Lollapalooza: Saturday
The south field takes over our coverage with Social Distortion, Gogol Bordello, and Against Me!
Saturday was unofficial punk day at Lollapalooza. Social Distortion, Gogol Bordello, and heavy hitters Green Day dominated the South field, while indie rock acts stayed on the North field. Dominick braved the South field to witness some real rock and roll.
The Morning Benders: Noon-12:30, Sony Bloggie stage
Maybe it was the combination of post-Friday night lethargy and the Morning Benders’ brand of dreamy, spacey pop, but the crowd only managed light applause throughout. It was appropriate, though, given that a torrent of sound would’ve almost sounded irreverent given the lighter nature of Chris Chu’s vocals. They had their moments of kicking up the instrumental volume, particularly near the end of their set and with their closer “Excuses,” but they were generally the perfect band to start off with on day two of a festival. Also, a brief digression: I met the famed Squirt Boy at last during their set. He’s something of a Lolla cult legend, seen often with a supply of water to cool off overheated concertgoers and a Dum Dum pop in his mouth.
Skybox: 12:30-1:15, BMI stage
If you frequently go to concerts in Chicago, it’s quite likely that you’ve seen Skybox before whether you remember them or not. The band are a staple of the indie rock scene, and after years of steady live output are beginning to find recognition, especially with the release of Morning After Cuts earlier this year. Their live show is fun, but there’s still a little something missing in terms of energy from the band given the poppy, bouncy nature of cuts like “Fences” and their demi-hit “Various Kitchen Utensils.” If Skybox can hit a point where their music moves them a little bit more, they could carve out a nice place for themselves in the indie-twee scene before long.
Harlem: 1:00-1:45, Sony Bloggie stage
Okay, listen. I’ve heard the hype over Harlem. I gave Hippies a listen and was impressed but not blown away. Maybe others found their set yesterday to be entertaining in a ragged sort of way, but it simply came off like a smug ruse. Debate if you will, but right now Harlem came off like a band riding a wave of hype and trying to slot themselves as a charmingly sloppy live act, but it just came off disheveled and a little bush league. Guitarist Michael Coomers snapped a string early on and spent every break between songs trying to retune, which led to increasingly annoying bantering. Then, when he switched drum and guitar positions with drummer (/guitarist, I guess?) Curtis O’Mara, the set got sloppier. I’m all for the charm of a band being more energetic then good, but when you’re not bringing the energy and you still don’t sound good, then you’re really just a mediocre (at best) live act.
Blues Traveler: 1:45-2:45, Parkways stage
Q: If you’re John Popper, and you’re playing a main stage set to a bunch of people camping for Green Day, who probably weren’t alive when “Run Around” and “Hook” were hits, how do you get them into your set?
A: By covering Sublime’s “What I Got” (interesting) and Radiohead’s “Creep” (what?)
Stalwart act Blues Traveler put together a cohesive and unexpectedly fun set, bookending with their aforementioned two hits and the two entertaining but unexpected covers. Most of the material they played of their own kicked into a lot of jammy material (they only played nine songs over their hourlong set) which showcased Popper’s harmonica skills, and make no mistake: the man can wail on a harp. The band as a whole was tight and a nice deviation from what would be the theme of the south field for the rest of the afternoon.
Stars: 2:15-3:15, Budweiser stage
Torquil Campbell and Amy Milan might as well be my musical “power couple.” Both Broken Social Scene alums, Campbell and Milan are part of the Canadian act Stars. Powerful yet gentle, vulgar yet touching, Campbell and Milan captivated their audience at the Budweiser stage with songs from their new album The Five Ghosts as well as some older favorites. The beginning of Stars’ set was plagued with some sound problems. Stars is a band that thrives on vocal harmonies and subtle keyboard parts so proper sound mixing is key. Campbell’s vocals were way too low, and when part of the appeal of Stars is how Campbell and Milan’s voices intertwine so well this is a big problem. As beautiful as Milan’s voice is by itself, parts of their set were ruined by this little mistake. But the sound guys fixed it in time for Campbell’s voice to rise up for “One More Night.” “Enjoy your afternoon guys,” Campbell said. “This song is about fucking someone to death!” Though I wasn’t an initial fan of The Five Ghosts, Stars’ live performance of songs like “I Died So I Could Haunt You” and “Fixed” changed my opinion. Campbell and Milan tore up “We Don’t Want Your Body,” making it even more sexy and dirty than it is on record. Boy/girl groups, saucy lyrics, talented musicians. Bravo Stars, your set may just make my Best of the Fest list. (AD)
Against Me!: 2:45-3:45, Adidas MEGA stage
To see Against Me! open with “High Pressure Low,” an uncharacteristically uptempo, pop-tinged track off this year’s White Crosses was probably disarming for some fans. Would AM! become the latest punk band to trade in their liberty spikes for the chance to become full-blown rock stars, eschewing their beloved back catalogue? They followed this with “Cliché Guevara,” and it became readily apparent that all would be well. A lot of the White Crosses tracks fit in perfectly with their older material live, proving that the clean production of their new record was overly so, and the classics like “Walking Is Still Honest” and “Sink, Florida, Sink” still have the same teeth they did years ago. Lollapalooza saw a band in transition: they smiled more, bantered a little bit more than they used to, and played a set that straddles the line between accessible and enraged without ever picking a side. And if the crowd reaction is any indication, they may be here to stay, folks.
