popwreckoning

The Very Best recently premiered this video for the “Warm Heart of Africa” featuring Vampire Weekend‘s Ezra Koenig.

This video is great and this song is great. It  will be stuck in your head all day. Trust us.

Hot on the heels of their highly anticipated sophomore album Contra to be released on January 12 in America, New York City’s Vampire Weekend have announced on their MySpace an extensive tour of North America.

The 24-date tour will begin in Edmonton, Alberta on March 14 and conclude in Oakland on April 19. The band is selling out all over the place: 4 dates previously announced for this month (one gig in Los Angeles and three in New York City) have already sold out, and so has an entire 10-date UK tour in February.

Tour Dates:
Jan 12 – Henry Fonda Theater / Los Angeles
Jan 17 – United Palace Theater / New York City
Jan 18 – Webster Hall / New York City
Jan 19 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Mar 14 – Edmonton Event Centre / Edmonton
Mar 15 – MacEwan Hall / Calgary
Mar 16 – Wilma Theatre / Missoula, MT
Mar 18 – In the Venue / Salt Lake City
Mar 19 – Ogden Theater / Denver
Mar 20 – Spring Jam Core Party / Aspen, CO
Mar 22 – First Avenue / Minneapolis
Mar 23 – Riverside Theater / Milwaukee
Mar 25 – Riviera Theater / Chicago
Mar 27 – Tennessee Theater / Knoxville, TN
Mar 29 – LC Pavilion / Columbus
Mar 30 – Sound Academy / Toronto, Ontario
Apr 01 – Orpheum Theater / Boston
Apr 02 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia
Apr 03 – DAR Constitution Hall / Washington, DC
Apr 05 – Ryman Auditorium / Nashville
Apr 06 – Orange Peel / Asheville, NC
Apr 08 – Tabernacle / Atlanta
Apr 09 – House of Blues / New Orleans
Apr 10 – Stubb’s BBQ / Austin
Apr 11 – House of Blues / Dallas
Apr 13 – Marquee Theater / Tempe, AZ
Apr 14 – Fox Theater / Pomona, CA
Apr 19 – Fox Theater / Oakland

Vampire Weekend: website | myspace | Vampire Weekend preview | @ Monolith 2008| @ Lollapalooza 2009 | Five-Hour Marathon of Rock at 107.7 The End’s Deck the Hall Ball 2009 | Vampire Weekend Streaming Contra on MySpace | Contra review

Maybe you first received Vampire Weekend‘s self-titled debut like I did. Their African-inspired sounds were a sunny change and I listened to the album a good few times and liked it; I tried to see them live but that proved impossible as, by the time I’d heard of them, they were already beyond cool. I read articles on their possible influences here and there and started checking out the world music section of used record shops, even buying a couple of discs. Then, inevitably, something else came along and the Vampire Weekend album got lost in the far recesses of my external hard drive. Ezra Koenig‘s voice popped up on a few tracks as a guest, most notably on the Very Best‘s Warm Heart of Africa. But to be honest, I didn’t really think I’d hear much about the band again, or that they’d regain the amount of attention they had got for their debut — after all they’re not new anymore, we all have read and (in my case) forgotten their story, and this time around would there be the novelty of a different sound to draw us in? My feelings may not be all that common though. I know at least some of my fellow writers are looking forward to new material by the band; but in a fast-moving popscene, new work by the “it” band of a few years ago might simply be lost in the shuffle.

Which would be a shame, as VW’s new one, Contra, is a pleasant affair that’s well worth checking out. The band haven’t found a new gimmick, which is thoroughly appropriate — would anyone take them seriously if this time round they experimented with Indian raags or Indonesian gamelan (ripe for an indie makeover though it is)? No, instead VW have done the only thing they could do, which is update their sound slightly while still retaining the elements that make them who they are.

