Musician, writer, activist, and former Titus Andronicus guitarist Amy Klein launched the feminist collective Permanent Wave in 2011 with hopes to “challenge gender inequality as it manifests itself in art, politics, and our personal lives.”

In remembrance of the untimely death of the Poly Styrene (born Marion Elliot), lead singer of British punk pioneers X-Ray Spex, the women of Permanent Wave just released Rebel On The Underground, a compilation of X-Ray-Spex covers including contributions from Pink Flag, Franz Nicolay & Emily Brodsky, and notably Klein herself, performing the classic “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” with her New Jersey punk-rock pals of yore.

You can stream the song below, and purchase the compilation on Bandcamp. All proceeds will benefit the  Sweet Relief Musicians Fund so get on that.

Speaking of comps, if you haven’t downloaded the Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol. 1, get on that, too.

A picture tells a thousand words, right? They also help capture a thousand bands, and for an event like Austin, TX’s South by Southwest, a camera isn’t an added incentive, it’s a necessity. Last week, several of our photographers hit the bustling streets and furious venues, capturing the talent both young and old. For reference, you should know that a day at SXSW begins at 10 a.m. and doesn’t stop until sometime between the hours of two or six in the morning. Yeah, that’s a lot of footage. So, if you couldn’t make it down to Texas, take a short visual trip below. We’ve even included previous galleries for our CoSigns event and our official SXSW showcase.

CoSigns – The Beauty Bar – Wednesday

Who: Future Unlimited, Princeton, The Henry Clay People, Mikal Cronin, Bleached, Mr. Dream, The Men, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, and Cloud Nothings.

Photographers: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

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Consequence of Sound – The Jr. – Wednesday

Who: Miracles of Modern Science, Hey Marseilles, Ezra Furman, Emily Wells, Thomas Dolby, and Free Energy.

Photographers: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

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The Rest of the Mess – Tuesday to Saturday

Who: Best Coast, Chairlift, Escort, Grimes, Jimmy Cliff, Mr. Muthafukin’ eXquire, Purity Ring, Schlomo, The Shins, Talib Kweli & Friends, Teengirl Fantasy, Vivian Girls, The Drums, Zeus, et al.

Photographers: Harley Brown, Heather Kaplan, Jeremy D. Larson, and Michael Roffman

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Stay tuned for our last piece of coverage: Top 10 CoSigns at South by Southwest!

Photo by Heather Kaplan

At CoSigns, Titus Andornicus were selling $2 copies of a limited-edition “odds and sods” CD-R compiling their new single, ”Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus”, alongside studio outtakes, demos, and a cover of the Hot Pockets Theme. Now the 23-track collection, formally known as Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol. 1, has made its way online. Download your free copy at the band’s website.

Here’s the tracklist complete with liner notes:

1. Intro

2. The Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy)

live at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ 3/4/2012, recorded by Tommy R the soundman

3. Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus

from the forthcoming split seven inch single with Diarrhea Planet, recorded 2/2012 by Kevin MacMahon at Marcata Recording, New Paltz, NY, featuring backing vocals by Alex Levine of the So So Glos

4. Arms Against Atrophy

The band’s very first recording, made summer 2005 at the Graetzer residence, Glen Rock, NJ

5. My Time Outside the Womb

Patrick’s acoustic demo, recorded at Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ, sometime early 2006

6. Every Time I See The Light Part Two

From the live album “The Innocents Abroad,” recorded at the Hoxton Bar and Grill, London, England, 2/2009

7. Anxiety Block (Television Personalities)

Recorded by Kevin MacMahon at Marcata Recording, spring 2009

8. First Inaugural Address, take two

‘The Monitor’ outtake, words of Abraham Lincoln, 1861, spoken by Okey Canfield Chenoweth III at his home in Oakland, NJ summer 2009

9. A More Perfect Union

10. Titus Andronicus Forever

11. No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future

Four track demos for ‘The Monitor,’ recorded by Sarim Al-Rawi at the Graetzer residence, 6/2009

12. Four Score…

Four track demo for live violin arrangement, recorded at home

13. …And Seven (Remix)

‘The Monitor’ outtake, recorded by Patrick on four track at Marcata Recording, summer 2009

14. El Scorcho (Weezer)

15. Interlude

16. Undone [The Sweater Song] (Weezer)

From the Vice Halloween Party 2009, recorded by NYC Taper

17. I Fought The Law (Bobby Fueller)

Rehearsal for OWS benefit at Shea Stadium, 11/2011

18. Riot Squad (Cock Sparrer)

Live at that very benefit, recorded by Adam ‘Bomb’ Reich

19. Hot Pockets Theme (TV)

Rehearsal recording, autumn 2011

20. Heroin (Velvet Underground)

11-piece lineup live at the home of Sam Franklin, Ridgewood, NJ, 12/2005

21. Interlude

22. Waking Up Drunk (Spider Bags)

Live at Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ, Spring 2010, featuring Dan McGee of Spider Bags on lead vocals, recorded by NYC Taper

23. Treatment Bound (Replacements)

Rehearsing at Patrick’s home, spring 2011

Parties and Showcases

Incan Abraham – 9:00 p.m. @ Hype Hotel

Photo by Harley Brown

A little nepotism led me to Incan Abraham, who was also playing at Hype Hotel on Tuesday night, when I learned we had a mutual friend. After actually listening to last year’s hypnotic Ancient Vacation, I wanted to see their laissez-faire Local Natives vibe in action. The foursome played with refreshing enthusiasm, layering synthesizers with more organic drums, nesting Teddy Cafaro’s voice—which at times uncannily but also unsurprisingly mimicked Yeasayer’s Chris Keating—in humid polyrhythms. Smoke and low orange and purple lighting added to the totality of the experience, making Incan Abraham an act I would get lost in again. – Harley Brown

Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire –  10:00 p.m. @ Mohawk Patio

Photo by Michael Roffman

Spittin’ rhymes is one thing, but bringing a party is another beast altogether. Brooklyn’s Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire brought both to Pitchfork’s Tuesday showcase at the Mohawk – and then some. After moody electronic sets from Teengirl Fantasy and Schlomo, patrons flocking about the close-pocketed venue sprang to life during the Brooklyn rapper’s set. His crew sprayed bottle after bottle of water, invited more members on-stage, seemingly laughed together at inside jokes, and jumped to and from the stage, all while attendees held up their hands and screamed along to random verses, mostly from tracks off last year’s Lost in Translation mixtape.”What’s yo’ favorite part of the pussy,” he asked a dazed white spectator, caught in the madness. He didn’t wait too long for answer, screaming back: “It’s all good!” When he dove into the crowd towards the end, his crew joined along, and, well, it felt less hip-hop and far more punk rock. -Michael Roffman

UCB Comedy presents: The Best Damn Stand-up  -  10:30 p.m @ Esther’s Follies

Photo by Michael Roffman

Tucked away in the cubby that is Esther’s Follies, Upright Citizens Brigade hosted one hell of a lineup for well over two hours, featuring Chris Gethard, Eliza Skinner, Gabe Liedman, Kyle Kinane, Jenny Slate, Joe Wengert, Ron White, and Pete Holmes. From top to bottom it was a stellar night, though some highlights included: Gethard’s quirky brand of hyper-literate, pseudo-stonerish afterthoughts, which involved a digression on his mother being raped by Willem Dafoe (“I am the Green Goblin hate baby!”) and the choice of commercials during Biography’s I Survived series; Skinner’s manic yet whimsical analysis of cat ladies vs. dog guys; Kinane’s Carlin-like brand of crude humor, specifically his thoughts on being 35 and finally living by himself; and Pete Holmes, who told the best off-hand joke involving BBQ that Austin, TX will ever receive.

White’s appearance was a surprise, and that was sort of the delight of it all, though his cutting lines are always witty in the moment. Slate’s shocker-fueled routine, alongside Liedman, was commendable, though she belongs on film rather than the stage. (She also is Gilda Radner resurrected.) Holmes, however, essentially shanked everyone’s sides with his stream-of-consciousness-styled comedy. In addition to his thoughts on Austin’s eateries, Holmes skipped to and from several topics, all of which included his thoughts on wanting to fuck/be Ryan Gosling, wearing a boot for six months, his rogue’s gallery of celebrity doppelgängers (e.g. David Duchovny, fat Val Kilmer), and a random old joke about Ruby Tuesday. “I’m like the ol’ crotchety neighbor of this entire festival,” he stated. Hardly. He’s just the funniest. -Michael Roffman

Delta Spirit – 1:00 a.m. @ Hype Hotel

Photo by Harley Brown

When I noticed that the “Special Guest” headlining The Syndicate’s Conflict of Interest-curated Hype Hotel was from Long Beach, CA, I knew it was Delta Spirit. Even though I’ve seen them before and I will definitely see them again, I wanted to be among the first audiences to see them perform Delta Spirit at SXSW. As usual, they didn’t disappoint: Matt Vasquez and co. blasted through “Bushwick Blues” at warp speed, and new songs like “Empty House” and “Money Saves”, backed by a wall of hot, flashing lightbulbs. Vasquez throws his back and neck veins into every performance, but being back onstage seemed to be a homecoming of sorts. He got visibly choked up at several points and doubled over with emotion (or exhaustion) after encoring with “California”, eschewing the audience’s request for one more song. – Harley Brown

Read on for Wednesday’s coverage of SXSW including Mobb Deep, Killer Mike & El-P, Free Energy, Trash Talk and more.

CoSigns – The Beauty Bar – 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Who: Future Unlimited, Princeton, The Henry Clay People, Mikal Cronin, Bleached, Mr. Dream, The Men, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, and Cloud Nothings.

Photos: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

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Consequence of Sound – The Jr. – 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Who: Miracles of Modern Science, Hey Marseilles, Ezra Furman, Emily Wells, Thomas Dolby, and Free Energy.

Photos: Heather Kaplan and Michael Roffman

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Parties/Showcases

Jonathan Meiburg – 2:oo p.m. @ Hype Hotel (MOKB/Songs by Toad party)

A solo set from Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg marked the second act of Hype Hotel’s Wednesday day party. The Hotel’s shimmering, scattered spotlight caught Meiburg’s head in a sort of beatific light—a gorgeous repose similar to a religious Renaissance painting. However, instead of holding up a crucifix or delicately outstretched hand, Meiburg wielded the best tool he has: an electric guitar. That guitar’s sound, along with his spine-tingling vocal wail, cut through the meat-locker-temperature air of the Hype Hotel. Tracks like “Dread Sovereign” from Shearwater’s latest record, Animal Joy, loomed menacingly and beautifully. “Run the Banner Down” was maudlin and reflective. For his last song, he eased into a 10-minute-plus vamp based around a single, delay-heavy guitar loop, which created a gorgeous drone that the entire audience got blissfully lost in. – Paul de Revere

The Twilight Sad – 3:oo p.m. @ Hype Hotel (MOKB/Songs by Toad party)

Photo by Paul de Revere

Despite sound problems throughout their set, Scottish shoegaze band The Twilight Sad gave a performance that was nothing less than punishing and beautifully punctuated with skeletal drum machine, what little of it the band could seemingly hear, and wall-of-shoegaze-sound guitars just two steps away from heavy metal. They squealed up to a start like an old locomotive with “Reflection of the Television” off 2009’s Forget the Night Ahead. The band, however, seemed to favor tracks from their debut, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, delivering stunning live arrangements of “Cold Days from the Birdhouse”, with a chilling, quiet opening followed by megaton slams of distortion, and “That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy”, with the haunting refrain of “The kids are on fire/In the bedroom.” – Paul de Revere

The Allah-Las – 10:40 p.m. @ 512 Bar (Innovative Leisure Showcase)

Photo by Harley Brown

As soon as The Allah-Las took the 512 stage in bolo ties, Ray-Bans, and skinny orange pants, I knew their self-described surf Topanga had to be good. I didn’t realize they were going to take me back in time to the previously undiscovered intersection of Austin Powers and The Surfaris. In addition to their fashion sense, the California-based band was groovy in all the right ways, riffing just hard enough to keep their “perfect mixture of the sands, the seas, the streets, and cities of the Golden State” from being too saccharine. After an album’s worth of flawlessly executed material, I was disappointed to find that the 45” of their only two available songs has already sold out, but at least it means they’re getting the recognition they deserve. - Harley Brown

Tycho – 11:25 @ Club de Ville (Ghostly International Showcase)

Photo by Harley Brown

The recording and performing moniker of San Francisco-based artist and designer Scott Hansen, who also goes by ISO50, Tycho embodies his “search for efficiency.” Even though Hansen and his two band members play the sort of progressive electronica more associated with trippy meanderings than minimalism, Tycho’s crystalline blips and driving beat are airtight. At Club de Ville on Wednesday night, tracks like “Hours” and audience favorite “A Walk”’s keyboard crescendos undulated in conjunction with Hansen’s drum and synthesizer beats, almost comforting in its symmetry. I closed my eyes to let the most affecting moments wash over me, but given that Hansen is a mesmerizing artist (I could stare at Dive‘s album art all day), I wish the band had done more to visually engage the audience. – Harley Brown

–

G-Side 8:30 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Alabama Rap duo G-Side continued their 10-show SXSW run with something akin to a musical blitzkrieg, only less hostile and with more laser lights. The sweet mojo was all in the details, be it the ultra-catchy introductory interludes with the backup singers or the pair’s mere stage presence (more engaging than menacing thanks to crack lyrical displays and primo showmanship). The pair demonstrated a tried and true hip-hop dichotomy, with Yung Clova the menacing anchor to ST 2 Lettaz’s sweat-soaked dance and stage-diving act. The highlight of the show, though, saw ST 2 Lettaz bring his brother and sister onstage for a few verses, transforming their set into a rousing family affair light on the drama and heavy on displays of anarchical dissent. Bringing your siblings onstage may hurt the street cred of some rap outfits, but it only made G-Side appear that much more willing to go all out in order to stand above their peers and to deliver something as earnest and personable as it was boomin’ and bass-tastic. – Chris Coplan

Action Bronson – 9:45 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Where G-Side’s set represented the warm glow of community, Queens rapper Action Bronson took to the stage like a man alone in misery. It should be noted that Bronson’s set was delivered with gusto, and that the 315-pound MC never skipped a lyric, resulting in a performance that more than did its part to rock crowds and break necks. Once more, though, the details spun the whole picture, with Bronson seemingly removed from the sea of cronies and underlings that huddled around him and stopping songs prematurely on the slightest of whims. Even the way Bronson lit up a cigarette purveyed a sense of tense annoyance, with songs a distraction between each puff. And yet, despite the copious amounts of ‘tude and mood swings, Bronson’s set matched the intrigue and exhilaration of watching and waiting to see a caged lion go berserk. Now, imagine the kind of shows he could deliver if he ever decided to smile. – Chris Coplan

Jacques Green – 10:25 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

There was a notable displacement of mass from Action Bronson’s set to Jacques Green’s, and a notable increase in pretty-boy vibes. In black patent leather boots, an Yves Saint Laurent t-shirt, and gold chain necklaces (no, the really long and thin ones) — the Montreal producer stood alone on the side of the stage, undulated with his knees together, and spun the hell out of some deep house/jungle/R&B jams. He integrated shadowy samples of Ciara, Araab Muzik, and I’m sure many others into grad-school club hits that balanced fun and flair and was totally danceable. Two things: I find it pretty suave when a DJ packs up his shit as he’s closing out his last song, as Green did ( though I’m probably the only one), and it was a fine coincidence that I noticed the totally Target Collection area rugs on the stage during his set. – Jeremy D. Larson

Wavves – 11:35 p.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Wavves are good — they are always good, only it seemed obligatory for them to perform tonight. A handful of new songs that didn’t really stick and a handful of old songs that have peeled off made for a serviceable set that went mostly appreciated by the increasingly inebriated bros at The Lustre Pearl. However, they can still hang their whole set on the gem “Post Acid” — a song that will probably always stick. - Jeremy D. Larson

