Sunday August 7th
Little Hurricane:
Truthfully, I hadn’t even meant to go to Little Hurricane, but found myself meandering there on the way to Lia Ices. As with any good festival, they turned out to be my random, happy discovery. Amongst the large amount of indie rock of the festival, a little dirty blues went a long way. When you got to see a band unknown to you, you take a risk, but if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a good one, there’s a great reward: the energy of an act looking for greater recognition. I sat relatively far from the Google+ stage they took to – a stage without the benefit of a big screen showing their every move – so I can’t say much for their presence, but I can vouch for the vigor of their songs. Their guitarist was impressive, playing just the sort of bluesy rock I hadn’t realized I’d been yearning for. Their every gesture was in an effort to stick in their audiences’ minds following their last track, encouraging all present to hit their website for a free song (and now I’m doing the same for them, go check it out). Another particularly memorably moment came from a cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine”, and if that doesn’t sound all that exciting, just trust me, they did it more than great justice. Overall, a pleasantly surprising blues show that’s led me to hope for a lot more from a band I hadn’t heard a thing from prior.
Lia Ices:
Perhaps the smallest show I attended this year, Lia Ices put on quite a nice one regardless. Nearly any artist signed to Jagjaguwar is going to find hype in the indie community, and Lia’s no exception. It’s deserved, too. For a white girl making what could be called soul music, she’s got some pipes. Still, as a performer, she has a bit to learn. She and her band were distant, minimally engaging their audience. To boot, their arguably best moment came from a cover, which doesn’t say too much. It does say something, however, as they ended up killing it. Declaring simply, “We didn’t write this song,” she broke into Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” both a surprising pick considering her preferred style, and a ballsy one, considering the expectations that come with playing music that one may as well call canonized. While they eventually broke down, the song began entirely piano driven, and with Lia’s beautiful voice layered on top, the track gained a new, all the more haunting nature. It may not have been Lolla’s most memorable show, but considering they were relegated relatively early in the day, to the smallest stage, Lia shows great promise.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart:
The Cool Kids:
If you’d thought the once seemingly endless delays of their debut album represented a loss of interest, quell your doubts. The Cool Kids’ show was absolutely packed, placed in the Perry Tent: the venue mostly used for electronic and dance-related music. This certainly showed faith in the young group, and it was well placed, the tent is pretty damn large, and yet droves still found themselves surrounding the exterior, either in the grass immediately outside, or hiding beneath nearby trees in an attempt to beat the day’s considerable heat. I myself was among the hidden, but the energy surging in the tent couldn’t be more clear, as the Kids encouraged all the pretty girls to dance closer to them I watched some of the more enthusiastic dancers clamber up into the scaffolding so as to better be in their view. As for the music itself, the vocals more often than not greatly overpowered the beats, but this only created the vibe of an old school hip hop show, entirely unique among the offerings at Lolla.
The Cars:
And the scenesters were giving Foo Fighters a hard time for being past their prime! Certainly a nostalgic offering, The Cars played their most enjoyable selections, and songs such as “Just What I Needed” can’t help but inspire some raucous fun – if not, lighten up. However, there’s no avoiding the reality of their presence: that of an aged band. The material is riotous, but one can’t help but notice that the band playing it isn’t the same that originally recorded it. Much like any festival, they’re the token offering for the adults present, and they paid good money for their tickets, so if this is what they wanted to hear, more power to them. One also couldn’t help but feel good for the band, their joy at playing such a large audience of fans both old and new shined through their enthusiasm. Regardless, the fact remains the same; they put on a nice, decent show – but hardly a great one.
Portugal. The Man:
Best Coast:
Who knew Bobb Bruno had so many damn fans. Yet, as he prepared the stage for his band’s performance, he seemed to garner even more cheers than Bethany Cosentino upon her entrance. Not that she didn’t enter with a bang, shouting an endearing, “Fuck you!” Of all the shows I saw, theirs was perhaps the most memorable: if only due to terrible weather. Only a song or two into their set, the ominously dark clouds above tired of simply threatening, and began to pour down. The audience was already fully engaged in the dance-worthy nature of their surf rock, and the rain somehow only increased the fervor. The wetter we got, the closer people became, shielding each other’s cigarettes, sharing lighters for those unfortunate enough to have soaked their own, and generally reveling in the great fun that is a Best Coast show.