The biggest change to me is the band’s use of more electronic sounds. That might not sound too great to you if it was the afropop guitar that drew you in in the first place, but it’s really not bad. The rhythms retain their worldly vibe, and in a way the update makes sense — think of it as an afropop sound from the 90s instead of the 80s or something (sorry, despite recent purchases my knowledge of African music is still very limited); synths have been picked up, but the music has the same signatures as before, and besides it’s only noticeable on a few songs. Koenig’s distinctive voice grounds the album and is by now pleasingly familiar — on first listen, I really thought of it as his album less than as a band album. On further listen, though, it would be unfair to dismiss the musical contributions of the rest of the band, who provide a backing that ranges from manic on “Cousins” to soothing on “I think U R A Contra.” Themes of escape, regret, and loss are backed with some ornate string and piano arrangements, with a harpsichord popping up at one point as well. The band’s world seems to have expanded somewhat, or at least gotten less specific — I only heard one reference to Manhattan, and none to popular holiday destinations in the North East, despite the cover art featuring a preppy looking blonde girl complete with ruffled polo shirt.

A good effort then, and if you were a fan of their past work I’d recommend this album to you. Don’t let new single “Cousins” put you off, as that song is really more of an anomaly, and doesn’t represent this collection very well. I’m still hoping their stars have dimmed somewhat though — it’ll be easier to get concert tickets that way.

Track Listing:

1. Horchata
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. Giving Up The Gun
9. Diplomat’s Son
10. I Think Ur A Contra

Yes, you read that headline correctly. The much-anticipated sophomore album from everyone’s favorite cardigan-wearing rockers can officially be heard in its entirety on the band’s MySpace.

Yelps, language and history lessons abound on Vampire Weekend‘s new effort Contra, and while it is slightly more toned down than their debut, it looks like it might be able to continue to help this band live up to their hype.

If you like what you hear, the album will be available on iTunes and in retail stores on Tuesday, January 12.

This being my first foray into the pit, I was hard to contain my excitement when I got to shoot 107.7 The End’s annual Deck the Hall Ball at the WAMU theater this last Tuesday, featuring Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Metric, 30 Seconds to Mars and the headliners, Muse.

Being a newbie to the rocktographer scene, I felt ridiculously intimidated by how big this show really was. Arriving late after finding parking, Vampire Weekend was the first band I saw. The charming foursome played through a disappointingly short 20-minute set, but made the most of the five-song slot they were given. It included the big hits from their critically acclaimed debut as well as a couple from Contra, out this January – “White Sky” and “Cousins,” both incredibly addictive. Possibly the only good thing about having that short of a set was that they only got time to play the really recognizable songs and there wasn’t any time to have any sort of up and down mood. However, with the lightness of Vampire Weekend’s music, I needed more to be satisfied.

Next up was Phoenix – the Grammy-nominated spunky indie pop quartet from Versailles, who came out with one of the best albums of the year, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Again, another short set, but it didn’t feel nearly as short as it was because they were amazing. Dare I say they stole the show? Bringing crowd-pleaser after crowd-pleaser with “Lasso,” “Lisztomania,” “Rome” and “Girlfriend,” it seemed as if front man Thomas Mars loved the crowd just as much as they loved Phoenix. Their unique French brand of indie pop was the breakout of the year, and seeing Phoenix play live was the perfect way to end the year. After their final song, the hugely popular “1901,” the waif-like Mars crowd-surfed all the way to the back of the crowd of people standing on the floor and ran back up to the stage to thank all those who filled the WAMU Theater. Let me tell you, as sad as I was to see them leave the stage, it pumped me up even more at the fact that they’re coming back to Seattle to play a full set at a much more intimate venue right down the street at the Showbox SoDo.

By this point, I’d become pretty comfortable in the pit, filing in an out with all the other local photographers, even though I didn’t say a word to any of them. The third time back up the stage was for Metric, who I strongly underestimated. I didn’t catch them at Bumbershoot in September, but Emily Haines has got to be one of the most charismatic front women I’ve ever seen. She came out with dark lighting slightly glowing behind her sweaty, shaggy blonde hair, rocking back and forth playing her keyboard before walking up to the mic in her Sgt. Peppers-inspired jacket and blowing my mind. Metric played a half-hour set of songs from their 2009 disc, Fantasies and managed to fit so much sexy New Wavey heavy rock into that time frame. I strongly recommend seeing them live, as it makes you appreciate how good Metric is after 107.7 The End played “Help, I’m Alive” more than both Kings of Leon singles in 2008.

