popwreckoning

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!

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.

Saturday of Sasquatch began a theme I noticed for the next three days. The smaller stages rocked this year. I’d go as far as saying that the acts that graced the Bigfoot and Yeti stages were better than the main stage.

My day began at with local band The Globes on the Yeti stage, who just released their debut album on Barsuk Records Future Self, and I can say that I do prefer them in a smaller venue, but they did attract quite a nice crowd for 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Basically, local bands ruled Sasquatch this year. It makes me proud to be a Washingtonian.

Speaking of locals – the Head and the Heart were at the main stage next. To be honest, they were one of only three bands I saw on the main stage that day, and the one I was most excited for. Not because I hadn’t seen them – because this was the fourth time I’d seen this lovely band play, but because they are so inspiring. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, an amazing group of people came to the main stage to see them play – just over a year after they’d even started playing together.

Drummer Tyler Williams told a little story during the set about that very thing. He was wearing a wristband that he’d gotten at the festival last year, not from playing, but from attending. He said that last year he told himself that he wasn’t going to take that wristband off until they played Sasquatch. Lo and behold, a year later, the little band that could was playing the main stage of one of the biggest festivals in the country (certainly the most beautiful). I was in awe, and I can’t praise this band enough, so I’ll move on.

Not only was the festival full of lovely Seattle locals, but the Canadian crowd this year was surprisingly large. I haven’t heard so many “ayes” in one weekend. So naturally, Vancouver native Dan Mangan got lots of love during his set. But it was well deserved, because not only were his songs awesome live, his charisma was infectious and adorable. The folk rock crooner, with his Seth Rogan-esque curly locks can really get a crowd going – and only with some energetic acoustic guitar. You would have thought we were at a Matt & Kim show. Wait, that came later.

The Antlers graced the Bigfoot stage next, and they pleasantly surprised me. I hadn’t heard much of their music before hand, and I loved their set. It wasn’t just because the lighting was gorgeous either. This was when I started to see that the Bigfoot Stage would outshine the main stage. Jenny & Johnny played the same stage a little bit later, bringing a charming rockabilly vibe to the mid-afternoon sun.

Serial collaborator Jenny Lewis wore a retro red frock with an over-the-top pointed collar and some fashion-forward bug-eye sunglasses, and boyfriend Jonathan Rice sported some matching shades. I certainly hope Rice and Lewis don’t break up anytime soon, because they’re making some catchy summer tunes.

Before settling into the Bigfoot stage for the night, I caught Wye Oak and The Thermals back the Yeti stage, both of whom were fantastic in different ways. The duo Wye Oak brought an insane amount of sound between the two of them, and I wish my camera battery hadn’t died so I could have stayed at their set longer. I’ve seen the Thermals four times since September, so I knew exactly what I was getting, but they never cease to entertain. Seriously, their songs may be simple and many are quite similar, but seeing the Thermals is some of the most fun you’ll ever have at a show.

But the fun kept coming, as Matt & Kim were up next at the Bigfoot stage. The couple ran out on stage, smiling ear to ear, standing up on their seats hyping up the crowd – as if they needed any more hyping. I’m just thankful that there was a steel barrier between the crowd and me. The beauty of the Gorge didn’t fail to make any appearances during several sets that day, but Matt & Kim were the most insistent in expressing their excitement about being at Sasquatch. It was their first time here, and even I’m still in awe of it three years running. I can’t even remember what I thought the first time I went.

It was at this point where the schedule went out the window for all three stages. That was the only negative about this year’s festival. Timing apparently wasn’t on anyone’s mind, as Robyn was half an hour late to the Bigfoot stage. I’m not sure whether there was a legitimate reason why she went on late, or that she wanted to wait until the sun went down, but once she started playing I didn’t really care. That girl is crazy on stage.