Trash Talk – 12:15 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

“My ribs may be broken” said frontman Lee Spielman before note one. Even in an evening filled with rap posses 15-deep, this was the most nonsensical, superfluous thing said on stage that night. Because you’d think that if your ribs were broken you’d maybe mark a bit on stage — take care of your health and your broken ribs. But a hardcore punk Trash Talk show is not the place for a comforting, experience. Or maybe it is? When the audience opened up a circle pit that repurposed about 70% of the floor space — it was easily 40 feet in diameter — the pit became as much of the show as the band was. And because this was my first Trash Talk show and I don’t often find myself being swallowed into a chugging punch-fest, I just gawked in pure joy at the riotous violence.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

The crowd and Trash Talk became a giant anarchist expurgation of emotions (mostly anger, and mostly in good fun) which I found to be extremely comforting. The polite, unspoken rules of public performance were shattered over and over again, as Spielman front-flipped into the audience, let fans scream whole verses to songs, made everyone sit down on the ground, told the pit to “go to the back of the audience and fuck those people’s shit up”, and even allowed himself to be fucking tackled off of the stage and into a small group of people into the audience without, like, getting mad about it. It was a relief to know that this kind of uncontrolled hysteria still exists, and that it was born from only heaviest of music. “Yeah, I broke my ribs” he said, later on. He probably mean that he broke more of them. - Jeremy D. Larson

Mobb Deep/Prodigy – 12:40 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

The general feeling of the crowd during the obviously tight Mobb Deep set was, “Oh my god Havoc, Prodigy, and Big Noyd are on a stage and they’re — oh man, they just did ‘Survival of the Fittest’ I can’t believe that I’m actually watching this. Oh my god they just did ‘Shook Ones’. I just saw Mobb Deep do ‘Shook Ones’” But even in the hazy awe of the reunion, they didn’t miss a single beat as they went through their greatest hits. A momentous occasion for the nostalgia, and unequivocal proof of Mobb Deep’s tenacity and influence on the whole genre. - Jeremy D. Larson

Killer Mike/El-P/SL Jones – 1:15 a.m. @ Lustre Pearl (Life or Death PR Showcase)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

I was unclear as to whether this was going to be a full premiere of his forthcoming El-P-produced album R.A.P Game front to back. It wasn’t, but that was probably for the better, as the waning crowd at the Life or Death PR Showcase were showing signs of fatigue at the late hour. But, man, Killer Mike. I had never seen him before, but as with every other act of the night, he commanded the crowd with confidence, ridiculous skill, and off-the-cuff humor (in rousing speech about what defines R.A.P. (Rebellious African People’s) music, he yelled, “I make the music that makes you want to punch a reindeer in the face!”). Sure enough, El-P showed up and they both dropped a new track together, which was of course on fire. Killer Mike’s stage presence is like the perfect combination eXquire and Action Bronson — lyrics that come through the teeth with enough energy to get everyone screaming “Grind Time Rap Game!” at 2:00 a.m. - Jeremy D. Larson

Free Energy – The Jr. (Consequence of Sound Showcase) - 1:30 a.m.

Photo by Michael Roffman

It would be fair to say that true rock ‘n’ roll folklore is purely incidental. Most authors would agree that you can’t expect that sort of magic on-stage, you just have to let it happen. An hour and a half into Thursday morning, Philadelphia’s own Free Energy sparked up something pretty extraordinary at The Jr. (formerly Emo’s, Jr.), framing exactly who they are: an honest to god American rock ‘n’ roll band. But, first, some context…

Prior to their set, Thomas Dolby, whose setup went 25 minutes over the mark, bled his performance into Free Energy’s time slot, essentially nixing the band’s original bracket for sound check, which pushed everything back by about 30-35 minutes. Given that all the bars must close by two a.m. and Free Energy couldn’t start ’til about half past one, well, you do the math.

That didn’t matter, though. What could have been a shitshow turned into one of the most invigorating sets in recent memory. Frontman Paul Sprangers, now sporting a shorter, cleaner ‘do, paced the stage after a slightly awkward soundcheck, only to throw out a smile and the warm embrace of fuzzy, balmy ’70s rock. “One a.m., gotta keep it rockin’,” he stated coquettishly.

Photo by Michael Roffman

This mentality isn’t too much of a surprise. After all, it was only this past week that Sprangers told us, “I kinda like the idea that rock is dead because I can prove the point that when you put love and care into something– even if it’s a dead, shitty form where fuckin’ Nickelback or whatever is considered rock– it can be resurrected.” Big words, but he put ‘em to action.

With such a late start, the most die-hard of fans stuck around – swimming somewhere between 40-50 patrons, altogether – which explains why a setlist featuring only two “oldies” eked out and worked. Intimate doesn’t even begin to explain it. When Sprangers sang the chorus to “Free Energy”, screaming, “This is all we’ve got tonight/We are young and still alive/Now the time is on our side,” it truly summed up everyone’s feelings in the room. In other words, shit happens, this is still pretty great, and let’s enjoy this.

Working from an arsenal of new material off their forthcoming sophomore LP, Love Sign, the Philadelphia rockers previewed an array of tracks that, according to a setlist, read something like: “Back”, the previously released “Electric Fever”, “Hailey”, “Hey Tonight”, and “Hangin’”. Hardly any of them strayed too far from what sold the band to millions of youthful rockers back in 2010, but they make it work. “Back” could have slid into Stuck on Nothing with ease, “Electric Fever” blossoms on-stage via Scott Wells’ stadium rock tendencies, “Hey Tonight” felt like a genius coagulation of early Cars and (strangely enough) U2, while top notch addition “Hailey” dipped into Jackson Browne and especially the best moments of Tom Petty.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Minutes before the clock struck two in the morning, Sprangers asked the crowd if they wanted to hear more new material (the group had two more new songs planned for the original setlist), or an oldie. Several screamed out past hits, but “Something in Common” stuck. Here’s the thing: It wasn’t like they didn’t want to hear new material, it’s hard to believe anyone would have balked at hearing a new track. Instead, everyone wanted one last chance to sing along, dance, and just rock out. That feels cheesy even writing that line, but it’s the honest to god truth, and fuck it, that feels good. -Michael Roffman

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Though their third LP isn’t expected until the fall, Titus Andronicus continues to showcase new songs. In the wake of “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus (Andronicus)”’s premiere, the band used their recent tour opener in Asbury Park, New Jersey to debut another spectacularly-titled track, the 10-minute epic “Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter”. The video footage comes courtesy of @titus_ndronicus.

Update: A YouTube user who is presumably Titus frontman Patrick Stickles notes, ”this is actually a medley of two songs, “Ecce Homo” and “Still Life with Hot Deuce AND Silver Platter”.

See the rest of Titus’ upcoming dates below, which includes an appearance at Consequence of Sound’s CoSigns on Wednesday, March 14th.

Titus Andronicus 2012 Tour Dates:
03/09 – Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge *
03/10 – Atlanta, GA @ The Basement *
03/11 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
03/12 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio *
03/14 – Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar (CoSigns)
06/23-24 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Orion Music + More 

* = w/ Screaming Females and Diarrhea Planet

We’re a week and some change away from South by Southwest, so while most of you are soaking up sounds of all those artists you’ve penciled into your schedules, you might want to check out some newer cuts from Titus Andronicus, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, The Dandy Warhols, and Melvins. Yeah, it’s been a good week for the veterans.

The Dandy Warhols – “Well They’re Gone”

We’re still a couple months out from the release of The Dandy Warhols’ ninth studio record This Machine, but they’re offering up an early preview of the album with “Well They’re Gone”, a desolate, surprisingly folksy cut that makes for a very solid first single. This Machine is out April 24th on The End Records. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Dandy Warhols – “Well They’re Gone”

Dent May – “Fun”

“Fun”, the first track released from Dent May’s upcoming sophomore album, Do Things (from Paw Tracks, on June 12th), stays true to its name. Cheesy, ’80s keyboard percussion and lithe, funky bass background the singer-songwriter’s psych-disco coo. The syrupy synth solo and equally saccharine talk about how much fun it is to be friends is over-the-top, but too danceably groovy to deny. After the reliance on strings on 2009′s Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele, the chorus of “don’t know what’s in store for me/but I think it’s gonna be fun” pretty much sums up our anticipation for his album. -Adam Kivel

[soundcloud width="500"]http://soundcloud.com/paw-tracks/fun-1[/soundcloud]

Hundred Waters – “Caverns”

Gainesville, Florida psyche-rock sextet Hundred Waters have some big moments coming up on their calendar, including a stop at the CoS stage at Orlando’s Orange You Glad Festival. Those of us not able to make it down to the bright lights of sunny FL will have to make due with “Caverns”, a sleepy cut from their excellent, new self-titled debut. Sounding like Beach House vocalist Victoria Legrand and a twinkly, electronic soundscape, vocalist Nicole Miglis and company sound severely spacy, letting you float away into the ether. -Adam Kivel

Hundred Waters – “Caverns”

Lightning Bolt – “I Found a Ring In My Ear”

Few bands can pull off releasing a 20 minute jam on a whim, but Providence, RI noise duo Lightning Bolt are definitely one such band. Recorded straight to a four-track “in the Hillarious Attic, Lair of the Lightning Bolt,” the long-winded monster “I Found a Ring In My Ear”, guitarist/bassist Brian Gibson shreds at the high notes while drummer/vocalist Brian Chippendale clobbers the snare with an unmatched ferocity. The patch of melody that Gibson delves into around five minutes in drifts into a trance, everything coming together into a droney, pummeling bliss. -Adam Kivel

Melvins – “The War on Wisdom”

Like some sort of weirdo-metal Peter Pan, the Melvins keep punishing both their instruments and expected conventions of their genre. The shuddering drums and epic chords that open “The War on Wisdom” (from their upcoming Scion A/V presented EP The Bulls and the Bees) give way to a distorted guitar riff with tinges of hair metal peeking in at the corners. Guitarist/vocalist/idol Buzz Osborne’s rich, groaning delivery is echoed by a crowd of similarly chaotic hooligans, the whole thing sounding as badass as any of their old material. -Adam Kivel

Norah Jones – “Happy Pills”

The lead single off Norah Jones’ upcoming fifth LP Little Broken Hearts sounds about exactly as you’d expect, marrying the smooth jazz/blues of her past work to the textured, retro-leaning stylings of super-producer Danger Mouse. Little Broken Hearts is out May 1st on Blue Note/EMI Records. -Möhammad Choudhery

[soundcloud width="500"]http://soundcloud.com/norahjonesofficial/happy-pills[/soundcloud]

Regina Spektor – “All the Rowboats”

It’s been a while since we last heard from NYC singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. “All the Rowboats” makes for a dramatic first peek at her forthcoming sixth LP What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. -Möhammad Choudhery

[soundcloud width="500"]http://soundcloud.com/reginaspektor/alltherowboats[/soundcloud]

Tanlines – “All of Me”

Brooklyn electro-producer duo Tanlines have built quite the name for themselves with a series of top-notch remixes for Glasser and Au Revoir Simone and opening slots on tours with HEALTH and Julian Casablancas. “All of Me” is the second preview of their forthcoming debut, Mixed Emotions, coming on the heels of the fantastic “Brothers”. Mixed Emotions is out March 20th on True Panther. -Möhammad Choudhery

Tanlines – “All of Me”

THEESatisfaction (feat. Shabazz Palaces) – “Enchantruss”

The twisty, trippy vocal loop on “Enchantruss”, the latest leaked cut from avant R&B duo THEESatisfaction’s upcoming debut awE NaturalE (March 27, Sub Pop), wobbles, but it doesn’t fall down. Instead, it works together with clacking progression to provide a base for Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White to, at turns, harmonize beautifully and lay down some sick lines. Palaceer Lazaro stops in for a verse, but these two ladies are the standouts, calling themselves “time travellin’ nightmares” and working out a way to rhyme Black Keys with Black Jesus. -Adam Kivel

THEESatisfaction (feat. Shabazz Palaces) – “Enchantruss”

Titus Andronicus – “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus (Andronicus)”

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Miss Titus Andronicus yet? We certainly do. It’ll be two years next week since they dropped their last, very phenomenal full-length The Monitor and we’re still waiting on word about a follow-up. Earlier this week, frontman Patrick Stickles announced that, in addition to hitting the road this spring for a slew of tourdates (which happens to include a headlining spot at Consequence of Sound’s SXSW event CoSigns), the Mahwah, NJ-punkers will release a split 7″ with tourmates Diarhhea Planet with a full-length reportedly due out on November. -Möhammad Choudhery

Stream here (scroll to the 2:37:00 mark.)

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

Titus Andronicus is back with its first piece of new music since 2010′s CoS Top Star-earning The Monitor. As The NJ Underground points out, frontman Patrick Stickles appeared on Tom Scharpling’s The Best Show on WFMU marathon show last night, and proceeded to premiere the band’s new single. It’s apparently titled “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus (Andronicus)”. You can hear the replay here (scroll to the 2:37:00 mark.)

Stickles said the song will soon be released in a split single with upcoming tour mates Diarrhea Planet. The band’s third LP may arrive in November. In the meantime, you can catch Titus on the road this spring, which includes a slot at Consequence of Sound’s CoSigns during South by Southwest.

Also during his appearance on WFMU, Stickles teamed up with Ted Leo to perform a new solo song, entitled “My Eating Disorder”, which you can listen to here.

Titus Andronicus 2012 Tour Dates:
03/04 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony *
03/05 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
03/06 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter *
03/07 – Nashville, TN @ Freakin’ Weekend *
03/09 – Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge *
03/10 – Atlanta, GA @ The Basement *
03/11 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
03/12 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio *
03/14 – Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar (CoSigns)
06/23-24 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Orion Music + More 

* = w/ Screaming Females and Diarrhea Planet

As previously announced, Consequence of Sound will set up shop at the Beauty Bar in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, March 14th for the first annual CoSigns day party. Presented by Louisville, Kentucky’s Forecastle Festival, the six-hour long event will feature 10 bands playing two stages. Today, we’re proud to reveal the full lineup, as well as a number of the other goodies we have planned.

Titus Andronicus and Cloud Nothings will serve as headliners and they’ll be joined by The Men, Screaming Females, Mikal Cronin, The Henry Clay People, Princeton, Mr. Dream, Bleached, and Future Unlimited. For more on each band and the set times, scroll below.

CoSigns will also serve as the kick-off party for Consequence of Sound’s long-awaited mobile app. Attendees of the party will receive free access to all the app’s premium features for 30 days. In addition, everyone who downloads the app will automatically be entered to win a pair of VIP passes to Forecastle Festival 2012, or one of 100 Kingston Wi-Drives pre-loaded with music.

At CoSigns, we’ll also be exploring the 10th Anniversary of Forecastle with exclusive promotions and ticket giveaways. This year’s festival, set for July 13-15th in Louisville, will feature My Morning Jacket as both headliner and curator.

If that weren’t enough, our sponsor Kingston Technology will be on hand to showcase many of its exciting new products with demos and exclusive giveaways.

And did we mention it’s all free to attend? All you have to do is RSVP below. However, please note that an RSVP does not guarantee entry. If you want to get in, get there early. Seriously.

Also, you must be 21+ to attend CoSigns.

——–

Set times…

11:30 am – Doors
12:00 – Future Unlimited (I)
12:30 – Princeton (O)
01:00 – The Henry Clay People (I)
01:30 – Mikal Cronin (0)
02:00 – Bleached (I)
02:30 – Mr. Dream (O)
03:00 – The Men (I)
03:30 – Screaming Females (O)
04:00 – Titus Andronicus (I)
04:45 – Cloud Nothings (O)

I = Indoor stage; O = Outdoor stage

Meet the talent…

Listen to our Spotify Playlist.

