popwreckoning

The bright and sunshiny Sunday at Bumbershoot started out with a great dose of explosive power pop with the Tripwires on the Starbucks stage.

This “supergroup” is comprised of locals Mark Pickerel, John Ramberg and brothers Jim and Johnny Sangster- powerpop names that are familiar to anyone who has payed attention to the Pacific Northwest music scene over the past two decades. Harkening back to British new wave sound, and an incredibly similar sound to Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band and Thieving Irons, they possess an uncanny talent of wooing any audience they come across with no exceptions.

The show was incredibly sweet and sultry, a great morning opener as they played to a crowd sprawled out on sun-dappled grass in front of the Mural Amphitheater, the stage renamed as the Starbucks stage for the festival. Crooning out lyrics and beats that were subtly filled with pop and rock, they played fan favorites like “Big Electric Light” and “Another Planet Now,” attracting the proverbial “hippy crowd” to the grass as well.

If you haven’t heard of them, they are definitely worth checking out on a sunshine filled afternoon with a nice cup of coffee and a comfy chair. They resonated with such a diverse group of people that I think they honestly are a band for almost anyone. Give them a shot and check out their new album that should be announced here shortly!

Check them out here at http://www.thetripwires.com/

As the sun started setting over Puget Sound, Friday night at Bumbershoot 2010 was in full swing. See Me River, led by frontman Kerry Zettel, rocked Sky Church with a new sound for the day, some amazing creepy folky rock sound, backed by a very in-your-face vibe.

Almost dark in its connotations, the soaring baritone harmony couples with angsty chords and almost angry sounding drum beats. This very intense paradigm is accompanied by glockenspiel, shotgun blasts, cheese graters, and autoharps, rounding out an almost invincible feeling that projects into the crowd as an unstoppable force. Playing favorites off their second release, Time Machine, the pure gravity of the tracks hits you like a ton of bricks- and has you climbing out of the rubble for more.

Definitely one of my favorite bands of the festival, they build upon layers during their show until they rise and their sound fills the room unabashedly, without apology and unrestrained. It’s definitely art of the best kind, and local to boot. A great band to keep an eye out for in a city near you, as well as their next up and coming album.

Check them out at http://seemeriver.com/

Despite my coverage of their act on the ‘Bout Damn Time Tour earlier this year, I decided to check out local Emerald City boys, This Providence. Hailing from Bothell, just a short distance away from the Center, the band looked right at home on the Center Square Stage.

These guys are always amazing live- that never changes. Unfortunately, neither does their show. It was great for long time fans to catch them playing favorites such as “My Beautiful Rescue” and “That Girl’s a Trick,” but also brought a lot of murmuring and dissent from the same group of fans. These were songs that were recorded YEARS ago and were just rereleased as remastered tracks on the Who Are You Now? album in 2009. However, everyone is asking for new material, a new show, something besides bassist David Blaise just cutting his hair.

I’m not saying that these guys did not put on one hell of a show- because that would be downright lying. They are a great group of musicians, a great group to see live, and play some damn amazing music. But frankly, at this point, if you have seen them once, you have seen them. Period.

Keep your eyes peeled for a new single, album, or other news here at PopWreckoning.

Check them out at http://www.thisprovidence.com/

Figuring it was time to mellow out a little bit, I headed over to the State Farm Stage, just in time to catch Budos Band. While I am not usually a fan of the instrumental easy-listening genre, I was mildly intrigued, to say the least.

Fluctuating from ten to thirteen members at any given time, Budos Band is self-described as “Afro-Punk.” Mixing both soul and funk together, with an undercurrent of their Ethiopian influences, they add in nontraditional instruments for festivals such as these with more traditional instruments like their incredibly beautiful baritone saxophone. Combining all of these together creates a very funky sound that would just be ruined by the addition of a vocalist.

Reminiscent of Parliament Funkadelic with a hint of jazz thrown in, these guys seriously rocked the stage overlooking the Fisher Green here at the Center. Making the crowd dance and having a blast, they were the perfect mid-afternoon break between the general vibe of the festival and a great promise of what was to come later in the evening.

Check them out at http://thebudos.com/

After wandering around the festival for a bit, I headed back to the EMP Sky Church. The theme for the stage, sponsored by local indie station KEXP, was local music. I wandered back in time to catch Feral Children, a hauntingly beautiful psychedelic electronic experience based right here in the Emerald City.