I can remember when she had that one hit song “Show Me Love” in the 90s, and this is light-years away from the one-hit wonder pop princess of my childhood. If Lady Gaga gets this much credit for wild antics on stage, then Robyn should at least be close. Wearing some obscenely loud stretch pants and a sweater that looked like she literally just sheered a sheep herself, Robyn strutted all around stage, shaking her booty in equally as obscene platform shoes. It makes me wonder if people actually dress like that day-to-day in Sweden. After missing her club show in Seattle earlier this year, I was incredibly thankful that I finally got to see her at Sasquatch, because it was a show I won’t forget.

I would have been happy going back to the house I was staying, but I did head down to the main stage to catch some of Death Cab for Cutie’s set, which started out splendidly. The first four songs – I’m not kidding – were all old. Two of them were actually from when Death Cab was still on Barsuk Records, which made me proud. It wasn’t the feeling all through the audience though, because the old songs, “Why You’d Want to Live Here,” “Photobooth,” and “We Looked like Giants,” weren’t particularly popular. It wasn’t until Death Cab started playing songs off Transatlanticism, Plans, and Narrow Stairs did people actually respond in a big way. And this was after they’d played a few songs off the new album Codes and Keys, which I liked on record, but was sadly lackluster live. I left before their set was even over. Maybe it was because the new songs aren’t that exciting or impacting, but after a nice and unexpected beginning, Death Cab’s set had a unfortunate case of dull.

After that, I stuck to the smaller stages for the rest of the weekend. Besides, I don’t think any band on the main stage could have outdone the Foo Fighters on Friday.

Check out Friday’s post.

Saturday at SXSW was a day of great excitement mixed with a little sadness. This was the final day of the festival, which meant there some big heavyweights to look forward to, but this was also it. When the music stops on this day, it’s time to go back to reality.

I had big plans for Saturday, and sorry folks, but they didn’t include Kanye. I didn’t really care to trek all the way out to that venue just to gain street ‘cred.’ Saturday I was anticipating seeing Community’s Donald Glover rap, Panic! at the Disco‘s return with just two of the original members and of course, some of my favorite local bands.

I began my day on a very sunny rooftop (hello, sunburn) to interview some of the fantastic artists on Big Picture Media‘s roster. PopWreckoning talked to bands such as LoveBettie, Death on Two Wheels and more. We even talked to a representative from To Write Love on Her Arms. You will find those interviews posted on PopWreckoning in the come days.

After grabbing some much needed coffee after the interviews, I decided to check out the PureVolume House. I hadn’t been yet this year and was feeling guilty for already missing out on so much of their amazing lineup. PureVolume throws one of the best parties at the fest. After grabbing some free pop chips and and a drink, I found a nice spot to watch James Vincent McMurrow. I had heard the name, but had yet to actually hear any of the music. The vocals were amazing – just beautiful. The gentle folk tunes performed a nice backdrop for this guy’s standout voice.

Home Video followed with some fun pop rock songs, but I had to head out after just a song because I had a long walk to catch one of my favorite formerly-local bands.

I hope these guys know how much I love them, because it was quite a trek across the interstate to find the tiny park that the Noise FM were about to play in. My poor feet! This Chicago trio (formerly of Lawrence, Kan.) delivers fun indie dance rock songs. Singer/guitarist Alex Ward‘s voice was a little scratchy from the jam-packed week of performances, but it was still fun and his sore throat didn’t stop his good humor – there were plenty of jokes to be had about the Pabst sponsorship.

From there it was back to the main stretch of the fest to catch the ever-so-wonderful Chop Shop/Atlantic Records Showcase. (PopWreckoning has interviews to come from that showcase as well, so keep an eye out). Scars on 45 had just started when I made my way in. The six-piece British band quickly had me hooked with their catchy indie pop tunes with passionate lyrics.

After Scars on 45, I caught another performance from Kansas City’s very own the Republic Tigers. I had already caught them at SXSW at the Central Presbyterian Church, which was an ok performance, but the guys seemed a lot more together for this one. It was a huge improvement and especially showed on their newer songs, which were a lot more engaging this time around. Perhaps all they needed was that extra rehearsal, but boy, what a difference it made. “Merrymake It With Me” especially stands out from the new material and really gets you dancing.

