popwreckoning

While Saturday is my designated FOLK day, Sunday is going to be non-stop energy. I can’t wait.

1:00: Wayne Federman and the Gregory Brothers at the Intiman Theatre. I don’t really know anything about this Wayne Federman guy, but the Gregory Brothers (otherwise known as Auto-Tune the News on YouTube if you didn’t already know) are sure to be a spectacle. They played at the 2^nd Annual Vidcon in Los Angeles in July. And from what I heard, it was awesome.

1:30: The Lonely Forest on the Mainstage. I may have seen this band way too many times, but I don’t care, because they’re that good. It might be kind of weird seeing them on the mainstage, because they moved the mainstage to the Key Arena this year instead of Memorial Stadium (yeah, that happened).

2:15: Mad Rad at the Fisher Green Stage. This band is an anomaly – I think they call themselves hipster-hop. I don’t even know how to describe them. Their live show is not for the faint of heart, but definitely not one to miss.

3:00: Broken Social Scene at the Mainstage. I missed their performance at Sasquatch 2010 and I smacked myself so many times for missing them, and I’m not going to do it again.

5:45: Das Racist at the Fisher Green Stage. Whether or not this group’s stage antics is alcohol-induced (most likely is), they have so much hilarious charisma that you’ll be laughing through singing along.

6:45: Warpaint at the Fountain Lawn Stage. You don’t see a lot of all-girl groups anymore. Also, I have not been able to stop listening to Warpaint all summer, so I will be getting my fix this weekend.

7:30: Allen Stone at the EMP Level 3 Stage Sponsored by Mission Foods Artisan. Allen Stone hasn’t even recorded a full-length album and he’s already been featured in USA Today. Seriously? How can you not see his live show? I can vouch – he’s awesome live.

8:00: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on the Mainstage. I was already in awe of his performance at Sasquatch, and I cannot wait to get back into that crowd full of energy once more. Plus, hearing “My Oh My” actually IN Seattle will be even more moving than before.

9:15: The Kills on the Fisher Green Stage. Alison Mosshart is fantastic, and anything she is apart of – I want to see. Plus, their last album released in April is a winner in my book. And since this will be my last show of the night, I wanna go out dancing.

Oh, but that’s not all! Tomorrow the festival starts, but it’s my final preview for Monday. So keep on the lookout for Bumbershoot coverage all weekend!

As Annastasia and I will be attending this year’s Bumbershoot Festival, we’ll be your trusty PopWreckers bringing you all the details about Seattle’s biggest festival of the year.

For now, here is my preview of Saturday’s lineup.

As much as people rave about festival headliners, this year’s mainstage lineup for Bumbershoot is kind of a bust, save Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on Sunday and Hall & Oates on Monday (but really, Hall & Oates is just for the nostalgia factor).

The best part of this year’s lineup is the overwhelming number of local bands playing the festival. For example…

12 Noon: Campfire Ok on the Fountain Lawn Stage. These adorable KEXP darlings released their first full-length this year, and I have yet to see them live. And I call myself a Seattle music geek. Pshh.

12:45: Yuni in Taxco on the Fisher Green Stage. I saw these guys open for the Builders and the Butchers earlier this year, and I’m interested to see where they’ve gone with their live show since then. Very interested.

1:15: Brite Futures on the… MAINSTAGE? What?! How did I not know they were playing the mainstage? Sure it’s at 1:15, but that’s pretty awesome for Seattle’s little band full of art students formerly known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head.

1:30: Kris Orlowski & the Passenger String Quartet at the EMP Level 3 Stage Presented by Mission Foods Artisan. One of many local musicians who has gone the grassroots route for building a fanbase – Kris Orlowski is friends with like every other music to grace small stages throughout the city. And he’s the one sending out all his releases, not a publicist.

2:15: Champagne Champagne at the Fisher Green Stage. This is my kind of hip-hop – fun and full of life, easy to dance to, and lyrics about Molly Ringwald. Tyler the Creator can eat his heart out.

2:45: Presidents of the United States of America on the Mainstage. Okay, so Presidents play Seattle quite often, since they do live here. They’re oldies but goodies. And if you haven’t seen them play live yet, it’s kind of like a right of passage in the Seattle music scene. So why not do it at Bumbershoot?

6:00: Pickwick at the EMP Level 3 Stage Presented by Mission Foods Artisan. This band is awesome. Amazing. Soulful. The next big thing. I’ll tell you more later (see my next edition of Fantastically Local…tomorrow).

8:30: STRFKR at the Fountain Lawn Stage. Enough with the name changes already! Thankfully, the whole Pyramiddd/Starfucker fiasco has ended and now we can just focus on dancing our skinny-jean-covered little asses off.

