popwreckoning

Gorillaz is a virtual band of cartoon apes. They’ve recorded hit songs and sold out animated concerts. If that doesn’t prove that they can pretty much do whatever they want, having Snoop Dogg welcome listeners on the opening track of their new album, Plastic Beach, does.

And then the National Orchestra for Arabic Music shows up on the next song, “White Flag,” and you stop asking these can they/can’t they questions.

Created in 1998 by Damon Albarn (that guy from Blur) and comic book-creator Jamie Hewlett as a kind of commentary on that year’s excess of pre-fab boy bands, Gorillaz took the idea of bands as caricatures and, ironically, created a group that has outlasted and outsold many of their human targets. Like their previous album, Demon Days, Plastic Beach blends dance-pop and hip-hop. This time around, that marriage is emphasized by the number and variety of contributors: Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Little Dragon, Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Bobby Womack… and for kicks, a cameo from Bruce Willis in the video for the beat-driven first single “Stylo.”

“Superfast Jellyfish” gets silly with retro-rap from Gruff Ryhs and De La Soul and a chorus that sounds and reads like a commercial jingle for children’s sugary cereal. “Empire Ants” opens as a dreamy synth lullaby, transforming halfway through into hypnotic electric loops. “Glitter Freeze” jumps again into spastic rave synths broken up by featured artist Mark E. Smith’s prophetic-sounding spoken word and cackling.

Gorillaz – maybe because, in a sense, they don’t exist in the first place – always has a lot of room to play around with styles and guest artists. It’s hard to pigeon-hole them into a genre. Plastic Beach is sometimes a reinvention, sometimes more of the same. Compared to Demon Days, this album is heavier on rap but also heavier on electric dance anthems. It’s jam-packed (16 songs, well over an hour long) with such a mixture of music that it’s impossible to define by one or two tracks. We get “Sweepstakes,” pure rap from guest artist Mos Def set against a frustratingly distracting dance beat backdrop – the only song for me which just didn’t work. And then there’s “To Binge,” a sparkly love song that sounds (appropriately) like an afternoon at the beach.

Plastic Beach could be more cohesive. It could be shorter. But as usual, Gorillaz pushes the limit and gets away with it.

Track Listing:

1. Orchestral Intro (ft. Sinfonia ViVA)
2. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (ft. Snoop Dogg and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
3. White Flag (ft. Kano, Bashy, and the National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo (ft. Bobby Womack and Mos Def)
6. Superfast Jellyfish (ft. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul)
7. Empire Ants (ft. Little Dragon)
8. Glitter Freeze (ft. Mark E. Smith)
9. Some Kind of Nature (ft. Lou Reed)
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes (ft. Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
13. Plastic Beach (ft. Mick Jones and Paul Simonon)
14. To Binge (ft. Little Dragon)
15. Cloud of Unknowing (ft. Bobby Womack and Sinfonia ViVA)
16. Pirate Jet

UK trio Fiction Plane has found full-sound as a trio and they’ve embraced their diverse sounds with an even more diverse history of tour pairings. The group has played with dance-rockers The Bravery and rapper Snoop Dogg and even had the opportunity of opening for global superstars The Police on their reunion tour (although that pairing may not be that surprising when you consider that Sting‘s son Joe is the lead singer for Fiction Plane.) With a new Spring album and new tour plans on the horizon for this group, drummer Pete Wilhoit took some time to get PopWreckoning up to speed on all things happening on the Fiction Planet.

Bethany Smith, PopWreckoning: I hear you guys have a new album coming out in the Spring.
Pete Wilhoit, Fiction Plane: Yeah, late Spring, I think.
BS: Talk to me about this album. Is it pretty much done and going through final packaging phases or where does it stand?
PW: Yeah, it’s pretty much done, we’re just mixing it at the end of this month. Hopefully that will go smoothly. You never know. Sometimes, you get hare-brained ideas when you listen to a song over and over and start reconstructing it and reconstructing it: all this ridiculous stuff. Hopefully, it will just go smoothly and we’ll all be really excited about it. I think we’re all eager to get it out late Spring, so we do have a bit of a deadline. I think it is pretty much done: about 90 percent done. We’re all pretty excited about it and we’ll release it in late Spring and start touring it.