My final Chop Shop/Atlantic performance was the rock/punk act the Joy Formidable. Frontwoman Ritzy Bryan was mesmerizing to watch as she executed some beautiful dynamic control. The petite woman has some power to her pipes.

A brief phone charge and a giant water later, I found myself in line in front of Red 7. A group of us were eagerly anticipating seeing one of our favorite NBC comedy stars: Donald Glover. But instead of performing comedy, we’d get to see him rap. Unfortunately there seemed to be some confusion about what line we were supposed to be in. Our line had merged with a line for the Beauty Bar’s “secret show.” The secret act? Death from Above 1979. It was very tempting to stay in the line I had accidentally ended up in for Death from Above 1979. Very. But I was excited about Glover and there were like 20 other acts I wanted to still see that night. If I went to DFA, I’d be committing myself to only seeing them after a long wait. I tweeted what I was considering, but settled on finding the correct line for Glover.

Some running around with a group of Glover fans and we finally found where we were supposed to be for Glover’s performance as Childish Gambino. By some crazy luck, once inside the venue, I found myself standing right next to Glover’s “Community” co-star: Danny Pudi. Nicest and most genuine guy ever. He talked to everyone around him, answered tons of questions and took photos with a people with a very authentic smile. It was great to see him there supporting his best friend, not only on television, but in real life as well. When it came time for Childish Gambino to start, Glover began with, “Alright. Where’s my boy, Danny? Let’s get a light on Danny.” A spotlight found where Pudi was standing and everyone cheered. With a big grin, Glover finally set into his first rap.

Glover’s rapping isn’t quite as smooth as his acting, but he has a lot of potential. His lyrics are hilarious and filled with pop culture refrences. Some roughness to his voice and occassional rushing of the lyrics against the music where his primary flaws, but those are things that I have no doubt he can work out with more practice and chances on stage. This was, after all, one of his first live performances as Childish Gambino.

From Childish Gambino, I found myself at Stubbs. I had no idea who was about to perform, but there was a group of guys very, very excited in the front row. I asked them the band about to play. “Tres Mountains!” they excitedly responded. They looked a bit aghast when my face still didn’t register any sign of recognition. “Pearl Jam‘s guitarist!” They finally cheered together. I admit, the music was not my type of thing. The guitar solos were pretty amazing, so I get the excitement there, but as a whole, the songs really blended after awhile: none really stood out.

In complete contrast to Tres Mountains, the band that followed blew me away. Awolnation came out and the way the audience responded, you would have thought that this was some sort of legendary act that had been around for years – not some band that just got their first single on the radio just a few months prior. Perhaps some of the excitement was carryover for singer Aaron Bruno, who started Awolnation as a solo project after his other band, Under the Influence of Giants, went on hiatus. Awolnation is atmospheric indie rock – there’s almost a spacey quality to it, but it is also very heavy, and thusly, grounded. It isn’t what I’d usually call danceable, but there’s an element of dance to it at times. It’s a big blend of a bunch of different genres and these guys pull it off well.

Bruno is very charismatic on stage. A stretch of his arms produces a wild cheer from the crowd. A reach out of the microphone gets a huge chorus response. Bruno was also the first musician that I heard bring up the tragedy of the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. He not only voiced his concern and support of the country, but he also wrote it on his arm.

The band I was most eager for at Stubbs was Panic! at the Disco. I know that I lose hipster points for liking such mainstream music, but I can’t help it; they’re fun. This performance was a of particular interest to me because not only were they debuting several new songs, but it was also one of their first performances since the band was reduced to just two of the original members: singer/pianist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith. Two friends filled in on the bass and guitar parts vacated by the former bandmates.