While shooting Capitol Hill Block Party, there was a lot of hype about these guys. I was super excited to get to catch them this time around and I have to say, they were pretty damn amazing. Rockin’ tunes off their newest album, Brand New Blood, Feral Children exhibited one of the best live sounds that I have heard in a long while.

Pushing the local stereotypes, you can tell that the thought of actually living in Seattle does not really appeal to these boys from neighboring Maple Valley. The haunting memories of the past and their old day jobs leak into their incredibly primal sound, marking them as dysfunctional and isolated- truly a band that just wants to make music their own way.

Besides their almost fearless sound, these guys make some great tunage. Playing crowd favorites and some newer tunes as well, they definitely are pretty amazing live (and coincidentally their albums are scarily accurate to their actual live sound as well). They played everything from teeth-achingly beats to bittersweet haunting melodies that make you want to abandon your home and run away with them, just for fear of your heart exploding otherwise. Truly a remarkable local band and incredible live act, and by far one of my favorite discoveries of Bumbershoot.

Check them out here at http://www.myspace.com/feralchildrenseattle

Kicking off my Saturday at Bumbershoot was Parlour Steps at the EMP Sky Church. Paired with the incredibly rare beautiful sunny day outside was this melodic rock sensation, hailing from nearby Vancouver in the pretty darn epic Sky Church, one of my absolute favorite venues in Seattle.

The acoustics were perfect for frontman Chris Strull’s dreamy lyrics, and incredibly rich arrangements mixed with breathtakingly beautiful harmonies to produce this unique sound that had the crowd dancing and singing along. Take a big dose of pop, a small helping of country, a tiny pinch of big band, and some ingenious planning, and you get singles like “Little Pieces,” my personal favorite of their set.

Vaguely reminiscent of Loch Lamond from neighboring Portland and Barefoot Beware from the UK, Parlour Steps still brings out their own signature sound with their own brand of dreamy pop-rock – and definitely a band to check out. Add them to your rainy day playlist, and I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

Check them out at http://www.parloursteps.com/

One of PopWreckoning’s favorite acts at Lollapalooza 2010 was Jukebox the Ghost. Check out a video from this D.C. act’s Lolla after show performance at the Bottom Lounge.

Sunday nature battled itself giving us both the coldest and hottest day of Lollapalooza. But there was still music to be heard! So a poncho-packed crowd stumbled through the mud to start their day dancing to “USA Boys,” with HEALTH. As the guys thrashed about the stage with the guitar-driven dance rock, my only thought was that they should have had one of the prime evening spots like similar acts in Cut Copy and Hot Chip. I couldn’t believe they were stuck in one of the earliest sets of the day. Not with how good they are and how popular I thought they were. I’m sure everyone has at least heard one of their remixes at one time or another.

I picked my way past puddles to Perry’s where Team Bayside High was getting ready for their DJ set. I have to give the kids at Perry’s props: the rain seemed to peak during this set, but it didn’t kill their dance buzz for a second. It helped that the DJ duo in Team Bayside High really knew how to interact with the crowd and get them amped up. There wasn’t a single mix that they played that slowed them down too much or killed the mood. As they smoothly went from Franz Ferdinand to a Mario theme, I could see why these guys were asked to play a permanent residence at Rehab in Chicago: they were diverse and fun. For a special treat at the end of their set, Moneypenny‘s Jess joined them to sing her part live on their new single “Party Professionals.” You can actually download the track free at Team Bayside’s site. (We also did an interview with Team Bayside High, so check back to PopWreckoning soon for more from these guys.)

Having seen many of the next acts several times before, I walked past Company of Thieves as their female singer belted out Oscar Wilde refrences, past the Dodos’ percussion heavy set that features a bowed vibraphone and ended up at the Hard Rock Hotel for lunch.

The place was more packed than it had been for the entire weekend. I set off to to investigate what was going on. Turns out one of the larger lobbys had been completely closed off as a “special VIP” had requested privacy while getting a new tattoo. So I went into the cafe to eat and enjoy some hip hop music from Chiddy Bang. Hip hop isn’t usually my thing because I’m a lyric gal and often times the lyrics are offensive, dumb or just downright vulgar. I didn’t have this problem with Chiddy Bang and actually found it witty. I particularly liked that there was a live drummer and not just pre-recorded backing tracks for the performance.

