The Black Keys w/ Cage the Elephant
John Labatt Centre
London, ON
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Holy smokes, what a difference five nights makes. Unlike my Toronto review which was a general sense of disappointment in the band gaining more and more popularity, this one is more of an actual review. To summarize it though, with me being in a better mood and having more fun in general, I really enjoyed the show last night.
Once again, the Black Keys are Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (vocals/guitar and drums, respectively) with two others who have joined the band since Brothers to amp-up some of the newer tunes on bass and keys. Over the course of the last month the band has been touring Canada and reached the end of their 10-stops north of the border and I must say I'm excited for the next time they come back to town (or two hours away from home, whichever).
To no ones surprise the setlist was the same, but this is okay, it works. Different expectations, different venue, and different company made this a different experience than Toronto for me and I'm certainly happy about that. Opening up with Thickfreakness and various older tracks including Girl is on My Mind, Stack Shot Billy, and the always explosive Busted, the guys blew the roof off of the place and the crowd was loving every minute of it. Dan being Dan on guitar and Patrick beating the hell out of his drumset makes for a fun show. Before jumping into the newer material they also delivered their cover of Act Nice and Gentle (the Kinks) from the album Rubber Factory which served as a smooth transition for their latest material.
On Thursday night I came in with different expectations and once I was in a negative mindset about the state of the band it was impossible to escape, and the giant discoball that emerged for Everlasting Light had served as a catalyst for this. However, on this night I was already in a better mood and just continued onward with enjoying the show. I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the show and especially the tracks from Brothers (an album I seem to keep forgetting about). Surprisingly, the fans on the floor didn't seem nearly as into their latest hit Howlin' For You as Toronto was on Thursday.
Once the band completed those tracks they slammed home the finale of the main set with Strange Times and I Got Mine, two personal favourites of mine which features some of Dan's dirtiest riffs. Before the conclusion of the latter came a large light-up sign displaying "THE BLACK KEYS" which helped drive home the finish and inspired the crowd to chant for the band to return (they would have even without the sign). At the start of the encore they brought back the additional members (who will eventually get names) to perform Sinister Kid and then the guys shed them to wrap up with the always-reliable Your Touch.
The tone of this review and the Toronto one are very different for various reasons. One theory is that shows out of town always gain points for the adventure, which may be true here, but I just felt better about this show and perhaps the band played stronger too, who knows. Identical setlists, smaller venue (9K vs. 16K), and more fun with the neighbours helped. One observation was that while infiltrating and dropping a simple "bro" in your reply to a bro (who is in the midst of being a bro) may actually cause them to restrain their poor behaviour, it was kind of amazing how effective can be (bro's respond to "bro" well I guess). Before I wrap up, I must also point out that the woman on the video screen for Ten Cent Pistol looks like she could be related to Jack White, just sayin'.
We actually missed most of Cage the Elephant but the floor was closer to capacity last night than it was on Thursday and as a result there was much more energy for lead singer Matthew Shultz to play with. He had the same gray Manchester Orchestra shirt on as he did on Thursday and I sure hope he did laundry before or afterwards; dude sure knows how to bounce around. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm whether or not the setlist was identical since I'm both not familiar with their material nor did I see all of it (just the final three tracks, including Ain't No Rest and Shake Me Down). During set-closer Sabretooth Tiger he managed to do some crowd-surfing again which was cool; I typically don't see lead singers getting into it with the crowd at hockey-arena shows.
Good night, good night. I suspect Thursday may have been an off-night for me as a concert-goer but yesterday certainly made up for it; I'm sure glad I hung on to that extra ticket. I would certainly recommend the Black Keys (try to see them in a smaller venue if possible, duh) and Cage the Elephant are enjoyable in small doses; they bring alot of energy but they're just not my thing in general... bro.
Setlist (The Black Keys):
Thickfreakness
Girl Is On My Mind
The Breaks
Stack Shot Billy
Busted
Act Nice and Gentle
Everlasting Light
Next Girl
Chop and Change
Howlin' For You
Tighten Up
She's Long Gone
Ten Cent Pistol
I'll Be Your Man
Strange Times
I Got Mine
Sinister Kid
Your Touch
Album Breakdown:
Brothers: 7
The Big Come Up: 3
Rubber Factory: 3
Attack & Release: 2
Magic Potion: 1
Thickfreakness: 1
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: 1
(Tentative) Setlist (Cage The Elephant):
2024
In One Ear
Aberdeen
Tiny Robots
Around My Head
Japanese Buffalo
Back Against the Wall
Indy Kidz
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Shake Me Down
Sabretooth Tiger
Album Breakdown:
Thank You Happy Birthday: 7
Cage The Elephant: 4
The Black Keys w/ Cage the Elephant
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Toronto, ON
Thursday, July 7, 2011
This is a tough one. I want to write about this show, but I have alot of mixed, larger feelings associated with yesterday and how it relates to one of my favourite bands at the moment, I'll try to remain on topic. I really don't want to sound like a music snob (that's not why I write), but I didn't dig this show as much as everybody else and I have to get some stuff down.