Photo by Lana Theo

BS: What’s the sound on it like? Pretty different from previous releases or a natural progression? What can fans expect?
PW: It is a progression. Doing like two and half to three years of touring with The Police all over the world and Snoop and 311, they bring in all the stuff, but that has gelled the band even more as brothers in the band. The trio sound has evolved even bigger and better. We enjoy being a trio and we’ve all kind of grown into that space musically and playing-wise, as far as how you play your instrument. The album has a real ebb and flow of a live show. There are real delicate moments to it, then there are real bombastic, huge, energetic moments to it when you listen to it. I think overall, it’s going to make you move. It’s got real groovy and big sounds to it. The soundscape that we originally used, well we did it in two parts. We did a session number one in studios where we constructed a song and threw everything in the kitchen sink and scaled it back a little bit, but we used a lot of sounds on it from your normal instruments to harmonium and even a music box: all these little tiny things, just to see what we could achieve musically and to push ourselves to try and make something we hadn’t done before. The second session was more going in as a trio and playing these songs live like we would at a show. I think that’s where our strong suit is as a band: our live performance and being able to play to big rooms and small rooms and big stages and small stages as a trio. I think we captured everything that the band is about from every dynamic aspect whether it’s playing in a small room and playing a more intimate feel for people to playing a giant stadium playing as big as you can be and trying to entertain the guy in the last row type of thing. We’re all really excited about the music and being able to perform the album as as live show.

BS: What are some of the potential songs to be on this album? I know you’ve been playing like five new songs recently over the past year and there’s been a lot of speculation?
PW: It will be all new songs, except maybe a couple that we’ve written in the last few years that will make the album. I think we probably have about 15 tunes that we want to pare it down to 11 and maybe release some bonus stuff in different territories, but we’ll see how it all works out. We’ll throw it all out there and see what makes a cohesive album and see what we want this album to be like, you know? There’s certain songs that have a certain genre type sound and have a more reggae, relaxed merit. Others are uptempo rock and others are  groovy, disco/electronica type of feel, so it is all about how you want the album to go really. I think in the end, we’ll have bits and pieces of all that kind of gelled together in song formation. It is hard for me to relay exactly what’s going to be on there, but I think we’ll have one song on there that we’ve definitely played many, many times and the rest will be all new.

BS: Can you tell me the name of the song?
PW: The name of that song is called “Cut Your Brakes,” but we’ve changed the song so much that it doesn’t actually say that in the song anymore, so we may change the title of that. “Cut Your Brakes” is a riff that Joe had done on The Bravery tour so that was early…20…I want to be sure I get this right…
BS: 2007, I think.
PW: Yeah, I think that’s right. So that song evolved from stage to stage playing it on every stage possible. We played it on the Police tour, we played it at Summer festivals in Holland and other festivals. We just played it with Bruce Springsteen and the Killers at des vielles charrues, which is a French festival, which was great. That one we’re really excited because it has taken on new, more exciting form. That’s kind of the only one that might stick on there. There was another one, “Sadr City Blues,” that may or may not be on there. We’re not sure. Some of these songs, you play them for so long that they start to feel old even though no one has heard them, so to speak, on a recorded format. You have to gauge if it is just your feeling or if it is just an old song that shouldn’t be on there.

BS: As you guys do your writing process, Fiction Plane is a UK band, but you personally are based in New York. How does that effect you guys with your writing process?
PW: It just makes you really have to plan on a writing session if we are going to write as a band. We’ve done it all sorts of ways. Joe, sometimes in the past, has brought in full songs and we take our approach to our instrument and add it to the song. Or we’ve done a lot of jamming as a band and come up with a song all together and Joe adds the lyrics. For this album, it was 93 percent getting together for three different writing sessions and just jamming and coming up with the basics in the song format as a band and Joe adds the lyrics. In that way, it was kind of a new page for the band. I think we all feel really excited about fully contributing-except for the lyrics. It is kind of a new face, or at least, an emergence of an old face. It was a small part of the band that is now a big part of the band.

BS: When you guys release the album, you mentioned touring plans and right now you have a French festival announced as your only tour date in 2010. What are you looking at tour-wise?
PW: We’re going to try and do as many festivals as we can during the summer, so we’re nailing those down as we speak. Then there will also be a nice tour in Europe probably for three to four weeks, then it depends on where else the album is released. If it is released in North America, then we’ll do a North American tour. Then if it is released in Japan, Australia, etc, etc. All that stuff is getting nailed down while we’re finishing up the album, so there is a lot going on, but there is also a lot of hurry up and wait. The idea is that we want to tour as much as we can. That’s how you can get your fanbase secured and grow your base is for us to personally go out and play and to cover your internet bases as much as you can. We really enjoy going out and playing the music live and the songs really come to life when you play them over and over. They take on a different form than just a recorded side, so we’re going to do as much as we can within our own schedules, so we’re all excited.