The festivities will be headlined by Titus Andronicus and Cloud Nothings, two of the strongest acts in garage punk today. The former is currently recording the follow up to their sophomore LP The Monitor, which we ranked as the 5th best album in 2010. That same year, the band took home the honors as our Live Act of the Year. As for Cloud Nothings, they’re fresh off the release of Attack on Memory, which is one of the best records we’ve heard in 2012 so far.

We’re just as excited for the rest of the bill, especially since three of New York’s best new bands will be showcased. No less than a year removed from their album of the year-contending Leave Home, The Men will debut their brand new and equally solid LP, Open Your Heart. Screaming Females will support their own new album, the Steve Albini-produced Ugly. And Mr. Dream, who rocked our CMJ 2011 party, will return for another stellar set.

California is also well represented at our party; psych-rocker Mikal Cronin will showcase tracks from his self-titled debut, which we ranked as the 43rd best album of 2011, and The Henry Clay People will show why their live show is one of the most highly regarded around. Plus, Princeton will support their acclaimed new album, Remembrance of Things to Come, and Bleached will play standout tracks like “Electric Chair” and “Screeching Through the Past”.

Opening our party is Nashville synth-pop duo Future Unlimited, whose debut single “Golden” is one of our favorites of the year so far.

About Forecastle Festival…

The Forecastle Festival is a port-of-call where the world gathers to experience the best in Music, Art and Activism. A celebration of sights, sounds, and sustainability, Forecastle connects travelers North, South, East, and West. Merging entertainment with education, Forecastle inspires a voyage of personal growth and global change. Since 2002, the Festival has featured over 450 bands, 100 visual artists, and 150 environmental and outdoor recreational organizations.

This year’s edition marks the festival’s 10th anniversary and My Morning Jacket will serve as both headliners and curators.  The three-day event will take place July 13-15th, 2012, at Louisville’s scenic, award-winning Waterfront Park. Full festival details, including the complete line up of headliners, along with over 75 bands performing on multiple stages, will be announced in the coming weeks. Separately ticketed late-night after-parties will also take place on the historical steamboat, the Belle of Louisville and at the newly renovated Ice House. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

About Kingston Technology…

Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. To learn more about their exciting products, visit Kingston’s website.

About Knuckle Rumbler…

Knuckle Rumbler is independent booking, promotions, and branding agency based out Austin, Texas. We plan, promote, and produce some of the biggest concerts, most creative events, and most influential campaigns for the hard to reach 21 – 40 year old taste maker demographic.

Knuckle Rumbler is dedicated to making each experience unique and beneficial, whether its producing local fundraisers to working with Grammy nominated artists to jump starting blogs. We never do the same event twice. For more information, visit Knuckle Rumbler’s website.

Photo by Robert Kidd

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

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

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

Here’s a revelation: the music industry never sleeps. One would think the holiday season would be a time of rest. “Only Santa works these hours,” your mother might have said ages ago. Not in the digital era. Not when Twitter enables artists to be their own publicist, label, and distributor. (We love you Patrick Stickles.) Consequently, yours truly spent Christmas afternoon stringing together the words “Merry eX-Mas and Suck My Dick.” Sorry, Mom!

Below you can find a recap of news coverage from the last two weeks. Among the major themes: Mixtapes, covers, and more money for Adele.

On a side note: We can’t wait to show you what’s in store for 2012. Buckle up.

– Van Halen is going on tour.

– Adele‘s 21 is the best-selling album since 2004.

– Hear the new ASAP Rocky track, “Pretty Flacko”.

– Check out a new song from Frank Ocean, “4 Tears”.

– Hear Destroyer cover New Order’s ”Leave Me Alone”.

– Listen to and/or watch the video for jj‘s new song, “VI”.

– Hear an unreleased Pearl Jam demo from 1991 entitled “Chinese”.

– Watch The Flaming Lips‘ extra trippy cover of “I Am the Walrus”.

– Watch footage of My Morning Jacket covering Gil-Scott Heron’s “The Bottle”.

– Listen to R.E.M. cover ABBA’s “Does You Mother Know?” during a concert in 1984.

– Watch Jónsi‘s video for “Gathering Stories”, from his soundtrack to We Bought a Zoo.

– Hear Lady Gaga‘s previously unreleased Born This Way outtake, “Stuck on Fuckin’ You”.

– Hear the new single from Paul McCartnery featuring Eric Clapton, “My Valentine”.

– Captain Beefhart‘s “lost” 1976 album Bat Chain Puller will finally be released in January.

– Memoryhouse kicked off their big 2012 with a cover of The Zombies’ ”This Will Be Our Year”.

– Cocteau Twins are reissuing their compilation album Stars and Topsoil: A Collection (1982-1990).

– Download the final installment of The Weeknd‘s mixtape trilogy, Echoes of Silence. Then read our review.

– Raekwon and T.I. dropped New Year’s mixtapes entitled Unexpected Victory and Fuck Da City Up, respectively.

– Watch Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles perform a non-ironic cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”.

– That’s not the only “Video Games” cover we heard though; check out Silver Swans‘ wintery twist on the infamous track.

– Download Lykke Li‘s The Lost Sessions Vol. 1, featuring stripped-down versions of three songs from Wounded Rhymes.

– Kraftwerk, New Order, Justice, Tiësto, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, David Guetta, and M83 top the massive bill for Ultra Music Festival 2012.

– Watch the video for Cat Power‘s newly reworked version of ”King Rides By”. An mp3 of the song is also available in exchange for a charitable donation.

– Download the new mixtape from rising Brooklyn MC Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, the wholesomely-titled Merry eX-Mas & Suck My Dick.

Titus Andronicus‘ now-beardless frontman Patrick Stickles has become something of a cover-seur of late, so it only makes sense he tackles Internet’s most infamous track of 2011: Lana Del Rey’s ”Video Games”. While it may seem otherwise based on the facial reaction screen captured above, Stickles says his performance was “intented to be very tonally pleasing, and not at all ironic or funny” because ” I HAVE BEEN THE MAN IN THAT SONG” and it’s a “GOOD ASS DEPICTION OF A REAL SOCIETAL PROBLEM.” More of his #realtalk, via Twitter:

“What I mean is, there have been shameful moments in my past when I have been emotionally unavailable to a good woman. That was fucked. Why was I so emotionally unavailable? Because I was scared, and couldn’t receive love b/c I didn’t love myself. Self-hate makes love a lie. Point is, I didn’t want to tell these girls ‘all the things I [wanted] to do’” because I was scared to ask for them, 2 scared to hear ‘no.’ ‘Girl, there is a pain in my heart you can never understand. Buzz off and let me play San Andreas.’ Man, this song is really real.”

So, without further adieu, give a listen to Stickles’ piano-driven LDR cover, recorded live in his parents’ living room earlier today.

Patrick Stickles, lead singer of the New Jersey’s own Titus Andronicus, has a very followable twitter account. He’s wicked forthcoming about opinions musical, political, and otherwise, insider band info (e.g. there’s a new Titus Andronicus album due out next year sometime), and best of all, he drops some tracks on you here and there. The latest is a cover of the Bruce Springsteen staple “Glory Days” with his band and Brooklyn cohorts The So So Glos.

This recording features new Titus Andronicus member Liam Betson on vocals doing a capable Boss impression, and the whole thing captures the spirit of the original, with just enough moxy and fidelity to make it sound like it wasn’t recorded at karaoke night. Check out the plucky demo at Titus Andronicus’ Soundcloud page.

There’s also covers of Coldplay’s “In My Place” and The Killers’ “All These Things That I Have Done” on his page. RIYL: jokes.

Someone give Titus Andronicus the award for Most Positive Band in the Universe already. After guitarist Amy Klein departed the band for solo projects, the band’s luck continued to sour when during rehearsal at Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium this past Wednesday, frontman Patrick Stickles was electrocuted by a faulty mic. But turning that frown upside down, Stickles used his subsequent seven-hour visit to the ER to write a new song, the aptly-titled “Electric Man”.

“We were playing ‘No Future (Part I)’ and I sang the first three verses, and then I went to play my guitar and sing the bridge and I started to feel something weird in my hand,” Stickles told SPIN.com. “I felt a weird combination of resistance from it, but an irrepressible attraction. It felt as if the strings were getting hotter. They were becoming more rigid. I was like, ‘What’s happening? This feels wrong. I’ve got to stop.’ ” An electrical surge at a nearby Con Edison construction site was to blame for the incident.

While Stickles had originally turned down medical help, So So Glos guitarist Ryan Levine rushed him to the hospital, where Stickles “was very out of it and manic in the car,” Levine says. “He started to write a song about it. When we got to the emergency room he was asking everyone if they wanted to hear his song.” The resutling effort is available in two versions: one in the ER and a rousing multi-performer rendition back at Shea. Check them out over at SPIN.com.

For those worried, Stickles is fine, but he has learned one lesson from the experience: “…the next Titus album is going to be acoustic!”

Photo by Max Blau

According to a statement posted on her Tumblr, Titus Andronicus guitarist Amy Klein has left the band. Klein explained: “No, there was no big fight or anything—no wild partying, drug, or alcohol addiction leading to me getting fired—no dramatic story—nothing like that. It is just time for me to move on.”

Klein, who joined Titus Andronicus shortly after the release of their 2010 album The Monitor, and whose frenetic stage presence proved one of the highlights of the band’s live performance, added that she is “not quitting music, just gonna be focusing on my own bands from now.” Earlier this year, she released a six-track solo album called I Know What You Want, which you can listen to and/or download at her Bandcamp. She is also a member of the rock duo Hilly Eye.

Update: In an interview with SPIN, Klein revealed that Liam Betson, who played guitar on The Monitor, will join the band full-time.

You can read Klein’s full statement below.

I just got back from my last tour with the band Titus Andronicus. Yes, it’s true. As of today, I am no longer a member of the band.

No, there was no big fight or anything—no wild partying, drug, or alcohol addiction leading to me getting fired—no dramatic story—nothing like that. It is just time for me to move on.

I want to say an enormous thank you to every one of you for supporting me over the past two years, for cheering wildly at shows, for freaking the fuck out in insane circle pits, for singing along with every word, and for devoting yourself to this music and to this band with a passion that is downright inspiring. For me, the years I have spent in this band have been a time of transformation and self-discovery, and I know it is the power of music and the people who believe in it that have made me the person I am today.

I can’t even explain what it is like to go from believing you are a total loser to believing that you are an individual with a voice. I think sooner or later everyone learns how to believe in herself, but the thing is, not everyone is lucky enough to get to do this in front of an audience filled with people like you.

To all the kids who came to a Titus Andronicus show over the past two years, I would like to say, “You are what punk is for. Punk is in you. Now go and do whatever you want with it.” To every friend I met on the road, I would like to say, “Without you, I couldn’t have done any of this.” To the kind folks at XL, Beggars Group, Merok, Marcata Recording, 13 Artists, and Ground Control Touring—especially Sonya, Chris, Kris, Todd, Kevin, Nicole, and Chavez, I would like to say, “I appreciate all the work you’ve put into this band.”

And most of all, to the guys in Titus Andronicus—Patrick, Dave, Eric, Julian, and, yes, Ian, who put up with me for the past two years, and who are truly some of the most dedicated and hardest working musicians out there, I would like to say, “I wish you the best of success. You are the great American rock and roll band of our time.”

And to any girl out there who still believes that she will always be a loser, let me answer you with a quote from “No Future Part III:” “That’s okay.” I was one too. Trust me. You’re gonna be someone someday. It’s a crazy world we live in, one where even your biggest, loudest, wildest, rock’n’roll dreams can come true.

Titus Andronicus Forever,

Amy (no longer Andronicus)

P.S. I am not quitting music, just gonna be focusing on my own bands from now on.

Shot before Titus Andronicus were Titus Andronicus sans guitarist Amy Klein, the music video for the band’s cover of Nirvana’s”Breed”, from SPIN‘s Newermind compilation, isn’t as simple as it first appears. Filmed during the outfit’s one-day stay at Marcata Recording in New Paltz, NY, the vid features the group cutting the track in various parts, with Klein playing the part of “The Ghost”, haunting and antagonizing the band the whole time. Whether they meant to foreshadow Klein’s departure or not, the band’s stock in the Nostradamus game has steadily risen.  Check out the clip below.

To download your own free copy of Newermind, head here.

Of all the towns devastated by the recent economic downturn, Braddock, PA is an especially interesting case. The home to Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill and an early, thriving destination for new immigrants, the Rustbelt city is now a harrowing example of the abysmal state of the country as a whole. Some 90% its residents left town when the economy began to tumble, turning the city into a veritable ghost town. Now, to aid the struggling populace, Levi has launched a number of community-based projects to reinvigorate the area.

The latest of those events, a series of charity concerts called “Benefit Braddock”, take places from November 10th to the 12th. The first day features performances from Andrew Bird and Kurt Vile and the Violators. The following day, Built to Spill will perform alongside opening act Atlas Sound. The final day of the benefit sees performances from The Hold Steady and Titus Andronicus. Each show begins promptly at 8 p.m. at the Braddock Carnegie Library.

Tickets for each day are $25; head here to grab yours. Proceeds from the show will support rebuilding efforts of the town tripled by a contribution from Levi’s.

The last 10 months have seen Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up continually tackle some big projects. On top of the release of their most auspicious and intricate album to date, David Comes to Life, the group released another album in David’s Town and toured with fellow punk rockers Wavves and OFF!. All that, though, seems to be a warm-up for their next feat: On November 14th at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge, Fucked Up will play David Comes to Life in its entirety and in the round, according to Matablog. In addition to debuting many of the album’s 18 songs live, the group will also be joined by opening act/fellow hardest working band in the world, Titus Andronicus. Grab your tickets here, then check out the video for “The Other Shoe” below.

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

Over the weekend, did you see:

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

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

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

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

Until then…

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Friday, August 5th

Wye Oak – Sony – 12:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Tennis – Google + – 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Reptar – Google + – 2:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Foster the People – Sony – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Le Butcherettes – Google+ – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

Feed Me – Perry’s – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Kids These Days – BMI – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Cults – Google + – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Michael Roffman (via Colorizer)

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Skrillex – Perry’s – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Bright Eyes – Bud Light – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Crystal Castles – Sony – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Ok Go – Google + – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Jack Edinger

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

Coldplay – Bud Light – 8:30 p.m.

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Muse – Music Unlimited – 8:15 p.m.

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz.

Ratatat – Google + – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

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

Girl Talk – Perry’s – 8:45 p.m.

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

Photo by Will Rice

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

Photo by Will Rice

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

Saturday, August 6th

Typhoon – BMI – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Dom – Google+ – 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Steve Wruble

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

The Drums – Google + – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

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

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

Local Natives – Sony – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Chuckie – Perry’s – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

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

Ellie Goulding – Google + – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Lykke Li – Google + – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

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

Photo by Debi Del Grande

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

Pretty Lights – Perry’s – 8:30 p.m.

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

Photo by Derek Staples

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

Eminem – Music Unlimited – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Ashley Garmon

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

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

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

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

Photo by Dave Mead

Beirut – Google + – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

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

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

Photo by Debi Del Grande

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

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

Photo by Jeremy D. Larson

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

Foo Fighters – Metro – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

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

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

Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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Sunday, August 7th

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Lia Ices – BMI – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

12th Planet – Perry’s – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

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

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Best Coast – Google + – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Busy P – Perry’s – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Modeselektor – Perry’s – 6:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Lollapalooza

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

Photo by Heather Kaplan

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

deadmau5 – Bud Light – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

Photo by Brad Bretz

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

The Culture of Lollapalooza – Part 1

Gallery by Brad Bretz

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The Culture of Lollapalooza – Part 2

Gallery by Heather Kaplan

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Lollapalooza by Windows Phone

Images created using Apict & Colorizer

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Now available as a free download in exchange for a good ol’ LIKE on Facebook, the LP features takes on “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Meat Puppets, “Breed” by Titus Andronicus, “Lithium” by The Vaselines, and “Endless, Nameless” by EMA. Other contributing artists include Surfer Blood, Charles Bradley, Amanda Palmer, and Telekinesis. Check out the complete tracklist below.