The Black Keys came to Toronto last night and depending on who you asked the review may vary based on if they are a new fan, an old fan, or a casual concertgoer looking for entertainment on a warm summer evening. The band (Dan Auerbach on vocals/guitar and Patrick Carney on drums) have been moving up the ranks quite rapidly in the last year and generally over the course of the past decade. This was my third time seeing the band (twice last August) and unfortunately was my least favourite of their sets. Coming in I had both extremely high expectations (based on past shows) and a somewhat cautious attitude (the Coachella webcast seemed to indicate some changes to their live show), the mix of this hurt my enjoyment of the evening.
A year after releasing their Grammy Award-winning album Brothers, the boys returned and have certainly increased the overall feel of their live show, which is where the discomfort for me came. I suppose the music-snob in me is a bigger fan of the simpler, balls-to-the-wall style that they have the reputation for providing, but last night felt as if the band is trying to expand the scope of their live show to reflect their rise in popularity (which I suppose makes the show accessible for everyone in the larger venue). Rather than a simple backdrop and playing the songs straight, there were far more theatrics that I would have expected at a Green Day show and not so much one featuring these guys. During Everlasting Light a massive discoball dropped from the ceiling, video screens displaying random clips played throughout the evening, and a large "BLACK KEYS" sign with flashing lights arrived prior to the encore (and helped cue the chants throughout the 16,000 sold out crowd). The music itself was good, I just felt the gimmicks were a little over-the-top for this band; they don't need to be doing this. Other than my snobby opinion, the show itself in general was clearly a success as everybody else I have talked to loved it and the setlist maintained the variation I expected. I'm not trying to write that the band sucks or that their show did, because it didn't (and they don't). My fear is just being realized that a band I have grown to enjoy more and more is finally getting the fame they deserve and graduating to the big leagues of arena rock. While it's unfortunate that I would like to live in the past, these guys have to make a living and one could say it's important to evolve over time or else you run into the risk of boring your audience. Sorry to go off on a tangent, this is a show review afterall.
The setlist included all of the hits and dirty riffs that one would expect from a Black Keys show, but on a much larger scale compared to previous dates in the city. Last time they were in town there were three more songs played; five of which did not appear last night (two from Rubber Factory, one from each of Attack & Release, Thickfreakness, and Brothers), so perhaps I'm just feeling spoiled by past experiences.
Their studio material has not changed for the worse in my opinion, as I enjoyed Brothers in its own way compared to Rubber Factory or Magic Potion. The fact that they're diversifying their style is fine and I will continue to enjoy the past albums (seventh is due out this year), but the band has shifted my expectations for their live show and this has landed them in a different territory than what I expected Thursday afternoon (further from say, NXNE and closer to the Foo Fighters). That's okay (I guess), things change, relationships evolve, it's just not what I expected last night. A "bad" Black Keys show is still a freakin' Black Keys show where Dan rocks all of our faces off on guitar or where Patrick beats the holy hell out of the drums. I wasn't a fan of the different ways in which they are now performing certain songs, but the source material is still very strong and perhaps I can chalk this up to being a phase of the group (the Arctic Monkeys went darker in 2009, then light again in 2011, for example).
There are many things in my life that I was doing one or five years ago that I don't enjoy doing anymore, so I have to give the guys the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they're just trying something different in order to keep things exciting (they do seem to tour relentlessly afterall). I've been told they're nice guys and I'm sure they are, I was just disappointed with the feel of this show compared to a typical Black Keys show. Oh well, I still have tickets to Tuesday night's show in London; perhaps I will have more fun at that one now that my expectations are a little more grounded.
Cage the Elephant opened with a thirty-minute set featuring favourites from both their self-titled and 2011's Thank You, Happy Birthday. I had only listened to the former on occasion and was not overly familiar with their material, but hits like In One Ear, Shake Me Down, and break-out Ain't No Rest For the Wicked went over extremely well with the audience. Frontman Matthew Shultz certainly lived up to his energetic reputation by moving onto the floor early in the set and then crowd-surfing towards the end. I'll give them points for their energy, but I found the vocals were fairly muffled which may have been a combination of the venue or the lead singer, who knows.
