Chicago-palooza (Parte Dos)
9) Wolfmother - This trio sure did make a ton of noise. These Aussie rockers really seemed to be putting out as a rollicking young band should do while trying to earn fans stateside. With one of the largest mid-afternoon crowds (perhaps due to an assisted swell from more-than-punctual Gnarls Barkley-goers) the Wolfmadres brought the Sabbath/Zeppelin sound to Chicago's ears and displayed one of the finest afros of the weekend.
8) Gnarls Barkley - Prior to Lolla, I had obtained a couple of live Gnarls mp3rizzies just to see how the studio sound translated to a live performance. It wasn't pretty. I sounded... strained. Cee-Lo's voice seemed not to have the capability to reach the studio-magic quality that was achieved on the record. At Lolla, I got a similar impression, but (perhaps due to the sonic environment or the 12 bevvies I had bevvied) it sounded better, more polished... more like the record. Clad in tennis camp kits worthy of Wimbledon and accompanied by an army of musicians and backup vocalists, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse slayed the largest non-day-closing crowd of the weekend. People were dancing, lots of people were dancing.
7) The Subways - Our first band of the weekend. True or False: Lead vocalist and frontman Billy: 1) Climbed on and jumped off of the stage's scaffolding 2) Repeatedly ran into the crowd leaving his band mates to play bass and drum arrangements until he got back on stage 3) Demanded that better music be played on the radio (most specifically The Subways' single "Oh Yeah") and 4) proclaimed to the eager crowd "you are so good looking, I want to fuck you all." There was a moment halfway into the show when I got the chills and realized what we were about to undertake in the next 2 and a half days. It was incredible, and The Subways really killed it to kick it all off. Um, Oh Yeah, and when the set was over Billy leapt over the drum kit and Brian Urlacher-ed the drummer, then got up, tossed the bass drum and kicked and threw his mic stand. A couple of minutes later, well after the roadies were breaking down the gear, the drummer rose and sauntered off stage, his hand on his head. Oh, to be young and rocking hard...
6) Built To Spill - Seasoned indie vets bring no-nonsense (but great) performance to young crowd, and Doug Martsch looks extra creepy doing it. I don't think he blinked once. Possibly a robot. Play hoops against Doug HERE.
5) Ben Kweller - Originally a kind of "what to we do before Andy Bird" time filler. The youthful Kwell proved to be one of the biggest surprises of the weekend for me. Playing most of the popular tunes from his records Sha Sha and On My Way, the former boy genius looked a little growns up and walked the stage clutching his mic with a confidence I did not see 3 years ago when he opened for Death Cab at Mississippi Nights in the LOU. He was supported by a full band of accomplished musicians, one of whom will be lending a hand in Albert Hammond's upcoming solo project. His performance of "In Other Words" was one of the top tunes of the 3 days, IMHO. The Kwells also sprinkled in some new tunes to keep it fresh. They sounded Kweller-ish.
4) Kanye West / DC4C - A gratuitous nod to two giants of Lolla '06. Despite Kanye's beefs with the sound (he wanted it LOUDER) the show was actually quite good when Kanye crew wasn't waiting between songs for The Louis Vuitton Don's audio expectations to be satisfied. One of the true true highpoints of the weekend came when Kan-yeezie brought out the much-hyped / album-delaying / skateboarding / bling-shunning / four-eyed / West side of Chicago upstart hot-on-the-streets MC Lupe Fiasco to perform my hands-down undeniable pick for the song of the Summa, "Kick Push." What a jam. I nearly fell on my face getting down to Lupe's effortless flow. Listen to / watch it below. Imagine it live before a bizillion white people. So ill.