The album is being released in conjunction with the magazine’s August issue, which features insight and praise for Nevermind from Eddie Vedder, Wayne Coyne, and David Grohl. It also follows a similar project done by SPIN a couple years back to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Prince’s Purple Rain.

As for other Nevermind-related festivities, don’t forget about the forthcoming reissue, which will see release on September 19th in the UK and September 20th in the U.S via Universal. There’s also a museum exhibit worth checking out.

Newermind Tracklist:
01. Meat Puppets – Smells Like Teen Spirit
02. Butch Walker – In Bloom
03. Midnight Juggernauts – Come As You Are
04. Titus Andronicus – Breed
05. The Vaselines – Lithium
06. Amanda Palmer – Polly
07. Surfer Blood – Territorial Pissings
08. Foxy Shazam – Drain You
09. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Lounge Act
10. Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band – Stay Away
11. Telekinesis – On A Plain
12. JEFF the Brotherhood – Something In The Way
13. EMA – Endless, Nameless

You can peep the whole list of shows below, but here are some “must sees” in our book: Death From Above 1979 at the Metro on Thursday, The Vaccines/Tennis at Schubas on Friday, and Titus Andronicus/Fences hitting up Reggie’s on Saturday. If you’re willing to brave the House of Blues, you can catch more of Lykke Li (who wouldn’t?) and the Arctic Monkeys, performing their new brilliant LP. It should be noted that there are no planned performances at the Vic Theatre, where Soundgarden and Pearl Jam both performed pre-weekend sets in previous years. Could there be something in the works? Maybe a Foo Fighters gig? Speculation, sure, but you never know. We’ll have to play the waiting game.

In the meantime, here are your shows and check out Do312.com for ticket information!

Lollapalooza 2011 Aftershows
08/03 – Cold War Kids w/ Gold Motel, Carbon Tigers, Katz Company @ Metro
08/04 – Death From Above 1979 w/ Metz @ Metro
08/04 – Crystal Castles w/ The Naked and Famous @ House of Blues
08/04 – Smith Westerns @ Schubas
08/04 – Delta Spirit w/ Reptar @ Lincoln Hall
08/04 – Cults w/ Guards, Riter @ Empty Bottle
08/04 – Feed Me w/ Savoy @ Logan Square Auditorium
08/05 – Black Lips w/ Night Beats @ Empty Bottle
08/05 – Atmosphere w/ Prof, Evidence, Blueprint @ Metro
08/05 – Lykke Li w/ Foster The People @ House of Blues
08/05 – Portugal. The Man w/ Wye Oak @ Double Door
08/05 – The Vaccines w/ Tennis @ Schubas
08/05 – Afrojack w/ Perry Farrell @ The Mid
08/05 – Tinie Tempah & Young the Giant @ Subterranean
08/05 – Local Natives w/ Walk the Moon @ Lincoln Hall
08/05 – Sam Adams w/ Kyle Lucas & Captain Midnite @ Bottom Lounge
08/05 – Pretty Lights & Skrillex @ The Congress Theater
08/06 – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart w/ Young Man @ Empty Bottle
08/06 – Arctic Monkeys w/ Disappears @ House of Blues
08/06 – White Lies w/ Rival Schools @ Double Door
08/06 – Fitz & the Tantrums w/ Christina Perri @ Schubas
08/06 – MSTRKRFT w/ Midnight Conspiracy, Nathan Scott, Compact Disco @ The Mid
08/06 – Dom w/ Typhoon @ Subterranean
08/06 – Two Door Cinema Club w/ Grouplove @ Lincoln Hall
08/06 – Titus Andronicus w/ Fences @ Reggie’s
08/06 – Daedelus w/ Eskmo, Lorn @ Bottom Lounge
08/06 – 12th Planet w/ 16bit, Richie August, Mega Mike @ Logan Square Auditorium

The crowd was small when the Baltimore three-piece began. Frontman Samuel Herring came out and introduced the band and spoke of how excited they were to be part of the tour, and by all accounts seemed like a pretty nice and normal guy. But when the music started, all that changed. He became something else. The minute their dark dance beats filled the room, Herring began slapping himself across the face and pounding his chest while giving crazed stares right into the souls of the audience. The madness didn’t end there – watching and hearing him sing was an experience in itself. Herring sounded like Morrissey performing in a musical about a death metal band. His register and tone changed seamlessly minute by minute. One line he was crooning, the next he was screaming, then after that he would pump into a high register. He sounded like three different people at once – sometimes shifting between all three voices in just a few words. He was by far the most emotive singer I’ve experienced live – but I couldn’t tell if he was about to go insane and murder everyone in the crowd or just break down and cry. It seemed like he was riding a line between the two throughout their 45-minute opening set. As soon as the music would stop between songs, he went right back to the seemingly charming man as he addressed the crowd. But while he was in the act – I was simultaneously deeply creeped out yet endlessly intrigued. Their set was certainly one of the most interesting opening sets I’ve ever seen, for better or worse.

Photo by Max Blau

As I mentioned before, the next band up was our pick for Best Live Act of 2010 – Titus Andronicus. I somehow had not seen them before tonight, so after hearing all the raves about their show, my hopes were high. Some bands don’t bring it quite as hard when they’re an opening band, but Titus must not have gotten that memo. They brought enough energy to fill a few Variety Playhouses. Guitarist Amy Klein started jumping as soon as the band blasted into set opener “A More Perfect Union” and basically didn’t stop until they walked off stage. Frontman Patrick Stickles promised the crowd he and his band would wake them up and get them moving – and he followed through tenfold. Other than a few rows of seats in the back of the house, nearly everyone was on their feet for the set – and the open floor up front was just going crazy. If Future Islands was one of the strangest and most interesting opening acts I’d ever seen, then Titus was one of the most energetic and exciting.

Photo by Max Blau

The main event of the night was, of course, Okkervil River. This show was the first night of their U.S. show, but they didn’t have to shake off any kind of rust. Playing in front of a simplified version of the I Am Very Far cover, the band ran through a set that featured songs from throughout their discography – from “Okkervil River Song” off of their debut, to plenty from their new album. They might not have been as loud as Titus, but they kept the high energy that they started. The response was huge for standouts “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “For Real” – the latter of which is just one hell of a song live, especially last night. But while the crowd was raucous throughout most of the show, they luckily knew when to shut up, too. During “A Girl From Port”, the crowd kept so quiet you could hear a pin drop between Will Sheff’s hushed lines. Perhaps the most breathtaking moment of the night was when the rest of the band left Sheff out there on his own with just an acoustic as he performed a stunning rendition “A Stone”. The band came back out as they segued into “So Come Back, I Am Waiting” – which made for a powerful one-two punch.

Photo by Max Blau

Most of the new songs sounded fantastic last night, and I could see some of them becoming set centerpieces for a long time to come. “The Valley” and “Wake and Be Fine” especially fit right in along the old classics. The crowd seemed appreciative the whole night even as the set pushed past midnight. By the time they began set closer “Unless It’s Kicks”, Sheff & co. had the whole audience wrapped around their fingers, and they didn’t mind one bit. This is one triple bill that is a must see.
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Gallery by Max Blau

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St. Vincent, Titus Andronicus, tUnE-yArDs, Dan Deacon, and Ted Leo were among the acts gathered at Bowery Ballroom in New York last night to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Michael Azerrad’s 2001 book Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. The aforementioned spent the evening covering indie rock pioneers like Nirvana, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, and Minor Threat. According to Fucking Nostalgic, Sonic Youth’s Lee Renaldo, The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, and Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington also made guest appearances.

For those who missed it, NPR is streaming a recording of the entire performance. Below, you can also find fan-shot videos from the concert, including Titus Andronicus and Finn’s cover of The Replacements’ “Kids Don’t Follow”, Ted Leo take on Minor Threat’s “Filler”, and St. Vincent rendition of Big Black’s “Kerosene”, plus tUnE-YaRdS and Dan Deacon’s Nirvana covers.

Titus Andronicus & Craig Finn – “Kids Don’t Follow” (The Replacements)

Ted Leo – “Filler” (Minor Threat)

St. Vincent – “Kerosene” (Big Black)

tUnE-YaRdS – “Lithium” (Nirvana)

Dan Deacon – “Negative Creep” (Nirvana)

But if there is one way to regain some of that summertime frivolity and carefree attitude, it’s once again through the power of music. Sure, there are festivals galore, but if you’re not willing to travel, and you live in, say, Omaha, Nebraska, you’re limited to what festival experience you can undertake. Of course, there is one solution to the music-going experience that takes as much effort to attend as the work ethic of a 15-year-old on the Fourth of July: waiting for that big summer tour to roll into town. Every year, with the dawning of swimsuits and as the first hints of BBQs waft through the air, artists big and small hit the road to tout their new album and play for those with a lot of time on their hands. Despite the sheer volume of shows, just what ones will truly make the thermometer go pop?

As we do every other season of the year, CoS has your back. Presented below in easy-to-digest form, kind of like the hot dog itself, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest summer tours going down as we speak. From top 40 superstars like Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj to indie phenoms like Bright Eyes and Mountain Goats and from newcomers like The Vaccines to more established acts like Eddie Vedder and Roger Daltrey, a plethora of artists are heading across the country, vying for your attention and trying to make your summer actually fun again. We’ll tell you where they’ll all be, why you should be there, and how you can get your seat. All you’ve gotta do is show up. So, slap on some sunscreen, call in sick from work if you’ve got to, and enjoy great live music before winter comes back and puts a sleeperhold on this good time we call summer.

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

Feature artwork by Cap Blackard.

A Perfect Circle

There is a core, built-in group of people that need no persuading to see A Perfect Circle this summer, but there’s no reason the band shouldn’t sell out every show. Never mind that Maynard James Keenan is still, on a good day, one of the best rock vocalists around–and not too shabby on a bad day–and that APC released a couple of brilliant albums in the years (mainly between Tool albums) the band was together. APC will be playing the best stuff off those few albums, as well as at least one new song–maybe even more if the band is inspired. Even those unfamiliar with APC will find something to like about seeing the veritable supergroup live. This lineup of APC features the enigmatic frontman Keenan, mercenary drummer Josh Freese, and guitarist James Iha playing real music again. They’ll be at various festivals, including Lollapalooza (and basically everywhere else), from June to August. -Harry Painter

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When and where:
05/22 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
06/29 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
06/30 – Kent, WA @ Showare Center
07/02 – Gibbons, AB @ Boonstock
07/04 – Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
07/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
07/08 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
07/09 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
07/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
07/13 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
07/15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
07/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing
07/17 – Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
07/19 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
07/20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
07/22 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
07/23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
07/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
07/26 – San Diego, CA @ SDSU Open Air Theatre
07/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
07/29 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
07/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/02 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/05-06 – Kansas City, KS @ Kanrocksas
08/05-07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

Animal Collective

Since their 2009 tour in support of the ever-rewarding Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective hasn’t really let us go a week without something new: outstanding solo records from both Panda Bear and Avey Tare, solo tours in support of Panda’s new record, an epileptic Fantasia-style feature-film, an art installation, an incredible EP, and the list goes on. But for fans of the Baltimore Psych titans, it still isn’t enough. The band hasn’t had a full-fledged tour in two years, and when they have, they’ve stuck to Europe or the American West Coast. That’s why when AnCo announced a new string of dates this spring (including the band’s first ever stop at their last album’s namesake, Columbia, MD’s Merriweather Post Pavilion), people got pretty fucking psyched. Videos from the band’s recent California dates, including their stop at Coachella, reveal that there’s a lot to expect. First off, the band will take the form of band again. Noah Lennox will sit behind a full drum set, a returning Deakin will strum some chords and noodle around on an actual guitar, Tare will take the Billy Joel approach behind a keyboard, and Geologist will do whatever inexplicable shit Geologist always does. On top of that, they’ll be debuting a slew of new material, most of which sounds bandy-er than usual. And if Coachella is any indication, the light show might be pretty epic, too. -Drew Litowitz

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When and where:
05/13-15 – Minhead, UK @ ATP Curated by Animal Collective
05/16 – Eastbourne, UK @ Winter Gardens
05/17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
05/18 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
05/19 – Cologne, DE @ Electron
05/20 – Berlin, DE @ Astra
05/21 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Stodola
05/22 – Krakow, PL @ Studio
05/23 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
05/24 – Zagreb, HR @ Pogon Jedinstvo
05/25 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
05/26-28 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Festival Kilbi
05/28 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
05/27-06-01 – Paris, FR @ Festival Villette Sonique
07/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre
07/08 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
07/09 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn)
07/13 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
07/15 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival

Archers of Loaf

The name Archers of Loaf may not spark a lot of discussion in 2011, but it sure did 15 years ago when the “White Trash Heroes” first made the rounds. The North Carolina noise rockers released four albums in the ’90s, scored some hits on college radio, and in 1995 toured with Weezer (the good kind). Their short run came to an end in 1998, but now that they’ve reunited, it’s a valuable opportunity to catch up on a slice of indie goodness on which many missed out. Imagine if TV on the Radio or Deerhunter broke up right now and came back 12 years later. This is that, kind of. -Harry Painter

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When and where:
05/21 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/11 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
06/12 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
06/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/26 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
07/09 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
07/22 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
07/23 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
08/05 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
08/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
08/19 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
09/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
09/03 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
12/09-11 – Minehead, UK @ ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas

Arctic Monkeys w/ The Vaccines

While Death Cab for Cutie and Frightened Rabbit may have had a lot in common, the case of Arctic Monkeys and newcomers The Vaccines is one of the past meeting the future. Arctic Monkeys started out as newcomers themselves before 2006′s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not caught on big time across the globe. Subsequent albums have seen the band’s stock rise, and now, as they ready to drop their fourth album, Suck It and See, the rockers find themselves on a precipice of sorts, ready to grab some of that initial fame once again or float off into oblivion if the rest of the album doesn’t meet raving-mad fan expectations. Regardless of where they land, they’re taking their hard work and making a go of recreating their success for The Vaccines. AM’s fellow countrymen dropped their debut LP back in March and find themselves in a place Alex Turner and company once did not so long ago: great songs, beloved by critics everywhere, looking for that one spark to blow their career up and possibly put them in line for some well-deserved attention in the indie rock world. While no result is definitive, one thing is certain: This tour is going to be one crazy-good time, mates. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
05/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/19 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
05/21 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
05/22 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia
05/24 – New York, NY @ Summer Stage
05/26 – Detroit, MI @ Clutch Cargoes
05/27 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
05/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
05/30 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
05/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
06/02 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre
06/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
08/01 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium
08/02 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
08/03 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
08/05-06 – Kansas City, KS @ Kanrocksas
08/05-07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
08/10 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
08/11 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
08/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

Bright Eyes w/ everyone

Long has it been rumored that Bright Eyes‘ latest release, The People’s Key, will be their last under the Bright Eyes moniker. Acting accordingly, Conor Oberst and Co. have been/will be taking their show on the road for a massive world tour to finish things off in style. Touring partners for the spring leg include Jenny and Johnny, Dawes, Titus Andronicus, Death Cab for Cutie, and a pair of shows with M. Ward. But come summertime, the real fun starts. After returning from a European tour, not only will Bright Eyes be appearing at Lollapalooza, but they’ll embark on a short tour with fellow indie rock legends The Mountain Goats. Although The Mountain Goats are listed as the opener, this feels more like a joint headlining tour. And for the eight cities lucky enough to witness it, I’m sure both acts will shine like the true veterans they are. -Winston Robbins