9:15: Minus the Bear at the Fisher Green Stage. For me, this time slot was a decision between Ray Lamontagne and Minus the Bear. For a closing act, I want something to keep my energy up, and Minus the Bear will do that for me over at Fisher Green. I don’t need sleepy folk soul at the main stage, because frankly it’s a bit boring at that point (i.e. Jason Mraz headlining at 10 PM two years ago, why? I don’t know.)

So you can either take my word for it or go build your Bumbershoot schedule over here at http://sched.bumbershoot.org/ But I suggest you take my word for it. More picks coming soon!

Despite a great line-up of bands, Sunday was the most challenging day of the Lollapalooza festival. Mother Nature teased with some early morning rain before bringing on one of the hottest afternoons of the fest. By early evening, the rain returned with a vengeance turning the last bit of the festival into a mudfest. With our expensive camera guitar, we were less than thrilled about the rain, but it didn’t stop the thousands of other festival goers from having a blast.

We avoided the early morning rain by taking an extended breakfast at the Hard Rock Hotel and entered the festival as Noah and the Whale were wrapping their set. We found them a little dull at SXSW, but they seemed a lot livelier during their Lolla performance. The big crowd singalongs during “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N” and “Five Years Time” made the set a lot more fun, too.

We then went to check out Canada’s City and Colour. With a new album on the way, Dallas Green and company treated us to a few new tracks, but also plenty of classics such as “Sleeping Sickness.” During one moment of the set, Dallas even asked everyone to put down the cameras, hide your phones and just enjoy the music. The vibes were just all around pleasant as the audience obliged and joined with an amazing singalong.

Next on the agenda was a classic: The Cars. These guys still can rock and I think even some of the younger folk that missed out on the Cars in their prime were surprised by how much energy these guys had. We were surprised to find ourselves saying more than once, “I didn’t realize this was a Cars song! I love it!” Looks like we need to revisit this music catalog.

From classic to completely brand new, we then went over to check out Boy & Bear. Hopefully some of the City and Colour fans made their way to this set as well because it also was full of some beautiful harmonies, acoustic guitars and sweet musicians. This charming folk music left us with a smile on our face and this is an act to keep on your radar.

We had to really switch gears for the next act. Cage the Elephant faced the threat of storm clouds opening up over their set, but they seemed to face the weather with a “bring it on, bitches” sort of attitude. The band ripped open with some of the most intense energy of any set and it wasn’t long before the singer was crowdsurfing. When it did start raining, it only seemed to intensify everyone’s desire to rock out. This set was a big improvement from Cage the Elephant’s Lolla performance a few years ago and finally helped us see what the fuss about Cage the Elephant is all about.

Because of the rain, we dashed into cover under the press tent. Arctic Monkeys delayed the start of their set, finally going on 30 minutes after their start time when the rain let up a little. It was still raining enough that we just listened to them from the safety of the press area as they quickly started delivering some of their older radio classics with a few new songs sprinkled in.

The rain stopped and we began our muddy trek to Explosions in the Sky. It was fascinating to watch the division in the crowd as half tried to carefully trod the least muddy path and the other half just embraced it and began mudsliding down hills. As for us, we weren’t thrilled to be muddy on the last day with our heavy gear and the prospect of riding the CTA back covered in dirt, so we were feeling a bit ruffled as we prepared for the next few performances. Fortunately, two things quickly made life better. #1: Lobster Corndogs. OMG. If you are ever in Chicago, you must try a lobster corndog at Grahamwich. As great as the music was, so was the festival food and these things were heaven. The best spent $8 ever. The #2 thing that made life better: Explosions in the Sky. These instrumental rockers politely apologized for beginning late (Arctic Monkeys cut into their set a bit) and began with a beautifully orchestrated dynamic piece that was the most cathartic moment of the festival. The anger at the rain quickly dispersed as their cleverly built songs continued to carry us over a range of emotions.

We were in much better spirits as we made our way through the mud toward the Music Unlimited Stage where the Foo Fighters would soon be taking the stage. The mud must have been going to people’s heads because we saw some stranger and stranger things on this walk: people making mud angels, mud fights and the worst: people using the mud as their personal bathrooms…ew. Fortunately, we had Foo Fighters to distract us from some of the less pleasant members of the audience.

The energy was electric as anticipation grew for Dave Grohl and company to take the stage. When the band finally came out, they looked almost as giddy as the audience–it is always heart-warming to see musicians that really love what they do and don’t look like they’re just here for a check. From the first guitar strum, the band dived right into non-stop hits from their record – we can’t believe how prolific they are! Crowdsurfers were going wild, the audience singing along was almost as loud as Grohl’s amplified voice. Grohl knows how to play to a crowd and quickly ran across the stage to the left, dropped a true rock star pose and played some killer riffs before running back to the right. Forget Willow Smith, Grohl knows how to whip his hair back and forth. He was as dynamic to watch as he was to listen…the whole band was that way. These guys were everything that headliners should be. The rain decided to challenge the band during their third song, but this is the Foo Fighters; rain can’t stop them. Grohl shouted some encouragement at the audience before the fourth song and cheers reverberated through Grant Park bigger than any thunder clap.