This was a ridiculously fun set. We laughed, sang and danced. Urie has one of the most animated faces that I’ve ever seen in music. Even when he flubbed some lyrics on a new song and had to peek at a cheat sheet, it was still a fun moment. I also really enjoyed when he squeezed in “super moon,” into of his lyrics: “your eyes are the size of the super moon.” This band has come a long ways from when I first saw them six years ago and brushed them off as Fall Out Boy ripoffs. I stand corrected for my younger self’s comment.

To end out my night, I decided I would hole up at the PureVolume House. They had a great lineup planned to close out the evening. One of my favorite violinists, Owen Pallett was finishing tuning when I arrived. I found some friends at the venue and found a spot to watch Pallett. They had never even heard of him and were a bit wary of a guy with a violin, doubting he could really rock out. Their jaws dropped once he began playing. Pallett is a one-man show, but he creates his full sound by engaging in loops. He plays out a line on the violin and records it. Then plays it back as he plays or sings something new. It’s fun to watch him build songs on stage. His music is sweet and breathtaking. For those unfamiliar, you might recognize his signature sound on some early Arcade Fire work. He used to heavily involved with their string arrangements and he even wrote one of his songs about the love story of Will and Regine from that band.

I had already caught a Cults set during SXSW, but they continued to impress with their mysterious lyrics and lo-fi indie rock.

It was getting late and I was ready to grab some Z’s before having to drive back home the next day. However, I was determined to make SXSW go out with a bang, so I planned on sticking around for PureVolume’s final band of the night: Das Racist. Some DJ kept the crowd awake and moving, but what should have been a fifteen minute started to turn into over an hour. Finally, the duo in Das Rascist jumped up on the stage. After all the anticipation, this was my biggest flop of SXSW. These guys were so drunk that they were barely together and coherent. It was a complete mess. Some drunk kids up front still seemed to enjoy it, but after waiting for as long as I did for the shit show, I quickly left after two songs. This was not worth it, but at least I saw plenty of other amazing acts to make up for it.

My phone had died ages ago, shortly after my last tweet about possibly seeing Death From Above 1979. So I was surprised when I had tons of missed calls, missed texts and missed tweets about what happened to me. True, I hadn’t meant to be out past four – dumb Das Racist’s fault – but the amount of worry about my whereabouts seemed a bit much. Turns out the Death from Above 1979 set turned into a riot and police had to come pepper spray and taser some of the crowd. People thought I might have been a part of that because of my last tweet. Eeks. Maybe I ended out my night the right way after all. Regardless, this was a very memorable experience and I look forward to seeing what future years at SXSW bring.
—
Check back for interviews from SXSW. You can see more from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW at the following links: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Check out more photos from Saturday, March 19 below:

After a half an hour wait and the crowd becoming palpably more and more anxious, Edward Sharpe the Magnetic Zeros took the Broad Street Stage just as the sun was setting on Bumbershoot Saturday night.

In no time – within the first three songs in fact – frontman Alex Ebert had shed his white blazer and tank top, dancing around like a crazy hippie on stage, accompanied by his bandmates…and a baby. Yes, I said baby. It almost seemed like a festive family hoedown on stage, and Ebert eventually stepped out across the barrier and into the crowd and brought the festivities to the hundreds of people shoved onto the lawn.

The band played through most of the songs off their debit Up From Below, but as soon as they started the opening riffs to “Home,” which is such a hit that it’s almost to the point of overplaying, everyone went wild. What was amusing actually, after “Home” was over – in the middle of their set – a large portion of the crowd left.

Really, crowd? You just went to go hear one song? That’s lame. But Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros certainly weren’t lame, even if they did set the schedule behind 20 minutes for the rest of the night.

Go to http://www.edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com/

Weary festival goers clutched their Starbucks cups closely on the CTA. The enthusiasm for day 2 of Lollapalooza was there, but the energy was not. Friday had been hot and filled with a combination of lots of dancing and walking. The evening was packed with after shows and after parties, so passengers suavely tried to glance at the tangled wrist bands of others to see what Chicago venues they had ended up at or in some cases, were just now returning home from.

