music. One of the few other events that took place at the festival was a comedy show, simply titled, “The MySpace Show.” This side show consisted of six comedians doing improv comedy on two real MySpace pages from random audience members. It was fun once things started rolling, though it did take awhile to find a few audience members who had their pages not set to private.

After the comedy show, and over at the KEXP Lounge, !!! (Chk, Chk, Chk) were billed to let us dance our asses off. Unfortunately, it was in a seated venue, so it was mostly head bobbing, but in any other setting it would have been a great dance party.  Despite this, the show was unreal, and !!! sounded great with some fantastic stage presence. If you’re into bands like Ghostland Observatory and The Ting Tings, you should check out !!!.

Finally, it was time for the best one-two punch of the festival: Band of Horses followed by Beck. Although some may disagree, Band of Horses is one of the best, if not the best, live indie rock act out today. Not only did they perform well, but most of the set list was culled from their first two releases, plus two new songs to boot, one of which featured the harmonica and the other a melodica, best described as a woodwind keyboard.

Beck closed out the day with a killer “greatest hits” set. He started with “Loser” and continued through his catalogue. The only album they didn’t play from was Mutations, which was a bummer because it’s such a great album. However, the band did play “Nicotine and Gravy” off of Midnight Vultures, which was awesome. When he played “Hell Yes” and “Black Tambourine”, all five members of his band played 808 drum machines. Despite the amazing set list, the show did sound and feel a bit different. On the Guero/The Information tour, the slinky frontman kept himself busy with an elaborate puppet show, complete with dancers. Only this time, there was just a backing band, some large spot lights and a big screen made up of hundreds of bulbs. It was very minimalist, which is why it was so surprising that his sound was much less polished. It was almost grunge, actually. Nevertheless, you have to appreciate Beck for changing it up all the time. The guy is definitely a genius and should never be missed when he appears at a venue near you.

Sunday, August 31st

For some reason, Sunday was not nearly as jam packed with bands as Saturday or Sunday. Nonetheless, there were some great acts. Kicking off the proverbial sabbath, Lushy brought somewhat of a surf rock sound, only there were some undertones of jazz, too. Even with such a unique sound, it’s hard to hold the concertgoer’s attention when there’s also a vert ramp at the show. Yes, a vert ramp. With a combination of skaters and BMX bikers, the sight was pretty awe inspiring.

Following the vert ramp, there was a “Post-it Note Reading.” This was interesting, to say the least. At the reading, animation was drawn on Post-it notes, using a Sharpie, while a corresponding story was read. These light-hearted, humorous stories were a pleasant surprise. Following this, Dale Watson played his own unique style of Rock-a-billy, comparable to Johnny Cash. The only problem? The Whigs were starting up. The Whigs is a band with a fun, garage rock sound. Fun show aside, they’re a band you like, but not one that’s particularly memorable.

If Band of Horses and Beck were the best one-two punch of the festival, The Black Keys and Stone Temple Pilots (above, center) were a close second.  With crunch and huge riffs, The Black Keys’ bluesy rock is amazing, and it’s hard to believe that so much sound comes from only two guys on drums and guitar. Given Scott Weiland’s tumultuous past, you never know what to expect from 90′s rock outfit, Stone Temple Pilots; however, it turned out to be a rocking show. Thirty minutes past their scheduled set time, a tour bus drove right up to the stage and within minutes they were in front of thousands, blowing away any doubt that they could still rock. Hit after hit they rocked through a set which included a jazzy cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” on the outro of “Creep” and a plugged-in version of “Sour Girl.” It was one of the best arena rock shows in recent memory… and it wasn’t even in an arena.

Monday, September 1st

The last day was the weakest of the three days, but still a great time. Local teen sensation Vince Mira started off the work week. Mira’s only claim to fame stems from a sound that’s uncannily like Johnny Cash. Saturday’s Dale Watson sounded like Johnny Cash too, but Vince Mira is Johnny Cash. It’s a bit eerie. This 15 year old, backed by The Roy Kay Trio, played mostly Cash’s hits, but also squeezed in a few of his own that were actually not bad. He may never be able to move beyond great impersonator, but there is no doubt he will always have an audience.

Keeping the local band theme going, Head Like a Kite, an electronic/new wave/rock group, were up next. Fronted by a guy who looked like a Jonas Brother, the band held a lil’ Flaming Lips flare, with some creatures dancing on the stage that looked all too much like the sugary candy, Nerds. It will be interesting to see how these young guys fare in the Seattle music market. Following shortly after was the much anticipated Israeli band, Monotonix. These guys put on a show similar to Gogol Bordello and they did not disappoint, even despite a very short set. It was very crowd heavy too, as you could not see them because they were not on the stage, but instead playing on the floor with the crowd surrounding them. All the while, lead singer Yomtov was continually crowd surfing both with and without a garbage can. Yes, he got inside a garbage can and was hoisted on top of the crowd. The guitar player then got in on the action and crowd surfed, too. Mind you, he was still playing all the while. After two, dirty garage rock songs an announcer came on stage and said that the show was being shut down. No explanation, but a reasonable guess would be due to safety. The crowd was not happy and began booing and flipping the poor guy off. Luckily, singer Yomtov came to his rescue and talked the crowd down. One can only imagine a full set by these guys, if it ever happens.