This was an epic way to close out Lollapalooza and I would have been content ending there, but there were two other performances going on: Kid Cudi and Deadmau5. We’ve seen Deadmau5 and had no doubt that people were dancing and swimming through the mud to his electronica beats, but Kid Cudi was in a tent and we’ve never seen the up-and-comer, so we made our way to Perry’s (the appeal of it being covered also factored into our decision.) This was the first time we braved the tent at this year’s festival. It had been expanded to being the size of football field and it looked like people were having a blast every time we had walked past, but it also looked a lot more intense than any other stage. I don’t know where some of these fans were getting their energy from to keep up with Perry’s non-stop dance party. In the end, we’re glad we made our way into Perry’s, not only to check out the new digs, but because Kid Cudi generally surprised us with how enjoyable his set was. Kid Cudi brought great rhythms, witty lyrics and a spectacular light show. We can see why he was selected to round out the last night of Perry’s 3-day party. He sent us off into the night, amped up for the return of Lollapalooza in 2012.

Check back to PopWreckoning.com for more Lollapalooza recaps, interviews and photo. See coverage from Friday here and Saturday here.

Saturday at Lollapalooza starts with just as much mental excitement, but unfortunately, the body is already starting to feel a bit drained from the long hours and lots of walking.

When PopWreckoning arrived from our train stop, we could hear Walk the Moon from across park, but unfortunately resigned ourselves to being unable to hobble over in time. Instead, we began with Aussie duo An Horse at the Google+ Stage. We’ve seen these guys before and we’re continually impressed by their full sound for just being a drummer and a singer with a guitar. Plus singer Kate Cooper is a force unto herself. That girl can belt.

From two to at least thirteen, the next act we caught was a big change up from An Horse. Portland’s Typhoon quickly became our favorite discovery at Lollapalooza. This ensemble had brass, strings, multiple guitarist and percussionists. They knew how to build-up a song and they knew how to have fun. Put these charming chamber folk musicians on your radar.

We really changed things up as we returned to a group with fewer members and switched out the folk sounds for electronic synthesized ones. Phantogram got us to dance over by the Sony Stage. The group sparsely uses lyrics, so the focus is all on the sounds and the beats they drop.

But we never stay in one spot too long, much like the singer of the next act we caught: Friendly Fires. Singer Ed MacFarlane is one entertaining fellow. He danced as he sang and though the stage was at least 20 feet above the audience, but he jumped down and surfed through the crowd. The rest of the band was pretty content staying out of the crowd and instead focused on delivering a tightly played set. The rhythms dropped by drummer Jack Savidge especially impressed because without those beats, none of the tropical dancing would be possible.

We had some interviews to conduct (which will be posted on PopWreckoning.com soon), so we had to miss Fitz and the Tantrums‘ Lolla set. But we did overhear their jazzy waves all the way in the press area and it sounds like they did two great covers (“Sweet Dreams” and “Steady as She Goes”) that might be worth youtubeing.

After we finished interviewing, we worked our way to the young up-and-comers DOM, and overheard a raucous party over at the tail end of the Black Lips‘ set. A lot of those Black Lips fans must have worked their way over to DOM because that stage was just as much of a party as the young group really embraced the rock and roll aesthetic of their synth indie rock.

Just across the way, another synth indie rock act was performing a very different type of music. Denver’s Chain Gang of 1974 mixes a lot of different elements into its brand of rock – from American rock to some global influences most noteworthy in the percussion and then a bit of glam dance thrown in.

From here we went to see one of the most anticipated sets of the festival: Death From Above 1979. The newly reunited duo had one of the largest daytime crowds. One donned white and the other embraced black clothes – their appearance reflected the duality of their music – the tug and war of the drums and guitar perfectly balanced out. For a group that’s been away from the stage for some time, you wouldn’t know it from their performance. They were tight and energetic and dripped with passion. From this performance, it was easy to see why DFA has influenced so many other acts to follow.

As cool as the classic acts are at Lolla, we also love checking out the newer ones. Patrick Stump then Ellie Goulding were next on our agenda. Patrick Stump is a popular Chicago son, having built a fanbase with his previous act Fall Out Boy. Now he’s gone R&B, which is well suited for his voice, but it looks like his new backing band has some kinks to work out. The band let stress show through when they were hit with a few technical difficulties. Ellie Goulding is a British singer that many first started hearing about when she performed for the Royal Wedding. We’re kind of on the fence about her. Her original pop songs are great and catchy, but she can do some atrocious covers – particularly her sloppy cover of Elton John’s “Your Song.”

