Lolla 2
Dierks Bentley
Perhaps Dierks Bentley missed the memo that Country Thunder festival was in Wisconsin (and last month no less) because when he showed up at Lollapalooza, he presented nothing but the slickest commercial packaging of the genre. Though the guy can make the ladies go wild (“Every Mile A Memory”) and even entertain the fellas who were quick to raise their beers in hopes of getting a girl back (“Trying To Stop You Leaving”), there was nothing alternative about his set compared to the current country pack, other than the fact that his tunes are taking away some radio space from the Kenny Chesney monopoly. (AA)
The Gutter Twins
Saturday afternoon, Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan came out for their Gutter Twins project, unleashing dark and moody rock that came off livelier than when the group played Metro this past spring. Case in point, the roaring “Idle Hands” was a beast unleashed on the unsuspecting and casual midday concertgoers, and would not be the last example of music that seemed surprised to find itself in the daylight. Not surprisingly, the group moved between the pair’s numerous outfits, including Dulli bringing out Twilight Singers highlight “Bonnie Brae.” It seemed appropriate Dulli and Lanegan would find themselves at Lollapalooza, as both are weathered veterans of the original alternative nation, and are likely to still be performing after many of the weekend’s blog-hit hype groups have faded from collective memory. (JD)
MGMT
On the opposite end of the veteran spectrum, on a stage not far away, came MGMT, a band that just this year began receiving any real attention. The group delivered a set full of new-alt that switched between jangly and surprisingly psychedelic moods. Live, an undeniable love of classic rock shone through in the group’s performance — full of swirling melodies and freeform jamming grooves. That was on top of the hipster-pleasing electro-tinge the band dipped so well into, apparent on the well-recieved “Time To Pretend” and twanging bass-driven “Electric Feel.” The real highlight of the set, however, came on “Kids,” also the high point of the outfit’s Oracular Spectacular. Unleashing Satriani-esque(?!) guitar solos that shredded throughout the extended jam, the song devolved by its end with the band banging randomly on their keyboards and smearing messy, chaotic licks and effects across their sound. As much unpredictable and startling as anything else, it seemed MGMT, as well as anyone there, understood the spirit behind Lollapalooza, which made their set a stand-out amongst everything louder than everything else. (JD)
Perry Farrell and Slash
Fans of the duo’s old bands first caught a glimpse of this pummeling pair at Farrell’s club-oriented stage (a novel concept on paper that failed miserably in the middle of a public park). Even worse was the fact the sound kept patching in and out, leaving Farrell visibly frustrated, but still able to pull off a half-hearted karaoke version of “Jane Says,” with Slash strumming away acoustically. (AA)
Brand New
Nowhere near as celebratory was Brand New, veterans of the Warped genre and renowned for basically being total downers. Which is in no way a hindrance, rather it’s easily one of the group’s primary drawing points. Not unlike the Gutter Twins before them, most Brand New material seemed almost laughably out of place floating out in the sunny mid-afternoon field of happy concert-goers. Fortunately, that did little to hinder the somber and sobering tone of favorites like “Millstone” and the remarkable pinnacle of depression “Jesus Christ.” Elsewhere, “Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t” amped the energy of the group’s set, and “Sig Transit Gloria” better demonstrated the group’s more punk tendencies. It had to be “Sowing Season (Yeah),” however, that best bridged both sides of Brand New — the group’s morose tone with their larger, arena punk pop sensibilities. In a weekend full of dance-prompting, synth-laden feel-good acts, it was refreshing to have a group so entirely embrace a darker aesthetic. (JD)
Jamie Lidell
Who knew a white guy could ever sound so convincing trying to resurrect the spirit of James Brown within the sounds of Jamiroquai? Enter British producer-turned-solo artist Jamie Lidell, who was amongst the most enjoyably over-the-top acts of the entire weekend, backed by a band that could’ve easily been superheroes straight out of a comic book. Tunes off 2008’s Jim (Warp) were neo-soul at its dirtiest, grittiest, and grooviest peak. (AA)
Lupe Fiasco
Taking a cue from his mentor Kanye, Lupe Fiasco demonstrated a flair for the theatric right from the get-go — coming out to the Rocky theme, and doing a few minutes worth of stretches and even jumping jacks onstage, to prepare himself for his lively and high-energy set. However, unlike his notorious teacher, Fiasco demonstrated his sense of class and showmanship in a more mature, and far less ego-driven, manner. Likewise, Fiasco made his constant motion seem natural — no small feat in front of such a mass crowd. Delivering crowd-pleasers like his introductory hit, “Kick, Push,” and the anthemic “Superstar,” Fiasco easily won over the assembled early evening crowd. Very much the son of the Chicago hip-hop scene, Fiasco unleashed the speed-rapping of Twista (“Go Go Gadget Flow”), while displaying the showmanship of Kanye and drawing upon the depth of Common. (JD)
Toadies
Although Toadies had a meaningful (if brief) place in the alt-rock surge of the early 1990s, it didn’t deserve a slot just before Rage Against the Machine. Then again, maybe the placement of these well-oiled but uninteresting grunge leftovers was justified considering swarms of concertgoers were making the pilgrimage from the Buckingham Fountain area to the south end of Grant Park, appearing uninterested while passing and reducing the band to mere background music. (AA)
Wilco
While Rage Against The Machine fans were raging against the festival’s fences and proving ’90s reunion acts can still inspire ’90s-esque destructive crowds, Wilco were across the park, performing a very different — and Obama-free — type of set.
Onstage, Wilco weren’t necessarily miles away from Radiohead, in terms of producing more mellow and mature alt-rock. Yet, unlike Radiohead, Wilco not only managed to project beyond a 20-foot scope, the group did so interestingly and memorably. “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” might have been a bit tender, but it connected with the well-behaved crowd, as did “Impossible Germany.” “Handshake Drugs” built its soulful energy and victorious spirit into a wall of noise and feedback by its end, and “Pot Kettle Black” still stands as one of Wilco’s most enjoyable and unassumingly infectious accomplishments. Wilco may have mellowed with age, but, unlike certain other alternative icon headliners from this past weekend, they refuse to sleepwalk through their show. (JD)
Rage Against The Machine
Live shows have been few and far between for the recently reunited Rage Against The Machine, but the Midwest already caught a glimpse last year at Alpine Valley. The politically charged foursome brought a practically identical show to Lollapalooza, but the audience was far more abrasive this round. Though everything appeared to be going according to pummeling plan with the militant charges of “Testify” and “People Of The Sun,” frontman Zack de la Rocha stopped the set and suggested everyone take a chill pill. For a few split seconds, all appeared calm, but then the mosh pits and crowd surfing reached such a peak that he threatened the concert would be canceled if the violence continued. The band inexplicably followed up those statements with “Bullet In The Head” and several gatecrashers entered in the aftermath. Even amid the lunacy, no serious injuries were reported in the rap rock euphoria. (AA)
LOLLA ROUNDUP PAGE [1] [2] [3]
Category: Live Reviews