This was the end of the short sets, and onto the full-on Rock, yes, with a capital R.

I have to say, when I first heard the lineup, there was one band that didn’t fit. And that band was 30 Seconds to Mars. Honestly, you could tell which fans were there to see 30 Seconds to Mars because they were so out of sync with the rest of the lineup. But front man Jared Leto did make it seem that this was just a 30 Seconds to Mars show. And by the reaction of the crowd, their fans were satisfied. They opened their bombastic goth rock set with “A Beautiful Lie” and “The Kill” off their second album and played through the heavy hits from This Is War for the rest of the 45 minutes. Personally, I would have preferred cutting down their set to give more time to Vampire Weekend. As overdone as 30 Seconds to Mars was, with a spotlight for Leto, he surely has the voice and energy to hold a crowd that large, even if not everyone was there to see him. He jumped down off the stage, ran through the pit, dodged myself, the other photographers, and the sweaty teens being pulled from the crowd. But that could have been his fault – because at the beginning he shouted to the swooning girls, “Let’s see how many f-cking people we can get to crowd surf at the same time!” Great, thanks Jared. It made for a chaotic, almost dangerous pit. 30 Seconds to Mars surely does love the fans, almost in a needy way, as evidenced by the fact that they told the audience they’d sign every single copy of This Is War people brought to the meet and greet table after their show. I didn’t bother going to check, because Muse went on next.

After a way-too-long intermission, Matt Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard came up on stage to the loudest cheering I heard all night. The crowd surely belonged to Muse, an indication by the majority of the tee shirts being worn across WAMU Theater. I’m pretty sure Muse is the only band out there that can pull off the huge rock that hasn’t been popular since before I was born, because with such hits like “Hysteria,” “Uprising,” and “Unnatural Selection,” you’d think they’d be over-the-top, but it’s nostalgic and refreshing at the same time. Matt Bellamy strutted around the stage dry-humping his pink, glittery guitar at one point, and sporting a stylish patterned blazer. It’s almost unbelievable that that much sound can come from three guys. One guitar, one bass, one drummer – and Muse manages to sound like eight people are standing up on stage. I was just glad that now after seeing Muse live, I’ll stop thinking of that stupid scene in “Twilight” with “Supermassive Black Hole” playing in the background, and I’ll think about Matt, Chris and Dom rocking it in Seattle. Ending with “Plug in Baby” from Origin of Symmetry and a killer version of “Knights of Cydonia” from Black Holes and Revelations, complete with a spaghetti western intro, harmonica and all, Muse literally went out with a bang. They finished with giant jets of smoke shooting out from the stage, accompanied by tons of screaming fans.

If there’s one band that’s the current poster band for stadium rock, it’s Muse.

Band Info:
Vampire Weekend: website | myspace | @ treasure island | @ acl | @ monolith | @ popped | @ all points west | @ lollapalooza
Metric: website | myspace | @ midland
30 Seconds to Mars: website | myspace | This Is War review
Muse: website | myspace | Muse Reveal Tracklisting for New Album | Muse to Play Several U.S. Dates with U2 and MTV VMAs | Various Artists: New Moon Soundtrack | Muse – “Undisclosed Desires” Promo Video | Muse Announce Short Spring American Tour

“Do you know what ‘moto’ means?” singer Esau Mwamwaya of the Very Best asked the crowd at DC9 Monday night. (I presume he was asking if we knew what it meant in his native Chichewa, the national language of his homeland, Malawi.) The crowd, smiling back at him, collectively shook their heads. “It means ‘fire’!” Funny you mention something incendiary, Esau, because on a cold Monday night in Washington, the “band” from London figuratively lit a fire under the audience at the sold-out DC9 with their brand of African tinged dance music and turned the club into an all-out dance party.

The opener for the night was the Brooklyn-based duo Javelin. Not sure where they got their name – maybe cousins Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford were good at track and field in high school? These days, I imagine the two must be flexing their muscles carrying all their gear around – a whole table full of electronics including several synths and a drum pad, colorfully painted boomboxes they call “boombaatas” that form large speaker totems, and a collection of maracas and cowbells.