As for Death Cab, I've now seen them what feels like a fa-fillion times. I've spent more time with teenagers at DC4C shows than I did with other teens when I was a teen. Despite the apparent backlash some fans against the live show, I dig Death Cab live. I especially enjoy hearing / viewing the softer songs and experiencing the sonic subtleties that Gibbard and Walla are able to create. Part of the Death Cab teen-hang-out is feeling the hypnotic joy the band pours over the enthralled crowd. These kids are FIXATED and singing. Every word. It is fun to be a part of that, even if you are 25, cynical, and not so enthralled. I also dig it when they rock hard, which they certainly have been doing recently on tour. The thing about DC4C is that, the earlier records have a bit more grime and edge to them; they are far more ragged than the polished, gently handled studio gem that is Plans (and to a lesser extent Transatlanticism). Ben and company do not cast these earlier efforts aside in the live shows, and this translates into a show that rocks harder than late-coming-in-the-chronology-of-Death Cab fans might expect. Its not that they are trying to appeal to a different crowd or attempting to alter the sort of soft-thoughtful-relationship-rock conception that has been cast upon them; the boys from Bellingham are just honoring their roots and their more-lengthy-than-you-might-think history with some Death Cab For Classics.
3) Cold War Kids - We're From LA and We Kick Ass, should be the title of the Cold War Kids' debut LP, if in the event they ever release one. Touring relentlessly on the backs of a couple of EPs, CWK are an angular, unarranged, unpredictable lot, and the live show exhibits that. Dynamism: bumping, shaking, maraca-ing, squealing, howling, tapping, pulling, whatever its all there. I caught them a couple of months ago opening for Tapes N Tapes, and they stole the show. The next day I scooped up the EPs and was exposed to the deep, but not expansive, CWK catalogue. These guys have a passion that shows in an era in which some bands choose to play it cool and aloof. The emotion of the music is shown on their faces and shoots through their bodies. The video below provides a small taste of the tasty meal that is CWK.
2) Wilco - Yet again, Wilco proves that they are the best American band making music today and certainly one of the best live bands touring the globe. I don't really know what to say that hasn't already been said. It is jaw dropping how wonderful they sound live. Maybe because I have only had the pleasure of seeing them in the 2 cities they hold most dear, St. Louis and Chicago, but Tweedy and friends always come correct. New songs were played and they merged effortlessly into the others, giving fans a needle of musical heroin, leaving them jonesing for the new record fix. People had Cheshire cat smiled tattooed on their faces. Tweedy's banter was funny, in a sort of "I don't do well when I talk in to the mic but it doesn't matter because you worship me and I love you for it" sort of way. He praised the Chicago fans and thanked them, genuinely. One could tell that Tweedy himself, and probably the entire band, truthfully was awed by playing to a hometown crowd while the sun dipped beneath the flawless Chicago skyline. It was a great hour. And it was the ONLY show at Lolla where the crowd was left chanting for more.
1) My Morning Jacket - The no-doubt hands-down top performance of the weekend. They embodied the festival in a one hour set. The kind of band you can't exactly label, the Southern-ish indie jammy rockie crew from Louisville, in the words of roommate Tim "brought it." I had seen MMJ perform on PBS's Austin City Limits, and knew they were good live. I had no idea they were this special. Jim James' voice is earth-shattering, but with a controlled chaos kind of approach. He never stood still and neither did the rest of the band. The drummer wailed wildly and this Sasquatch like frame pounded on the skins. "Dondante" built itself up from a gentle intro to a jagged crescendo. It was nearly 10 minutes long. Every second was priceless. James wooed the crowd with the soft introspection that is "Golden." I told MPC that I think that "Golden" is just possibly the most perfect song ever written. I'm not kidding. Judge for yourself below ("Golden" from ACL). Amber pointed out as the "Golden" perfection ended that the sun was setting (this was 48 hours prior to the Wilco sunset) and the sky was, I crap you not, Gold-ish.
Despite the greatness of the music, a highlight came from some banter offered by James who, like Tweedy, was clearly thankful and appreciative to be there in that moment. James went on a small narrative about how 12 years prior, he was in the crowd at Lollapalooza and he saw The Pumpkins, A Tribe Called Quest, The Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, and The Beastie Boys, and was inspired. He dreamed, on that day, that he would play Lolla someday, and on Lolla Friday he realized that dream. While this sounds a bit cheesy and cliched, it truly was a touching moment, and no doubt an inspirational one for youths hoping for a musical career.
So there it is, my rave-not-rant about Chicagopalooza 2006. It really couldn't have been a better weekend. I hope it's back in 2007. I hope Radiohead and Arcade Fire are there, I hope Wilco and MMJ come back, I hope all the same friends (and more) come to Grant Park again.
Good times. Good times.