Another new act we caught was the Pretty Reckless. This is the project that has taken Taylor Momsen from the acting stage and onto the music stage. It seems she likes the spotlight more here because she’s given up her role on Gossip Girl to focus on her band. The Pretty Reckless is a glam rock group, but honestly, Taylor’s outfit held our attention more so than the music. Taylor was wearing a very strappy mini-dress that didn’t leave too much too the imagination, but it also did a good job embracing the rockstar image she is working to exude. We just didn’t care for the strained vocals when she goes into a louder rock passage. The girl can sing and it is evident at times, but the attempt to reach for rock isn’t quite effortless yet.

The next band we saw didn’t even bother with singing. Beats Antique blew us away with their instrumental music and belly dancing show. Big drums, strings – this was a great introduction to global music for people who had previously only thought they were cultured after watching one single Bollywood film. The trio’s dancer kept eyes transfixed on her fusion of belly dancing, ballet and jazz. By song two, she amazed yet again by picking up a big bass drum. This is an act that should be seen live if you ever have the chance.

Lykke Li kept us dancing, but more in that ‘sway along to the pleasant music’ type of dancing. Lykke Li had this mystical air about her enhanced by her trash bag like outfit. She was good, but didn’t hook us quite as much as the amazing Beats Antique performance prior.

Just when we thought our feet would give out beneath us, we were hit by a fresh wave of energy at the thought of it being headliner time. We began with My Morning Jacket who delivered one of their best sets yet: 2 hours of solid entertainment from these indie rockers. Jim James had brought his A-game, sporting a special voice box on his chest and practically prowling about the stage. Across the park, Eminem also brought his A-game. Even if you’re like us and rap isn’t your thing, Eminem delivered an entertaining superstar set. He had passion, impeccable timing, charisma and some amazing visuals. The videos during his set were just as entertaining as he was. But one of the greatest highlights was the surprise appearance of singer/guitarist Bruno Mars. It was a fantastic surprise to hear some of the guest vocals performed live instead of listening to pre-recorded tracks.

The last band that we were most excited about was Beirut. The brass-loving French band doesn’t tour the states to often, but with a new album about to drop, this was our chance to see one of our favorite indie acts live at last. This was almost as enriching as seeing a full orchestra live – french horn, tuba, trombone and more – the songs were beautiful, haunting and a great way to send us off into the dark Chicago night.

Check back to PopWreckoning.com for more Lollapalooza recaps, interviews and photo and see coverage from Friday here.

This year, Lollapalooza promised a bigger and better event than past years. The three day festival brought back some classic artists (Big Audio Dynamite, The Cars) and introduced some great new artists (Typhoon, Reptar) to the thousands massed in Grant Park for the music festivals 20th anniversary celebration.

Now nothing says celebration like cake, so to help kick things off, the Charm City Cakes crew, aka Ace of Cakes, unveiled a very special moving treat. The fondant masterpiece had little bands, cassette tapes and the classic Lolla sign. And yes, Charm City’s cakes taste just as good as they look on TV.

The festival officially kicks off with the traditional blasting of the Star Wars theme. As the triumphant ‘dun dun dun duuun’ sounded the opening of the gates, music lovers poured through the gates and excitedly rushed to one of the many stages sporting bands.

The London indie rockers the Vaccines were playing some catchy hooks as PopWreckoning made our way out of the press area and over the nicely shaded Google+ Stage for husband and wife act, Tennis. The Denver couple was joined by a friend to help round out their charming sound. They played saccharine indie pop tunes and were like a fresh breeze to the hot air. Alaina Moore’s light and airy vocals were an especially nice compliment to the piano, as was the group’s neverending supply of smiles.

After the relaxing set from Tennis eased us into the festival, we finally felt ready to dance and worked our way to the Sony Stage. The Naked and Famous perform catchy synth pop tunes – think Passion Pit, but with a female and male singer as opposed to just a male singer who can sound like a female. The Naked and Famous have great chemistry on stage and sound even better live than they do on album.

With “Punching in a Dream” stuck in our heads, we parted Sony to return to the Google+ to experience Reptar, and what an experience they were. If you couldn’t guess from the Rugrats’ inspired name, Reptar is a little quirky…for example, one of the guys was wearing a blue, ankle-length leotard. Their music matches their fun personalities and with their drumming patterns, they sound a bit like Vampire Weekend. Tiny little bells added a great percussive layer too.