Closing out the evening on the roof of the venue was The Coppertone, but unfortunately we were unable to catch her/their set as we were amongst the masses trying to escape the venue.
Setlist (The Black Keys):
Thickfreakness
Girl Is On My Mind
The Breaks
Stack Shot Billy
Busted
Act Nice and Gentle
Everlasting Light
Next Girl
Chop and Change
Howlin' For You
Tighten Up
She's Long Gone
Ten Cent Pistol
I'll Be Your Man
Strange Times
I Got Mine
Sinister Kid
Your Touch
Album Breakdown:
Brothers: 7
The Big Come Up: 3
Rubber Factory: 3
Attack & Release: 2
Magic Potion: 1
Thickfreakness: 1
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: 1
Setlist (Cage The Elephant):
2024
In One Ear
Aberdeen
Tiny Robots
Around My Head
Japanese Buffalo
Back Against the Wall
Indy Kidz
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Shake Me Down
Sabretooth Tiger
Album Breakdown:
Thank You Happy Birthday: 7
Cage The Elephant: 4
Please note that this entry was originally written in August 2010.
Yet another weekend in Chicago has wrapped and after three years I finally made it to Grant Park for Lollapalooza; it was an absolute blast from start to finish. As the weekend went on I knew I would have to write down some findings because there were alot of new acts I had come across who would soon find a home on my playlist. Some pleasant surprises, few disappointments, but in general I'm going to recap my experience from the weekend of Lollapalooza 2010.
===============================================
First off, a quick primer as to the layout just incase a few common references cause confusion:
Red (top left): Budweiser stage -- Home to headliners and other sets throughout the weekend. Big open field, provides pretty nice sightlines of the Chicago skyline.
White: Playstation stage -- Hosts sets throughout the day including upper-tier acts. Concrete surface, no sets occur at the same time as the Budweiser stage in order to not create conflict (unless you're the Antlers and feel the need to keep playing through the Dodos scheduled time).
Green (towards the bottom, left): Sony Bloggie -- Hosts a variety of low-to-mid tier sets throughout the weekend. New stage this year, covered in trees.
Orange: Main entrance
Gold (back towards the top, centre): BMI Stage -- About the same as the Sony Bloggie. Smaller stage, covered in trees.
Teal (slightly right from BMI): Kidzapalooza -- Features family-friendly affair for those who brought their kids or... for those who just want to take in a set or two featuring material aimed at children.
Yellow (bottom right): Perry's -- I didn't actually make it here but from what I understand it's one big dance party.
Pink (top right): Adidas -- Similar to Playstation, it hosts sets throughout the weekend including upper-tier acts. Headliners perform on the same field but on a different (and bigger) stage. No sets are scheduled at the same time as the Parkways stage to prevent conflict. Smells like shit on stage-right.
Blue (far right): Parkways -- Hosts the headliners and other sets throughout the weekend. Stage-left includes a giant rig with a camera, I suggest stage-right.
=============================================== Thursday:
Arrive in Chicago, take my routine walk to the lake and accidentally explore the perimeter of the festival, soon discovering how much walking the next three days will have in store.
=============================================== Friday:
Buy sunglasses, apply sunscreen, pack a 1L bottle of water, put on something comfortable (LIGHT blue t-shirt, shorts) and head over to Grant Park around 10:30am in anticipation of the 11:00am opening of the gates. Slight delay at the gates due to an issue with the scanner, plus everybody needed wristbands for the weekend. Get inside the park around 11:25am and head immediately for the South Field and...
B.o.B: (11:30 - 12:15, South -- Adidas)
What an unexpected surprise! Call me the uncool guy in the room, but apparently since the schedule came out in March he has become a bit of a star, so despite the very low billing, he had quite a following. I had only heard a couple of the singles and didn't know what to expect but he wound up getting the festival off to a flying start! One of my favourite sets of the day/weekend for sure, good start! Played guitar, bounced around, got the audience involved, and even lost his shoes. Tons of energy as a performer and the crowd was completely eating it up. Closed with a cover of Kids (MGMT) which went over pretty well.
The Ettes: (12:30 - 1:15, North -- BMI)
Heard some buzz about them most recently opening for The Dead Weather and wasn't quite sure how their sound would come across in a festival setting on a bright Friday afternoon. Playing the smaller BMI stage was a good choice for them; I enjoyed this set and have set out to find some of their material. Their drummer (Poni) is great to watch, think this is what they mean by stage presence.