Javelin’s brief but entertaining set of pop / hip hop / electronic music at times lifted lyrics from songs of days gone by like Mariah Carey‘s “Fantasy.” Another example: they commandeered the words from the children’s lullaby “Frere Jacques” and turned into something completely different. Who would have guessed that song could ever be so dancey? And with humorous song titles like “Lindsay Brohan” and “Soda Popinski,” you’d have to smile. My faves from the set were “Twyce” and “Vibrationz,” the latter name-checking Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Marky Mark (aka Mark Wahlberg when he was a singer way back when). If you’re going to name your song “Vibrationz,” it’s totally appropriate to give a nod to the only two songs from popular culture that also mention such scandalous quivering.

The Very Best is a trio comprised of singer Mwamwaya and the London-based DJ/production duo of Radioclit (Swede Johan Carlberg and Frenchman Etienne [DJ] Tron). I first became aware of them when the title track of their first official full-length album, “Warm Heart of Africa”, was added to the BBC 6music playlist. The song was an instant hit with me, buoyed by the gaiety of vocals from Mwamwaya and guest Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (who incidentally also cowrote the song) and joyous instrumentation. I was a little skeptical how this live exhibition would turn out when Carlberg first came onstage and immediately broke out a large album full of CDs and popped a disc into his Philips player. Thankfully though, my uncertainty quickly dissolved as the band got going.

For the live performance, singer Mwamwaya alternately stood, danced, and interacted with fans directly in front of Carlberg, who played DJ and assumed additional audience warm-up duty for the evening, waving his arms back and forth vigorously to get the crowd going during songs. For added oomph, they even brought with them two energetic dancers, resplendent in jackets that read “TVB” on the back; Mwamwaya proudly announced that the girls had come “all the way from the UK!” “Julia” and “Warm Heart of Africa” from their official first album were warmly received. So was “Tengazako,” a track from their 2008 free-to-download mixtape that featured an obvious sample from M.I.A., causing everyone in the club to do the gun-toting moves that I have only recently learned are requisite when hearing her “Paper Planes.”

Generally, you can expect a headlining act to play for a significantly longer period of time than their opener. Unfortunately for those of us gathered to see this band at DC9, this wasn’t the case. The two of them were clearly not prepared for such a lively reaction from their Washington area adoring fans and as such weren’t equipped to do more than the eight songs they played us. At the tail end of their set, Carlberg asked the audience what song they wanted, and after some random shouts and murmurings, it was decided that the Very Best’s cover version of Vampire Weekend‘s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” would be the tune. After Mwamwaya left the stage, (the crowd didn’t want to let him go), Carlberg stayed behind to spin records, and the audience continued dancing to the pulsating beats on offer. I think if they keep this up, the Very Best could very well be the next global phenomenon.

The Very Best: myspace
Javelin: website | myspace

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

With ominous clouds looming overhead and the threat of a tornado, it seemed that only the most dedicated of music fans trekked to Liberty State Park in New Jersey for the second annual All Points West Music and Arts Festival. The festival, organized by the same crew who run Coachella, has struggled to define itself as an East Coast contender, this year boasting a noticeably heavier and more hip-hop inspired lineup.

Fleet Foxes
Before the storm hit, Fleet Foxes took the main stage looking gorgeous in full grunge regalia, wizard beards and tattered flannel, and pulling somewhat of a Déjà vu on us as they sweetly echoed the lush harmonies of Crosby Stills and Nash. Some say Beach Boys circa Pet Sounds, some say CSN–either way, I was in lust with the ornate detail in their rising, earthen sound; more hopeful than haunting. As the first light drops of rain began to fall and we donned our fancy five-dollar ponchos, the atmospheric, ethereal hymns of Fleet Foxes warmed me despite the murky mud my feet were slowly sinking into.