For those that thought Saturday would leave thoughts of Gaga in the dust, they were wrong. One of the first bands I saw that day paid her an early afternoon tribute. Over at the BMI Stage, I caught the pop rock act: Skybox. These guys are Chicago-based, but they also have a Kansas City (where I’m from) connection. So I already, felt a bit of a bond to these grandiose rockers. The band’s singer, Tim Ellis, quickly had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he bounced around the stage singing catchy hooks and amping the crowd up for the rest of the day. When it came time for their last number, he said they were dedicating it to Lady Gaga, and he disappeared. When Ellis re-emerged, he was wearing a sparkly bra with his striped pants. Once past the initial shock of his change, we went with it and started dancing and having fun. It was like a big party in front of the stage. Fantastic.

Wild Beasts were one of those surprise bands that I ended up loving and had just kind of stumbled into. I honestly, didn’t know a thing about these ethereal rockers, but from the sampling I saw, I’m recommending everyone check them out.

Dragonette continued the trend of the BMI stage featuring synth-heavy, up-and-coming rock bands that were great for dancing. Considering that Gaga was able to blow up after her hot mess of a set on the BMI Stage a few years ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if this tight performance launches Dragonette into even bigger stardom.

Speaking of hot messes, I was less of a fan of the poptart I saw at the Hard Rock Music Lounge: Kristine Elezaj. She wants to be the next Britney or something, but with her over the top performance for a bunch of already established music industry people was a bit much. Honestly, we don’t need to see some over produced act feeling herself up while we’re trying to enjoy lunch. Ugh. Disgusted, I hurried back to the festival for some guaranteed good music.

More from day 2 soon to follow!

Saturday dawned early for the Emerald City, sunny and with a hint of heat in the air. I arrived a little late due to traffic and the insane amount of tourists that crammed the streets on one of the prettiest days we will have all year, guaranteed – and the perfect day for CHBP to keep kicking some serious indie music butt. I arrived to find out that Blonde Redhead had cancelled for the evening, so the main stage schedule was skewed for the rest of the day, throwing a wrench in my plans- I had already missed the Redwood Plan and was more than a tad disappointed.

Even though I was late, I headed straight to the Vera stage to get set up and ready for Cold Lake. I had heard about them in passing and never had a chance to see them live. Needless to say, I was superbly stoked. Turns out, I wouldn’t be disappointed either. Frontman Cory Brewer came out and screeched breathtakingly into the mic to match the sharp, stinging guitar riffs. It’s almost hard to believe that that screaming actually makes it way out of the mouth of said singer, due to his rather small stature and the glasses that sit atop his nose. Even with that small distraction, it was great to see them actually rock the crowd for the first time all weekend on one of the all ages stages. It’s always a good thing to see a crowd full of younger teens rockin’ out to some seriously epic punk rock.

After this, I grabbed a cup of coffee and relaxed a bit, wandering around for the first time that afternoon to see if anything was going on. At one point, fellow local rocktographer Alex Crick snagged me and drug me to the Cafe Vita/KEXP Bean Room, a room full of bags of Cafe Vita coffee beans and the home of local indie station KEXP for the weekend for their live coverage of CHBP. !!! (pronounced chk chk chk) was just setting up and the energy was almost palpable in the room. Despite the mixed smells of dust, sweat, and warm roasted coffee beans, the place was absolutely packed. Soon !!! was done warming up, the KEXP dj announced them, and the best act of CHBP 2010 started playing.

In the small intimate venue that is the Bean Room, you can see some of the best acts playing for a crowd of less than 200 people- something that rarely happens. With !!!, the experience was almost religious. Their newest change in lineup, singer Shannon Funchess, came out to sing along with Nic Offer, banging a tambourine whilst spitting out some of the best singing in town. On the other hand, Offer danced around, interacting with the crowd famously: dancing with them, grinding on them, climbing on the bags of bean strewn around, and seriously had some fun with the small show. Backed by a great saxophone, some seriously low drum and bass, and some sick synth, the band throws out a truely dance-funk sound with a touch of dub thrown in. By far the best show of the festival, and one of the best I have ever seen EVER, I was hooked. Their show at the Main Stage that night was now a must see. After some seriously awesome tunage, I headed back to the Main Stage a little more excited for the night to come.