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When and where:
05/23 – Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon
05/24 – Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Center ^
05/25 – Calgary, AB @ Stampede Corral ^
05/27 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre ^
05/28 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
05/31 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory +
06/01 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House +
06/03 – Denver, CO @ Filmore Theater +
06/04 – Council Bluffs, IA @ WestFair Amphitheater +
06/06 -  St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant %
06/07 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheater %
06/08 – Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion @ Indoors %
06/09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AC @ Indoors %
06/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for Performing Arts %>
06/11 – Vienna, VA @ Filene Center At Wolf Trap %>
06/16 – Zurich, CH @ Kaufleuten
06/17 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/18 – Scheeßel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/19 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
06/21 – Colonge, DE @ Royal Albert Hall
06/22 – Paris, FR @ Alhambra
06/23 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall +
06/25 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES @ Azkena Rock Festival
06/28 – Gothenburg, SE @ Where The Action Is
06/29 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
07/01 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/02 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/04 – Hradec Králové, CZ @ Rock For People
07/05 – Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien Open Air +
07/07 – Ultrecht, NL @ Tivoli +
07/08 – Birmingham, UK @ HMV Institute +
07/09 – Kinross, UK @ T in the Park
07/10 – Naas, IE @ Oxegen
07/12 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage +
07/13 – Leeds, UK @ Academy +
07/14 – Manchester, UK @ Academy +
07/15 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
07/27 – Lewiston, NY @ Art Park ( Free Show) #
07/28 – Belknap, NH  @ Meadowbrook Pavilion #
07/29 – Shelburne, VT @ Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green at Shelburne Museum #
07/30 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
07/31 – Baldwinsville, NY @ Paper Mill Island Amphitheater #
08/03 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park #
08/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room #
08/05 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/06 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
08/08 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
08/14 – East Hampton, NY @ Music to Know Festival

! = w/ Titus Andronicus
$ = w/ Farmer Dave Scher
^ = w/ Death Cab For Cutie
+ = w/ Jenny and Johnny
% = w/ Dawes
> = w/ M. Ward
# = w/ The Mountain Goats

Britney Spears w/ Nicki Minaj

The key to a great tour isn’t just about how amazing the shows are or how much pyro they blast during the duration. It’s also about how the lineup works to perpetuate and facilitate a great idea or concept. In the case of Britney Spears hitting the road with Nicki Minaj in a supporting capacity, that notion is the batshit crazy, immovable object that does weird accents meeting the irresistible force of pop music who’s made a few questionable life choices (see: Kevin Federline). Along with being two of pop’s greatest commodities right now, Spears and Minaj are two very different narratives of the same sugarcoated genre. The plucky Minaj is in the boom period of her career, where a dynamic performance aboard this tour could keep her rocket ship to stardom on a path to complete domination. Spears, on the other hand, is on what seems to be her 100th career resurrection, free of all that extra weight (the metaphorical and physical variety) and ready to show the world she is still our pop princess. Sure, they’re working together to put on a great show, but with a tale of the tape like that, not to mention their diva tendencies, they’ll be going at it tooth and nails for our love and attention. And that means we win no matter who nabs the most headlines. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
06/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion
06/18 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
06/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
06/24 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
06/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand
06/28 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
06/29 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
07/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/04 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
07/06 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Center
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/09 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/12 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
07/13 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
07/15 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
07/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
07/20 – Orlando, FL @ Armway Center
07/22 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
07/28 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
07/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
07/31 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
08/02 – Uniondale, NJ @ Nassau Coliseum
08/05 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center
08/08 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/11 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

Death Cab for Cutie w/ Frightened Rabbit

Here’s a history lesson for the indie rock fans of the world. Back in November 2008, Death Cab for Cutie tapped Frightened Rabbit to open for them during their tour of UK and Ireland. Now, some two and a half years later, the American rockers are bringing back the Scots for another round of touring as they support their new LP, Codes and Keys. In various interviews regarding the record, the band have spoken about how the album is one where they’ve matured due to each band member having endured major life changes. With marriages and kids and new residencies, the band are dealing with issues of home and belonging to the machinations of updated sonics, with the record featuring less guitars and more ambiance than other DCFC records. Undoubtedly, some fans may love the new record, while others may yearn for the indie, guitar-driven noise of previous efforts. Cue Frightened Rabbit and the sound of emotionally wounded and vulnerable young lads dealing with heartache, being forlorn, and trying to be optimistic in a world gone mad. With DCFC expanding their repertoire and Frightened Rabbit making their music tighter, fans are going to get the best of both worlds. Also, they may cry or feel some shit. -Chris Coplan

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When and where:
07/27 – Columbus, OH @ LC Outdoor Amphitheater
07/28 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
07/29 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Ampitheatre
08/01 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
08/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Waterfront
08/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
08/06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
08/07 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
08/08 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Ampitheatre
08/10 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/11 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
08/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena
08/13 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theater
08/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
08/16 – La Jolla, CA @ RIMAC Arena
08/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool
08/22 – West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
08/23 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
08/25 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion
08/26 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium

The Decemberists

Folk-phenoms The Decemberists are literally at the top of their game, having just scored their first number one record with The King Is Dead. To help celebrate the accomplishment on tour, they’ve enlisted some impressive support: Mexican speed-guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela, surf-pop revivalists Best Coast, and rising Seattle stars The Head and the Heart will all open select dates. Unsurprisingly, the festival circuit regulars will also hit at least five summer events. The real goods may come when they head the Newport Folk Festival in July; Gillian Welch, background vocalist on seven The King Is Dead tracks, is also on the bill, heralding the likely prospect of an onstage collaboration. Sadly, keyboardist/accordionist Jenny Conlee will be kept offstage through June (including Sasquatch! and Bonnaroo) while she battles breast cancer. CoS wishes her a speedy recovery, so she may rejoin her bandmates on what is sure to be a prodigious tour. -Ben Kaye

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When and where:
05/29 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater #
05/30 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/10 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
06/11 – Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Amphitheater &
06/13 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion &
06/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn) &
06/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music &
06/16 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre $
06/18 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Bluegrass Festival
07/19 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion ^
07/20 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens ^
07/22 – Missoula, MT @ Big Sky Brewery ^
07/25 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom !
07/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica !
07/27 – Interlochen, MI @ Interlochen Center for the Arts !
07/29 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Event Center !
07/30 – Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
07/31 – Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park /
08/01 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark !
08/03 – Charlottesville, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion !
08/04 – Cincinnati OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music !
08/05 – Indianapolis, IN @ White River State Park !
08/08 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s >
08/11 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center $
08/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
08/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music Festival

# = w/ Rodrigo Y Gabriela
& = w/ Best Coast
^ = w/ Typhoon
! = w/ The Head and the Heart
> = w/ Caitlin Rose
$ = w/ Sara Watkins
* = w/ Wye Oak
/ = w/ Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside

Eddie Vedder

For anyone familiar with Pearl Jam, it should not be news that lead singer Eddie Vedder is a ukulele enthusiast. Vedder has been known to pull out his uke during live shows and do either simplified versions of Pearl Jam songs or songs that he’d specifically written for the ukulele. The first studio recording of a Vedder ukulele song, “Goodbye”, appeared on the soundtrack for the Jack Johnson-produced surf video A Brokedown Melody in 2004. Seven years later, Vedder has compiled an album full of his tropical ditties, including the aforementioned song and lead single “Longing to Belong”, which can be heard here. Vedder’s entrancing baritone sounds right at home over the simple chords of the ukulele. He’ll be touring 17 dates behind the album (with Glen Hansard opening) this summer. One of rock’s greats playing quality ukulele songs for an entire set? A must-see, hands down. -Winston Robbins

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When and where:
06/15 – Providence, RI @ Providence Performing Arts Center (PAC) *
06/16 – Boston, MA @ The Wang Theatre *
06/18 – Hartford, CT @ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts *
06/21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
06/22 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre *
06/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre *
06/26 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre *
06/28 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre *
07/01 – St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre *
07/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre *
07/05 – San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall *
07/06 – Long Beach, CA @ Terrace Theater *
07/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
07/09 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
07/11 – Oakland, CA @ The Paramount Theatre *
07/14 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall *
07/15 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall *

* = w/ Glen Hansard

Foo Fighters

Of all the shows this writer saw while at South by Southwest 2011, and in the first five months of this year for that matter, no one band delivered a more awe-inspiring performance than Foo Fighters. Sure, I’m a sucker for stadium bands, but hell, they’re capable of playing a 70,000-person stadium for a reason. Two-and-a-half hour sets featuring more hooks in the first 15 minutes alone than most dream of in a lifetime? Check. Touring the hell out of the world in support of Wasting Light, which is a strong candidate for album of the year? Double check. And they have Pat Smear back in the fold? Check-a-rooni! Springsteen might not but touring this summer, but at least we have a suitable alternative. So, have yourself a Foo-tastic summer. -Alex Young

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When and where:
05/20 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum !*
05/21 – Gulf Shores, AL @ The Hangout Festival
05/23 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid-America Center !*
05/26 – Missoula, MT @ Adams Center !*
05/27 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/09 – Interlaken, CH @ Greenfield Festival
06/11 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
06/13 – Landgraaf, NL @ Pinkpop
06/15 – Milan, IT @ IdRHO Festival
06/17 – Neuhausen ob Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
06/18 – Berlin, DE @ Wuhlheide
06/19 – Scheeßel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/21 – Copenhagen, DK @ Refshaleoen
06/22 – Stockholm, SE @ Stockholm Stadium
06/24 – Oslo, NO @ Telenor Arena
06/26 – Helsinki, FI @  Kalasatama
07/02 – Milton Keynes, UK @ The National Bowl *^%
07/03 – Milton Keynes, UK @ The National Bowl *$#
07/06 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio de Deportes
07/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Optimus! Alive Festival
07/09 – Naas, IE @ Oxegen
07/10 – Kinross, UK @ T in the Park
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/09 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center &~
08/10 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Center &~
08/18 – Kiewet, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/20 – St Polten, AT @ Frequency Festival
08/21 – Erfurt, DE @ Highfield Festival
08/23 – Cologne, DE @ Laxness Arena
08/24 – Ubersee, DE @ Chiemsee Festival
08/26 – Paris, FR @ Rock En Seine
09/14 – St. Paul, MN @ Excel Center +/
09/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center +/
09/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center +/
09/19 – Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills +/
09/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena +/
09/22 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena +/
09/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ CONSOL Energy Center +/
09/25 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Center *
09/26 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center +/

! = w/ Motorhead
* = w/ Biffy Clyro
^ = w/ Death Cab For Cutie
% = w/ Tame Impala
$ = w/ Jimmy Eat World
# = w/ Hot Rats
& = w/ Fucked Up
~ = w/ Doughboys
+ = w/ Rise Against
/ = w/ Mariachi El Bronx

Katy Perry

If there is one female artist in today’s music industry who seems to really have struck gold, it’s Katy Perry. Her most recent album, Teenage Dream, has garnered her four number one hits along with four Grammy nominations, and now she plans on taking the album on the road. With her European leg of the tour already completed, Perry is heading back to North America in early June for a 58-show run.

Along with her collection of number ones, Perry is bringing along a few friends to open the show for her. Surprisingly, these friends are Robyn, Janelle Monáe, and Marina & the Diamonds, each opening for Perry on selected dates. The tour, appropriately titled the California Dreams Tour, promises all of Perry’s hits and fan favorites, along with a continuation of her California Candyland theme from her “California Girls” video, which for many fans may just be the biggest selling point. The North American portion of the tour begins in early June and continues through September, when Perry heads back to Europe. -Arya Davachi

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When and where:
06/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Arena at Gwinnett Center *
06/09 – Orlando, FL @ UCF Arena *
06/10 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum *
06/11 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center *
06/14 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center *
06/15 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion *
06/17 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum *
06/18 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
06/19 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
06/22 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena #
06/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center #
06/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center #
06/25 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena #
06/28 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills #
06/30 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre #
07/02 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre #
07/03 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place #
07/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena #
07/07 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest #
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena #
07/09 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center #
07/13 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre $
07/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre $
07/16 – Calgary, AB @ Calgary Stampede $
07/17 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place $
07/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/20 – Seattle, WA @ KeyArena at Seattle Center
07/22 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
07/23 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena *
07/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena *
07/26 – Denver, CO @ 1stBank Center *
07/28 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie *
07/29 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
07/30 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center *
08/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre *
08/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre *
08/09 – San Diego, CA @ Valley Wide Casino Center
08/12 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion ^
08/13 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/14 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
08/19 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena $
08/20 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center $
09/07 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center $
09/08 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena $
09/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Arena $
09/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena $
09/13 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Arena $
09/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse $
09/16 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center $
09/17 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center $

* = w/ Robyn
# = w/ Marina and the Diamonds
$ = w/ Janelle Monae
^ = w/ Oh Land

Okkervil River w/ Titus Andronicus

Okkervil River just put out a pretty cool new album. They haven’t toured in a long while, the last notable tour being their joint one with Wilco in 2009. But in a few weeks, Sheff will dawn his nicest professorial attire for a tote around the country. Shows at SXSW revealed a louder, more confident, more grandiose Okkervil River. There, the band mostly played newer material (mainly new stuff and songs from The Stage Names and The Stand-Ins, aside from Black Sheep Boy gems “A Stone” and “For Real”). So, get ready for a more raucous affair and a more volatile Sheff leading the Austin Texans into battle. Just don’t expect “Red” or “The Velocity of Saul at the Time of his Conversion”.