8) Gnarls Barkley - Prior to Lolla, I had obtained a couple of live Gnarls mp3rizzies just to see how the studio sound translated to a live performance. It wasn't pretty. I sounded... strained. Cee-Lo's voice seemed not to have the capability to reach the studio-magic quality that was achieved on the record. At Lolla, I got a similar impression, but (perhaps due to the sonic environment or the 12 bevvies I had bevvied) it sounded better, more polished... more like the record. Clad in tennis camp kits worthy of Wimbledon and accompanied by an army of musicians and backup vocalists, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse slayed the largest non-day-closing crowd of the weekend. People were dancing, lots of people were dancing.7) The Subways - Our first band of the weekend. True or False: Lead vocalist and frontman Billy: 1) Climbed on and jumped off of the stage's scaffolding 2) Repeatedly ran into the crowd leaving his band mates to play bass and drum arrangements until he got back on stage 3) Demanded that better music be played on the radio (most specifically The Subways' single "Oh Yeah") and 4) proclaimed to the eager crowd "you are so good looking, I want to fuck you all." There was a moment halfway into the show when I got the chills and realized what we were about to undertake in the next 2 and a half days. It was incredible, and The Subways really killed it to kick it all off. Um, Oh Yeah, and when the set was over Billy leapt over the drum kit and Brian Urlacher-ed the drummer, then got up, tossed the bass drum and kicked and threw his mic stand. A couple of minutes later, well after the roadies were breaking down the gear, the drummer rose and sauntered off stage, his hand on his head. Oh, to be young and rocking hard...
6) Built To Spill - Seasoned indie vets bring no-nonsense (but great) performance to young crowd, and Doug Martsch looks extra creepy doing it. I don't think he blinked once. Possibly a robot. Play hoops against Doug HERE.
5) Ben Kweller - Originally a kind of "what to we do before Andy Bird" time filler. The youthful Kwell proved to be one of the biggest surprises of the weekend for me. Playing most of the popular tunes from his records Sha Sha and On My Way, the former boy genius looked a little growns up and walked the stage clutching his mic with a confidence I did not see 3 years ago when he opened for Death Cab at Mississippi Nights in the LOU. He was supported by a full band of accomplished musicians, one of whom will be lending a hand in Albert Hammond's upcoming solo project. His performance of "In Other Words" was one of the top tunes of the 3 days, IMHO. The Kwells also sprinkled in some new tunes to keep it fresh. They sounded Kweller-ish.4) Kanye West / DC4C - A gratuitous nod to two giants of Lolla '06. Despite Kanye's beefs with the sound (he wanted it LOUDER) the show was actually quite good when Kanye crew wasn't waiting between songs for The Louis Vuitton Don's audio expectations to be satisfied. One of the true true highpoints of the weekend came when Kan-yeezie brought out the much-hyped / album-delaying / skateboarding / bling-shunning / four-eyed / West side of Chicago upstart hot-on-the-streets MC Lupe Fiasco to perform my hands-down undeniable pick for the song of the Summa, "Kick Push." What a jam. I nearly fell on my face getting down to Lupe's effortless flow. Listen to / watch it below. Imagine it live before a bizillion white people. So ill.
As for Death Cab, I've now seen them what feels like a fa-fillion times. I've spent more time with teenagers at DC4C shows than I did with other teens when I was a teen. Despite the apparent backlash some fans against the live show, I dig Death Cab live. I especially enjoy hearing / viewing the softer songs and experiencing the sonic subtleties that Gibbard and Walla are able to create. Part of the Death Cab teen-hang-out is feeling the hypnotic joy the band pours over the enthralled crowd. These kids are FIXATED and singing. Every word. It is fun to be a part of that, even if you are 25, cynical, and not so enthralled. I also dig it when they rock hard, which they certainly have been doing recently on tour. The thing about DC4C is that, the earlier records have a bit more grime and edge to them; they are far more ragged than the polished, gently handled studio gem that is Plans (and to a lesser extent Transatlanticism). Ben and company do not cast these earlier efforts aside in the live shows, and this translates into a show that rocks harder than late-coming-in-the-chronology-of-Death Cab fans might expect. Its not that they are trying to appeal to a different crowd or attempting to alter the sort of soft-thoughtful-relationship-rock conception that has been cast upon them; the boys from Bellingham are just honoring their roots and their more-lengthy-than-you-might-think history with some Death Cab For Classics.