Then the amazingly talented Grace Potter and the Nocturnals pulled us to the BudLight Stage, where Potter’s soulful singing kept everyone transfixed. Two tigers adorned the band’s amps and as we watched the frontwoman move about the stage in a flapper-esque dress, we could help but think that she was like a tiger on the prowl with her own might roar.

The ever increasingly popular Foster the People played across the park on the Sony stage. One of the largest crowds of the day had gathered to hear the ubiquitous “Pumped Up Kicks,” among other tunes.

Synth pop/rock kept us busy through the next few acts. White Lies entertained on the Music Unlimited Stage, gleefully smiling at the audience gathered. Question: did someone lose a suitcase on the way to the festival? Three of the members were matching in all white, while the other members were not. Regardless of the peculiarity in fashion decision, the band’s music was the focus and what hooked us in. Fans of the Killers will instantly love this band’s music, whose vocals and synth patterns are of similar fashion.

Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club also played synth pop/rock, but while White Lies was slower, more reflective musings, Two Door Cinema Club played amped up songs that got people in a dancing frenzy. The band quipped about the effect of playing in the Midwest sun with their fair Irish skin, but the heat didn’t seem to faze them. They were energetic as they passed guitar riffs and vocal lines back and forth amongst members.

Lollapalooza has its share of local Chicago acts and one of the most buzzed about ones was Black Cards, a project featuring former Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. Here, Pete steps away from the bass and back behind a DJ table. Bebe Rexha sings over the tracks he spins, while Spencer Peterson drops a beat. Some slightly stripperish dancers joined on stage, but we were more intrigued by the prowling male dancer who popped some moves than the girls that were all up on the monitors. Pete doesn’t spend very much time spinning from back behind the DJ table. Cheerleader might be a better description for what he was doing – yelling “put your hands up,” crowdsurfing and throwing toilet paper at the crowd. This was definitely an interesting set to watch, but we’re not sure we’re sold on the musical aspect of it.

Speaking of musical aspect, Tinie Tempah surprised with a much more rocking set than we thought it would be. Rap/hip hop isn’t usually our thing, but with a live drummer, bassist, etc Tinie Tempah’s set delivered a lot more musicality than we ever expected. We wish we could have stayed longer, but we had to get over to our favorite Midwest indie rocker’s set.

Bright Eyes has already been impressing on this year’s festival rounds. The Omaha alternative folk rock act performed with an enthusiasm that was absent from Bright Eyes shows of the past. This refreshed take on the songs was evident from the get-go, when the group started with “Four Winds.”Additionally, frontman Conor Oberst has grown a lot more confident over the years and this really shows in his performance.

“Jar of Hearts” has been everywhere on the radio, so even though it hasn’t appealed to us on that format, we thought it might be a good idea to check out rising star Christina Perri on the BMI Stage. Perri and her backing band ended up being a pleasant surprise – their other songs are a lot catchier and more upbeat than the single “Jar of Hearts.” We were hooked on Perri’s effervescent piano playing. Now, just maybe, we might think twice before changing the dial when “Jar of Hearts” comes on the radio.

Crystal Castles didn’t want any photographs taken of them, which actually ended up being for the better. The groups loud and eccentric electronica/rock songs meant we wanted to be free to dance around. Though it had already been a long day, everyone seemed to find a wave of new energy for this set and those that couldn’t spare the effort to dance stood transfixed on the antics of the act’s bold frontwoman.
When it came time for the headliners, Coldplay and Muse, both ends of the venue spouted fireworks. As excited as we were to see Coldplay and hear the new material they had been working on, we found it a bit hard to stay interested in their set. They sounded fine and were playing lots of the hit singles – “Yellow,” “Lost,” etc – but Muse was way too enthralling from even a mile away. Their laser show was lighting up the night sky, so we  soon moved on from Coldplay back toward their direction. On the way, we stopped at Google+ for instrumental duo Ratatat. They had a bit of a wild video and light show going on in their own little area of Grant Park and we enjoyed dancing and watching their bizarre chicken videos before finishing the walk to Muse.

Muse knows how to headline. They pulled out all the stops and performed lots of singles, spanning their entire catalogue, complete with big guitar solos and lots of wild lights. This band is easily one of the best live rock groups still performing and their live show is one not to be missed. They were the perfect ending to the first night of the festival.

Check back to PopWreckoning.com for more Lollapalooza recaps, interviews and photos…

Sunday started in the same place it would end, at the Vera stage, with a fantastic local band. As I entered the ground, I could hear Land of Pines soundchecking and immediately got excited. Land of Pines are one of the most promising bands I’ve seen lately, and their set was eagerly anticipated. They closed their set with a couple new songs that were especially enticing. These songs were noisier, and less pop orientated than older stuff and sounded excellent.