Joining them is the equally ferocious Titus Andronicus, still basking in the glory of their epic prog-punk masterpiece, The Monitor. While they may have lost longtime bassist Ian Graetzer, there’s no putting Patrick Stickles and his militant New Jersey-ites to rest. Expect epic renditions of already epic tracks, a whole lot of gut-wrenching fury, messy but magnificent guitar solos, antebellum facial hair, and sweaty T-shirts. And don’t forget to brush up on your Jersey iconography. It’ll be like The Boss got really angry, really drunk, and really fucking awesome (in that Civil War kind of way). With both bands on the bill, it won’t just be a one-two punch, it’ll be a one-two bayonet wound from the neck of a splintering acoustic guitar. -Drew Litowitz

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When and where:
05/31 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #
06/01 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
06/02 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
06/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre #
06/04 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place #
06/08 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
06/09 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom #
06/10 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre #
06/11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
06/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
06/14 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
06/15 – Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater
06/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
06/17 – Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre
06/18 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
06/20 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre &
06/21 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom &
06/22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fox Theater &
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern $
06/24 – San Diego, CA @ The Belly Up Tavern $
06/25 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre $
06/28 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s

# = w/ Future Islands
& = w/ Julianna Barwick
$ = w/ NewVillager

Roger Daltrey

Pete Townshend’s incurable tinnitus has put into question the continued presence of rock legends The Who as a touring unit. Plans were formulating as recently as last September, but have yet to bear fruit. The band’s other surviving member, frontman Roger Daltrey, must be as antsy as his fans, because although his guitarist remains on the bench, he’s taking their classic rock-opera Tommy on tour through the U.K., U.S., and Canada. Filling in for Townshend will be his brother, Simon, and the whole thing has Pete’s blessings. With Daltrey getting up in age and Townshend apparently unable to work around his hearing issues, there’s no telling how many more chances there will be to see The Who’s iconic catalogue played by its creators. Not to be pessimistic, but if The Who are on your bucket list, consider purchasing that ticket now. Here’s hoping Daltrey pulls a Waters and takes this definitive piece of work on a proper world tour, and maybe Townshend can even join him for at least one night. -Ben Kaye

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When and where:
07/03 – Alchester, UK @ Ragley Hall
07/04 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage
07/06 – Glasgow, UK @ Clyde Auditorium
07/07 – Manchester, UK @ Bridgewater Hall
07/09 – Nottingham, UK @ Royal Centre
07/10 – Newport, UK @ Centre
07/12 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
07/13 – Southend, UK @ Cliffs Pavillion
07/15 – Guildford, UK @ Guilfest
07/16 – Hampshire, UK @ Broadlands
07/17 – Harrogate, UK @ Ripley House
07/19 – Hull City, UK @ Hall
07/21 – London, UK @ Indigo
07/22 – Norwich, UK @ Blicking Hall
07/24 – Exeter, UK @ Powderham Castle
09/13 – Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock
09/15 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Pavilion
09/17 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
09/18 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ MANN Center
09/23 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
09/24 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
09/27 – Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts
09/28 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
09/30 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
10/01 – Windsor, ON @ The Coliseum at Caesars Windsor
10/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center
10/07 – Hammond, IN @ Venue at Horseshoe Casino
10/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
10/11 – Cedar Park, TX @ Cedar Park Center
10/12 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
10/14 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
10/16 – Broomfield, CO @ 1STBANK Center
10/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre
10/21 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
10/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
10/24 – Portland, OR @ Rose Quarter-Theatre of the Clouds
10/25 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
10/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
10/29 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
10/30 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
11/01 – Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
11/02 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre

Sade

2001. That was the year of the last concert Sade performed. So when she announces a tour, it would behoove you to pay attention. Playing in support of last year’s excellent Soldier of Love, the trek is absolutely massive with over 50 dates between now and September. She’s not the only one on the road in support of a well-received album, though. Joining her for most of the tour dates will be John Legend, who finished up 2010 with The Roots on Wake Up!. There are plenty of chances for cross-generational fanbases here. Sade’s older fans may get into Legend’s soulful croons, and young people may gain appreciation for Sade’s unique blend of smooth jazz. Nothing wrong with that at all! -Joe Marvili

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When and where:
05/13 – Berlin, DE @ O2 World
05/14 – Prague, CH @ Arena
05/16 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
05/17 – Paris, FR @ Bercy
05/19 – Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle
05/20 – Amneville, FR @ Galaxie
05/23 – Rotterdam, NL @ Ahoy
05/25 – Dublin, IE @ The O2
05/27 – Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena
05/29 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena
05/31 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
06/16 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena *
06/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center *
06/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena *
06/21 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum *
06/22 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
06/24 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ IZod Center *
06/25 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
06/28 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre *
06/30 – Montreal, QC Bell Centre *
07/03 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena *
07/06 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
07/08 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse *
07/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena *
07/10 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center *
07/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena *
07/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena *
07/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center *
07/16 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena *
07/17 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center *
07/22 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena *
07/23 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
07/24 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
07/26 – Kansas City, KS @ Sprint Center *
07/28 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Cener *
07/29 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum *
07/31 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena *
08/03 – Detroit, MI @ The Palace at Auburn Hills *
08/05 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ United Center *
08/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
08/11 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center *
08/13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
08/14 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
08/15 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena *
08/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion *
08/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
08/23 – San Diego, CA @ Cricket Amphitheatre *
08/25 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion *
08/26 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
08/27 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena *
08/30 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center *
08/31 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center *
09/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ U.S. Airways Center *
09/03 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Arena *

* = w/ John Legend

Soundgarden

Ever since Soundgarden crushed Lollapalooza last August for their first show in 13 years, the question on everyone’s mind was “What’s next?”. Not much news came out in 2010, but we got what we wanted this year: a reunion tour. Crisscrossing the United States, the Seattle rockers will be playing amphitheaters and arenas throughout the entire month of July. As if the chance to hear “Black Hole Sun”, “Spoonman”, and “Jesus Christ Pose” wasn’t enough, there are the openers to consider as well. The first half of the tour will feature Coheed and Cambria. Next up will be the insanity that is a Mars Volta performance. Then to cap the whole thing off, a couple of dates with Queens of the Stone Age right in the middle of their own comeback tour. Oh, and if you still need more, how does the possibility of new material sound? Yeah, we thought you’d like that. -Joe Marvili

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When and where:
07/02 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre ^
07/03 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre ^
07/05 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/06 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena ^
07/08 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center ^
07/09 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater ^
07/10 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center For The Performing Arts ^
07/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing *
07/14 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Event Center *
07/16 – Chicago, IL @ UIC Pavilion *
07/18 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
07/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Center *
07/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum *
07/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint *
07/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena &
07/30 – George, WA @ The Gorge #

^ = w/ Coheed and Cambria
* = w / The Mars Volta
& = w/ Queens of the Stone Age and Meat Puppets
# = w/ Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon and Meat Puppets

Animation:

I Am a Bear, Etc. - An animated video interpretation of comedian Mike Birbiglia’s “I’m a Bear” skit.

Documentaries:

The Archive - What if you owned the world’s largest record collection, but had to let it go? This revealing documentary depicts a man who devoted his entire life to his love of music, the store that allowed him to share his love with others, and the sacrifices he makes to press onward in life.

Peter, Bjorn and John: Digging Deeper – Directors Jamie Margolin and Dezi Catarino follow the group on the first few shows of their tour, as we learn the secrets and methods they used to construct their most recent “back-to-basics” album.

Music Videos:

Holy Ghost! – “Wait and See” - A day in the life of the band…as portrayed by their fathers.

Titus Andronicus – “No Future Part 3: Escape From No Future” - New Jersey is not just all about your Snookis and JWowws. Titus Andronicus shows us what the real New Jersey is like in this fantastically shot video. A special someone introduces the video, too.

The Donkeys – “Don’t Know Who We Are” - This video goes on to prove piñatas come in far too many shapes and sizes.

News:

Cluster 1 News with Sami Jarroush - Updates on the Lollapalooza festival, Kanrocksas festival, Ottawa Bluesfest and Quebec City summer festival.

Don’t Forget…

– Want a constant stream of musical goodness? Check out our Channel, featuring over 30 music videos, several short films, and other nifty clips, all crammed together in one non-stop barrage of visual and aural stimulation.

- Social networking is a way of life, so follow us at @cluster1tv and on Facebook

Patrick Stickles offers this up this accusation: “You don’t know anything about New Jersey.” Well, there’s the flotsam and jetsam many of us unfortunately associate with New Jersey and there’s Titus Andronicus‘ New Jersey that’s bursting with life, community, heartfelt rallies, and basement parties. In another amazing Tom Scharpling joint, the band traces their way up the eastern seaboard of New Jersey showcasing another rock and roll gem from last year’s The Monitor. “No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future” celebrates their pride in The Garden State — this is their tattoo of their home and an ode to all of Jersey’s beauty and scars, from Little Egg Harbor all the way up to Jersey City.

This is Titus Andronicus’ third music video (previously this one and this one) that continues to focus on the band’s performance, which leaves nothing left to be desired. The presence of Stickles’ evocative face is something Scharpling captures well, and even though it’s pretty clear that the clime during the shoot wasn’t exactly t-shirts and shorts weather, the whole grey skies and winter coats theme details further the sway of Jersey. For a band that underpins many of their songs with themes of battles and war, we see here that any fight is easily won if you keep your friends and some rock and roll at your side.

- Jeremy Larson

Directed by: Tom Scharpling

This is Titus Andronicus’ third music video (previously this one and this one) that continues to focus on the band’s performance, which leaves nothing left to be desired. The presence of Stickles’ evocative face is something Scharpling captures well, and even though it’s pretty clear that the clime during the shoot wasn’t exactly t-shirts and shorts weather, the whole grey skies and winter coats theme details further the sway of Jersey. For a band that underpins many of their songs with themes of battles and war, we see here that any fight is easily won if you keep your friends and some rock and roll at your side.

Visit Cluster 1 to watch the video, along with a special introduction from Cluster 1 host and New Jersey’s own Sami Jarroush.

Other heavyweights include A Perfect Circle, Bright Eyes, The Cars, Big Audio Dynamite, Ween, Arctic Monkeys, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Nas, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Deftones, Cee-Lo Green, Beirut, Flogging Molly, OK Go, The Kills, and Cold War Kids.

A number of indie favorites are confirmed, including The Mountain Goats, Atmosphere, Titus Andronicus, Ratatat, Best Coast, Crystal Castles, White Lies, Lykke Li, Local Natives, Black Lips, Delta Spirit, Sleigh Bells, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wye Oak, The Drums, Smith Westerns, The Naked and Famous, Phantogram, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Joy Formidable, Young the Giant, and Cults.

If that weren’t enough, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Cage the Elephant, Rival Schools, The Chain Gang of 1974, Friendly Fires, Portugal. The Man, Manchester Orchestra, Two Door Cinema Club, Noah & The Whale, Lissie, Foster the People, Mayer Hawthorne & the County, Fences, City and Colour, and Gold Motel are also confirmed.

This year’s edition will also feature an expansion of Perry’s Place, the festival’s electronic-oriented stage. Designed to accommodate a crowd of 15,000, the area will host the likes of Girl Talk, Kid Cudi, Pretty Lights, Skrillex, The Glitch Mob, Jay Electronica, Modeselektor, Daedulus, Feed Me, Busy P, and Joachim Garraud.

Find a complete list of confirmed acts at our Festival Outlook.

Three day and VIP passes are priced at $215.00 and $850.00, respectively, and are now available via the festival’s website.

It was almost a sensory overload this year. It’s safe to say there was too much to do. I can honestly say it didn’t help much adding a sixth stage to the schedule, and turning the Do-Lab from Smurf Village to a more practical stage. Friday was this year’s “Conflictchella” in which around the hours of two and five p.m. involved so many good acts playing simultaneously on various stages that it damn near caused aneurysms (OFWGKTA vs. Warpaint vs. the Drums vs. you get the idea). Saturday will forever go down as one of the most well-planned days in the history of the festival because, let’s face it, Bright Eyes -> Mumford and Sons -> Animal Collective -> Arcade Fire is modern music’s wet dream. And Sunday was a mixed bag of goodies (the Strokes murdered) and definitely some odd moments (Kanye, where were all your fellow rappers?).

And then there was the artwork…which took a whole new step up. This year, Coachella partnered with The Creators Project, adding a game-changing visual element to certain shows, as well as an in-between stage show that literally lit people up. There was the Spiritualized exhibit, which from the outside was a large silver cube in the back near the main stage, as well as the various usual oddities spread out all over the grounds. The stages themselves received massive upgrades — each tent, including the small Oasis Dome, now had screens on either side of the performers. Brazilian designer Muti Randolph upgraded the Sahara tent with a roof-spanning light installation, and the main stage underwent some awe-inspiring if unnecessary transformations before the top acts each night. In terms of the Coachella design, they took a step up, and in terms of the music, they just confused the shit out of everyone.

Photo by Matt Gainty

What matters here though isn’t the band selection, or the weird things scattered on the Polo Fields, but it’s the experience. People were skeptical this year with some of the choices, but you can’t get Radiohead to headline every year, and Coachella has already billed the biggest bands of the previous generation multiple times (do you all want Tool and the Peppers again?). The people at Coachella certainly know what they’re doing, and will always be able to deliver the public a fantastic weekend. It’s those who have had unwavering devotion to the festival that have to worry though. Times are changing, people, and so is Coachella…accept it.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, April 15th

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Outdoor Theatre – 1:15 p.m.

Fun fact: The Rural Alberta Advantage are not from Alberta at all, let alone rural Alberta. They’re actually from Toronto, Ontario, and they rock some. The singer has a bit of a Billy Corgan thing going, which is good or bad depending on whether you’re a Corgan fan. One member alternates between keys and a floor tom, while the third member annihilates the drums. As festival openers go, you can’t ask for more. -Harry Painter

!!! – Outdoor Theatre –  2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Disco-punk is taking over the world whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Despite the Friday afternoon heat, !!! vocalist and mascot Nic Offer was able to get the crowd on its feet and thrash about in the sun. Nic and company were no slouches themselves as they rocked through numbers like “Heart of Hearts” and “Must Be the Moon” to get everyone in a dance frenzy. Heat, good music, and lots of dancing can always get the party going, and this was a worthy start to the weekend. -Ted Maider

Brandt Brauer Frick – Gobi – 2:05 p.m.

These guys sometimes perform with an ensemble, but it was just the three of them (Brandt, Brauer, and Frick) at Coachella. The setup was one member manning the electronic drums while the other two toyed with synths. It got a little samey after a while, but Brandt Brauer Frick‘s original and hands-on take on techno was a delight at two in the afternoon. -Harry Painter

Cold Cave – Mojave – 3:00 p.m.

It seemed strange to have a band like Cold Cave playing in the middle of the day, but their dark mystique and catchy electro tunes sure had a place at Coachella. People bobbed their heads and grooved (somehow, to such dark music), while vocalist Wesley Eisold belted out his cynical and twisted lyrics. Even after all these years, and a total genre swap, the guy still knows how to channel his anger through a musical performance. Plus, he got people to rock out in the heat to “Confetti”, easily one of the band’s most badass tracks. -Ted Maider

Photo by Ted Maider

Omar Rodríguez-López – Gobi- 3:15 p.m.

Titus Andronicus conflicting with Omar Rodríguez-López so early in the day was a crime. Especially since he brought out The Mars Volta bandmate Cedric Bixler-Zavala to accompany him on vocals. You got basically the same thing you’d get from a Mars Volta show, at about half speed — much easier on the ears, actually. It would be nice to hear the guitarist without Bixler-Zavala one of these days, but no one is complaining about an unadvertised Mars Volta appearance. -Harry Painter

Skrillex – Sahara – 3:30 p.m.

The things one has to put up with to watch a damn hip-hop show at Coachella; with Odd Future coming on next, getting to the tent during Skrillex was a must. The former From First to Last frontman has some bangers, but whoever told him bringing out a nu-metal band was a good idea was yanking his chain. Yes, Jonathan Davis and Munky of Korn came out to do whatever it was they did, and helped Skrillex become the first in a long series of catastrophic Friday acts. Didn’t this used to be the dance tent? Wait, scratch that. Korn at Coachella? Really? -Harry Painter

Titus Andronicus – Outdoor Theatre – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

When I learned Titus Andronicus was going to play the Outdoor, at three in the afternoon, I thought the Coachella planning team had just about lost their fucking minds. Civil war punk rock songs in sweltering heat are enough to take you back to the feelings of the soldiers alone, but Titus did what they do best…they shredded. Opening with “A More Perfect Union”, people embraced the punk and heat, kicking up dust and a flesh storm that sort of went out of control. Regardless, the band marched on, rocking out tracks like “No Future Part III: Escape From No Future”, “Richard II” and, of course, “Titus Andronicus” (complete with harmonica). Yes, it was hot, but lead singer Patrick Stickles encouraged us to drink our electrolytes, so we could rock as hard as he. -Ted Maider

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All – Sahara – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Despite Odd Future‘s lack of danceability, it was the only tent that was going to be able to hold the flow of people. Still, if you’re going to take over the beloved Sahara, you’d better bring it — and Tyler and crew were not up to the challenge. Odd Future has put out some promising material, but you wouldn’t be able to tell if Coachella was your first experience with the group. OFWGKTA came out late in a burst of energy, but forgot to rap. Those who lament Wu-Tang’s live show don’t know how bad it can get; Odd Future’s formula was to scream lines, ignore the beat, and if one guy accidentally spoke over another, curse loudly to save face. Wu-Tang Clan? Please, at this point Odd Future’s live show is an unfunny, low-production Insane Clown Posse show. -Harry Painter

Cee-Lo Green – Coachella Stage – 4:50 p.m.

