Lolla Page 3
Though Pearl Jam closed out the festival, frontman Eddie Vedder acknowledged the real leader of the day — Iggy Pop & The Stooges. In fact, that band could’ve very well filled the final slot of the night, but instead were relegated to an afternoon appearance (although throngs of appreciators still showed up). Not only did they pack the park, but several hundred of them stormed the stage when Pop gave an inviting signal. As bodies hurled in every direction, the band seemed to revel in the madness, but eventually had to cease fire for safety’s sake. Nonetheless, oldies like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “1969” were just as incendiary as ever, while Pop was perhaps the weekend’s most enthralling all-around entertainer.
Fresh-faced singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini occasionally injected a reggae step into his soulful tones, but also leaned a little too closely to the John Mayer school of acoustic pop simplicity. On the other hand, fellow troubadour (and Chicago transplant) David Vandervelde had a more defiant attitude, recalling raucous ’60s influences, while weaving skilled metaphors within infectious choruses.
Representing reggae contexts were The Wailers, who spawned and eventually submitted to Bob Marley. Considering their one-time leader is long gone there was a noticeable void, but there was no denying his spirit shined down during a spine-chilling rendition of “No Woman No Cry.”
Rarely does one see Flamenco guitars mentioned in the same sentence as the metal band Testament, but then Rodrigo Y Gabriela is not your everyday duo. Firmly entrenched in metal’s past, present, and future, the twosome delivered Mexican folk instrumentals, but astonished by randomly dropping in Deep Purple riffs.
Urban flavors flowed in a much more accessible direction when local boy Lupe Fiasco took the stage, sharing the similar mindsets of Kanye West and Common. Rather than pushing bling or crunk, he coasted with confidence through intelligently crafted lyrics and nimble DJ beats often interjected with rock n’ roll samples.
Media Headline Maven and the new Queen Of Neo-Soul Amy Winehouse was a huge draw Sunday afternoon. Although concertgoers were spared the histrionics of her press clippings (public drunkenness; onstage vomiting), they were treated to her sultry vocals that felt far more powerful and heartfelt than a Vic Theatre performance earlier this year.
TV On The Radio also bridged the gap between dance and rock worlds, but sometimes veered too far outside the box for their own good. Some members played with their backs to the audience, guitars often clashed with wind chimes (they were literally mounted on the six string), and frontman Tunde Adebimpe’s constant swirling about and switching microphones was enough to cause motion sickness.
My Morning Jacket took the South Stage dressed in matching purple velvet tuxedo jackets and wasted no time spreading their version of Southern rock. Jim James was wonderfully unhinged when soloing and his angelic vocals seemed to float endlessly out over Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, when the band were joined onstage by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra the result was more murky than memorable.
Though far less engaging to look at, Modest Mouse’s sound has grown by leaps and bounds since bringing the legendary Johnny Marr on board. The co-founding Smiths guitarist interjected his signature strums and slight dance undertone into the group’s recent single, “Dashboard.” Even though the band is major-label property, it stuck close to quirkiness and unpredictability, often prone to daring tempo changes and sonic shifts without even a split-second’s notice.
In what may have been the largest crowd to ever see live music in Grant Park, Sunday headliner Pearl Jam made the most of the opportunity. The setlist may have been a mostly greatest-hits affair (“Alive,” “Even Flow,” “Daughter”), the intensity with which it was delivered was anything but phoned-in. For a band known for their live prowess, the Seattle quintet (with Boom Gaspar as their trusty B3 sideman) seemed hell bent on wringing blood, sweat, and tears out of every note.
And never one to pass up an invitation to a soap box, frontman Eddie Vedder decried BP Amoco for its crimes against Mother Michigan (the company has been dumping mercury into the lake) and even brought out Tomas Young, a wheelchair-bound Iraq War veteran who encouraged everyone to help bring an end to the “illegal, criminal occupation in Iraq.” After inviting members of the audience onstage (an homage to Iggy Pop for doing the same thing earlier that day) for a run through Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World,” Vedder was hoisted atop the shoulders of former Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman. And as he rolled Tomas Young’s wheelchair off the stage, he flashed a mile-wide smile and a silent peace sign.
And for those who had enough energy at the end of the lengthy weekend, there was always the ck IN2U Music Lounge after party at the Hard Rock Hotel (temporarily renamed The Music Lounge). Outside of scoring free Calvin Klein swag (cologne went much quicker than underwear) and PF Flyers sneakers (apparently Fall Out Boy digs them), scenesters were treated to an appearance by that very band’s Pete Wentz and a cameo from girlfriend-of-the-moment Ashlee Simpson. It may not have attracted the same types of tattooed and mohawked folks who caught The Stooges a few hours before, but it still served as time to unwind for the weary, while carrying out Lollapalooza’s celebratory tone for just a little while longer.
— Andy Argyrakis and Curt Baran
Category: Live Reviews