The Walkmen: (1:00 - 2:00, South -- Adidas)
Had listened to a few tracks by them last week in preparation but unfortunately I just wasn't feeling this set. Back on the same stage that B.o.B had just lit up came this fairly bland set. Further research indicates there were some sound issues as well, but still, made my way over to the Southern-most point of the festival for...
Raphael Saadiq: (2:00 - 3:00, South -- Parkways)
I was deciding between this set and Jukebox The Ghost. I cannot express how thankful I am for a few people pretty much forcing me NOT to miss this set as he was quite energetic and delivered a solid showing. Playing at the same time was Mavis Staples on the opposite end of the park who supposedly did quite well, bizarre scheduling since they share a similar type of sound (at least compared to the rest of the weekend). I only recently became aware of Raphael Saadiq and knew this set would have a different feel from the rest of the festival; this is definitely in my top 10 (or 5) of the weekend. With an array of performers on stage, breaking out the guitar on occasion, and just a great showman I cannot recommend him enough. Fun stuff.
Lunchtime!
Had heard of one food item in particular and coincidently it was one of the first stands I walked by... Graham Elliot's Lobster Corndog! $9 for what looked like a fairly small meal was delicious and Lobstery. Grabbed beer number one for the weekend (Bud) and made my way to my first appearance on the north field for...
Drive-By Truckers: (3:00 - 4:00, North -- Playstation)
Hmm, perhaps I was too far away from the stage but I just couldn't get into this set. I tried, I drank, didn't work. I talked to people who had alot of fun at this set but I was not one of them. Used this as an eventual washroom break and as an opportunity to find a good spot for...
The New Pornographers: (4:00 - 5:00, North -- Budweiser)
As a Canadian I was expected to be a fan beforehand but to be honest I didn't know them too well. Couple of people next to me broke the word to me that the organizers of the festival had a recycling program going on for where one could carry around garbage bags, fill it with recycling/beer cans, and get a free t-shirt. Good idea to keep the park clean but... I'd rather just be the one populating the bag than the one carrying it around. The start of the set didn't win me over at all and I went to grab a beer in what was feeling like a disappointment. Made my way from stage-left to stage-right, with better sightlines and began to really enjoy this one! Eventually was able to maneuver towards the middle of the crowd to meet up with friends (unsuccessful) but was able to enjoy the set from closeby. Need to look into finding some albums by them, and random songs were immediately recognizable from all of my years in Canada. Turns out the initial stereotype WAS true! They had some good banter about Gaga as well and how she is just "a girl trying to make it in the big city;" had to be there. Gaga was definitely the bantering punching bag of many acts this weekend. At the end of this set I found myself about 20-30 rows back in the middle for one of my most anticipated sets of the day...
The Black Keys: (6:00 - 7:15, North -- Budweiser)
Had just recently gotten into these guys, saw them play last Tuesday night at the Kool Haus in Toronto and just like they did there they knocked this set out of the park. Minimal banter, just straight-up rock. Highly recommend checking these guys out if you have the opportunity to do so. I don't even know how to elaborate on this set, they were great, they were expected to be great, and I had a good spot. Some criticized the change in the band as they added a bassist and keyboardist for some of the set, finished somewhat early, but I certainly enjoyed myself. I suppose you can't please an entire crowd, especially one that large. Funny side note, Green Man was crowd surfing during this set. He'll be back later this weekend. Now time to play the waiting game and plant for the Friday Northern main event...
The Strokes: (8:30 - 10:00, North -- Budweiser)
Hmm. Already scheduled for a relatively short headlining set, they arrive approximately 15-20 minutes late and finish with about that same amount of time on the schedule after playing for a grand total of 60 minutes. Odd for their first show back in North America in over 4 years. Having said that, quality over quantity. Highly energetic crowd feasting off of the music and despite some moments of songs blending together, this was damn fun. Julian Casablancas is an interesting frontman. Dry, yet funny banter. Definitely worth checking out over Gaga on this evening, in my opinion at least.
And day one is a wrap. On the way out of the festival I overhear one of the food vendors slashing prices on desserts so I decide on a cupcake from More. As it turns out, this was one of the most deceivingly rich desserts I've had in quite a while. Good, but not what my body needed after a long day in the heat. I've been to other one-day festivals and reached a similar level of exhaustion, but never have I had to continue it for the next two days. Oh dear.