BS: You do have a pretty strong fanbase. I know recently there was this online push to get you guys on the New Moon Soundtrack. Did you see the movie? What do you think of your fans doing that?
PW: We really honored that everyone was so proactive with the band. We have a lot of fans that don’t just sit back. They really think that like, “We love Fiction Plane and everyone else should like Fiction Plane,” so they want to shout it to the world. It is really cool that they are so proactive and it’s rare. Honestly, the three of us are not really like that. We don’t go out and toot our own horn, which is kind of detriment because nowadays as a band, you can’t be overexposed. You have to go out and bang people over the head in order to get anything done, but we’re excited that people are excited about the band. The life of a musician, you have a lot of ups and downs. You come to the realization that things can change for the good and the bad, instantaneously. Your expectations get lowered a little bit in the reality of what it takes to succeed in this industry and it sometimes becomes overwhelming as musicians. It is nice that people have that kind of young enthusiasm about the band. As much as we all do, it’s deeper because we’re in it. It’s our lives and you do as much as you possibly can. I’m excited about this new album. We’re all excited as we’ve ever been about the music and where the band’s at. Thank you to the fans to try and get us on that soundtrack. It was quite an honor to even be considered.

Photo by Lana Theo

BS: You talked about how you planned about a big European tour, but weren’t sure you’d even have an American release. Do you find it harder to break out in the North American market? Do you ever consciously think, alright, we need to tackle America?
PW: America is one of those nuts where it is the crown jewel. If you can make it in the States, it is a huge accomplishment as a band. It’s sort of like it’s its own Europe. It’s not just one market. It’s about 12 different markets and they all take time and they all take money and they all take effort. We’ve always tried to apply ourselves in the States just as much as other places, but now that we have a fanbase in Europe, we’ve tried to focus on that to keep it going. For the States, for us where we’re at in our career, we need to get on the right tour in the States. If you try and go out and tour the States on your own as a headlining act, it can really be detrimental if you’re not accomplishing positive results. It can do more harm than good if you go out and tour for three months and half your shows are empty or not promoted correctly. You just have bad gigs. It is all about the right tour and the right focus and focusing our energy and touring schedule so we feel like we’re getting the most bang for our buck, I guess. You can wear yourself thin and it is a big world. If you’re going to tour the entire world, you better have a plan on how you’re going to accomplish positive results or you’ll just be burned out in a year. If the band gets a proper release in the United States, we’ll definitely tour it. We love playing in the States and we are well-received in certain parts of America and it is just a matter of keeping it rolling. I feel like this industry more than ever is here today, gone today. You really have to be in people’s faces to keep their interests almost. As a band, the amount of stuff we’ve done in the United States is pretty staggering when you put it altogether. The net result of what you feel like you’ve accomplished is a little bit less. We’ve done Jimmy Kimmel, we’ve done the Tonight Show, Craig Kilbourn, MTV, MTV2. We’ve done all these thongs: all the major magazines, touring with the Police, 311, Snoop Dogg and all this stuff, but at the end of the day, we can still go play a show in the States and have a mediocre turnout, which is, I don’t know what it means. You have to keep on if you want to break America. It has to be a focused effort with a smart marketing strategy, etc, etc. Unless you’re 18 year olds that don’t care and just want to get in a van and just play for four people every night. You can do that, too, which I have done for about 10 years. That was  long-winded answer. Haha.
BS: It was a good answer. You have done a lot in the States. I caught you with Snoop and 311.
PW: That was really fun. It was a combination of a big party and just trying to win over a different kind of crowd, playing early in the day and just enjoying it. I would do that tour again.
BS: I was surprised. It seemed like a really random tour, but the I went to the show and I was like, wow, this fits together pretty well.
PW: Yeah. It’s true. I think it was because Snoop had a live band that was really good. They were all really good players and were all really energetic and big. I think if he had gone out there with two turntables or something, it would have been kind of boring and predictable. I think he was the best the part of the tour, to be honest with you. Anyways…