After the performance, I ventured back up to the closed lounge, which was still closed. I was about to ask a girl standing next to me if she knew what was going on, but a beefy, tall man ushered her out of the lobby just as I opened my mouth. Turns out that girl was Hayden Panettiere – you know, from Heroes, Remember the Titans, etc? And it also turns out that she was the “special VIP” who had shut down the room for her new tatt. I guess the cast of Scream 4 had come down to Lolla from filming in Michigan. A part of me wishes I had realized who she was sooner, but I’m also glad I didn’t. That’s kind of the cool thing about Lolla. Actors and musicians are just walking around. You never know who you’re going to rub shoulders with, but at that fest, we’re all equals. We’re all music lovers.

So, since I am such a big music lover, it was time to take my leave of the Hard Rock and head back to the fest for some more bands. Only this time, instead of walking back, I took the Vitamin Water Bus back. This was kind of a cool thing set up where you could relax, rehydrate and enjoy some DJ music going back and forth between the Hard Rock and the fest. I wish I had thought to use it sooner!

I continued my love of watching bands that make you dance by checking out Hockey, who started with “Song Away,” played a few new songs before amping people up with “Work” and “Too Fake.” This set was a lot tighter than their technical-difficulty filled set from the year before. After that I went over to Yeasayer.

If you should know anything about me, it’s that I’m always feeling Yeasayer: multiple vocals, big guitars, lots of synth and even bigger drums. Plus you can dance! What’s not to love? “O.N.E.” got people to stand up and dance through a majority of the set, but it was really “Ambling Alp,” that drove home their awesomeness as a set closer. As I turned to watched MUTEMATH on a neighboring stage, I couldn’t help, but feel a bit bored after the great set that Yeasayer had just delivered.

Fortunately, Frightened Rabbit restored my faith that there was still awesome after Yeasayer. They’re completely different from that dance rock sound and pretty much straight up indie rock. It’s the cool Scottish accents and sweet harmonies that make this band stand out.

But I couldn’t stay there long. I needed to see the shit show that would be Erykah Badu and a shit show it was. Blonde hair and a hideous green dress that no one in the world could pull off. And let’s be honest – her music is uninspired, so we all just were gathered there to see what she would wear and what diva moves she’d pull. This was a clusterfuck, so I made it as long as I could before heading into media to grab some water.

In media, I got a special treat. Festival founder and lead singer in Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell, was making the rounds and greeting people. It was so cool to see the icon acting so down-to-earth, especially with how big his Lolla project has become.

I exited media in time to see a bunch of hair bouncing, hear surprisingly killer vocals yowling and watch as hands whizzed through Zepplin-inspired guitar riffs. This was Wolfmother and this was awesome. No, it isn’t something I’ll listen to the CD over and over for, but it is something I’d watch live again.

From here, it was indie rock hour on the other side of the venue. So I trekked over to see MGMT, The National and my most anticipated: Arcade Fire.

MGMT is one of those acts where I really, really, really love the singles, but feel ho hum about the rest of their music and even their live show. I’ve seen them a few times and was disappointed and bored. I wasn’t expecting much at Lolla, but they completely took me by surprise. I don’t know if people complained enough or what, but they were a changed live band. They talked to the audience, interacted, and offered up spots for the crowd to take over singing duties. They even had a frog puppet! It was bizarre and shockingly fun. And yes, songs from the new album did receive a more lukewarm reaction, but I was reeling from the overall change in the band, that I could care less about that. Nice work, MGMT. Maybe you do deserve your fame.

As people flocked to the National on the neighboring stage, I moved closer to a better a spot for Arcade Fire. Sounds of “Blood Buzz Ohio” buzzed in my ear, and as much as I like the National, it wasn’t long before their music became exactly that: just a buzz. Their songs started to sound the same, but it might have been that I was just antsy for Arcade Fire to start.

Oh, Arcade Fire. You, with your bajillion members and insane amounts of instruments from accordion to violins to brass and more. Can I join your band?

Before the fest, one of my friends tried to insult the Arcade Fire by calling them, “The indie world’s Coldplay.” In other words, they meant the band was wildly popular, but without any real merit. You have to understand, this same friend is driven crazy by Coldplay’s unwillingness to use more than three chords. After seeing them live, I can attest, that Arcade Fire is not overhyped. They deserve all the attention they get.

While fireworks went off for other headliners and light shows blinded, Arcade Fire settled on a simple video backdrop and relied only on their music to dazzle. They fittingly started with “Ready to Start” and from there it was just one great song after another. Everything was tightly performed with jubilation. For a moment, I forget my painful blisters and just let their complex instrumentations swallow me. Fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end Lollapalooza 2010. Sorry Soundgarden – Arcade Fire is where it was at this year.