Avi Buffalo was up next at the Main Stage. The recent Sub Pop acquisition means that they are now being held to an almost impossible standard. That aside, the youngsters are doing pretty darn well for themselves, playing their own indie rock sound, complete with a bit of twang. Sounding mildly unfinished, they hold a ton of potential, something I am sure Sub Pop saw in them. Even though they are incredibly cool now, I am stoked to see what they come up with for the next few years. See them now while they are still green and wet behind the ears before they start selling out stadium shows. I was ready for a change of pace and was thinking metal.

Metal and I have a long, convoluted history. I was raised on metal gods, old 80’s hair bands, and newer, more technically complex metal. I love it all. When I head that Black Breath was playing CHBP, I was a little skeptical of their appearance at a mostly indie fest. Good god, was I glad I was wrong. Coming out and playing one of the best metal performances I have seen, the show was pure metal awesomeness. The roar of the singer, the chugging guitar riffs, ground-trembling bass, and their incredibly decent drummer means this Seattle quartet definitely have a place amongst our local hardcore scene- and I think they just found a new place in my heart. I stayed for awhile until I had to bail to go figure out the main stage schedule.

Next up was Blitzen Trapper, a band that I was expecting to be a little too country for my tastes. I was pleasantly surprised with their lovely and mellow sound, and as the Stranger suggested beforehand, they did remind me quite a bit of the Eagles- but I have to admit that they do put their own little twist on the general sound. To top it off, their melodic and complex lyrics were a great breather for many from the general mainstage feel.

Once again, !!! turned the masses into one giant dance party. Nic once again hopped off the stage and mingled with the crowd along the barrier, the band danced their butts off, and frankly, I think everyone involved had a good time. You can tell that he was the kid that was made fun of in high school for his dancing, but up on stage, it is totally awesome. He worked the photographers wonderfully, including counting down in my face, giving me a chance to grab a few special shots. Shannon was dancing with her tambourine and the rest of the band was having a blast as well. Almost as good as the show in the Bean Room, but on a much larger scale. I walked my way down the Pike Street corridor to the sound of them laying down some seriously amazing beats. I danced my way down the street, past a band of naked cyclists (regulars to the Seattle area for events), past a group of people playing some seriously sick double dutch, and made my way home to grab some sleep and head back for a seriously busy day on Sunday.

Day 3 review up soon! In the mean time, check out the rest of the photos from Day 2 here! And the recap of Day 1 here!

For those sitting at home, wondering how Bonnaroo kids survive on practically no sleep for the entirety of the fest, the answer is simple: it’s too hot to sleep. Though most had been up until 4 a.m. Friday night with LCD Soundsystem, the humidity made it hard to sleep past 7 a.m. Which kind of sucked because there wasn’t too much going on at Bonnaroo until the early afternoon. And it especially sucked because the day was only going to get hotter.

The high temps didn’t damper the spirits of Pennsylvania’s Langhorne Slim. Langhorne Slim is like a non-pop version of Jason Mraz, which I would argue, is the better version. Langhorne’s music was laid back folk rock. Even the surprise appearance of a little kid dancing around the stage didn’t disrupt their good-mood. In fact, it improved it. Langhorne incorporated the kid into the act, dancing with him, lowering a mic to his height and even giving him a high five. Adorable.

Next, it was time for perhaps one of the biggest buzz acts of the fest: Conan O’Brien. Conan’s band performed an introductory jam that had them all out playing their saxophones and trumpets out in the audience, and giving high fives in between notes. The band returned to their spots and a video appeared projecting Conan: bearded and in a fat suit. He looked like Santa’s cousin. The video followed Conan around looking miserable and being depressed: he was eating junk, ignoring his daughter, etc. But then he gets a call: “Want to do a tour? Are you in shape?” Within moments, the beard was trimmed and the fat suit dropped. Then Conan himself appeared in the flesh. The jokes were a mix of being kicked off TV quips and jokes about Bonnaroo…and of course, some that combined both:

“In six months, I’ve gone from hosting the Tonight Show to performing at a refuge camp.”