BS: Not going to toot your own horn there? He was good. You have toured with a lot of really diverse people and bands. What was your favorite tour to play with and if you could pick your dream tour, who would you tour with in the future?
PW: Man, I don’t know. Every tour had its ups and downs and every tour had moments where it was like, “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” The Police tour had more “I can’t believe we’re doing this” moments than down moments, just because of the nature of the tour. So much excitement around that tour and that was one tour that I never thought I would see let alone be a part of. That was a really special tour. That one takes the cake for me. It was such a grand tour. It was like a traveling military circus. It was run with real efficiency, but it was still a circus. We got to play stadiums of the world and play in front of a hundred thousand people and be well-received. That was an amazing experience that I would definitely do again. I guess dream tours for me, there are so many bands that I love and would love to tour with. I think we all really appreciate Radiohead. As a band that would be a dream tour, but maybe genre-specific we’re not necessarily the same. I love Foo Fighters, which we’ve actually played with them in L.A. even though it was us and then them and then the Police, but that was a real treat. They were an opening act for the Police and they were the best opening act that I’ve ever seen. That would be a dream tour to play more with them. U2 would certainly be a dream tour. They’re an amazing band that has managed to stay on top year after year. I think we all really love Muse. Muse would be a lot of fun.
BS: Two UK trios.
PW: From one trio to the next, they’ve found a way to certainly fill up the stage. I don’t know. There are tons of bands like that and I could go on and on. We’re open for many things as our track record has show. We’ll play just about any gig within reason. I think we passed on the Ashlee Simpson tour.

BS: That would be an odd tour. OK. For a final question, recently you got to go home and do a hometown show in your high school. What was that like to have a homecoming and be recognized as this hometown celebrity?
PW: It was a bit strange, I have to say, walking around my old high school as a featured artist was really strange. Seeing old teachers and classrooms and all that stuff was definitely a walk down memory lane. Bloomington is a special place because there are actually so many amazing musicians that are already there because of the university and then you have Mellencamp and Mike Wanchek who call it home. There are a lot of very successful musicians that are already from there, so I certainly didn’t feel like I was going to see any super ticker-tape parade for myself. It was nice to go back and having at least been around the world having experienced music and go home and see people I hadn’t seen for awhile and share those experiences. And then to play for the kids in high school at the place that I used to go and see bands play at, I enjoyed the experience. I hope get to do it again and hopefully Fiction Plane will get to play there again and we’ll be as well-received as we were last time.

BS: Alright. Well, that’s all the time I have. I appreciate all your great answers.
PW: Great. Thanks.

As much as I love music, sun and Chicago, it is a very fortunate thing that Lollapalooza is only a weekend long. Next year I am wearing a pedometer just so I can see how much I walked, although I’m not sure why this festival was so much more brutal when I have survived SXSW, Bonnaroo and even Lollapalooza before.

Though it was early in the morning and the final day, a large crowd had already amassed for Sam Roberts Band. Canadian flags with pot leaves in place of the maple were in no shortage as the jam rockers played their songs. While I doubt that I’d go out of my way to buy an album, it was fun to pick up on the choruses and singalong.

Friendly Fires was next on my agenda and I must say that the Brits (oh Los Campesinos, why couldn’t you play every day?) and all the other European bands that crossed the great pond for this fest owned it. Friendly Fires didn’t have that large of a crowd, but they had everybody dancing as they sang “Jump into the Pool” and other tunes. It was difficult to pull away from their set, but I knew my beloved string players in Ra Ra Riot had started their set at the opposite end of the festival.

Usually when watching Ra Ra Riot, I geek out over the strings, but today I finally saw how talented of a performer singer Wes Miles is as he was practically skipping about then even ran out to sing as close to the crowd as he could get from the barricade. Even though lyrically they can be a downer band, I was beaming as I watched his glee at performing at Lollapalooza.

Bat for Lashes tried to mystify with ethereal vocals, creepy angel dolls and shiny spandex.  The only thing I was really mystified by was why she played the piano by just poking it with her pointer fingers. I mean even if that’s all the song needs, the norm is to record the pattern then let it loop. It was just confusing. But she does have a great Bjork voice. I do think their stage show just might fit a little better in a foggy club than the bright outdoors.

I really wanted to see Cage the Elephant after Joshua told me their Bonnaroo made him think they were the next Nirvana. Not only were they late to the stage, but it was just a messy performance. I couldn’t even force myself long enough to hear the radio tune “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”.

Severely disappointed, I went to the Airborne Toxic Event, whom have always impressed me in the past. The sound seemed off and I was in need of some more tunage that wasn’t so nostalgic, so I again band jumped to the Kaiser Chiefs.

I had an interview scheduled far too many blocks away, so I missed the next few acts, which was a bummer because I couldn’t even find the band I was supposed to interview and by this point, all the walking was making me feel like I would never move again (I later learned that my body aches were a bit more severe than I thought and not quite from the walking, but other problems. Eeks!).