Now who’s ready for 2011?

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Be sure to check out the rest of the Lollapalooza 2010 coverage on PopWreckoning.com. More posts and interviews!

The first day of Lollapalooza was basically goo goo for Gaga day. The line up was stacked with glam, synth-heavy, dance-loving bands leading up to the fashion icon’s performance and the crowd was packed of Lady Gaga wannabes. They could be found flooding performances by My Dear Disco and Semi Precious Weapons at the BMI Stage. Whipping it good to Devo and continuing the dance with Hot Chip before the queen’s own show.

However, though the blonde wigs and pleather jackets reigned supreme, there were still plenty of fans gathered rocking real leather jackets and tight black jeans, while they waited for their beloved the Strokes to reunite on the Budweiser stage. These were the fans that could be found singing along to “Dominoes” with the Big Pink or chilling on the lawn with the Black Keys. These were even the hipsters at Wavves and the Dirty Projectors.

And of course, you did have a smaller crowd that was prepared to bounce between both headliners.

For me, my day started with Chicago’s own BBU. I had flown in to Chicago from Kansas City and immediately hopped on a CTA train to drop my bags off where I was staying before heading to the fest. The train was packed and I was wedged between baseball and music fans. At one stop a large posse of people hopped on the train shouting, “Lolla, lolla, lolla.” They tried to get the train to join in. One of the women in the group laughed and shook her head, pretending to be embarrassed by the boys’ antics, but still having a great time. The group asked who was heading to the fest then revealed that they were BBU and that they’d be performing on the Perry’s Stage. Some older woman on the train, who had probably never listened to hip-hop before, asked what they sounded like and if they could sing for us. Guess what? They did. A very brief little rap before more chants of “Lolla!” It was fun, rather than annoying, to have the ride disrupted by this group and I was glad I got to have this unique introduction to a group that I probably would have otherwise skipped.

Eventually, I made it to my stop and dropped my bags off at my friends. Then it was immediately back on the train to ride to Monroe and the fest. Train delays, and then a ridiculously long walk to the press check-in meant that I missed more morning acts (These United States, Wavves, Javelin, Foxy Shazam, etc) than I would have liked and my feet were already sore before even walking to a single stage. I booked it to catch the tale end of the pop rock piano tunes of Jukebox the Ghost. The DC-trio plays songs that I think puts Ben Folds to shame. I stuck around waiting on My Dear Disco to take over after them on the BMI Stage. I had just spoken to the group the day before, and was excited to see that their music lived up to my expectations: unique instrumentations to craft fun dance songs that got the crowd moving despite the heat.

I then went on a trek down to the Hard Rock Hotel to grab a tasty bite to eat and a few drinks, while enjoying an acoustic set from the Constellations. This was the perfectly blend of jazz, blues and rock to accompany my meal. All the vocals blended together perfectly and single “Felicia,” was so upbeat and catchy, that I completely forgot my veggie wrap because I was so absorbed. After their set, I explored the rest of the music lounge. People were getting tattoos, enjoying DJs, getting massages, and having their hair-styled. It was a pretty sweet set up, but there was still plenty of music to be heard back at Grant Park.

Perhaps the most talked about incident of the day happened about midway through Friday. Gaga tour mates Semi Precious Weapons were owning the BMI Stage when the headliner herself joined them on stage. She did some impromptu drumming and singing, a little provocative dancing and then ended with a stage dive into the crowd. Insane! It was a great treat for the smaller crowd gathered there while the indie kids were listening to Neko Case sing with the New Pornographers and a little bit of an older crowd broke out their dome hats with Devo.

For me, the highlight of my day was the BMI Stage, but it was the performance of Neon Trees that I thought was the best. These guys are poised for success with their easily accessible songs perfectly crafted for singing and clapping along. Tyler, the lead singer, knows how to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand – or even the claw of his hand. He really takes the single, “Animal,” to heart and rawrs and claws at the audience. The band has the added perk that it not only sounds a bit like The Killers, but it also was discovered by the Killers.

Since I’ve seen the Black Keys multiple times this summer I excitedly ran over to watch Hot Chip. Fully ready to dance, I was a bit disappointed with the performance. Sure, Hot Chip played the singles and songs you wanted and yeah, it was cool to hear them dedicate a song to Gaga, but they were boring. They never moved. How can a dance band expect people to dance if they don’t even want to move to their own music? For all I knew, they were just playing CD recordings because there really was no reason for the band to be on the stage. Continuing the disappoint was Chromeo. Lots of lights, and it wasn’t so bad when it was just the music, but the vocals, I could have done without. They were obnoxious, repetitive and just didn’t offer anything of substance. I was more than over their nonsense and ready for my headliners: Lady Gaga and The Strokes.