The set was also highlighted by the appearance of Andy Richter, Dion Cole, a Triumph the Insult Dog video message, and of course, the infamous Walker Texas Ranger clips. Although, the Walker clips did inspire the audience to chant “aids, aids, aids,” which might not be the most appropriate thing ever. Other cute moments included when Conan took the time to take a picture with a fan in the front row.

This being a music festival, there were also plenty of musical aspects, too. Joke songs and White Stripes covers (just two days before, Conan recorded a live album with Jack White). There was even Meatloaf‘s bat out of hell inflatable. Hideously awesome.

When the show ended, the audience demanded more, so Team Coco obliged with a cover of The Band‘s “The Weight.” During an instrumental break, Conan went out to give hugs and high fives to the audience. A nice gesture, but one that almost got him killed as people swarmed him for a chance to touch that infamous red hair. But he handled it well and was all smiles as 15 minutes later he worked his way back to the stage. Too funny; too cute.

When I came out from the Comedy Theatre, the soulful singer and pianist Norah Jones was performing on the Which Stage. Unfortunately for the talented writer, her tunes aren’t the best to experience in the sun outdoors. They became swallowed up in the dead air and she became more like bore – ah Jones, not Norah.

Disappointed with Jones, I returned back to the trusty comedy tent to catch the Bonnaroo Roast with Roastmaster Jeffrey Ross. Ross did a funky walk out to to some jam music freezing to point at an audience member, “Ugly,” then the sign interpreter at the front, “Deaf,” then himself, “Fat,” before going up to twirl with his attractive female stagehand, “Yeah.” The Roast was pretty funny and Jeff took the time to make fun of Bonnaroo bands, people in the audience, himself and even the heads of Superfly productions: “Nice work, guys. Really. You got thousands and thousands of people to come, but only have seven bars of soap.” He even took a jab at Jay-Z: “Think he’ll perform Empire State of Mind for like the millionth time? Always ripping off “New York State of Mind. He’s not Jay-Z. He’s fucking lazy.” Also, I must say, that sign interpreters have the hardest job at the fest. The comedians sure put this interpreter through some uncomfortable hand gestures.

As fun as it was to take a laugh at ourselves, I ventured out of the Roast a little early to catch some of the talented Avett Brothers. They’ve got some beautiful harmonies going with their blend of bluegrass rock and I love their use of strings on their songs.

The Avett Brothers by Joshua Hammond

Speaking of great harmonies, Mumford and Sons owned That Tent with their performance. The UK group absolutely blew me away and I think it is just a matter of time before these labelmates of Phoenix blow up. They play pretty mellow folk music a la Noah and the Whale style, but they still brought plenty of rock, with one member lifting his upright bass above his head while playing it…those things aren’t light. The band seemed to be having a great time and so did the audience. This was just one of those feel good performances and perhaps one of my top performances of the fest.

Jack White’s current project, The Dead Weather, with The Kills‘ Allison Mosshart soon took over the What Stage. Jack White primarly plays drums in this project, proving that the man can and will do absolutely everything in music with near perfection. He does come out from behind the set to sing and even play guitar. However, with how big of a name as White is, Mosshart was the star. The woman prowled the stage while singing, cigarette down to her side, making her look and even soundlike the classic movie image of those smoky lounge singers – and I do mean that as a compliment. I love how her voice fits into this southern rock style. In fact, I like her much more in this than I do in the Kills, and from the looks of it, she seems to enjoy this more, too.