Bumbershoot this year, if you had not noticed, was full of 90′s acts and The Offspring were no exception. Like Stone Temple Pilots and Beck, they played a hits with a smattering of songs off of their new album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. As always, the band was fun to see and sounded great. The same can’t be said for the next act, X Levitation Cult, which was essentially a singer-songwriter who could neither sing nor write songs very well. 

Bumbershoot is known for its diverse acts, but also for its diversity, and Cheb I Sabbah & 1002 Nights featuring Riffat Sultana is a great example of that. They consisted of a DJ, two percussionists, a singer (Riffat Sultana), a belly dancer and occasionally a Middle Eastern guitar. It was an interesting mix that was a entertaining, especially if one managed to snag a cold beer. Del tha Funky Homosapien sounded good, but Superchunk sounded excellent. Superchunk was probably one of the best surprises at the festival. They rocked hard with their brand of early 90′s indie rock, which still sounds contemporary. It was a good choice as Death Cab for Cutie came next, closing out the festival with a solid set. Now that they are a successful veteran band, it would be great to see them venture out a little and be more playful. Not much, just if they could add a cover or two, or play a song deep from its catalogue. You know, one that no one has heard live in years. Preferences aside, the Seattle indie group played well, predictable, but well. With a weekend like this was, it’s hard to complain.

During each of Lollapalooza’s three days, we blogged the latest updates with tidbits ranging from The Weakerthans’ unexpected cancellation to Perry’s surprise guest. Once arriving back to the weekend’s official headquarters, aka Michael Roffman’s living room, and finding some food, we spent the next several hours recapping and reviewing all of the day’s events.

And while it was limited, a few of us did manage to squeeze in some sleep as well.

To recap all of our coverage for both Lolla and non-Lolla attendees, as well as provide a few additional memories and friendly links, we not present you Consequence of Sound’s most extended and thorough piece of Lollapalooza coverage yet. We remember, Lollaplooza 2008…

Table of Contents:
I. Day 1 in Review
II. Day 2 in Review
III. Day3 in Review
IV. Interviews
V. Day 1 in Photos
VI. Day 2 in Photos
VII. Day 3 in Photos
VIII. Lollapalooza by the Numbers
IX. Lollapalooza Bootlegs
X. Lollapalooza in Videos
XI. Lollapalooza.com 2008 Blogs
XII. Special Thanks
XIII. Comments

Day One: Friday, August 1st

The Main Event: Radiohead

Tonight, Chicagoans (and out of towners) were finally treated to the British spectacle that’s been in the cards for four to five months. Riding on a hype that would benefit most summer blockbuster films, Radiohead headlined the first night of 2008′s Lollapalooza. Thom Yorke and Co. were welcomed with open arms, literally, and they responded with a warm, balmy performance.

It’s a wet dream for Perry Farrell that the British quintet matched the hype. The buzz over the past few months has been deafening, with fans scorching up the web and tickets for Friday leaving the box office. This morning, it wasn’t really a surprise to see several fans, well actually hundreds, catapulting through the entrance and racing to the front of the AT&T stage, where they’d be camping for a mere ten hours. As the day aged, more and more eco-friendly Radiohead shirts were bought and worn. It seemed as if they were the only band that mattered.

To some, they were.

Continue reading…

The rest of the day…

Day one of Lollapalooza 2008 started off with a bang. Though with a line of festival-goers stretching more than five blocks, most folks didn’t start rolling in until Holy Fuck and Black Lips kicked off their respective sets, unofficially signaling the start of this year’s festivities.

Neither band shows signs of early morning hangovers as Holy Fuck thrilled an already crowded AT&T Stage, many composed of those diehard Radiohead fans in hour one of their day-long camp out, with the electro bliss of “The Pulse”. While fans of Yorke and company didn’t seem all too captivated by the Canadian natives, perhaps because no remix of “Nude” was offered, Holy Fuck did offer the other willing recipients a set of overpowering sounds that brought reminders and memories of LCD Soundsystem’s ruckus set last Lollapalooza.

Those who choose to make the long trek over to the Bud Light Stage for Atlanta’s Black Lips received a set that while lacking a bit of the band’s characteristic inane stage antics, was equally enthusiastic. Kicking off with “I Saw A Ghost (Lean)” and “O Katrina!”, the band’s 16 song set offered the mostly still sleepy concert goers with a style that blended Phil Spektor with early Rolling Stones.

Before heading over for our interview with the Black Lips, we made a quick stop at the AT&T Stage to check out a few minutes of Yeasayer. While the band presented themselves well on the larger than life main stage, most of their set seemed a bit underwhelming, with the exception of a captivating rendition of their hit “2080″. Though their synth, electro-heavy sound was tight, Yeasayer frontman Anand Wilder was a bit sloppy on the vocal side of things.

