via//chicago

Lollapalooza 2005 Wrap-Up
alright, i won't draw this one out to a three-parter like i did with Intonation. this will be one nice and concise wrap-up of my second two-day festival of the summer. i'll just get this out of the way first - it was fucking hot out there, over 100 degrees on Sunday. so that dampened my enthusiasm just a little, but i was still able to hear some damn fine music. here's some thoughts on the bands i saw...

Day 1 - Saturday:
M83: great way to kick the weekend off, sitting in the grass and drifting away with the music. they sounded fantastic and the songs translated very well to the huge stage.

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: very intense set for an outdoor festival, full of gratuitous instrument destruction and frequent use of the f-bomb. the two drummers added another level on intensity to the set, more enjoyable than i had expected even if the destruction was a little overdone.

Brian Jonestown Massacre: i've been wanting to check BJM out for a long time now, even before Dig! - but especially since having seen that movie. Anton lived up to his reputation, both as a musical genius and as a wacked-out frontman. when the band was actually playing music, it was sublime - timeless psych-influenced rock that at times actually makes you want to believe he can kickstart his much beloved "revolution". but the set was dragged down by huge breaks between songs, which found Anton alternating between insulting Dashboard Confessional (whose loud set was nearly overpowering BJM at times) and fiddling with the knobs on his amp and keyboard. i'd love to see them play a longer, more consistent set sometime.

Cake: didn't really pay a lot of attention to this set, just kinda say down and soaked it in. they played "Frank Sinatra" and "Rock and Roll Lifestyle", which was good enough for me.

Billy Idol: i was doubting this one, but my girlfriend was excited to check this out and away we went. i'm not sure how much Billy has spent on trainers and plastic surgery, but he looks pretty damn good for his age. even more importantly, however, is that he sounded great and seemed to really be enjoying himself. he whipped out all the old classics and a couple of not as bad as expected new tracks, all of which combined for an entertaining set.

The Black Keys: didn't get as close to the stage as i would have liked for this set, but they sounded pretty fantastic from where we sat. the festival setting seemed to be a really good setting for the boys and the crowd seemed pretty receptive.

The Pixies: the set wasn't very different from the show i saw at the Aragon last fall, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. the crowd was really into it and the band seemed to be having loads of fun, especially Kim.

Weezer: i've always managed to miss out on Rivers and the crew in the past, so this was my first time seeing the band. which made it very exciting for me, as i've been a fan for over a decade now. they didn't disappoint, as most of the set consisted of stuff off the first two albums. "El Scorcho" was a definite highlight, as was the encore closing "Surf Wax America". any of the new tracks off Make Believe could have been traded for "The Good Life" though, i was really hoping to hear that one. the crowd was excellent for this set, and it was awesome to hear them singing along with every "ooooh-ooh" as "Undone (The Sweater Song)" faded out.

Day 2 - Sunday:
The Ponys: this local Chicago band sounded great on the big stage, tearing their way through songs off of both albums - but it was the ones from Laced with Romance that sounded best.

Kasabian: i know there's not a lot of love for this band with the hipsters out there, but i've been diggin' them since my girlfriend brought back word of them from Europe last year. the band seemed to be thrilled to play to such a large and appreciative audience, who danced and sang along to "L.S.F." and "Club Foot" despite the 100 degree heat. but for a band with such solid beats, the lead singer has some of the most un-funky dance moves ever. points for politeness and enthusiasm though.

Dinosaur Jr.: i was really impressed with the reunited J, Lou, and Murph. i had missed this original line-up the first time around, but had always heard stories of how great a live band they were. this was clearly evident on Sunday, as they tore through classics like their cover of "Just Like Heaven" and "Freak Scene". J plays guitar with twice the passion of guys half his age, you should make sure to check them out on this reunion tour.

Drive-By Truckers: these Southern boys (and girl) were about the perfect choice for Lollapalooza this year, as their tales of hard living and tough loving translated really well to the summer stage. it was evident that there were already many DBT faithful in attendance, but the awesome set surely converted quite a few more. this really made me want to check out the live DVD they recently put out.

The Arcade Fire: simply put, this was by far the best performance of the entire weekend. i'm even tempted to include this in the Top 20 live performances i've ever seen in my life, that's just how damn good it was. the band took to the stage in full funeral gear, black dresses and suits all around, never letting up from the get go. they fired through nearly every song on last year's Funeral, including the amazing "No Cars Go" from the debut EP and a couple new tunes. there was a buzz of energy and excitement from the moment they took the stage until the last note faded away. any band that can move a crowd of that size, in that oppressive heat, deserves many accolades. but for a band to do it with that much natural flair and talent is nearly unheard of, believe every bit of hype you have heard - this is a live band that is not to be missed.

Spoon: any band that i saw after that amazing Arcade Fire set was bound to be a slight disappointment, so we took this opportunity to cool down with some shaved ice and just listened to the music from a spot in the shade. Spoon sounded great, especially on the Gimme Fiction material and "The Way We Get By" got even the most uninterested head nodding along.

The Killers: this set was... really good, but by no means great. the hits sounded good and were played with lots of energy which the crowd returned in spades. but it was very clear that the band desperately needs to work on some sort of stage presence. good looks and solid hooks are not enough to carry an hour-long performance, no matter how willing a band is to admit its own shortcomings. but it was a lot of fun to see and hear "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" with an enthusiastic crowd.

Death Cab for Cutie: after all of the heat and excitement of the second day, it was a real treat to wind down with this relatively mellow set played out using the beautiful Chicago skyline as a backdrop. the set was heavily weighted towards the Seth Cohen approved Transatlanticism album, but they occasionally dipped into the back catalog to pull out a gem or two. the two new songs sounded really great, leaving me excited for the new album (due out on my birthday, very awesome). a great end to a terrific weekend.

some final thoughts:
- it was a surprisingly well executed festival given its size, lines were never too long and things seemed to run very smoothly.
- with a few exceptions, the feared bleeding of music from one stage to another never got very bad. as long as you didn't sit in the middle of the park you were able to concentrate on only the band you wanted to hear.
- this was a beautiful location for a show that the city needs to take advantage of more often. there's no reason things like this should be shoved into the awful Tweeter Center over an hour away from the city proper. Grant Park and the skyline are beautiful, we should take full advantage more often.
- many thanks to Katherine for not only the ticket, but for being willing to go and dealing with my stage-hopping to see all the bands i wanted to see. you are wonderful.

alright, now that the recaps are out of the way, look for some pictures of both Intonation and Lollapalooza soon.