Ra Ra Riot
I was downright giddy when Ra Ra Riot, who have become one of my favorite bands of the past year, hit the stage with their triumphant cover of Kate Bush’s “Suspended in Gaffa”. The perfect marriage of quirk and skill, Ra Ra Riot and Kate Bush equal crazy genius. With a fully plugged in string section, Wes Miles’ chirping, blue-bird balladry and princely presence, Ra Ra Riot is a kind of modern day band of minstrels, redefining indie-pop as we speak. Was that a bagpipe I saw on stage? Wait, a flageolet?

Interlude 1: Happy Hippy Techno Trance Dance Party
All throughout the park there were “Burning man raised” and inspired sculptures that became makeshift rain shelter spots. Hordes of people, including myself a few times, sardined themselves under tiny winged tarps attached to tepees made of glowing branches. Inside one of these pulsing tepees was a DJ spinning a house, trance, pop goulash. It was the dance party that didn’t stop. At any point throughout the weekend you could walk by and find hundreds of people giving it all they had in the mud.

The National
My expectations for The National and the gift of Matt Berninger were extremely high. Before Friday, I had never seen them live and I, among many, hold The Boxer near and dear. For years friends have been telling me that live, The National will blow me away. They did not lie. It couldn’t have been a more perfect setting to take them in for the first time. Berninger’s baritone seemed to call the darkening rain clouds in closer and it began to downpour as the band tore through their set with certainty. The rousing intensity of the music and the heaviness of the rain began to make sense. The whole scene was gritty, rough, and completely anti. There was something romantic about committing oneself to the music despite the threatening sky as Berninger sang apocalyptic melancholy with menace.

Pharcyde
I was excited to finally see the complete and original Pharcyde crew performing together after all the breakups and makeups the band has gone through. I have fond memories of listening to “Passin’ Me By” while passing a… With my baby bro, once again by my side, we rocked our plastic hoodies with pride as we “raised ‘em up” respectfully. The reunion of these hip-hop legends had the boys throwing rhymes in the face of “those who thought we’d never sing together again.”

Interlude 2
As the rain got heavier, bulleting and beating us down, we took refuge in the State Farm tent. While wringing out our socks, Vampire Weekend announced that due to the rain, all Friday ticket holders have a free pass to attend the festival for one more day. All Points West: good peeps.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A definite highlight and I’ll fight you on this if I have to. If you haven’t seen Karen O jujitsu posturing, body thrashing, equipment trashing, going completely psychotic, crazy, melt-downing on stage in front of you, well, you just don’t have the ammo I’m afraid. Yeah (yeah yeah!) this lady is cra-hazy, but she’s nuts in the way that ground breaking, mind-bending, authentic art is conceived. After watching her perform standouts like Heads “Will Roll”, “Zero” and “Maps”, it’s clear that she rocks with her heart on her sleeve, in every awkward yet honest moment she’s on stage. There’s a kind of rawness to both the sound and the performance that is rare. That juiciness is usually tapped by the time artists are throwing giant eyeball balloons off the stage and headlining festivals. My fingers are crossed that this chick stays bananas, for arts, our, sake.

Interlude 3
The rain is off the charts at this point. People have traded moshing for belly flopping in giant mud puddles. It’s a hipster wet tee-shirt contest if I ever did see one.

Jay Z
While most performers gave a shout out or two to The Beasties and MCA in particular, no one shouted quite as loud as Hova. By the end of day one, my feet were literal bricks of mud. As the rain subsided a chill moved in. Still soggy and beginning to lose steam, this last set of the night needed to be huge. People bought tickets to see The Beastie Boys and Jay definitely had some super sized Adidas Campus’ to fill. With the twinkling Manhattan skyline and Lady Liberty as his backdrop Jay Z stormed the stage and opened his set, a full band behind him including a three-piece horn section and two drummers, with “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”. Exactly. Car alarms, cats, the entire crowd, and pretty much the whole state of Jersey went absolutely feral. MCA, I hope you were watching ‘cause we love you. This much I know for sure: Jay Z is a certifiable superstar. With tributes to both Obama and MJ, classics plucked from across his entire catalog, and graphics of autotone machines blowing up on the Jumbotron screen, Hova owned the night.

All Points West: website

Photos: Dese’Rae Stage