One of the day’s more surprising performances was the set delivered by Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears on the BMI Stage. The grooving Austin blues outfit delivered some of the festival’s coolest sounds under the overhang of Grant Park’s greenest areas, allowing for a refreshing scene of comfort and music. Though a rather unknown act on the bill, anyone walking by the BMI Stage during their set couldn’t help but be stopped by Black Joe Lewis, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Under scorching heat (as expected at 2:15) and with refillable water bottles of wine flowing( $24 at the bar tents), The Go! Team joined a host of other Friday bands in setting a great tone for Lolla 2008. With their usual, six person band on stage, Go! played a balanced selection of tracks off both albums. They scored with their instrumental and more melodic tunes, getting everyone moving in the sun, only a few hours before The Black Keys would do the same on the exact stage. Ninja, the main singer, came out with a special energy and with a bright colored pair of sunglasses that matched with many of the crowd watching. Compared to 2006, The Go! Team was able to switch instruments easier and sounded very polished in their performance, which can be hard for the electronic samples and tempo changes in every other song. This was another breakout Lolla performance from The Go! Team, who at this point might as well be penciled into a middle of the day slot every year.

For anyone who has seen Gogol Bordello live in the past, their set on Friday was your typical performance. In other words, an hour long of furious, gypsy punk rock that is unique as it is fantastic. Under the watchful eye of a blistering sun and accompaniment of Lollapalooza’s best creative dance moves, the Brooklyn rockers played a set of mostly hits, highlighted by the frantic, rootsy “American Wedding” and jaw-dropping closer “Think Locally Fuck Globally”.

The musical/husband and wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel took the Myspace Stage soon after the finals rings of Gogol Bordello faded. While begining in classic Mates of State form, the drummer and keyboardist were soon accompanied by an orchestral section as they made their way through the set heavy in Re-Arrange Us’ material. Though Mates of State seemed a bit too small for the stage, their innocent grace brought memories of Broken Social Scene’s epic 2006 Lollapalooza performance.

After Cadence Weapon, the crowd at the BMI Stage began to overfill as fans rushed in to catch local rap duo The Cool Kids. Despite taking the stage 15 minutes late (iit seems that even a rock festival can’t curb Late Rap Show Syndrome) they were met by a rabid crowd ready for a hometown party. And The Cool Kids delivered, tearing through the entirety of their wildly popular Bake Sale EP, a couple tracks from their forthcoming EP, and a rollicking medley of covers that included The Pharcyde’s “Passing Me By”, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Raw”, and the obligatory rap anthem, “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” They were playful (directing the crowd specifically on how to behave for each song), helpful (Mikey Rocks showed genuine concern and extended a hand to a crowd surfer about to fall), and creative (taking their self-proclaimed title of “Black Beastie Boys” to new levels by throwing lines from “One Two” over the Beasties’ beats.) In short, The Cool Kids were just about everything you would expect from a great hip hop show; they put on a party and it’s not hard to see why they have built up such a positive reputation without even releasing a full-length album. Given Lollapalooza’s favoritism of local rap acts you would have to imagine The Cool Kids will be back. But don’t expect to see them on the street stage again.
If lucky enough to evade the sun, Radiohead fans camping out, and girls wearing headbands, Bloc Party provided one of the more solid crowd pleasing sets of Friday. The crowd for Bloc Party was different, containing many casual music fans and college radio fans. It was definitely a show for the tried and true Bloc Party fan, the set list seemed to contain more tracks off Weekend in the City and earlier songs by the band were done with some new live twists. Parts in the middle of the set allowed Kele and the rest of the band to play some of their slower and more calming tracks, which surely had to be appreciated by thousands showing up for Radiohead in a few shorts hours. “Helicopter” and “Waiting for the 7.18″ stood out as the best tracks of the performance and had the crowd loving their choice to stick it out with Bloc Party.

As Jack White led his bandmates on stage for their Friday night performance on the Bud Light stage and the first sounds of Lollapalooza’s most notable rock and roll band overcame the packed crowed gathered to see the Raconteurs, the collective feeling was one of awe. Between the guitar solos, extended jamming, and dueling vocals between White and Brendan Benson, the four-piece outfit reaffirmed why that with only two albums under their belt, The Raconteurs are already widely considered one of today’s best rock bands. Though the performance was largely affected by sound problems, renditions of “Conolers of the Lonely”, “Level”, and “Keep It Clean” still provided enough captivating sounds that the delayed echos circulating the crowd were easily forgiven.

While most gathering in Grant Park’s south side as the sun began to set below Chicago’s famous skyline were focused on the long-awaited headlining performance to come, Stephen Malkmus led his Jicks in a 45 minute se that best can be described as fun. Heavy in material from his recently released album Real Emotional Trash, Malkmus not only offered a taste of his vast talents and decades of live experience, but also presented himself as someone full of innocence and modesty, reflecting a pleasant down-to-earth persona.

But by the time 8:00 p.m. came around, most of the day’s more noteworthy memories were, at least temporarily, forgotten as Lolla-goers got their first sites of Radiohead.