MyNameIsJohnMichael: (11:15 - 12:00, North -- BMI)
Here's a band that I had heard about leading up to the festival but wasn't sure they were worth waking up early for, because honestly, I could have slept and recharged a bit longer in order to prepare for the next two days. But I'm on vacation, let's soak this up. These guys kicked ass; three drummers, including one trash can (with metal chain). I can't find a torrent of them and I had the album in my hand at the FYE stand but opted to return on Sunday for it (did not), so now I must hunt down a copy of the album in Toronto. Outlook... not very optimistic. These guys are from New Orleans and just like B.o.B on Friday they played a very high energy set to begin day two. This was their first show in Chicago, so assuming the album itself isn't a dud (compared to the live show) I would expect to see their name pop up in a town near you. Hopefully Toronto, but I assume it willl probably be awhile.
The Morning Benders: (12:00 - 12:30, North -- Sony Bloggie)
Saw these guys open up for The Black Keys and couldn't remember if they were any good; they seemed better suited for a festival but I did not spend much time at this set. They seem to have a decent following too as there was quite a turnout at the Bloggie for this one. Since I saw them already in the week, I figured I would move elsewhere...
The Kissaway Trail: (11:45 - 12:30, North -- Playstation)
Saturday was going to be a day of exploration as there weren't many bands I wanted to see until about 2pm, so consider this the first experiment. They were okay, standard affair for 11:45 on the second day of a festival with hundreds of artists available. They covered Where Is My Mind? by The Pixies which caused two guys in front of me to absolutely lose their shit (picture the McPoyle family dancing at the Eagles training camp). Otherwise... nothing noteworthy.
The Soft Pack: (12:30 - 1:15, North -- Budweiser)
The program described these guys as "no-frills, back-to-basics rock" which seemed more appealing than the MGMT comparison that Skybox had gotten, so I checked them out on the North field. Incredibly bland set, the stage felt extremely big for this tiny band. I just couldn't get into this set at all, but as a result, perhaps it made the next one stronger by comparison...
Skybox: (12:30: - 1:15, North -- BMI)
I wrote down random notes on my Blackberry incase I would forget: "Either the lead singer is high or retarded, but hilarious". I can see the comparison to MGMT but they really could have just left it at "incorporate electronic elements" and been fine. Very high energy, fun set, so far two for two at the BMI stage on Saturday. The lead singer (male) stormed off before the last song, returned in a bra and soon removed his pants to finish the set. Bizarre finish, but a very fun set, and one I remember five days later.
Harlem: (1:00 - 1:45, North -- Sony Bloggie)
Back to the Bloggie for Harlem. I had heard bad things about these guys and how they recently phoned in performances opening for The Dead Weather, but they were definitely better than I expected. Good banter, good stage presence (they switched the guitarist and drummer halfway in order to "be a new band" incase we got bored, touche), overall good set. I stayed for most of it and had no urge to take off.
Lunch time!
I had heard recently that Giordano's is one of the last places locals to go for deep dish. However, that was one of the two places I had tried in Chicago. As a result, noticed there was a stand for Lou Malnatti's, for which I had heard good things, and I grabbed a cheese slice from here. I really liked the sauce.
Stars: (2:15 - 3:15, North -- Budweiser)
Yikes. Playing the Budweiser stage on the North field, these guys made me want Metric to play even more. After the New Pornographers had torn up this stage and represented Canadian music quite well, I just found this one to be a stinker. The lead singer (whoever she is) came off as if she was trying too hard ("It's up to YOUUUUUU Lollapalooza... it's up to YOUUUUUUU!!!"). As such, I went for my first beer of the day after about three or four songs and wound up at...
Dragonette: (1:45 - 2:30, North -- BMI)
Uh... wow! I had heard the name and all that I knew was that there was a female lead, but the disappointment of Stars led me here and for that I'm thankful. Fun set, stayed for about half. Three for three at BMI on Saturday!
The Verve Pipe: (2:30 - 2:55, South -- Kidzapalooza)
The Verve Pipe played songs for kids, including one about cereal and how it can be eaten any time of day (yes!). I don't think the smile came off my face during this set and one of the lasting moments that I wish I had a picture of was when the lead singer was finishing that song about cereal, he held the acoustic guitar above his head for a solo WHILE pouring Fruit Loops (from the guitar) into his mouth. They were all over the stage. Very, very satisfying set. Guy standing next to me had a Vince Carter Toronto Raptors jersey on. I had to ask if he was from Toronto and if he was a Carter fan (Boston and no), nice guy, but I think he wore it for Gogol Bordello (purple).
Against Me!: (2:45 - 3:45, South -- Adidas)
Was wandering, grabbing a beer and recognized a few songs of theirs from a distance, so I went to check them out. Accidental third time I've seen them now (opening for Foo Fighters in 2008 and V-Fest) and they were pretty fun to watch. Nice sightlines of the famous Chicago skyline during this set on the South Field. The lead singer tried to return the audiences beach ball that landed in his way and accidentally popped it with his guitar, whoops. Fun set, left early in order to catch...
