Blog

Day 1 was a major success in terms of the weather and especially the music. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was back to being a bitch today, with temperatures reaching triple-digits with nary a cloud in sight. My companion and I planned on getting to the festival grounds in time for Kasabian but got a late start, figuring the less time spent in the sweltering heat, the better.

We did make it in time to see the last half of Dinosaur Jr.’s set, which was impressive... most impressive. Back with their original line-up, J. Mascis (looking like an elderly Cousin Itt) and company delivered an intense, full-throttle performance that would put most contemporary noise-rockers to shame. I’ll definitely be checking them out on their next trip back to the Windy City.

Tegan and Sara, identical twins from the Great White North, played some cute, folk-rock tunes which were nice to sit back and relax to. Nothing too unique or complicated but I like their bratty vocals and stage banter... and contrary to what Loco says, they are MUCH better (and better-looking) than the Indigo Girls.

A few songs into the set, their “lesbian-rock” was interrupted by a loud booming coming from the next stage over. That could only mean one thing…' Satellite Party, bitches. We wandered over to see what Perry Ferrell had up his sleeve this time and were greeted with the sight of hot female tango dancers on stage. There was Perry, in all his glory, decked out in a spiffy-looking shirt and dancing around like the maniac that Perry is but obviously having a blast like Perry always does. Satellite Party, featuring Perry on vocals, Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) on guitar, Tony Kanal (No Doubt) on bass and percussionist Gabriele Corcos, were chock-full of hard-rocking anthems and triumphant party songs. One song prompted Loco to say, “this would make a great theme song for a Rocky movie.” I agreed wholeheartedly. Adding to my enjoyment were four scantily-clad and incredibly attractive women dancing (and sometimes singing but who the hell’s listening?) on stage with Perry. Boy, he sure knows how to have fun... and the music they created provided the perfect soundtrack to a party in the sun (or, according to Perry’s master plan, on a satellite in outer space).

Needing a break from the heat (and not giving two shits about Ben Kweller or Drive-By-Truckers), we grabbed a bite to eat and sit in the shade to power-up. That allowed us to be at full-strength for The Arcade Fire. Hearing only a couple of tracks off of their new album, I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this Amish cult-looking band but the buzz surrounding them sure was massive. They (all 10 or so of ‘em) came out and proceeded to captivate the large audience that had gathered to see what the hype was all about. Combining David Byrne-esque vocals, emotionally-uplifting and intricate compositions and some highly entertaining percussion work, these Canadians used just about every instrument imaginable (including an accordion, xylophone, violins and a “Freedom” horn) as well as constantly switching instruments to produce a soundscape that was both beautiful and aggressive, sometimes within the same song. Consider the hype met and exceeded.

Passing up on Widespread Panic’s first of two sets, I decided to see what Loco said was “probably my favorite band right now”, Spoon. Sticking around for the first 5 songs, I didn’t feel that they were unique or very creative at all. Nothing grabbed my attention... it all seemed like your standard, straight-up indie rock outfit, so I bolted for the concession stand. Apparently, the second half of Spoon’s set was much more upbeat and interesting, which is a shame because now I’ll probably never see them again.

The Killers were up next and drew a rather large crowd to the SBC East Stage... and rightfully so. They’re one of the most popular bands in the world right now. Unfortunately, they let their radio success get to their heads and haven’t quite learned how to play their instruments in a live setting very well. At one point, dull front man Brandon Flowers, as if sensing his band’s shortcomings, said, “we’ll play these songs as best as we can.” That, coupled with a horrible sound mix, spelled disaster for their set. Churning out their hit songs while mixing in some unreleased material, including the song “Indie Rock & Roll” (with lyrics that made me scratch my head and chuckle), they played only for about 45 minutes, giving way to the evening’s headliners, Death Cab For Cutie and Widespread Panic (Set II).

Despite never seeing Widespread Panic, one of the most popular bands in the jam-band scene, I decided to stick with Loco and check out the emo-hipster’s favorite indie rock band, Death Cab For Cutie. Ben Gibbard stepped out on stage to his adoring fans, made up largely of teenage girls (lucky bastard). Known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Gibbard sang songs of heartbreak and despair – some upbeat, some barely audible – while Widespread Panic’s southern rock impeded on their sound from across the park. Perhaps it was just the culmination of a long weekend in the heat and on my feet, but I found Death Cab’s set only mildly interesting and even less amusing. But judging by the crowd’s response, Gibbard is doing something right. What he does he does well, but Death Cab is NO Postal Service, that’s fer sure.

As the dust settles from this latest incarnation of the once-traveling alternative rock circus, reflections on its success and ideas for its future naturally begin to surface. Lower-than-anticipated ticket sales could probably be attributed to the ungodly heat as well as the presence of the Warped Tour, which took place in southwest suburban Tinley Park on Saturday afternoon. But all signs point to Lollapalooza’s first year in Chicago being branded a major success by the promoters, the city and most importantly, the fans. An idea for next year is to expand it to include 2-day stops in New York City and Los Angeles. To me, it seems as though Perry is getting a little greedy in trying to build on the success with Chicago and tap into the two larger U.S. markets. While New York City is home to the CMJ Music Marathon and with the Coachella Music Festival on the west coast, it makes sense for Perry and Lollapalooza to remain in the heart of it all... Sweet Home, Chicago. And don’t forget the Lolla Girls!