At Coachella, there are five stages, and if one act disappoints, there are always other options. Unfortunately, leaving Odd Future for the main stage was like moving from Port-au-Prince to Tokyo. Cee-Lo Green was even tardier than Odd Future, and by the time he came on at 5:30 p.m., the crowd had already let out several loud waves of boos. Cee-Lo apologized, offering the excuse that he had “just landed.”

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Okay, fair’s fair. However, Cee-Lo, who arrived not in a flamboyant peacock outfit or a Star Wars getup but a white tee, made things worse by bitching about his set time, then waiting two minutes for his Josie and the Pussycats knockoff backing band to play an uncoordinated “Iron Man” riff before finally singing a note. His set was half-assed, and his bassist was truly a disaster; she was off-key the whole afternoon, ruining both “Crazy” and the set closer, a comically mailed-in “Fuck You”. To his credit, Cee-Lo apologized and took the blame, before inciting a short-lived “Don’t Stop Believing” sing-along. Still, it’s going to take repeat views of that Grammy performance to wash off the stink. -Harry Painter

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart –  Mojave – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

“Oh my God, can I just say I am having the best time at Coachella right now?” – Peggy Wang (keys)

With a great new album, and a true appreciation for the Coachella vibe, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart had no reason to be as depressed as their music makes them out to be. Sparking the early evening rays, the band came out looking hip yet excited. It wasn’t necessarily the show to catch if you wanted to jump-start your weekend, as most people sat longingly and watched their (beautiful) distortion wail, but it worked. When the band dished out a couple new tracks off their latest effort, Belong, including the new single “Heart in your Heartbreak”, people shuffled their feet and danced like playful children. It was happy, but that’s all. -Ted Maider

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Gobi – 5:45 p.m.

Did I mention Friday didn’t work out so well? Ariel Pink and his band, but mostly just Ariel Pink, contributed to a hell of an afternoon with one of the funniest meltdowns in memory. Was it a joke? It appeared so. The show was going rather well, but Pink inexplicably stormed off stage after cutting off a song with, “I know you all hate me, but we’re going to stop playing now, so, sorry.” He shortly rejoined his Haunted Graffiti, all smiles, and finished the set — but half of the time, he stood there dancing awkwardly and let the band do the work. The chorus of “Round and Round” is actually rather soothing without a lead vocal part. -Harry Painter

Lauryn Hill – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Considering the train wrecks, you’d think watching Lauryn Hill, the reigning queen of unapologetic derailments, had zero chance of making the day any better. Then again, she wrote “Doo Wop”. Hill’s set worked out for a little bit; “Everything Is Everything” sounded okay. Then Hill proceeded to ruin “Lost Ones” beyond all recognition — okay, one more chance. Hill’s backup singers handled all the hard-to-reach notes on “Ex Factor”, which Hill sang with none of the passion that made it great over a decade ago. That was it for me; I like “Doo Wop” just the way it is, thank you. -Harry Painter

YACHT – Mojave – 6:25 p.m.

YACHT was a band many people were talking about prior to the festival. When it came time to see them though, it was quite surreal. They gave shout outs to disco-punk gods LCD Soundsystem, asked us if we believed in aliens, and played their brand of atmospheric dance tunes that went over quite well with the tent crowd. Tracks like “Dystopia” had the crowd chanting “The Earth is on fire,” and when they performed their hit, “Psychic City”, the whole place went bananas. -Ted Maider

Interpol – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In 2007, it was Interpol, not Kings of Leon or even Arcade Fire, that everyone thought would be headlining next time around. Instead, Interpol was demoted for Coachella 2011, having lost a bassist (or two) and popular momentum. New bassist Brad Truax filled in okay, although a timing slip-up during “Evil” was a drag; it didn’t help that the bass was way too high in the mix. Otherwise, Interpol went through the motions on hits like “Slow Hands”, “The Heinrich Maneuver”, and “Obstacle 1″, but never acted like they belonged at night on a big stage. New song “Lights”, backed up by some animation from David Lynch, was the surprise highlight. -Harry Painter

Cut Copy – Mojave – 8:35 p.m.

Cut Copy‘s popularity this year is reminiscent of Hot Chip’s popularity the first year they played Coachella. It’s only getting bigger from here. Cut Copy wasn’t in the Sahara, but the band turned that audience into a Sahara crowd. Dan Whitford’s vocals aren’t very flexible, so you have to really like that sort of thing to get into it. -Harry Painter

The Black Keys – Coachella Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was drummer Patrick Carney’s birthday, so the surrounding members of the now non-duo The Black Keys made note to rock extra hard. To kick off the set, older numbers like “Thickfreakness” took precedence, but soon enough newer material off of last year’s Brothers – “Tighten Up” and “Next Girl”, namely – rolled out. Carney celebrated his birthday in style, as the band thrashed about like dying sharks, absolutely annihilating their instruments in the process. The problem? The sound was unnecessarily low, causing the crowd to engage in a “Turn it up!” chant. This performance had gold all over it, but sadly, it was reduced to silver. -Ted Maider

Beardyman – Oasis Dome – 9:00 p.m.

I knew he was a beatboxer, I came to watch him beatbox, and when I got there I didn’t know he was beatboxing. Beardyman is pretty good. -Harry Painter

The Aquabats – Mojave –  9:45 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Oh! The fury of The Aquabats! For a while now, Coachella attendees have wanted the famous ska team, known for their comic book gimmicks, to grace to Polo Fields with a show. Finally, they obliged, by delivering the goods complete with giant inflatable enemies, a superhero video intro, and evil cavemen. And it helped that they played jams like “BFF”, “Pizza Day”, and “The Cat with 2 Heads” to cause a dedicated, partly costumed crowd to rock out. Not to mention an on-stage appearance from Danny DeVito, as well as two members of the Kings of Leon, who claimed to “love the Aquabats” before rushing off. -Ted Maider

Kings of Leon – Coachella Stage – 9:55 p.m.

Unlike Muse, who took about as long as Kings of Leon to finally hit it big in America, the Followills don’t care much for relying on impressive visuals. There was smoke and there were lights, but beyond that, Kings of Leon put on a bare-bones rock (okay, soft-rock) show. There’s certainly something admirable about that; however, people expect something from a headline act, whether it’s visuals, unbelievable musicianship, or just an outstanding physical performance. The band has been through this fest-headlining routine in both Europe and America now, but none of these traits were evident at Coachella. 

They didn’t feel like Kings of anything, but they delivered a well-constructed set friendly to longtime fans. Caleb declared the band was “tired of playing the new stuff,” just before diving into a one-two punch of hits “Molly’s Chambers” and “The Bucket”. There was a healthy selection off Aha Shake Heartbreak and Youth and Young Manhood, but all the new songs that you’re sick of made appearances as well. Predictably, Kings of Leon saved “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” for the end, before closing with Because of the Times track “Black Thumbnail”.

The first of two headliners who weren’t really headliners put on a better show than the indie crowd will admit. Plus, they came out to “Bitches Ain’t Shit”, which is a truly unhateable move. Still, Kings of Leon deserve some of that hate — even with plenty of old songs, those new ballads are just too much. Now that they’re officially rock stars with a bunch of American hits, maybe it’s time to rock again so that next time the Followills play Coachella, the fellas can have some fun, too. -Harry Painter

The Chemical Brothers – Coachella Stage – 11:40 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

Goldenvoice had to do this…a main stage Chemical Brothers show to wrap up day one. The “brothers” were 45 minutes late (thus the brothers never truly got to “work it out”), and the candy crowd certainly hates to wait. But, as soon as the opening of “Galvanize” came over the speakers, everybody in the crowd went absolutely ape shit. Nobody stopped dancing for the entire hour and 20 minutes they played. Everyone was treated to their favorite gems like “Star Guitar”, “Hey Boy Hey Girl,”  and the new hit, “Swoon”. When the plug was pulled on them around 1:20 a.m., everyone begged them to play one more song, but instead Ed and Tom waved good night, and day one was officially over. Maybe next year, we’ll get Daft Punk. -Ted Maider

Saturday, April 16th

EE – Gobi – 11:50 a.m.

EE was one of the artists collaborating with The Creators Project, which to almost everyone watching meant nothing. To the layperson, it meant the first act in the Gobi was a Korean indie pop group with a DJ and b-boys, and lots of colorful, crazy outfits and good photos. Swag? -Harry Painter

Photo by Ted Maider

The Joy Formidable – Gobi – 12:55 p.m.

Every year at Coachella, there’s at least one band that comes on before three in the afternoon and turns out to be one of the best acts at the festival. The Joy Formidable was that band this year. The three-piece from Wales plays blistering, crunchy, indie rock with a hint of shoegaze, and boasts a winner in frontwoman Ritzy Bryan (winning name too). After demolishing the tent and inciting way too much applause for the time slot, the band went old school and broke its equipment. It seemed kind of out of place, but that’s because rock and roll is dead, right? -Harry Painter

The Twelves – Sahara – 1:30 p.m.

The Brazilian duo that is The Twelves has garnered praise for its remixes, some of which the duo showed off early Friday in the Sahara. Many a dance was to be had to versions of Metric’s “Help, I’m Alive”, Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”, and the infectious “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” by The Black Kids. -Harry Painter

The Tallest Man on Earth – Gobi – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was pretty hot at this point in the day, and the music of Kristian Matsson was the perfect cure for everyone’s exhaustion. The solo performer arrived on stage for sound check, and jammed the whole time, making up songs on the spot just to tease the crowd. When it finally came time for his set to begin, he had already been playing for 10 minutes. People in the crowd squirted water at one another, as he soothed us with tracks like “King of Spain”, “Troubles Will Be Gone” (afterward, he assured us they would), and “You’re Going Back”. All by himself, he hypnotized that crowd to the point that despite how hot and sweaty they may have been, they really didn’t want to leave. -Ted Maider

Foals – Mojave – 3:15 p.m.

Several text messages and a packed-to-capacity Mojave tent indicated that Foals clearly had something radical going on for their set. Upon my arrival, the entire tent was bouncing furiously as the U.K. export banged their instruments in a fit of dance-punk fury. They had the entire tent on its feet jumping in unison to gnarly cuts of “Spanish Sahara” and “Two Steps, Twice”, all while expelling loads of energy. Exciting. -Ted Maider

Gogol Bordello – Coachella Stage- 3:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everyone’s favorite gypsy punks concentrated mostly on Trans-Continental Hustle material, but it never really makes a difference what Gogol Bordello plays. Every time, you are going to get a) a Sean Connery-looking fellow with a fiddle, b) accordion solos, and c) approximately nine people on stage looking to give you the best show of the year, if not your life. Eugene Hutz, one of the best frontmen in rock, shirtless with red wine dripping down his chest, succeeded in getting all the Erykah Badu fans to scream “Break the Spell” like they meant it. That’s how you do a show. -Harry Painter

Delta Spirit – Outdoor Theatre – 4:05 p.m.

Talk about a wrong stage at the wrong time. Delta Spirit were giving it their all at the Outdoor Theatre, but this did not coincide with what other people were feeling. Songs were met with dull cheers, as the crowd lay around sluggishly watching the band play fairly new material. If this show had been going on in a tent, they might have received a better reaction. As it was, people looked too fatigued to enjoy the Long Beach quintet. -Ted Maider

Photo by Harry Painter

Cage the Elephant – Outdoor Theatre – 5:20 p.m.

As the sun started to wither, and people began to rehydrate, Cage the Elephant called to arms. Immediately upon hitting the first notes of “In One Ear”, the audience rushed the stage like a rogue wave. This set the tone for the whole performance. Singer Matthew Shultz arrived sporting a red sundress, and ran around the stage, periodically jumping into the crowd (this clearly pissed off security, but hey, he’s there to put on a show). The band rocked through a number of its songs, and got a crowd sing-along for its gem, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”.  To finalize everything, Shultz brought loads of patrons on stage to dance with him as they knocked out “Sabertooth Tiger”. Random note: Throughout the duration of the show, fighter jets above wrote Lady Gaga lyrics in the sky. -Ted Maider

Broken Social Scene – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Canada’s second most-popular indie rock band cued the setting of Friday’s Coachella sun with some of the fan favorites which have become standard in Broken Social Scene‘s sets: “Texico Bitches”, “7/4 Shoreline”, “Anthems for a 17-Year-Old Girl”, and “Meet Me in the Basement”. Lisa Lobsinger came to help out beginning with “Anthems”. It was low-key in the way only BSS can do low-key and it was spectacular as always. And those horns on set closer “Meet Me in the Basement”, the horns from heaven that erupted for an extended finale, they never get old. -Harry Painter

Elbow – Mojave – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I’ve never been one to rationalize a band’s status here by pointing out that they headline arenas in the U.K. — what terrible logic — but Elbow really deserves more exposure here. That they can only fill up a quarter of the Mojave is a sign of the direction of Coachella’s fanbase; bands like Elbow, Wire, and The London Suede would’ve filled their tents three years ago. Still, as empty as it was, Elbow was not taken aback and performed to high standards. Frontman Guy Garvey led the crowd in clap-alongs for nearly every song, and displayed multi-instrumental capabilities to complement his vocal talents. The band, which has previously performed its 2009 album The Seldom Seen Kid with the BBC Concert Orchestra, was accompanied by a string section for Coachella. -Harry Painter

Bright Eyes – Coachella Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Conor Oberst returned to Coachella. This time, he brought his famed unit, Bright Eyes. Nevertheless, the crowd spent the hour buzzing about. What moved them even more was how hard Oberst actually rocked some of his finest tracks. He dedicated “We Are Nowhere and It’s Now” to all those who randomly came to Coachella, just as the sun dipped behind the mountains for a quick, eye-soothing natural occurrence. Soon after, the stage turned into a trippy light show for everyone, which highlighted tracks like “Approximate Sunlight” and “Old Soul Song”, the latter of which might have been the most beautiful moment on the Polo Field that day. In their 50-minute set, Bright Eyes captured the spirit of Coachella perfectly, as music and nature aligned with one another for one amazing set. -Ted Maider

Shpongle – Sahara – 7:50 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

I’m not sure the Sahara tent has ever been so empty at night; but then, One Day as a Lion was sparsely attended in the Mojave, and Elbow filled the Mojave to about 25 percent capacity at best. Welcome to the emerging career of Mumford and Sons, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a shame, though; The Shpongletron Experience is not something that people will be able to see whenever they like, and it’s worth seeing. Especially if mushrooms are involved. Shpongle deejays atop a giant, glowing, psychedelic fixture, complete with lights and Eastern religious imagery, and there are dancing girls and psychedelic trance. What’s not to like? -Harry Painter

One Day as a Lion – Mojave – 8:15 p.m.

After Zack de la Rocha showed up to the Empire Polo Field with Rage Against the Machine four years ago, people were expecting big things for the band’s future. When big things didn’t happen, out came a little five-song EP by One Day as a Lion. Nothing happened again, and now we’re here. And really, it’s not so bad. Along with Death from Above 1979, De La Rocha and Jon Theodore (still incredible behind the kit) may be the only bands ever to incite mosh pits with a dinky keyboard — and they were both at the same festival! De La Rocha doesn’t seem to rap anymore, which would be okay if he didn’t overuse that reverb effect on every song. Still, it’s such a relief to see De La Rocha can branch out and do something that doesn’t suck, unlike certain other Rage Against the Machine members. -Harry Painter

Big Audio Dynamite – Outdoor Theatre – 9:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Mick Jones’ other band — not Gorillaz; his other other band — sounds awfully dated in 2011, just as dated as Duran Duran. But damned if they aren’t a riot. Big Audio Dynamite played songs your mother won’t remember like “E=MC2″, the BAD theme song “BAD”, and what Jones described as a “country western hip-hop ballad” (not far off), “The Battle of All Saints Road”. It’s not mandatory viewing, but any big fan of The Clash would get something out of a BAD set. -Harry Painter

Animal Collective – Coachella Stage – 9:45 p.m.