Gogol Bordello: (3:45 - 4:45, South -- Parkways)
Wow. What a fun band to see, I will certainly be at their next Toronto date. Very energetic, amazing stage presence, and just a ton of fun to watch. So much going on and the crowd ate up every second of it. There is a torrent of the webcast of this set going around so surely some good YouTube videos are bound to pop up as a result. Not sure what else to say, I began my trek to the North field after Start Wearing Purple concluded, which meant I had my back to them for one song, but I had gotten my fix.
Metric: (5:15 - 6:15, North -- Playstation)
Back to the North field where I got a fairly decent spot for one of my highest anticipated sets of the weekend. However, I also had a fairly decent spot in Toronto last week and wound up not fully enjoying myself. So if there was one set I would be greedy with and move to the front for, it was Metric. Thankfully, I could do so without being a huge dick since people were sitting on the ground and allowing people to overtake them (within reason, of course). Started off a bit shaky with Emily messing up the opening line of Black Sheep, eventually the set gained momentum and the biggest crowd I had ever seen for a Metric show seemed to enjoy themselves. I certainly did, as did those around me, especially the ones with the Canadian flags. I have heard a couple of underwhelmed people with regards to this set, but I have also heard a great deal of praise and how they are "headliner worthy". Let's see about that!
Spoon: (6:15 - 7:30, North -- Budweiser)
Poor, poor Spoon. After Metric I needed a set to come down on and unfortunately Spoon was the winner of that spot. They were good, I wandered the crowd and never really planted for this set, but they were enjoyable to listen to. I checked out FYE and the beer tent a bit during this set and honestly cannot recall very much of it. Near the end of it though I decided I was done with the North field for one day, would skip Phoenix and migrate South for...
Gree... wait, dinner time!
Slice of cheese and sausage pizza from Connie's. I'm in Chicago, why not grab some deep dish... oh wait, for a second time today! Poor planning on my part, don't eat two slices of deep dish in one day especially when the food variety at the festival is surprisingly diverse. Think I preferred the earlier slice but neither were bad.
Green Day: (7:45 - 10:00, South -- Parkways)
Holy smokes. I saw these guys last summer, knew the setlist generally would begin with new stuff, conclude with old, they would get the crowd involved, have lots of pyro, and generally kill time with various antics. What I didn't anticipate was having an absolute blast at this set. Repeat, I had a blast at this set. They had the longest headliner slot and vowed to play all night, as they did and shattered the curfew by about twenty minutes (playing close to 10:20pm). I've read alot of shocked reactions from this set and how even Gaga could have taken a tip from them as apparently her set was a little shaky. I suppose Green Day have been doing the festival gigs for decades and as a result have it down strongly. Anyways, incredibly fun set, despite that it may have cost them an appearance by me at their show next week in Toronto because in my opinion, they may not be able to top the energy of this one. We shall see. They must be aware of when I'm in the crowd, because for the second show in just over a year they failed to play Welcome to Paradise, despite adding songs from last year.
EDIT: They did not play Welcome to Paradise in Toronto.
Would like to negatively plug Blackberry. Had two long-distance pocket dials at the conclusion of this set (despite my phone being OFF initially), two text messages of "PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP" and a Facebook mobile-photo upload (error message with my cell number being displayed to my wall instead). If I change my Blackberry settings to put a password on I risk the phone dialing 911 instead of random contacts on my list. Consider this a small victory for iPhone's. Even my portable CD player in the late 90's had a physical switch to prevent accidental pocket-usage. Get on it, Jim.
Heyy we've gone from sunny, sunny, to... rainy. Time to buy a poncho!
Frank Turner: (12:00 - 12:30, North -- Sony Bloggie)
Had heard quite a bit of buzz from festival goers about him and how he kind of got snubbed on the set here. Whether or not I agree is irrelevant but he delivered a solid opening set for Sunday. Playing the small Sony Bloggie in the rain didn't prevent him from providing a fun set; upbeat, acoustic songs in which the audience was able to get involved in, no complaints here! He has opened for Green Day and Flogging Molly recently and created positive word of mouth for himself. Hopefully he peaks his head in Toronto sooner than later. Reminds me of a Sam Roberts-type act.
The Antlers: (12:15 - 1:00, North -- Budweiser)
There were not many bands left that I was really eager to see and as such, experimentation continues! Yikes, quick stumble out of the gate on this one. Pretty bland set, in the rain... much like the Soft Pack they felt very small on the Budweiser stage and I just could not get into this one.