Day Two: Saturday, August 2nd

The Main Event: Rage Against the Machine

The walk from Buckingham Fountain to the AT&T Main Stage featured a variety of sites as 8:30 p.m. approached on Saturday night. A line of ambulances were parked horizontal to the path full of bruisers in an all out sprint to ensure a piece of the action, while those too young, too small, and perhaps too smart, positioned themselves on hills, stairs, and any other sort of barrier that would provide safety from the scene about to take place.

The Toadies were engaged in an appealing 45 minute set across the south field of Grant Park, but like Stephen Malkmus the night before, it was viewed, if anything, as background noise. Festival-goers grew impatient for the first signs of Zach de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk on the field of dead grass.

Darkness and for the first time, anticipation, began to fill the Chicago air.

Continue reading…

The Main Event: Wilco

There weren’t any fireworks over this headliner, but the Chicago natives didn’t need them. Strutting across the stage after a very impressive performance by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Jeff Tweedy brought out his rag tag band for a universally sound set. Even if it was only months after their career defining residency here at the Riviera, Mid-westerner’s galore were eager to see what is quickly becoming an American musical past time, Wilco.

In the foreground of a bold Chicago skyline, the Bud Light stage shined a bright red, with fans gathering nonchalantly, as opposed to the rough housing going down across the park. It was pleasant and as many continued chatting or sharing joints, what was left of the wafty Saturday sun diminished quietly. A breeze joined in, just in time, as the band swept in to open with Being There‘s “Misunderstood.” Within seconds, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone was already throwing various instruments as Tweedy carried on with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot‘s pivotal, “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.” Not much else was said, but most of the fans were too busy swaying, or clapping, or… wondering what the hell they were wearing.

Continue reading…

The rest of the day…

Saturday mornings are usually filled with either sleep in’s, hang overs, or plans to stay in and watch TBS all day. But today, not only was it the second day of Lollapalooza, but the weather was out of this world. Under clear blue skies and a sun that wasn’t even half as harmful as yesterday’s, everything was in it’s right place… to borrow from yesterday’s act, which was still running on all our minds.

The angular guitars and rhythmic snyths and drums of Foals almost made a mockery of other shows across the park. With a crowd that seemingly never ended inside an already small space of the Citibank stage, Foals brought their style of dance-rock to another level. With people closer to the stage dancing and moving, the people in the back were left to wonder who the hell is “Foals” and why didn’t they hear of them sooner. Surely, these crowds will walk away from Lollapalooza with one more new band to check out. While many of the people who saw Foals did so on their way to MGMT, many walked away with a performance that made MGMT’s job that much harder and a new band to follow. As for the already-a-Foals-fans, the highlight of the set was Balloons, a solid song made stronger by a band clicking in all gears on tour and a raucous crowd who found a band to stop and groove or dance to.

Coming off of a few months of touring, Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, aka The Gutter Twins, brought their gloom rock outfit to Lollapalooza. Seeing the underground legends again was nothing short of fantastic, but it was odd to hear and see it all go down in daylight. Most of the downtrodden songs off of this year’s Saturnalia, namely set opener “The Station” or even “God’s Children”, were awkwardly juxtaposed against an even more surprising cool, crisp August day. No one could argue that the show’s pivotal moment came when Dulli ripped right into his other band’s (The Twilight Singers) material, specifically “Bonnie Brae.” Although Rage fans had begun gathering, it was great to see such a large audience for such an underrated band. Next time, give ‘em an evening shift.

MGMT did indeed make an attempt of this difficult task with a hour-long performance on the MySpace Stage. Though enthusiastic and fun, thanks to a multitude of the Brooklyn duo’s indie-approved hits like “Electric Feel” and “The Youth”, sound problems seemed to ravage a good portion of the audience. In some spots, the electro-heavy sound was overpowering, while in others, the banging DJ beats of Booka Shade bled into MGMT’s air. However, in the end, the mix of the band’s recent indie cred and catchy as hell music seemed to attract more than a fair share of folks.

Perry Farrell made his much-awaited Lollapalooza 2008 debuted with a performance on the newly created performance area that is his namesake. While more spectacle than anything else, special guests appearances from Slash and Samantha Ronson certainly helped Perry deliever one of the more unique performances so far this weekend. Though, between Ronson’s DJ set, Perry’s lively sing-a-longs, Slash’s acoustic strums, and the nearly 800 folks overwhelming the side stage, the set’s mixbag of material certainly made it hard to comprehend what was actually going on.

Spank Rock dazzled the crowd with a host of guest singers including Amanda Blank. Letting some of the producing and beats start things off, the Baltimore duo eventually turned the stage into the sexiest place in Grant Park, with electronic sounds and lyrics geared to get everybody moving. One of the great things to watch was Naeem Juwan and Amanda Blank bump and grind like no one was watching. This brand of entertainment even inspired many of the more bohemian ladies in the crowd to yell any sexist, crazy, or weird lyrics with Spank and with the rest of the people in attendance. Known for being a live staple at Spank Rock shows, “Shake it till my dick turns racist” had either the crowd laughing, dancing, or screaming the entire time and with personal Lollapalooza and Chicago references being made throughout it, no one can blame them. After seeming reluctant due to the blazing heat and energy of the crowd dying, Spank Rock did close the show with “Bump” and made sure everyone walked away with yet another great band to listen to or another great Spank Rock performance in their memory.