And the award for Best Visual Performance goes to….

The thing about Coachella that truly sets it apart from other festivals is the ability to watch bands grow. When Animal Collective played three years ago, they performed at one of the smallest stages…at the same time as Portishead. When they returned this year, with several new tracks and some classic cuts (“Summertime Clothes” finale, “Did You See the Words”), they brought with them the most spectacular visual show to grace the main stage this year. Flashes of color, creepy worm-like animations, and several large cubes loomed above their heads, making for one of the most unique sets of the weekend. This is the new age of psychedelic….and they are the leaders behind it. -Ted Maider

The London Suede – Mojave – 10:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Coachella wasn’t able to pick up Pulp, but it got the next best thing — the band known back home as Suede. Only when you surround a Britpop mainstay like Suede with a bunch of 2010s indie bands do you realize how long it’s been since the ’90s. Suede got right back on the horse for its first U.S. show since reuniting, playing its heart out on favorites like “Animal Nitrate” and “Trash”, and closing with “Metal Mickey” and “Beautiful Ones”. Even without Bernard Butler, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if these guys stuck around for a while and made some green. They deserve it. -Harry Painter

Arcade Fire – Coachella Stage – 11:20 p.m.

“If you had told me in 2002 we’d be headlining Coachella with Animal Collective playing before us, I’d have told you that you were full of shit.” –Win Butler

In a career defining performance, the Arcade Fire proved via the Coachella ladder of success that they are officially one of the most important bands of our time. People furiously rushed the stage during set break, and camped out ruthlessly to wait for the band. Moments prior to their arrival, a series of odd Grindhouse trailers played, before the “feature presentation”. A timely female began singing about May, and I muttered “Month of May” under my breath. A split second later I was proven right, as the band vigorously launched into that one-chord intro, and immediately pulled the rug out from everybody’s feet.

Everyone sang, everyone danced, everyone screamed, and everyone was reduced to rubble by the show Arcade Fire put on. The band’s live performance has come so far, and this performance proved it. Win, Régine, and co. followed the hectic opener with “Rebellion (Lies)” that tugged at everyone to join in, various cuts from The Suburbs accompanied by imagery from their new film, and the most kickass version of “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” that resulted in crowd surfing and head-banging. Prior to their encore, they launched into “Wake Up”, which ended with several hundred white inflatable balls containing colored lights inside to fall from the stage. The crowd was covered to the point where they could no longer see.

To bring us back to life, the band returned for an encore of three more tracks, including the most epic finale version of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”, wrapping up one of Coachella’s most well-planned days to date. Arcade Fire has come so far, from playing an afternoon slot on the Outdoor Theatre to headlining, and showing 60,000 people that it is the best band on the planet right now. This is their apex; enjoy it as much as they do. -Ted Maider

Sunday, April 17th

Delorean – Gobi – 2:00 p.m.

The Ibiza revival band from Spain, Delorean, is always a fun catch. Ekhi Lopetegi and co. are top-notch performers, and turned a half-empty tent into a full tent within the span of 40 minutes. Lopetegi’s vocals are weak live, however, and sound nothing like the recordings. Delorean would be a must-see event if he could work on that aspect of Delorean’s shows. Until then, they’re a see-it-if-you-know-what’s-good-for-you event. -Harry Painter

MEN – Mojave – 2:20 p.m.

Le Tigre member JD Samson is a hell of a frontwoman/man/whatever and makes for 90 percent of MEN‘s stage presence. The other 10? A combination of the trio of interconnected helmets, Bret “The Hitman” Hart pink and black jumpsuits, and lyrics like “I’m gonna fuck my friends.” MEN covered Bikini Kill’s (that would be, of course, Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre’s old band) “Double Dare Ya” to end a raucous, fun set. However, let the “Are We Not Devo” jokes commence. -Harry Painter

Wiz Khalifa – Coachella Stage – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Wiz Khalifa‘s song “When I’m Gone” begins with “They say all I rap about is bitches and champagne.” Not true — his lyrics unsubtly cover the always-popular territory of cannabis as well, don’t you know. As a matter of fact, Khalifa spent as much time talking about weed as performing Sunday. At Coachella, on the main stage at 4 p.m., that is a problem. It’s too damn hot to pay mind to a guy who lip-syncs to uninspired Empire of the Sun samples, has his DJ cue up extended Nate Dogg tributes, and whose hype man finishes most of his lines for him. And he must have burned five minutes of his 50 allotted advertising Chuck Taylor shoes and his new album Rolling Papers (it’s out now in stores and on iTunes, by the way).

He had some moments, though. He played a few solid cuts off Rolling Papers in addition to the older stuff, and an a capella performance of his verse from his Snoop Dogg collaboration “That Good” was probably the best 30 seconds of hip-hop at Coachella. -Harry Painter

Nas and Damian Marley – Coachella Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was no rookie to the Polo Field, but with Nas, they brought a whole new kind of heat. As the Rasta flag was waved high, Nas spit fire, while Damian Marley and his band pulled the crowd to their feet and thus a dance party ensued. Of course, no Marley show is complete without a cover of his father’s work (“Could You Be Loved”) which sparked good vibes and several joints. But at the same time, the hip-hop crowd’s needs were met while Nas performed cuts like “One Mic”, and a (for some reason) no-Lauryn Hill version of “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)”. What really rocked though was when Marley and Nas worked together on duets “Nah Mean” and “As We Enter”, as it brought on a whole new kind of party to the main stage on Sunday. -Ted Maider

Death from Above 1979 – Coachella Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As excited as the crowd appeared, there was a lingering fear to this potentially riotous set. As soon as Death from Above 1979 started with “Turn it Out”, however, the fears became reality, and a huge hole for moshing ripped open amidst the crowd. It was difficult to breathe, several were pushed around violently, yet everyone screamed the lyrics. While people were hoping they’d be on a smaller stage for more mayhem, the crowd didn’t seem to have a problem stomping the crap out of each other on the biggest stage for one of the most intense shows of the weekend. The Toronto duo roared through “Romantic Rights”, a terrifying version of “Pull Out”, and even a sing-along of “Little Girl” to make it the deadliest show of the whole weekend. Blood was certainly spilled; it’s just that this time it was that of the fans, and not a police horse. -Ted Maider

Trentemøller – Mojave – 7:10 p.m.

Backed by a live band — and fronted at the beginning by a cage of, well, ribbons — Danish producer Trentemøller laid out an onslaught of arpeggios and downtempo ambient music to an early Sunday night crowd. Trentemøller was followed in the Mojave Sunday by Ratatat, Leftfield, and The Presets, all of which we missed. And that’s why we hate Coachella. -Harry Painter

The National – Outdoor Theatre – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The National is so appropriate to close the Outdoor Theatre at sundown it would almost be an insult to give them the exposure of a later Coachella Stage slot. Flawless as usual, The National played through the festival set it has been touring with since High Violet came out (two off Alligator, two or three off Boxer, the rest off High Violet). It would be nice to get an old song here and there, and “Abel” does not count, Mr. Dessner. The National invited Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and fellow Coachella band Gayngs to play guitar on “Terrible Love”. -Harry Painter

Duran Duran – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Frontman Simon Le Bon made it clear that he, along with his legendary unit Duran Duran, were more excited about playing Coachella than anyone else. While there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about the Polo Field of them, they sure rounded up a large crowd on Sunday, proving to the world that after 30-something years the ’80s still prove cool. Every soul found rhythm during a spot-on rendition of “Hungry Like the Wolf”, including the drunken fans at the nearby beer garden, who chugged along as they danced about madly. In addition to the nightclub anthem, the band also dusted off classics like “Notorious”, dedicated “A View to Kill” (yes, the Bond song) to the late John Barry, and keyboardist Nick Rhodes took photos of the audience as they finally brought the house down with “Girls on Film”. Apparently, Coachella will always have a home for the ’80s. -Ted Maider

The Strokes – Coachella Stage – 8:55 p.m.

Sure, The Strokes shared the headlining slot on the bill with Kanye West, but everyone knew who the real headliner was, regardless of personal taste. The Strokes were second banana, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t earn their top billing. Playing a career-spanning set as well as five new songs, The Strokes continued their bid to re-endear themselves to the world at Coachella.

Plus some newcomers, as well. There were throngs of kids in the pit who couldn’t have been older than five or six when Is This It came out, waiting eagerly next to the 20-somethings who grew up on the likes of The Strokes and The White Stripes. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but hey, five years of inactivity can make you into a legend these days.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Anyway, young Strokes fans, old Strokes fans, and Kanye fans alike were all bouncing by the time the opening riff of “I Can’t Win” tore into the field. The Strokes play the songs people want to hear, so outside of the Angles cuts, it was all hits from there. The sing-alongs manifested throughout the whole set, but were most prominent for “Last Nite”, “Reptilia”, and “Under Cover of Darkness”. The only slow moments were the new wave revival tune “Games” and fellow Angles track “Gratisfaction”.

Julian Casablancas was uncharacteristically chipper; the random trucker hat he was wearing along with his leather jacket and shades might have had something to do with it. He made fun of Duran Duran (“Was that a flute solo I heard? Just checking.”) and more energetic rock frontmen (“Generic lead singer-speak: You motherfuckers ready?!”). This kind of humor lasted throughout the night and it was nice to see all of them in good spirits. -Harry Painter

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 –  Sahara – 9:35 p.m.

The techno-metal masters of insanity played Sunday night to a very rowdy and visually nutty Sahara tent. The noise that the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 call music was accompanied by a light show that really took things to a whole other level. But it was the Beetroot’s craziness that was getting this crowd hopped up. While I only was able to catch the end of their set, what I saw totally freaked me out…and now I fear the assault the Death Crew 77 could possibly do to our ears. -Ted Maider

PJ Harvey – Outdoor Theatre – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

It was very hard to leave PJ Harvey‘s set for Kanye West, which was obviously the point, those evil bastard schedule monkeys. It’s a tragedy that there’s ever something more important than PJ Harvey going on at the same time, but such is Conflictchella. She was scheduled to leave her stage around the time he took his, but Harvey’s Outdoor Theatre-closing set ran well into the third or fourth Kanye song, which was disastrous for the stage conflict but awesome for Harvey fans. Harvey played mostly songs off Let England Shake, but gave oldies like “Meet Ze Monsta” and “Down by the Water” some life. -Harry Painter

Kanye West – Coachella Stage – 10:30 p.m.

Mr. West claimed his Coachella closing set, something of a redemption show after Swiftgate and a year of gay fish jokes, was his “most important show since [his] mom died,” and he backed up this claim by dedicating it to her and even closing with “Hey Mama”.

So how’d he do?

Mama should be proud. Sure, he didn’t bring out Rihanna or Jay-Z or Nas or Ludacris or Talib Kweli or Die Antwoord. Sure, there were some ups and downs and some kinks that need to be worked out. But by and large, Kanye West proved Sunday he deserves and can handle a major headlining spot.

West landed a first at Coachella, dare I say a one-up on Prince — he was delivered to the Coachella Stage on a giant crane as he carefully spit out the words to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opener “Dark Fantasy”, accompanied by Justin Vernon, who had a busy weekend. When he finally touched ground, he quickly broke out “Power” (a song he claimed he thought about performing at Coachella as soon as he wrote it) and early hit “Jesus Walks”. His set, as expected, was made up almost entirely of hits, from “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, “All Falls Down”, and “Through the Wire” to later singles like “Stronger”, “Heartless”, and last fall’s omnipresent banger “Monster” (fucking hands were seen at the concert). The climactic combination of “Runaway”, with guest Pusha-T, and “Lost in the World”, with Vernon again, was simply stunning.

The show was as much performance art as music; West won the more-people-on-stage-than-Arcade-Fire award by having on the whole team of ballerinas from the “Runaway” video back for a live rendition of that creepy choreography. There were costume changes, props, and most importantly, lots and lots of pyro. He overdid it on that front; by the middle of the show, there had been so much pyro it had long since shed its intended effect.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Let’s face it: As West admitted during his little speech about 808s and Heartbreak, he can’t sing for shit. Which is why it was a good call to throw the three cuts off that album in the middle, so as not to detract from the flow. Still, he can’t sing for shit, and he made it worse by attempting these bizarre diva vocal breaks as if he were Christina Aguilera. “Love Lockdown” sounded more like a poetry reading at open mic night than a hip-hop concert. The night ended with more embarrassment for everyone except Kanye as he left us hanging with that whole “mamamam-m-mama” bit from “Hey Mama”, and no encore even when the crowd demanded one.

Still, he’s pretty good at hiding the weaknesses and highlighting the strengths. He has surprisingly good breath control, especially after a show just under two hours; he knows how to pace himself. He’s a born entertainer, as everyone knows, and for better or for worse concentrated on performing first and rapping second. Sure, there had to be some lingering disappointment after West closed such a high-energy, hit-filled set with an ode to his dead mother. But the two hours leading up to it earned him an excuse to play that song, and who are we kidding, Kanye will do whatever the hell he wants anyway. He’ll do it at Coachella and he’ll do it at Wrigley Field. -Harry Painter

Did you like the videos? Feel like you could do it yourself? You can! With a Sony Bloggie Touch HD, the festival’s yours for the keeping! Then again, you could always try and win one, too.

Gallery by Debi Del Grande

Our writers couldn’t make it everywhere, but photographer Debi Del Grande sure did. Her eyes went all over Polo Field, and now you, the reader, get to benefit from them.

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The countdown to Coachella 2011 is just three days, and while attendees are still waiting for set times to be revealed, those unfortunate people without tickets (or who have fake clasps) can begin planning their weekend. As it has been for the last several years, Coachella will be streaming a portion of this year’s festivities on the web. Update: The webcast schedule has been revealed! Among the many scheduled highlights: Kanye West, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Death From Above 1979, PJ Harvey, The Black Keys, The National, Big Audio Dynamite, Duran Duran, The New Pornographers, The Kills, Empire of the Sun, Lauryn Hill, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Erykah Badu, Broken Social Scene, Chromeo, Titus Andronicus, Ratatat, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

The whole thing will be streamed at Coachella’s YouTube channel, and you can check out the schedule below. (All times are PDT.)

Sunday
Channel 1
04:00PM – Wiz Khalifa
05:00PM – Nas & Damian Marley
06:10PM – Death from Above 1979
07:25PM – The National
08:30PM – Ratatat
08:55PM – The Strokes
10:30PM – Kanye West

Channel 2
04:00PM – Fun.
05:55PM – Fistful of Mercy
07:25PM – Duran Duran
08:35PM – Chromeo
09:45PM – PJ Harvey
11:10PM – She Wants Revenge

Channel 3
02:20PM – MEN
03:50PM – Angus & Julia Stone
04:45PM – HEALTH
06:05PM – Best Coast
06:55PM – Foster the People

We’ll list the rest out for you:

– Ted Leo will play Minor Threat

– tUnE-YaRdS (can we do something about that annoying spelling, please?) will channel Sonic Youth

– Delicate Steve will take on the Minutemen

– Dan Deacon will champion the Butthole Surfers, which will likely be the highlight of the night.

– Buke & Gass will slip into some Fugazi

– Nat Baldwin, David Longstreth and Brian McOmber will spit out Black Flag

– St. Vincent will, unbelievably, pay homage to Big Black

– Wye Oak will kill their amps attempting to replicate Dinosaur Jr.

Sound wi-wi-wi-wild ‘n’ crazy enough for you? That’s only part of the lineup! More will be announced soon, including guest hosts. In the meantime, bookmark this page, where $25 tickets will go on-sale this Friday. Also, if you’re heading to Austin, TX next week for SXSW, be sure to check out the panel Merrill Garbus, of the tUnE-yArDs, is hosting surrounding the book, which you can find more information about here.

Now, let’s just hope the airfare to NYC is cheap around May. Hoo-hah!