Gogol Bordello: 3:45-4:45, Parkways stage
Gogol Bordello are quickly turning into one of those dependable festival bands that can be tossed out to get even the stillest of crowds going. On the main stage, they proved themselves more than capable of kicking off a frenzy. Bandleader Eugene Hutz has always been the heart of the Bordello, but his backing band and dancers really send gypsy-punk ragers like “Immigraniada (We Comin’ Rougher)” and “Wonderlust King” to an entirely different place. Even when getting political on songs like “Immigrant Punk,” Hutz never preaches to an audience, because he’s sustained by the band’s central manifesto: “Party!” His presence is such that even when he was elevated by at least ten feet over his audience, he felt like he was standing in the front row leading the shoutalong. By the time the band started bringing things to a close with the slow-building “Start Wearing Purple,” most of the audience was making their best attempts to perform a jig. Hutz and company have done it again.
AFI: 4:45-5:45, Adidas MEGA stage
It’s hard to watch AFI live without experiencing a little bit of skepticism. Many said as soon as they were found on the lineup that they were only playing this year because of their summer tour with Green Day, as though AFI were the little brother that has to be allowed to hang out with the older kids too. On top of this, though they’ve maintained steady popularity over the years, they’re not exactly as huge a name as they were around six or seven years ago when Sing The Sorrow was released. That said, they did everything they could to prove they belonged. Their golden drumset and lead singer Davey Havok’s sequined tuxedo were nice touches to start off on, but once they started, the audience (save for some rabid fans up front) really didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, AFI brings the energy live, in spades. Rock radio staples like “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Miss Murder” ring out, and the band throw themselves around the stage with gusto, particularly in Havok’s case. Sadly, he’s also the weak link, because his singing voice is both higher and more nasally than on recording, and his attempts at screamed vocals come off more like squealing. It’s terrible, because the man knows how to command an audience, but he’s just a little bit of a cartoon character.
Metric: 5:15-6:15, Playstations stage
Fans were already packed in to see Metric play. Vocalist Emily Haines and lead guitarist James Shaw are also Broken Social Scene alums and Metric’s 2009 album Fantasies was widely popular, so seeing so many people turn out for the band wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was how wound up they were. When Haines and crew started “Help I’m Alive” the crowd surged forward, pushing and shoving their way to catch a glimpse of the band without regard for others. Guys, this is Metric! This is a band to bounce along to and sing happily with. Not to elbow people in the face over. Things settled down once the band went into “Gold Gun Girls” but that same pent up energy was still present. I hate when fans ruin a show so I backed up and admired Metric from afar the rest of the set which was much more enjoyable. Haines brought that signature energy to the set and the boys in Metric matched it to a t. Yes Metric rock, but please don’t deck me when I’m trying to enjoy the band. This ain’t the south field. (AD)
Social Distortion: 5:45-6:45, Parkways stage
Despite being labeled a part of the punk scene and influencing a large number of bands currently playing today, Social Distortion are by and large an old-style rock and roll band, possibly one of the last true carriers of the torch. Mike Ness simply exudes tough-guy cool the minute he takes a stage, and their Lolla set was no different. The stage was arranged to look like a basement a bunch of working-class tough guys would play cards in, but lest you think this is posturing, the minute they kicked into “Story Of My Life” for an opener, not one person in the audience would dare challenge them. The band has the presence of a pack of guys who’d fight for you any day but kick your teeth down your throat if you dared fuck with them, and hearing “Sick Boy” or “Mommy’s Little Monster” live only reinforces this. I don’t want to be the guy who waxes nostalgic about how rock music just isn’t made like it used to be, but after Social D’s set, it’s hard not to feel something akin to that.
Sunday’s agenda: Dominic and Amy dominate the North field. Stay tuned to HEAVEmedia for interviews with Saturday performer Kissaway Trail and Sunday performer Hockey.
Photo courtesy of LollapaloozaFest.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Aug 08, 2010 @ 9:09 am