With some of the crowd from Spank Rock leaving, fans of Battles got close, fast. Renowned for intense live shows, the Citibank stage yet again was packed for the experimental noise dance of Battles. Similar to Foals in angular guitars and creating musical layers on stage, Battles rocked hard for even the most stiff of concertgoers. With much of the band being trained adults, who have been playing for years, this was an easy show to impress the people watching. With an almost nonsensical drum set up, John Stanier showcased his amazing drum skills on a very special day, his 40th birthday. The four-piece outfit played nearly without stops creating a sort of jam session feeling, albeit a technically stunning jam session. Interesting to note was the translator for the hearing impaired being rendered useless by Battles not really having distinguishable lyrics. Also two shirtless fans were able to get onto the stage and dance before eventually being escorted off by security. Battles did come back for a short encore after the main set was finished, this of course to make sure they closed off the stage properly for the night before everyone headed over for Rage Against the Machine right next door.

It was exactly 6:30pm on Saturday, when the montage friendly horn section from the Rocky theme song began to play over the mounting speaker system of the AT&T Stage; breaking the sitting silence of the crowd and giving way to the arriving night. With a few electric roars and sporadic applause from the heat pressed audience, the Second City’s second son, Lupe Fiasco, entered the south stage with backflipping charisma (literally). Never dumbing it down for one moment. The live, achromatic set of Lupe blended past hits from his Grammy winning debut Food & Liquor with the fiercely sharp tracks of 2007’s The Cool; opening with the string-enriched skate anthem, “Kick-Push” and closing with an extended rendition of the red-carpet single, “Superstar,” featuring Matthew Santos.

Although the performance was only an hour long, the on-stage offering from Lupe and crew felt like a lifetime captured in the blink of an eye. The flawlessly pure combination of energy and raw talent lyricism made-up for the show’s short duration, as it showcased Lupe as not just one of hip-hop’s elite emcees, but one of the music industry’s top performers. Watch out Kanye, the star in your shadow is becoming a little brighter.

In what might possibly be the weekend’s greatest power hour, Will Sheff and his Texas outfit, Okkervil River, laid fire to the Playstation 3 stage. Culling most of the material from last year’s The Stage Names, the set list stretched back some, even bringing out material from 2004′s Black Sheep Boy and 2002′s Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See. Sheff commands the stage, checking over on fellow band members at each break, before bleeding out into the microphone. His rough voice seemed innovative in comparison to the clean syrup on record. Some highlights included an epic rendition of “Girl in Port”, a fan driving performance of “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”, and a hard hitting cut of “For Real” which had Sheff scaling the drum set with guitar in hand. They may have inadvertently opened for Broken Social Scene, but they clearly stole the fire.

Broken Social Scene took the Bud Light Stage for what many fans considered an encore now two years in the making. Yet as special as the occasion was considered to be, the band’s return to Grant Park at their epic 2006 performance was for the most part, by the book. The Kevin Drew, Brandon Canning fronted Canadian band kicked off in standard BSS fashion with some instrumental experimentation on “Pacific Theme” followed by a rendition of “Cause = Time”. And for the most part, the set remained your typical Broken Social Scene performance – brilliant music, captivating vocals, and even a few guest appearances. (Amy Milan filled female duties, while Apostle of Hustle’s Andrew Whiteman was a member of the current traveling unit.)

But ultimately, it was by no means what most had been expecting. It was no 2006 performance. Gone were the tears of joys, cries for an encore that left such a memorable impression in the minds of all those who had witnessed the spectacle. In reality however, the expectations may have been a bit much, no longer are we talking about the same Broken Social Scene that was seen two short years ago. They are no longer music’s best kept secret, and with the success, has come a loss of intimacy. Still as underwhelming as the performance may have been for some, the sounds of “7/4 (Shoreline)” and “It’s All Gonna Break” couldn’t help but leave you smiling and dancing along.

Given that the crowd either devoted itself to spots for Rage or picnic space for Wilco, it was nice to hear Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings soldiering on. The band’s sound is unique in that it sounds neither modern nor retro, it just sounds solid. The Georgia natives went over some, but no one complained, as they brought out the best in everyone on the North side of the park. Smiles and swaying should be good enough in anyone’s book.

As darkness approached, it was time for Wilco and Rage Against the Machine.

Day Three: Sunday, August 3rd

The Main Event: Nine Inch Nails

Two stories fell over Grant Park tonight. South at the AT&T stage, Kanye West brought fans along on his extraterrestrial expedition, whereas up north, industrial guru Trent Reznor wreaked havoc on the Bud Light stage, opening his fans’ eyes to an apocalyptic future. Most, if not all witnessing, should agree that NIN told the proper story to end Lollapalooza 2008. The only problem is scaling back and remembering it all.