The Raveonettes greeted me as I walked back into the fest. Finally, a band that was worth the hype! The vocals were amazingly powerful and I immediately was bummed that I didn’t run to see them in their entirety. Alas! Perhaps in the future, they’ll swing through my neck of the woods.

Preppy indie darlings Vampire Weekend came out in thick shades and brightly colored shorts in contrast to their usual khakis and cardigans. A more appropriate dress choice in the unbearable heat. They started off with a new number, but one I had heard before and as Ezra led the crowd through his little yelps and he rocked up on his toes, there was one clear thought I had about this band: they have the most tone deaf fans ever. The audience tries really hard to singalong with this band. They try really, really, really hard, but they are awful. At least the band is good. I know that it is just as popular to hate on this band as it is to love them. I happen to love them and find them and their tunes absolutely adorable (plus I’m a communications major and let’s be real–who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?).

The next bit of the festival is a bit of a blur as severe dehydration started to set in, my leg problem worsened and Ezra’s brilliant idea to make the crowd dance turned into a mosh pit that caused me to get pushed all the way to the front of what would later be a 200,000 person crowd. Exciting, but scary. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about my new spot by the barricade. On one hand it was exciting. On the other, it was sad because there was no way I could get back through the crowd and see bands on other stages.

I did get to hear Cold War Kids and Silversun Pickups, but I couldn’t really see them. It was hella fun to be stared down by Snoop Dogg‘s guards on stage and be able to see his phenomenal drummer. I have to hand it to Snoop, he really knows how to work up a crowd (especially considering everybody up front seemed to be waiting for the Killers.

I guess I missed out on some excitement at the other end of the venue. Lou Reed went well over his set time, cutting into Band of Horses‘ set. A pissed off crowd apparently yelled “Fuck off, Lou” and “Boo,” but Band of Horses politely started their set and even kept playing after “The Funeral” ended and Jane’s Addiction started.

I doubt that anybody is surprised that I wanted to see the Killers over Jane’s Addiction and reports of crowd sizes between the two headlining stages make it sound like I was not in the minority. It also sounds like from other reports that I picked the better of the two shows. Perry may have started this festival, but it has outgrown him and his gaudy tactics.  A helicopter shined a spotlight on the audience, the band was joined by vaudevillian (cough prostitutes cough) characters and even invited Aerosmith‘s guitarist to join them for “Jane’s Says”. Yes, I am very glad I missed that abuse of music.

The Killers have a big stage show and lights, but at the heart of their performance, they don’t rely on the gimmicks that the night’s other headliner used. Their stage show was more so used to compliment the theme and vibe of the latest album. It enhanced the music instead of detracting. They had their palm trees and lights, and in the heat, it really did feel like the Killers transported all of us from Chicago to their home of Las Vegas.

The band has really grown into their element and while they have headlined countless European festivals, just this past year have they received that same honor in the States. I think this might have been their largest audience on U.S. soil.

As the Killers played, each song got better and bigger than the last. Singer Brandon Flowers seemed especially chatty and happy this night as he told the tale of how he and Dave Keuning first met and wrote “Mr. Brightside” (true story) to a mystical tale of the band’s travels to get to Lollapalooza (slightly exaggerated). Flowers’ extra happiness might be attributed to the fact that his second son was born the week prior to the festival.

Though I’ve seen this band many times before, they still brought out a few surprises like an extra verse addition to “Bling”, a song that was never a single, but has easily become one of their most popular live hits. And while there was no Lou Reed guest spot as many–myself included–speculated, this set still took Lollapalooza out with a a nice “twist with a shout.” Reference to obscure? Get yourself to an iPod or a Killers show asap.

Lollapalooza: Sunday in summary:
Best set of the day: We know I loved the Killers. What a great way to end the fest. I guess I’ll throw Friendly Fires a bone here, too.
Best surprises of the day: Aerosmith members during Jane’s is a surprise, but not a good one (please don’t let them headline 2010 like Perry joked). Band of Horses making up for Lou Reed stealing their set time and playing against Jane’s Addiction is pretty awesome.
Breakthrough of the day: Friendly Fires.
Biggest let downs of the day: Cage the Elephant. Ugh. Lou Reed. And no Lou Reed at the Killers, but my understanding is that again was Lou Reed’s fault and the Killers tried to get him to join them. Oh and that the root of my pain was not all the walking, but was a spider bite that has caused my leg to swell, turn red, give me a fever and is serious enough that I need to go the ER like asap.
Crazy crowd moment: Let’s just say that Snoop Dogg made some people who had just met feel extra close. I feel a bit scandalized.

