popwreckoning

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 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!