Ah, where to begin…

Continue reading…

The Main Event: Kanye West

Uncertainty filled Grant Park’s south end on Sunday night. With Kanye West just moments away from making his triumphed return to Lollapalooza, this time faced with the task of closing out the 2008 version of the festival, questions undoubtedly floated throughout the crowd.

What would Kanye do? Would Lollapalooza be a follow up to June’s Bonnaroo disaster? Would his seizuring light show be brightening the night’s sky? Would the Chicago native treat his hometown to something special? What’s more, would the city even embrace a performance?

One couldn’t help but wonder.

Continue reading…

The rest of the day…

The third day of any festival is always hard. Aching backs, sore legs, and trembling eyes are usually the sort that describe a third day attendee. It makes you wonder how anyone can survive the fourth day at Bonnaroo, let alone the late nights. Fortunately for those that attend Lollapalooza, things are wrapped up nicely on Sunday, usually. Unfortunately, this year’s Sunday was a bit stale in comparison to Friday and Saturday, with most of the acts smudged at the end, inviting chaotic scheduling conflicts that nobody should have to make. It didn’t help that the sold out crowd felt overbooked and unwarranted, either.

Heat and humidity didn’t stop vocalist Michael Kincaid from rocking out on a Sunday morning. Over at the Citi stage, What Made Milwaukee Famous churned out a few genre spanning songs, mostly picked from this year’s album, What Doesn’t Kill Us. Everything from Spoon to Dashboard Confessional bled from the set, though much to the audience’s pleasure, they never strayed too far from the garage. It was a good early morning set for the Austin, Texas unit, though not nearly as memorable as one would have expected.

Despite the prospects of playing on a stage missing a video screen and still rittled with sound problems (see MGMT’s Saturday set), The Whigs provided an early morning punch of grunge-friendly rock anthems that helped get many folks filling the south end of Grant Park out of Sunday morning hangovers. While there was a large contrast in quality between the Georgia native’s heavy rock oriented sounds vs. their slower, acoustic ballads, which almost seemed overwhelmed due to the size of the stage, the – fronted band’s passion and drenched, Cobain-like look, certainly left a lasting impression.

Though a Perry Farrell performance at Kidzapalooza has been a staple since the festival first kicked off in 2005, this year’s performance was one for the ages. Like yesterday, the former Jane’s Addicition frontman/Lollapalooza mastermind was joined on stage by Slash for a short, unannounced performance. Only this time around, the performed renditions of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious”, GNR’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and Jane’s “Mountain Song” and “Jane Says” were for the children presented at the Kidzapalooza stage on Sunday afternoon. Though between Perry’s mystifying pieces of advice to the young boys and girls, Slash’s cigarette smoking guitar playing, and the massive amounts of adults overwhelming the tiny stage, the performance was anything from your standard lullaby.

“Mountain Song”

As Perry and Slash were entertaining the kids, the electro-friendly duo better known as Chromeo offered those gathered around the Myspace stage an incredibly vibrant and loud performance full of familiar favorites from their much-acclaimed debut album, Fancy Footworks. Unlike some of the other indie approved acts who struggled on the massive stage (see: MGMT, Mates of State), Chromeo seemed to flourish in the setting.

This is the conversation we imagined taking place when Girl Talk was scheduled to perform on the much too small Citi Stage:

C3 Presents Staff Member: Hey Perry, I have a fantastic idea!

Perry Farrell: About Lallapaloooza?

C3 Presents Staff Member: I think we should book Girl Talk, a mishmash DJ from Pittsburgh that everyone seems to be talking about these days.

Perry Farrell: Anything for Lallapaloooza!!! But since his name doesn’t have the “Jane’s Addiction,” “Slash,” or “Rage Against the Machine,” in it, I feel like he should be put on the Citi Stage.

C3 Presents Staff Member: Anything you say, boss!

The result: sheer and utter mayhem. While those who actually saw Gregg Gillis would have only seen the DJ jumping up and down around his custom made laptop, the suffocating crowd size certainly put a damper on what sounded like another trademark Girl Talk performance.

Over on the modest MySpace stage, New Jersey’s own Blues Traveler rocked through some good ol’ blues rock. Frontman John Popper looks the same as usual these days, though he’s a bit more engaging, and with good reason. The band managed to grab a larger than expected crowd, which enjoyed the set list ripe with new and old. No surprise that old timing hit, “Runaround”, received some accolades; however, the audience stuck around ’til the end. Good news for the Princeton quintet.

English rockers Love and Rockets played a loud set, and stress the loud, as the sun settled once and for all. While most of the audience could have been waiting for the industrial madness to come, the gothic rockers benefited from a crowd who loved hard hitting rock. Borderline shoegaze, Love and Rockets was a pleasant surprise. Drummer Kevin Haskins proved to be one of the better drummers for the weekend, shining towards the end in songs “Kundalani Express” and “Mirror People.” The shining moment came during closer “Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)”, where a group of dancers, hidden behind black and white striped costumed and dome faced heads, ricocheted around and around. It all came down into a culminating crash and burn, ending a powerful and unlikely set. Before leaving the stage, bassist David J tipped his hat to the audience, and then held it out, for God knows what.