I’m still processing the spectacle that was Lady Gaga, so check back in a few hours once I have my thoughts sorted. For now, enjoy a few photos from the performance.

Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga. What to say? Gaga’s Lolla show is pretty much the spectacle that she’s been touting across the country for her tour. It’s a mix of an actual concert and a Broadway production. The plot of the show is that Gaga and posse have to get to the Monster Ball-an incredible place where you can be your true self-but the car is broken down. Gaga, of course, says she can save the day and goes to tinker and play around in the engine, which doubles as a piano. The staging is cool, but it is all just a bit over the top as well. Dramatic pauses that lasted uncomfortably long left you praying that she’d just start singing already; gross, bloody photos graced the megascreens; and then there were motivational speeches. Oh My Gaga the speeches. Look, I give the lady props. She actually has some talent and knows how to work a crowd. Heck, she really knows how to work a piano. But the near-crying routine? I didn’t realize this was some weird motivational speaker I was watching. I thought I was supposed to at a concert. Too much. When Gaga started going off on how inspirational we all were and she started tearing up, that’s when I bailed. I needed music and I needed it to rock. Fortunately, the Strokes had me covered. It was moreso a visit to the classics of their catalogue, so sorry that I can’t give anything away about what to expect from a new Spring album. All that matters is that they still sound amazing, they kill the guitar solos and damn, is it good to have their no-nonsense rock back.

Check back for more updates and recaps from Lollapalooza Saturday, Sunday and the after shows.

Tomorrow, Friday, August 6, Lollapalooza kicks off. Here are our recommendations for Friday survival and fun.

Tip 1: Let’s start things off with the weather. Unlike last year, it is supposed to be sunny all weekend! Yay! However, this means it will also be hot, even with the festival being set up next to the lake. So stay HYDRATED. And as awesome as it is, beer is not a means of hydration. WATER is a must. Fortunately, Lollapalooza, does have water stations set up (you can usually find them by port-a-potty areas). So there’s no excuse for not drinking water. And when you’re done with your plastic bottles or cups, make sure you recycle. Lolla has plenty of recycling stations throughout the park.

Another tip: Sleep. Especially tonight (Thursday) because between the actual fest, stuff to do in Chicago, and after shows, you won’t get much sleep the rest of the weekend.

Tip 3: Show up early. Especially on the first day when they have to put wristbands on. If there’s a band you want to see, it will take awhile to get through the check-in and over to the stage, so don’t plan on seeing a 1 p.m. band showing up at 12:50. It isn’t going to happen. There are two entrances to help people get in Grant Park quickly, but it will still take some time. Also, show up early because there are some great bands that start playing really early in the day. Don’t regret missing These United States at 11:15 a.m. because you were still watching TV at your hotel.

Tip 4: RSVP. There are tons of free events going on after the festival. More great bands, free drinks and more fun. But there’s a catch. A lot of them require RSVPs. So plan your post show fun now and double check if you need to RSVP. There’s some good recommendations on free after events here.

Tip 5: Watch bands you’ve never heard of. Look at the schedule. I’m betting you haven’t heard of quite a few of the bands playing, but go check them out. Did you know that just a few years ago, Lady Gaga played one of the smaller stages during the day? No one really knew who she was then, but now she’s headlining! So go discover someone awesome.

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Five bands to check out each day:

Friday: These United States (11:15 a.m.), Jukebox the Ghost (1:45 p.m.), My Dear Disco (3 p.m.), Devo (4 p.m.), Lady Gaga (8 p.m.)

Saturday: The Morning Benders (12 p.m.), Skybox (12:30 p.m.), Dan Black (3 p.m.), Gogol Bordello (3:45 p.m.) Cut Copy (7:30 p.m.)

Sunday: Health (11:30 a.m.), The Antlers (12:15 p.m.), The Dodos (1 p.m.), Freelance Whales (3 p.m.), Yeasayer (4 p.m.)

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PopWreckoning will be at Lollapalooza! We’ll post our reviews, photos and interviews over the next few days here. For more immediate coverage, follow PopWrecker Bethany on Twitter at twitter.com/glowah.