Weezer is not how you typical think of rockers, with their frontman Rivers Cuomo being a Harvard graduate and a stereotypical image of a geek as opposed to one of those high school drop out rock stars that don the leather jackets and always have a flask of Jack Daniels at their side. But I’m glad this band has managed to defy stereotypes to become one of the biggest, and longest lasting groups around. Almost every song in their very long set list has been successful on the radio – these guys just know how to write a catchy tune. Their set was also improved by the change that has come over Rivers in the last six years. When I first saw the band in 2005, though the songs were familiar and catchy, the performance was stale. The band just did not seem into it. Now, six years later, it is like they’re a whole new band. Rivers has a renewed energy and wonderment – almost like a kid at an amusement park. “Hello, plane. Hello, plane with banner behind that plane!” shouted Rivers. At another point, he stole the camera from a photog in the pit and snapped a crowd shot. Then, his quirkiness hit a new extreme during the encore when the band played a mash of “Kids” by MGMT and “Poker Face,” by Lady Gaga. When he got to the Gaga lyrics, Rivers put on a blonde wig and began thrashing around. Hilarious. I love when music is simply fun.

Weezer by Joshua Hammond

Speaking of fun, how about the epicness that is Stevie Wonder? The crowd at Bonnaroo tends to run a little younger, so the demographic here kind of missed out on Wonder’s prime, but that doesn’t mean everyone wasn’t still excited about the legend’s performance. I think everyone was surprised by how many of the tunes we all knew and Wonder did a great job of helping the crowd singalong.

Kanye. This is how it is done. Rapper Jay-Z started about ten minutes late. That’s it. And it was Stevie Wonder’s fault for starting his set late. Then Jay-Z played a set full of his hits and he was nice about it. No attitude. He thanked Wonder, fellow artists like Alicia Keys for their help on his record. We bounced with him. We froze him. We sang with him. It was great. The only disappointment was that with Beyonce side stage for all the set, it was a bit of a bummer that she didn’t come out and join him for any of the female vocal spots on his tunes. It’s not like we were promised that, but it would have been cool.

Jay-Z by Joshua Hammond

As hard as it was to part from Jay-Z, there will some other great performances getting ready to start over at the tents.Thievery Corporation got people dancing with a blend of India-influenced DJ beats and their singer’s strong vocals amping the crowd up. However, this performance couldn’t even begin to compare to the crazy dance parties that were about to erupt over at This Tent.

Dan Deacon Ensemble was interesting to say the least. The stage was covered with xylophones and drums and keyboards as well as a glowing, green skull. Like I said, interesting. Before even playing a song, Dan Deacon tried to put everyone in the same mood: “Put your fist in the air. Then point your finger. Now put your left foot just behind your right foot. Now rock back and forth. Now rock down so you’re on your knees.” We all obliged, chuckling. Well, we all obliged save one guy in a white hat: “Too cool for this,” said Deacon. “Everyone point at this guy. Now stare at this guy.” It was weird, but bizarrely fun. After this “crowd bonding” moment was over, the ensemble finally exploded into their crazy dance jams. At some point in your life, go see Dan Deacon with the full ensemble. It will probably blow your mind and be one of the best moments of your life.

Dan Deacon wasn’t the only one with crazy stage theatrics. Gwar was playing a stage over from Deacon. The nordically clothed rockers began with a video history of their odd inception. Then the costumed warriors appeared, showering everyone in waves of blood and rock. Even the Bonnaroo Fountain got in on the crazy Gwar action and was turned red for the night with LED lights.

But for those wanting to dance into the twilight hours, the party was at This Tent. DJ Deadmau5 was playing the his beats well past 5 a.m. to an enthusiastic crowd covered in glow sticks. The mysterious Deadmau5 wore giant mouse ears and sat high up on the stage in DJ booth. It was like he was the electronic lord and we were his dancing minions. He held such power. With a raise of his arms, we’d dance harder and faster. He was still going strong by the time I finally made it back to my tent to rest for the final day of Bonnaroo.

Check back for more photos and recaps from Bonnaroo. View a recap of Thursday here and a recap of Friday here.