A member of the audience gathered at the Playstation 3 stage around 8:00 p.m. said it best. “The National just sound perfect.” Though not your prototypical festival-friendly band, especially considering the Brooklyn based rockers were performing right before Nine Inch Nails, the Matt Berninger led band delivered a performance of unmatched musical quality, mixing stunning, vibrant sounds, somewhat reminiscent of Nick Cave, with equally captivating lyrics. The National’s hour long performance was quality throughout, but the set’s final two pieces, “Fake Empires” followed by “Mr. November” in all its perfection, was easily one of the biggest highlights of not only the set, but entire third day.

As the final day of Lollapalooza 2008 came to a close, two of music’s more intriguing names, Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails, took their respective stages for the last performances of the day.

Lollapalooza Interviews

• Will Sheff of Okkervil River
• The Black Lips
• Michael Kincaid and Jason Davis of What Made Milwaukee Famous
• Jeremiah Edmond of Manchester Orchestra
• Sofia Talvik

Day One in Photos:

Day Two in Photos:

Day Three in Photos:

Lollapalooza by the Numbers:

• Performances by The Weakerthans: 0
• Kanye West Look-a-Likes: 1
• “Glow in the Dark” sunglasses: 1
• Myspace stickers using pasties sightings: 1
• Perry Farrell sightings: 3
• Radiohead t-shirts: 5
• Total Broken Social Scene Members Appearing On Stage: 10
• People Too Many at Perry & Friends: 800
• Attendees: 225,000
• Samples used by Girl Talk: Infinite

Lollapalooza Bootlegs:

via Lollapalooza Message Board and largehearted boy:

• Radiohead
• Rage Against the Machine
• Wilco
• The Raconteurs
• The National
• Bloc Party
• MGMT
• Explosions in the Sky
• The Whigs
• Blues Traveler

Lollapalooza in Videos:

Radiohead – “No Surprises”

Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”

Rage Against the Machine – “Testify”

Rage Against the Machine

Kanye West

Wilco – “New Song”

Nine Inch Nails – “The Big Comedown”

The Raconteurs

Girl Talk

The National – “Apartment Story”

John Butler Trio – “Ocean”

Love and Rockets

Riots

Perry Farrell & Slash – “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”

Bloc Party – “Like Eating Glass”

Lollapalooza.com 2008 Blogs:

This year, Consequence of Sound’s Lollapalooza coverage was featured on Lollapalooza.com’s Blogapalooza. Also taking part in the fun was Ross Hebert, the official, fan-approved Lollablogger. Be sure to check out all of his entries as well!

Special Thanks:

Consequence of Sound would like to thank the following people for helping us out this weekend: Art Pena, Hattie Trott, Ross Hebert, Alex Bonami (bmanders), Bryan Hawkinson, Maggie Gryske, Brendan Telzrow, Zach Hinkle, Megan McDiffitt, Nicole Orbe, Laura Hamlett, Brittany Pearce, Jacqueline Thompson, Nick Travers, and of course, Perry Farrell.

Comments:

Voice your memories, thoughts, and anything else on your mind, below…

On paper, Friday was looking like a relatively straightforward day. Not much in the way of conflicts and most everything was nicely centered around the main 6th Street drag. After having tromped around town to see fifteen acts the day before, I was looking forward to a nice, simple day. But things don’t always go the way they’re planned at SXSW.

Friday
The first order of business was to start on the south side of Town Lake (which I still maintain is actually a river) at the Frontgate Tickets Brunch. It was a little bit of an awkward feeling walking up to what may or may not have been a company only party, but at least one non-employee was spotted, so that was a relief of sorts. There was a tiny stage set up in one corner of the parking lot and in the other corner, there were a pair of stands handing out free breakfast tacos and beverages (including some tasty Bloody Marys). We munched on our breakfast tacos as we waited for The Felice Brothers who not only were not onstage at 12:30pm as planned, but also had failed to show up at all in their trademark Winnebago. It was apparent they were running late, so we decided to head across South Congress and down a couple of blocks to the Yard Dog Gallery to check out their setup and the Bloodshot Records day party.

With the first act having already started (and I cannot for the life of me figure out what her name is, though she was apparently subbing for Andre Williams), the tiny courtyard behind the gallery was already near capacity. I can only imagine how packed it must have been the night before when Okkervil River played. Nice set up overall, but it would have been futile to try and see anyone remotely popular there. After having a chance run in with some friends from Chicago, it was a quick walk back to Frontgate and upon our approach, the sweet sounds of The Felice Brothers could be heard wafting into the air.

With a Bloody Mary in one hand and the Texas sun beating down, the Felicers played a short, mellow set highlighted by Simone Felice’s beautiful reading of “The Devil is Real” from their first record. Sadly, bassist Christmas sat on the back corner of the tiny stage with his bass still in its case as he watched his comrades perform while nursing a left thumb wrapped in some heavy gauze. It later came to light that there had been a knife accident of sorts the night before and Christmas spent seven hours in the emergency room with band manager Daniel getting ten stitches in his thumb. Get well, Christmas.