The Dodos: (1:00 - 2:00, North -- Playstation)
Remember the part where I was on my feet for two straight 12-hour days? It hit me full-force during one of my anticipated, early sets of the day. Back and foot pain sinks in despite a pretty good set going on in front of me. I haven't heard their newest album, I like Visiter (and the songs Jodi and Fools). Neko Case popped up to sing a few songs with the band (I'm not overly familiar with her but she plays with the New Pornographers). On the plus side, the sun is now peaking out and the poncho is gone-zo.
Needed... a break. Lunch time!
Pulled pork sandwich. It was a pretty good pulled pork sandwich, definitely got bang for my $4 USD. So far the food at Lolla has been great.
Seeing as how I was still tired I decided to take it easy for an hour and explore the park. Grabbed a Lollapalooza t-shirt, a beer, sat down on one of many free benches in front of Buckingham Fountain and took in the skyline for about twenty minutes. Nice and refreshing, second-wind here we go!
Mumford & Sons: (3:00 - 4:00, North -- Playstation)
Had heard quite a bit of buzz about this band as well so I went to check them out and was able to secure a good spot while on my lunch/recovery break. Unfortunately, Mr. Sun wasn't being lazy and the Playstation stage didn't have much shade, nor did I have a water in my hand, so at about three or four songs into this set I felt restless and completely owned by the sun, and decided to bail in favour of some water and shadier grounds. I hear it was a very good set but I just couldn't get comfortable.
Hockey: (3:30 - 4:30, North -- Sony Bloggie)
They had sound issues a year prior and have returned. Upbeat set and was surprisingly enjoyable. The popular spots at this point in the day were anything shady and so the sightlines weren't ideal (trees and tree branches produce shade), but still managed to enjoy myself.
XRT Lounge about two minutes away is giving away sweatbands? ON IT!
X Japan: (4:00 - 5:00, South -- Parkways)
First time playing in America. They are essentially an over-the-top Japanese hair metal band (click the link or the photo album) and they delivered a surprisingly very fun set. I was skeptical of whether or not to check them out but I had a smile on my face the entire time. Some crowd interactions tanked (language barrier, too) but most people were won over by the end. I don't anticipate they'll have too many shows on this end of the world so it was cool to check them out while they were here.
Frightened Rabbit: (5:00 - 6:00, North -- Sony Bloggie)
Back to the Bloggie and the sightlines have gotten even worse now that the sun is out in full-force (at 5pm?! Whatever.) This was also a good set, albeit a bit uncomfortable though due to the sun.
Erykah Badu: (5:00 - 6:00, South -- Adidas)
I saw one song of this en route to the South field for Wolfmother. From what I hear she was disappointing, came on twenty minutes late and was upset when Wolfmother essentially kicked her off the stage by starting their set on-time on the same field.
Better secure a good spot for the next set... oh wait, there's Green Man and Darth Vader!
Wolfmother: (6:00 - 7:00, South -- Parkways)
Kicked ass! Sure they sound like every popular rock band from the 70's, sure they turned over half of their band recently, but they sure know how to deliver a fun set. Saw them in November at the Kool Haus and knew what to expect but had a great time here. Started thinking in my mind how I could snag a burrito on the North end of the park, catch some of the National, and make it back in time for Soundgarden. But first, I must lie on the grass and charge up. Found an open area of grass, laid down, looked at the blue sky and listened to Vagabond. Blissssss! Closed their otherwise high energy set with Joker and the Thief to a very satisfied crowd. The audience is growing larger and larger for the main event.
Dinner time!
Spicy Baja Chicken Burrito from a vendor on the North end. Good, but I rushed it in order to not be the guy eating a burrito as the crowd formed for the North field's three-hit combo.
MGMT: (6:00 - 7:15, North -- Budweiser)
Caught the tail-end of this set unexpectedly (which included seeing Kids, so, saw the essential) and there is already a ton of people up North awaiting Arcade Fire later on. Can't really comment on this set because I saw so little of it, but there were definitely more people up North than there were down South.
The National: (7:15 - 8:30, North -- Playstation)
Saw the first three songs and booked it for South in order to secure a good spot for Soundgarden. However, got to see Fake Empire and a couple of others. Seemed good, I heard this was a very good set, but awkwardly scheduled considering most people at the other stages were camping for the respective Sunday headliners.
EDIT: As it turns out, I thought I had, but they did not actually play Fake Empire while I was there. That one was closer to the end of the set and probably conflicted directly with Soundgarden.
Powerwalk more than I had this weekend in 3... 2... 1...