3) Cold War Kids - We're From LA and We Kick Ass, should be the title of the Cold War Kids' debut LP, if in the event they ever release one. Touring relentlessly on the backs of a couple of EPs, CWK are an angular, unarranged, unpredictable lot, and the live show exhibits that. Dynamism: bumping, shaking, maraca-ing, squealing, howling, tapping, pulling, whatever its all there. I caught them a couple of months ago opening for Tapes N Tapes, and they stole the show. The next day I scooped up the EPs and was exposed to the deep, but not expansive, CWK catalogue. These guys have a passion that shows in an era in which some bands choose to play it cool and aloof. The emotion of the music is shown on their faces and shoots through their bodies. The video below provides a small taste of the tasty meal that is CWK.
2) Wilco - Yet again, Wilco proves that they are the best American band making music today and certainly one of the best live bands touring the globe. I don't really know what to say that hasn't already been said. It is jaw dropping how wonderful they sound live. Maybe because I have only had the pleasure of seeing them in the 2 cities they hold most dear, St. Louis and Chicago, but Tweedy and friends always come correct. New songs were played and they merged effortlessly into the others, giving fans a needle of musical heroin, leaving them jonesing for the new record fix. People had Cheshire cat smiled tattooed on their faces. Tweedy's banter was funny, in a sort of "I don't do well when I talk in to the mic but it doesn't matter because you worship me and I love you for it" sort of way. He praised the Chicago fans and thanked them, genuinely. One could tell that Tweedy himself, and probably the entire band, truthfully was awed by playing to a hometown crowd while the sun dipped beneath the flawless Chicago skyline. It was a great hour. And it was the ONLY show at Lolla where the crowd was left chanting for more.
1) My Morning Jacket - The no-doubt hands-down top performance of the weekend. They embodied the festival in a one hour set. The kind of band you can't exactly label, the Southern-ish indie jammy rockie crew from Louisville, in the words of roommate Tim "brought it." I had seen MMJ perform on PBS's Austin City Limits, and knew they were good live. I had no idea they were this special. Jim James' voice is earth-shattering, but with a controlled chaos kind of approach. He never stood still and neither did the rest of the band. The drummer wailed wildly and this Sasquatch like frame pounded on the skins. "Dondante" built itself up from a gentle intro to a jagged crescendo. It was nearly 10 minutes long. Every second was priceless. James wooed the crowd with the soft introspection that is "Golden." I told MPC that I think that "Golden" is just possibly the most perfect song ever written. I'm not kidding. Judge for yourself below ("Golden" from ACL). Amber pointed out as the "Golden" perfection ended that the sun was setting (this was 48 hours prior to the Wilco sunset) and the sky was, I crap you not, Gold-ish.Despite the greatness of the music, a highlight came from some banter offered by James who, like Tweedy, was clearly thankful and appreciative to be there in that moment. James went on a small narrative about how 12 years prior, he was in the crowd at Lollapalooza and he saw The Pumpkins, A Tribe Called Quest, The Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, and The Beastie Boys, and was inspired. He dreamed, on that day, that he would play Lolla someday, and on Lolla Friday he realized that dream. While this sounds a bit cheesy and cliched, it truly was a touching moment, and no doubt an inspirational one for youths hoping for a musical career.
So there it is, my rave-not-rant about Chicagopalooza 2006. It really couldn't have been a better weekend. I hope it's back in 2007. I hope Radiohead and Arcade Fire are there, I hope Wilco and MMJ come back, I hope all the same friends (and more) come to Grant Park again.
Good times. Good times.
posted by Dinner at 8/11/2006 07:38:00 AM
2 Comments:
wilco bring it no matter where they are...i have seen them in myrtle beach and dallas, both phenomenal!
also interesting note....i saw mmj open for kweller in nyc 2002. that was first intro to mmj and a fine one at that.
Reading your report makes me think there was some legit thought put into that 6:30 time slot. Considering that it went MMJ(Raconteurs), Common, Wilco... one can only assume someone (Perry) knew that "sunset" was/is a money timeslot to play a show. Because indeed, songs like Golden, The Light and Jesus Etc. became extra special in the saucy chicago sunset.
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