So the start of the day had not quite gone exactly to plan, but nothing had flown off the rails and we were still on schedule. A trip back across the lake/river to downtown and our favorite parking garage on Brazos south of 2nd Street ($7/day with three ins/outs) didn’t take terribly long and soon we were standing in another parking lot on the corner of 7th and Red River as we waited for She & Him, aka the incomparable Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. And let’s be honest here: the real reason to see She & Him is to gawk at Zooey who is one of the most captivating women on the planet. The pen filled up quickly as the time for their set drew near and Zooey (somewhat surprisingly) gave a perfectly fine performance. M. Ward, on the other hand, should stick to playing acoustic guitar as he fumbled multiple times while playing his reissued Gretsch Corvette. Unfortunately, acts at this stage were being broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio and only ended up playing three songs (maybe four or five) per set.

While coming down from my Zooey high, I next headed to Beauty Bar for more free booze and another performance by Brooklyn-based Longwave. I spied a cooler full of orange Sparks behind the bar and decided to finally enjoy my first can of the alcoholic energy drink purported to taste like Sweet Tarts. In retrospect, this may have helped me get through the afternoon and while the beverage was sickeningly sweet, it wasn’t that bad overall. Able to stretch their limbs a bit with a 45 minute set, Longwave delighted with not only the same group of fine new songs, but four tunes from The Strangest Things including “Wake Me When It’s Over”, “Everywhere You Turn” and “Daysleeper”.

As they launched into their final song, it was time to hike up the hill on the other side of I-35 and make our way to the French Legation Museum for an acoustic performance by Yo La Tengo. The French Legation compound is a leftover from the days when Texas was an independent republic and was recognized as such by three countries: The United States, England and France. Setting up a legation in a foreign country at that time was considered an extension of diplomacy if not a full-fledged diplomatic partnership that would be signified by an embassy. The grounds are expansive and lovely with a large stage and tent set up on the top of the hill near the main building and a smaller stage occupying the bottom of the hill, much of which was miraculously shaded by large trees. The main tent where Yo La Tengo performed was completely packed, so we picked a spot to the right of and just behind the band which turned out to be a fine vantage point. Ira, Georgia and James gave a wonderful performance including such favorites as “Sugarcube”, “I Feel Like Going Home”, “The Story of Yo La Tango” and “The Weakest Part”, proving yet again why they are one of the best bands in the country.

After a free bomb pop from The Ice Cream Man and enjoying several songs from an unknown trio playing the smaller, shadier stage, it was back across I-35 to investigate the Paste/Stereogum/Dell Lounge at Volume Night Club and The Whigs. While the band was playing perfectly fine, it felt to be about ten to fifteen degrees warmer in the club than it was outside (where temps had reached 90 degrees). This made for a quick visit, especially when it turned out that the drinks were not free. The ‘blogger cages’ (which resembled exotic dancer cages, but with geeks at keyboards rather than hotties in skimpy clothing) were an amusing diversion.

Feeling a little wilty, we stumbled across the street to Habana Calle 6 in hopes of catching The Felice Brothers for the second time today (partly out of curiosity to see how they’d fare with Christmas’ injury). Oddly, though, the posters for the Team Love Records showcase that evening did not have the Felicers listed at all and when 6pm came and went without any bands playing whatsoever, there was a suspicious feeling that this may be a bust. Strike One.

Okay, no big deal. Shit happens and it’s SXSW – there’s plenty more going on. We wolfed down a delicious Cuban sandwich at Habana and ran over to Headhunters for the Suburban Homes Records showcase where Two Cow Garage would be sharing a set with Jon Snodgrass of Drag the River fame. Upon arriving promptly for the 6:45pm set, we were informed that they had just finished playing. What? Apparently the 6pm band had been running late, so they switched set times with the Two Cow gang. Strike Two.

Alright, so I’m starting to feel a little discouraged now. But Chicago’s Tight Phantomz were going to be doing a set around the corner at the non-SXSW Creekside Lounge, so it seemed like a good time to head over there, have a drink and relax while waiting for their performance. Yet again, upon arriving, there were no indications that Tight Phantomz would be playing at all that evening. Postcards on the tables advertised six bands, none of whom were Tight Phantomz. The sound guys had a cheat sheet with all the bands playing that evening – no Tight Phantomz. Nobody in the joint has ever heard of this band. Strike Three – time for a Jameson.

While attempting to wash away the stink of Epic Schedule Fail with booze, however, Mike from Tight Phantomz enters the room. I immediately grab him and find out they’re not playing until 10:45pm that evening. Interesting. So we decide to go back to the motel, wash up and head back downtown around 10pm to get our fill of Tight Phantomz. Famous last words. We went back to the motel, but after getting settled in and taking a short power nap, it became clear that the day had been somewhat of a bust and rest would be the most important thing. After all, tomorrow’s Saturday with a chance to start over and make SXSW bend to my will.

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