Cypress Hill: (7:00 - 8:00, South -- Adidas)
En route to my eventual landing spot for Soundgarden I caught a song here. I heard they had a six foot bong on stage at one point, and I was able to hear Rap Superstar (or was it Rock?). Otherwise, I knew where I was going and it was not in the crowd for Cypress Hill.
Soundgarden: (8:00 - 10:00, South -- Parkways)
How the hell did I get so close?! Saw Wolfmother at the South field, trekked North for some of MGMT & The National, grabbed a burrito, a beer and completed a round trip of the park in under an hour in order to see Soundgarden? Go Mikey go! According to MapMyRun.com it was a 1.62 mile trek from Wolfmother and back to Soundgarden. Chris Cornell has grown his hair back to return to a look more in line with the 1990's. The band sounded pretty good. Very different set from Green Day, closer in feel to The Strokes. Minimal banter, lots of music (for which I also wasn't overly familiar with beforehand, aside from the singles). Apparently some of those at The National could hear the noise all the way across the festival, that's fun. Cornell at one point got in the crowd and after playing Black Hole Sun they absolutely destroy the final songs on their set, wicked finale. Just when I thought the set was ending with Like Suicide, they follow it up with one more. Great finish to a memorable weekend.
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Summary:
Total Acts Seen on Friday: 8
Total Acts Seen on Saturday: 14
Total Acts Seen on Sunday: 12 (including Cypress Hill & Badu as a 0.5 each)
Total Acts Seen at Lollapalooza 2010: 34 (!!!)
Total Minutes Played by The Strokes: 60
Total Minutes Played by Soundgarden: 120
Total Minutes Played by Green Day: 150
Total Nights Slept on Couch: 4
Total Showers Over Three Day Period: 6
Total Water Consumed: 3L
Total Beer Consumed: 8.5L
Total Vince Carter Toronto Raptors Jerseys Spotted: 2
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Food:
Lobster Corndog (Graham Elliot's, South): Tasty, was as good as I expected. Looked small but it made up for it in quality.
Black & White Cupcake (More Cupcakes, North): Fucking rich and not what I wanted following The Strokes; wanted something lighter but if you need a very rich cupcake with multiple layers of richness, check it out. In any other setting I'm sure it would have been delicious.
Cheese Pizza (Lou Malnati's, North): Pretty good, I expected this to be my lone slice of the weekend and I enjoyed it.
Sausage Pizza (Connies, South): Poor planning before Green Day meant I had to grab a quick slice; I should have diversified my portfolio but... too bad.
Pulled Pork Sandwich (Goose Island Brew Pub, North): Pretty good lunch, had alot of excess pork.
Grilled Cheese Pretzel (Goose Island Brew Pub, North): Saw a baked guy loving one before The Strokes and had to try it before the weekend was up.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream (Temptation Frozen Desserts, South): Disgusting, visually. It was alright but the presentation and ice cream all over the side of the cone kind of grossed me out before I even ate it.
Spicy Baja Chicken Burrito (Burrito Beach, North): Not bad, ate this during The National but felt kind of rushed.
Missed out on (or would have rather substituted)...
The Dipper (Windsor Ice Cream Shoppe, North): "Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick Dipped in Chocolate"
Windsor Roll (Windsor Ice Cream Shoppe, North): "Vanilla Ice Cream Rolled in Chocolate Cake w/ Whipped Cream & Hot Fudge"
Drinks:
Budweiser: Had about 3-4 tallboys per day, but it's Bud... not much to say.
Water: Refreshing! Very, very refreshing.
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In closing, in 2008 I took note of Lollapalooza when the ridiculously stacked headliners were announced (Rage Against The Machine, Radiohead, Kanye West, Wilco, The Raconteurs, and Nine Inch Nails). I mentally committed on going, and did not. I heard it was a ton of fun and in the end was disappointed with my decision. In 2009, I was not impressed with the headliners and sadly wrote off the festival. I heard it was a ton of fun and even missed the very first show by Them Crooked Vultures as a late addition to the aftershow lineup. In 2010, I bought my ticket in advance of any official confirmations and when the line-up was announced I was somewhat skeptical. Gaga, Green Day, and a bunch of bands for whom I had no idea existed. From August 6 to 8, 2010, I met a bunch of great people, enjoyed the beautiful city, and discovered a ton of new music.
If your gut tells you to do something and this action is legal, attainable, not harmful to others, and affordable, I highly suggest going with your initial instincts and taking the plunge. You may wind up having an amazing time.
73 days, 1,766 hours, and 106,002 minutes until the gates open for Lollapalooza 2011 on August 5th.
