Mr MidFi
08-09-2012, 06:46 AM
Just a few quick thoughts on some of the bands I saw last weekend at Lollapalooza. I may also update the thread next week, as I’m flying out to San Francisco for a one-day visit to the Outside Lands Fest.
Acts are reviewed in the order in which I saw them.
First Aid Kit –Swedish sisters who sing beautiful folk-pop melodies with two-part harmonies and a little country twang. A nice, easygoing way to kick off the weekend. (Note: front row!)
Anamanaguchi – Bratty punk-pop with a Nintendo-style electronic twist. Sounds like the soundtrack to that Scott Pilgrim movie. Fun, but forgettable.
The War On Drugs – I like this band. They had some technical issues getting set up, and they had to tweak the settings a few times after they got started… but once they hit their stride, it was all engaging, mesmerizing guitar-rock with a singer-songwriter-era accent.
Metric – This was a fun set. Emily Haines, formerly of Broken Social Scene, is a dynamic performer (and a cutie-pie)… but there was a little more bouncy pop and not as much balls-out rock as I’d prefer. Still, a good time was had.
Die Antwoord – Part of the reason for going to a festival is to experience acts you’d normally not pay money to see. This utterly bizarre hip-hop duo from South Africa fits that description. And that’s the only description you’ll get because, well, goddamn.
Band of Skulls – I got up fairly close for this show, which was on a side-stage. This band plays tight, interesting blues-based rock with nice interplay between male and female lead vocals. Definitely worth seeing, and they tour a lot.
Passion Pit – The original plan was to head down to the south main stage to catch the last half of The Shins… but man, it was hot and that stage was a mile away. So I caught the last couple of songs from these guys on the north stage. Mistake. They suck.
Black Sabbath – Highlight of the weekend. They rocked with great force, and the crowd loved it. The lineup is 3 original members plus a ringer on drums, who is a freakin’ beast (I think it’s the guy from Faith No More). Anyway, they played all the songs I wanted to hear most, including a powerful “War Pigs”. Great stuff, and my last chance to see the real thing.
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound – I got front-row, dead-center for the first act of day 2, a neo-soul showband in the James Brown vein. These guys are really good.
FIDLAR – California garage-punk. The name is an acronym for “F*** it dude, life’s a risk”. That sums it up aptly.
The Givers – Upbeat, indie pop-rock. Again with the male/female twin lead vocals. Difficult to describe their sound, but I rather liked their show.
(Halfway through day 2, they evacuated the park because of an approaching storm. I heard wrongly that they were NOT going to reopen the park, so I caught the train home. So I missed Franz Ferdinand and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m an idiot.)
Red Oblivion – The only notable thing is the smokin’ hot blond gal on lead guitar. Otherwise, ugh.
Hey Rosetta – A nice surprise. They sound like Andrew Bird meets the Cold War Kids… except it’s better than that sounds. I’m going to check out their album.
White Rabbits – Spoon meets Phoenix. I like these guys. So would many of you.
Dum Dum Girls – I’ll be honest here, I don’t really remember how they were. Just that they weren’t quite as fun as I’d expected.
The Gaslight Anthem – Straight-up bar rock. No more, no less… but these guys do it very well. They’re pros.
Florence & the Machine – I’m not really a fan, but the power of this live show is undeniable. The crowd was vast, overwhelmingly female, and unspeakably horny by the end of the set. Oh my.
Justice – My first-ever experience at a big-time, headlining techno set. Hey, we only live once. My plan had been to catch the opening, then walk the long mile to see Jack White. But a combination of factors* kept me on the north side, and I’m not sorry. True Fact: I had a full-fledged blast, and I don’t care who knows it.
*I was higher than Jesus.
Acts are reviewed in the order in which I saw them.
First Aid Kit –Swedish sisters who sing beautiful folk-pop melodies with two-part harmonies and a little country twang. A nice, easygoing way to kick off the weekend. (Note: front row!)
Anamanaguchi – Bratty punk-pop with a Nintendo-style electronic twist. Sounds like the soundtrack to that Scott Pilgrim movie. Fun, but forgettable.
The War On Drugs – I like this band. They had some technical issues getting set up, and they had to tweak the settings a few times after they got started… but once they hit their stride, it was all engaging, mesmerizing guitar-rock with a singer-songwriter-era accent.
Metric – This was a fun set. Emily Haines, formerly of Broken Social Scene, is a dynamic performer (and a cutie-pie)… but there was a little more bouncy pop and not as much balls-out rock as I’d prefer. Still, a good time was had.
Die Antwoord – Part of the reason for going to a festival is to experience acts you’d normally not pay money to see. This utterly bizarre hip-hop duo from South Africa fits that description. And that’s the only description you’ll get because, well, goddamn.
Band of Skulls – I got up fairly close for this show, which was on a side-stage. This band plays tight, interesting blues-based rock with nice interplay between male and female lead vocals. Definitely worth seeing, and they tour a lot.
Passion Pit – The original plan was to head down to the south main stage to catch the last half of The Shins… but man, it was hot and that stage was a mile away. So I caught the last couple of songs from these guys on the north stage. Mistake. They suck.
Black Sabbath – Highlight of the weekend. They rocked with great force, and the crowd loved it. The lineup is 3 original members plus a ringer on drums, who is a freakin’ beast (I think it’s the guy from Faith No More). Anyway, they played all the songs I wanted to hear most, including a powerful “War Pigs”. Great stuff, and my last chance to see the real thing.
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound – I got front-row, dead-center for the first act of day 2, a neo-soul showband in the James Brown vein. These guys are really good.
FIDLAR – California garage-punk. The name is an acronym for “F*** it dude, life’s a risk”. That sums it up aptly.
The Givers – Upbeat, indie pop-rock. Again with the male/female twin lead vocals. Difficult to describe their sound, but I rather liked their show.
(Halfway through day 2, they evacuated the park because of an approaching storm. I heard wrongly that they were NOT going to reopen the park, so I caught the train home. So I missed Franz Ferdinand and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m an idiot.)
Red Oblivion – The only notable thing is the smokin’ hot blond gal on lead guitar. Otherwise, ugh.
Hey Rosetta – A nice surprise. They sound like Andrew Bird meets the Cold War Kids… except it’s better than that sounds. I’m going to check out their album.
White Rabbits – Spoon meets Phoenix. I like these guys. So would many of you.
Dum Dum Girls – I’ll be honest here, I don’t really remember how they were. Just that they weren’t quite as fun as I’d expected.
The Gaslight Anthem – Straight-up bar rock. No more, no less… but these guys do it very well. They’re pros.
Florence & the Machine – I’m not really a fan, but the power of this live show is undeniable. The crowd was vast, overwhelmingly female, and unspeakably horny by the end of the set. Oh my.
Justice – My first-ever experience at a big-time, headlining techno set. Hey, we only live once. My plan had been to catch the opening, then walk the long mile to see Jack White. But a combination of factors* kept me on the north side, and I’m not sorry. True Fact: I had a full-fledged blast, and I don’t care who knows it.
*I was higher than Jesus.