Following that set was another Main Stage act, My Goodness. They were one of two local bands playing that day I had been meaning to see for a while, but had somehow missed. This duo played bluesy rock reminiscent of The White Stripes, but with much bigger balls. They tore through their songs in a manner that ignited the crowd. It was all very exciting.

After that set I wandered around for a while enjoying the glories of Block Party, before heading to Neumo’s for the other local band I had been meaning to see, Campfire OK. http://campfireok.com/ They play a mix of folk and indie pop that is instantly intriguing. It’s a little dark, very orchestral and incredibly well played. Their new album Strange Like We Are is going to be in heavy rotation for a while. It’s kind of epic.

Headed back into the sun it was time for beloved  instrumental act Battles on the main stage. Battles were furious and noisy, with an electronic precision that the crowd responded well to. This was obviously a day to hear stuff I had ignored. The most recent Battles record Gloss Drop has been talked about quite a bit, and it was good to see why.

Over to the Vera Stage it was time for Lake. Lake sound very precious on their new album Giving and Receiving, and it was hard to gauge how they would sound live. They sound a bit like a less electronic Stereolab, if you need a reference. Luckily, they played well, and I’m convinced that I’ll be listening to their music for a long time.

Closing things out for me, were Grand Hallway, again on the Vera stage. I can’t get enough of this band, and see them every chance. They play fantastic orchestral pop that seems to get better every time I see they play. The hometown crowd was very receptive, and was definitely there for this band.

I walked away with their songs still echoing in my head, sad to see the weekend gone. I was totally exhausted, but filled with joy. I’m already anticipating Block Party next year. It’s only once a year I get to see my neighborhood taken over in such a magnificent way.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I had my doubts about Kanrocksas when I received the email regarding the press conference to announce the festival’s lineup. “A festival held at Kansas Speedway,” I thought to myself “will no doubt be a bunch a metal bands.”

Man was I was wrong. Offering a lineup featuring servings from some of the best bands in the world, Kanrocksas was the real deal and had landed right in my backyard. So, as I drove under the speedway into the VIP to catch the day’s first band, I felt as excited as I had for a festival in years. I parked, slid into the media center briefly, then bolted for my first band.

UME:

You know that groggy feeling that you sometimes will get when you wake up early for work on a day following a long night? You fumble to collect your clothes, somewhat unsuccessfully, gathering whatever laundry has pooled in piles on the floor of your bedroom. Skipping the shower, you rush to your neighborhood gas station to grab a red bull to supply whatever energy you can muster up to kick off the day.

In terms of the first annual Kanrocksas Music Festival, UME was that red bull. Taking stage early, these Austin, Texas firecrackers kicked open the door for what would be a great first day, with an energy and poise that left many bands standing in their shadow.

Rocking kind of a Jeckle and Hyde image, Lauren Larson sound checks and speaks in a shy and sheepish manner, before exploding into a large energetic ball of chaos. Sporting a great 1990′s sound, complete with swirling guitar and raspy snarling vocals, UME’s stage show is unquestionably worth mentioning. Their set left a thumbprint on me that would last the whole day, as they showed up several bands lower on the bill. I expect huge things from this band and will be disappointed if the world offers them anything less.

Fitz and the Tantrums:

There is no questioning the fact that the chemistry between Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs is real. While watching this band, every line of every song seems to be a tip of the hat to the passion that these two share for both each other and for music.

With a jazzy retro sound and soul train moves, Fitz and the Tantrums plowed through a stellar set, which included covers “Steady as She Goes” by The Raconteurs (corrected at 11:46 p.m. 8/7/2011) and “Sweet Dreams” by Annie Lennox. As if that were not enough to please, their crowd interactive set lit the Kanrocksas crew up, causing a stir I hadn’t expected in the 192 degree weather. Dancing and grinding around the pit area of the speedway, one would have to assume those in attendance put their complaints of sunburns and dehydration on hold, trading them for a prom dance throwback.

A stellar set from a stellar band.    

D12:

Sadly, my streak of sets that captured my heart would stall right there. D12 seemed rack with technical difficulties and lackluster efforts in front of roughly 2,000 viewers, the group honestly serves as my biggest disappointment of Kanrocksas. Having seen D12 before (when I was like, 16) I remembered them as a high energy, wicked funny rap group, slightly out of place at Warped Tour. However, I also remember walking away both impressed and stunned enough to grab their albums off the shelves. Sadly, the D12 on stage at Kanrocksas was not the D12 I remembered loving. Flowing over beats that seemed misguided and somewhat sloppy, the set simply flopped.

However, that would not stop a large mass of fans to sit, hopeful to catch an early glimpse of Eminem. They would in the end walk away empty handed.