Lollapalooza: website | schedule | set lists

I love Bonnaroo, but it is lucky that it is only four days. I don’t think my body could have moved if it had been a fifth day. Part of the reason for my extra soreness might have been due to sleeping in the car instead of the tent. My camp partner kept moving the tent despite it being five in the morning and in frustration, I just crashed in the car. Seat belts in the back are not much more comfortable than sleeping in the ground. Feeling extra gross, I actually paid the five dollars for a cold shower before I was ready to take on Sunday.

Joshua caught the first act of the day, Cage the Elephant, which he describes as “This generation’s Nirvana.”

Following Cage the Elephant in energy and in craziness was Dillinger Escape Plan. The screaming is not really my cup of tea, but as they climbed over amps, the guys continued to keep their musicianship tight.

We calmed down a bit with the songwriter stylings of Jessica Lea Mayfield. Though really a solo project, her drummer came very close to outshining her.

Another lady rocked our hearts after Mayfield. The buzzed about YouTube queen, Julia Nunes delivered hits and covers on her sharpie-decorated guitar and ukulele. Nunes and her friends whipped out sunglasses to look like true “douches” when covering a “douche” song before playing a cover of 3OH!3‘s “Don’t Trust Me”. After witnessing her humor in person, it is easy to see why she became such a YouTube sensation.

Josh and I again parted ways after Nunes. He had yet to witness the masterful sounds of Andrew Bird‘s whistling and violin playing, so he went to the Which Stage.

Meanwhile, I ventured over to the Other Tent for my first time in the entire festival. The atmosphere there was warm and I don’t mean the muggy Tennessee weather. The people and workers there felt more like a family than the other tent. It probably had a lot to do with the line up there, too. As the bare footed, Brett Dennen, jammed and danced away on stage, it was hard to not feel like you were at a party with your closest friends.

Brett Dennen’s Set List:
Someday
When You Feel It
So Far From Me
San Fran
Darlin
Who Do You Think
She’s Mine
I’m Strong
Heaven
Crazy
Blessed

After Dennen, Okkervil River was next up. Will Sheff really is an amazing songwriter, but I had never really given him credit for his stage presence until this performance. As he passionately gripped the microphone, he danced around the stage.

Josh and I briefly crossed paths as he worked his way over to catch Arizona rockers Dear and the Headlights at the Troo Music Lounge. They’ve been busy on the festival circuit and have their performance down to a science.

I worked my way over to What Stage to catch none other than Snoop Dogg. He was sporting some bling, but his set lacked the usual paraphernalia I had seen with it. Erykah Badu joined him for some numbers, but while everyone else buzzed about that, I could not help getting excited over Snoop’s drummer. With a flick of the wrist the guy was artfully drumming and tossing sticks everywhere. I guess I didn’t give rap and hip hop drummers enough credit, but this guy was better than all the rock drummers I had seen the entire festival.

Band of Horses‘ gentle tunes were warming up the Which Stage as I walked over to see Neko Case. She showed she had a sense of humor by doing a duet with Triumph the Insult Dog.

Josh watched one of the best sets of the festival by Coheed and Cambria. Big hair and tongues wagging, these guys embodied what it meant to be a rock star. I had never seen them with a girl before, but as she picked up some of the higher notes, I soon learned her purpose. Claudio Sanchez has enough on his plate without having to keep up the breath support to do his signature falsetto the entire time. For example, he was busy teaching the audience that it was in fact possible to play an instrument using your hair.

Ending the festival, just as they began it by headlining, was Phish. Phish fans celebrated before their set with a tortilla fight. Then as Phish jammed, one final festival surprise awaited. Bruce Springsteen had stuck around to do a final guest appearance. Since he’s The Boss, Phish played a few Springsteen songs with him before bidding him goodnight and jamming some more. Fireworks heralded the end of the festival and people flocked back to their tents and back to their homes.

Bonnaroo 2009 was a huge success filled with classic and new talent thanks to Big Hassle. While I think I might settle on hotel instead of a camp, I’m excited already thinking about the next year. Here’s to Bonnaroo 2010!

Bonnaroo: website | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Of Montreal @ This Tent | Spotted: Drew Barrymore | Quick News 1 | Quick News 2

Photos by: Bethany Smith and Joshua Hammond