Jack’s Mannequin:

I was of the small percentage of journalists who skipped Arctic Monkeys set to catch former Something Corporate front man Andrew McMahon’s newish project Jack’s Mannequin. Having always been a fan of his emotional performances and energetic stage presence, I figured I would no doubt find a bit of recovery from D12′s lackluster set.

Without a doubt, I was. Busting out old favorites and premiering new singles Jack’s Mannequin left nothing to be desired. Shifting, twitching and switching between two mics, McMahon ran the gambit of emotional content, ranging from cancer, coming to age and coming to terms with breakups.

While I’m sure some people would question my choice to skip Arctic Monkeys for a band that causes 16 year old fangirls to crowd the stage with “I fucking love you Andrew” signs, I have no regrets with my decision based on one solid fact: Andrew McManon is truly the nicest man in music. That should always be supported.

Regardless, for those who desire them, here are Scott’s Arctic Monkey’s Photos:

Check out Kanrocksas: Day One, Part Two featuring  Kid Cudi, Ween, Bassnectar, Flaming Lips and Eminem soon!

Saturday started with a KEXP set, this time by Handsome Furs, who would later headline the main stage. Even though it was much shorter, I enjoyed them much more in the Bean Room than I did on the Main Stage. The room was empty, less than fifty people, which meant they connected better.

Handsome Furs are an incredible live band. Dan Boeckner and his wife Alexi Perry have incredible chemistry which was fantastic to watch. Boeckner got into the crowd near the end of the set, and it was obvious that he was completely energized. The four songs they played were off their recent album Sound Kapital. Read my review of it here, and then go out And buy it.

After that set, a tip at a bar led me to Neumos to see local band Lovesick Empire. http://www.myspace.com/lovesickempire It was to be a weekend of local bands. This was great because Seattle has an amazing scene, and Block Party was set up to showcase a good number of them.

Lovesick Empire play bluesy stuff with something of a dirgey edge. They were spectacularly loud, and fun to watch. Their song “Something In My Blood” is a new favorite, and they are one of many local acts I look forward to seeing again. Pure blooded rock n roll at it’s finest.

Next up was another local band, Fences. I love their debut self-titled album like water, and was looking forward to seeing them again after a year and half of blown opportunities. The one time I had seen Christopher Mansfield and gang was November 2009, opening for Vic Chestnutt.  The band seems to have matured since then, and each song they played hit the speakers like a massive pop hit. The crowd seemed ecstatic, and it was a great set. Singing along to the song “Sadie” with the “it’s really getting old, kid” refrain was a highlight of the weekend.

Then it was back to Neumos, and out of the heat for The Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger’s solo set. Supporting her debut solo album Last Summer it was interesting to see her play alone. Most of the songs came from the solo album, which is great. It’s worth hearing, especially for Fiery Furnaces fans. Most FF albums are hard to get a grip on, and this one is no different. It’s strange, and cathartic, and full of great stories, some of which Freidberger told that afternoon.

Leaving Neumos, and walking to the Vera stage was an experience in itself.  It was wonderful to wade through the crowds. Block Party is hot and sticky, but there is joy to be found in every corner.

When I got to the Vera stage it was time for one of my most anticipated acts of the weekend, Portland’s Lovers, and they did not disappoint. They played blissed out electro-pop, songs about love and sadness. The guy standing next to me danced like a maniac, which encouraged me to do the same. Love poured through the crowd, and it filled me for the rest of the night.

Cold Cave’s set at Neumos later was dark and ambient in all the right ways. The band have an intense following that packed the room, and crowded the stage. Their mix of gothic electronic well fit well with the fog machines, and it seemed as if every single person in the crowd was dressed in black.

From Neumos, it was to the Main Stage for the show that everyone at Block Party seemed to be talking about, TV on the Radio. They owned the festival that night. The crowd packed the grounds, and TVOTR expressed the feeling of greatness is what Block Party is all about. Great people, great music. It was a fantastic, and I headed to the gates, I was sad to see the day go but I was also ecstatic for the next day.

Block Party is beautiful. Every little thing about it is absolutely fantastic. From security yelling at people to get off the sidewalks, and into the streets, to the endless cacophony of music coming from every direction, it’s all wonderful.

The day started off with a short set by Fucked Up, broadcast by KEXP. There is a lot to be said about Fucked Up, but we’ll get there in a moment. For now, here’s a photo of me with Damian, the singer of the band. Yes, I asked him to take his shirt off for the photo.

Next up, was another KEXP set, this time by beloved Seattle band The Head and the Heart. I hadn’t listened to them up to this point, but I wasn’t going to miss them this time.

It has to be said that the band has an absolutely fanatic following.  The Bean Room reached capacity about fifteen minutes before the set, and there were people milling around in anticipation two hours before they were scheduled to play.  Are they worth the hype?

That depends on taste, but I definitely saw something intriguing in their short set. The band plays enjoyable acoustic music, and I saw enough to understand what the fuss is about. I’ll be watching The Head and the Heart more closely in the future.

Next, it was over to Neumo’s to stand in line for the bathrooms, and to see New York’s Cults. Cults sort of sound like twee pop filtered through Joy Division. The strobe lights hit, the band took the stage, and the sound of dark dance music filtered through the room.

Lead singer Madeline Follin came off something like a Gwen Stefani for the goth set, but the band had a sense of joy around it.  A beach ball hit the stage at least a dozen times during the set, and the crowd seemed extremely happy to be there. The music had plenty of fantastic distortion, and people danced like they were on fire. It was a great show, and up next was the highlight of the evening.

Fucked Up tore the roof off Neumos, in a way that’s rarely seen. The band was noisy, but played extremely well together, even though from the balcony the songs were often indistinguishable from one another. That didn’t matter. Two dozen stage divers cannot be argued with.

Singer Damian Abraham led the crowd in a sweaty, raucous, mess that was absolutely astonishing to witness. At one point he lead the crowd into chanting “I hate summer” during one song, and into “we’re dying on the inside” during the next. It was beautiful. He took off his shirt, and began twirling his microphone during the first song, and the energy did waver for a solid forty-five minutes.

This was punk rock at it’s purest.  Not only did Abraham stage dive but so did one of the guitar players, and the (female) bass player. The latter two did so while they continued playing. The crowd was putty in Abraham’s hands, even when he dove into the crowd during the second to last song, and went to the bar to get a drink.  This kind of ballsy awesomeness is so rarely seen at shows. It was breathtaking to behold, and I cannot wait to see this band again.

After Fucked Up, complete exhaustion set in, but I stayed around for Yuck. The band set up, and by their second song the crowd was enthralled. They played a set of slacker rock that made one nostalgic for the mid-90’s, when bands like Pavement were in their prime.

The set ended, and I struggled my way through the crowd, into the street, and through an exhilarated, completely transformed Capitol Hill. It’s 1 a.m., and I can still hear the drunks partying in the streets from my living room window.

It’s Lollapalooza‘s 20th anniversary and as we’re packing our bags to spend the weekend in Chicago’s Grant Park, here are 20 things that we’re most anticipating for Lollapalooza‘s 20th:

20. Grant Park. The park is beautiful and great place to visit even without a festival going. The long stretch of land is right next to Lake Michigan and wedged next to the Chicago skyline.

19. The artwork. Every year Lolla has some amazing sculptures setting a theme for the park and they always invite talented artists to design the official posters. We can’t wait to see what decorations will be set up this year.

18. Sold out. Ok, so some people may not be excited about this, but we love that over 200,000+ people are about to electrify the atmosphere with their excitement over the fest.

17. The Green Initiative. Volunteers go around picking up trash and collecting recyclables. There’s even a section of the venue that rewards you for turning in collected trash. Even water containers have been specially ordered to reduce Lolla’s carbon footprint.

16. The volunteers. A lot of this wouldn’t be possible without them, so be sure to thank them if you see them in their t-shirts giving out instructions or cleaning up somewhere around the park.

15. Cool down centers. It’s one of the hottest summers on record, but Lolla is kind enough to set up spray hoses and air conditioned buses.

14. Chicago tourist spots. A lot of Lolla attendees are from out of town, so this is a great opportunity to check out the Bean or Shedd Aquarium for the first time…or second…or 90 millionith. Chicago tourist spots are pretty amazing.

13. Free gear. Visit some of the radio station tents for cool gear and a chance to sit in the shade. Last year we got some great Lolla bandanas and paper fans that helped protect us from the sun.

12. Food. Chicago has some great spots to eat – hello deep dish pizza, but you don’t even have to leave the fest to grab a great meal. Be sure to stop by Chowtown where they have your standard fried festival fare, but also some great healthy options.

11. Veggie-friendly. Speaking of food, vegans and vegetarians are taken care of in Chowtown. There are plenty of options for everyone. Another reason why Lolla is awesome.

10. Kidzapalooza. Lolla really does think of everyone. With Kidzapalooza, people of all ages are able to have a great time at the fest. There are games and family friendly music that is special for the kids, but still enjoyable for parents.

9. Special guests. Lots of musicians are friends, so you never know who might pop up during another person’s set. A few years ago, Slash surprised everyone. This year, we’re keeping an eye on Black Cards and Patrick Stump, former members of Fall Out Boy that are playing the fest.

8. Cover songs. Lolla artist little hurricane just released a cover song and you can bet that plenty of artists have their own goodie bags of covers. We’ll more than likely hear a few of these live.