I’d been lucky enough to catch her once before, and couldn’t have been more pleased at the opportunity for a return listen. The rain didn’t lighten up, and soon enough my notes were thoroughly soaked, as well as my last dry pair of clothes – and I didn’t give a damn. As Bethany finally began playing “I Want To” (my personal favorite) the mood only heightened, dancing feet lost amongst puddles. It’s in the nature of any decent band to appreciate their audience, but as they looked across a shaking, shivering, but still joyous audience, you could tell Best Coast was truly moved, Bethany declaring, “You really have no idea how much it means to us that you all are sticking around in this weather!” Apparently the show meant a lot to the audience to, as hardly a soul left throughout the entire performance. There’s not much more of a testament for a band’s live presence. Say what you will about the beach movement, Best Coast is still the best at what they do.
Nas & Damian Marley:
Of all the artists playing Lollapalooza, I have to admit I was perhaps most excited to see Nas. What can I say, I’m a hip hop head, I’d already caught Eminem before, and it’s freakin’ Nasty Nas, the legend himself. However, it wasn’t Nasty who performed; it was Nas in “reform the world” mode. Not that’s there’s a thing wrong with that, but it’s an interesting contrast. In the time he’s spent recording and touring with Damian – which is substantial – Nasir seems to have reached a more reflective time in his life. Yet, simultaneously, he’s currently working on his next solo record, and its single, “Nasty”, finds him back in full beast mode. It somewhat seems he’s uncertain where he wants to be at this juncture in his career: the Nas his longtime fans are looking for, or the person he himself seems to want to be. Distant Relatives was hardly his most successful album, but he nonetheless seems fond of the movement it represents.
This is all the more clear seeing the two perform live; the show was as much a reggae performance as a Nas show. Two dancers on stage rhythmically interpreted the two’s songs, and Damian’s band and hype men made sure reggae stood tall alongside the rap god. However, it wasn’t as if the two vied for the spotlight, they make all the more natural partners on stage than in the studio, sharing with ease. “As We Enter” made for about as cool of an introduction as one could imagine, and throughout the show, they went through the majority of their album material. Perhaps best of all from their material was “Patience,” its Sabali sample serving it well.
Still, the show’s arguable best moments came when the two parted, allowing them to revel in what they do best, separately. Certainly, I’m biased, but I couldn’t help but find the coolest moment to be Nas’ rendition of “If I Ruled the World” with a reggae band backing him. Really, Imagine That. Following “Hip Hop is Dead”, he started a chant, shouting, “If hip hop is dead let’s bring it back to life then!” After the audience enthusiastically cried at his instruction, he responded with a low, “Hell yeahhh,” which somehow ranks among the festival’s coolest moments – only Nas. The duo’s peace-centric, save Africa message attracted more hippies than a Nas show ever would, and you couldn’t help but be a little amused at their confusion when Nasty busted out “Got Yourself a Gun.” Perhaps most surprising of all, however, was the closer. I’d been banking on some epic conclusion from Nas, but instead Damian played a song of his father’s. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but their really wasn’t a better way to conclude the show. All in all, the duo’s fusion worked all the better live, making for one hell of a renegade-centric show.
DJ Mel:
Apparently DJ Mel is a “DJ’s DJ,” so someone must like him. He didn’t have much luck at this year’s Lolla, however, as his set went up just before Deadmau5, who both has an obsessive following and, famously, no kind words for DJ’s. You have to wonder how much animosity he holds towards the bigger artist who looks down on his craft, and I almost thought I could hear a bit of it when he dejectedly ended a set he clearly wanted to continue, saying, “Sorry y’all, that’s my time,” as Deadmau5 began to come on stage to a much larger crowd across the way. In fact, droves gradually leaked from Mel’s venue throughout his set, preferring to wait and receive a better spot for Deadmau5. A representative moment for me, though brutal, was the remark of a pair of bros as they walked away: Mel was shouting, enthusiastically, “Are you all still with me?!,” and they both shouted, “no!” Ouch. On this one, I have to side with Deadmau5, the performance was a mixture of obvious selections such as Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor.” By no means was an awful performance, but doomed by design to be a distant memory against the following performance.
Explosions In The Sky:
Deadmau5:
Now here was a show people had been talking about – I heard kids saying their entire ticket was worth it, simply for this one. Were they right? In short, if you ask me, no. Deadmau5 likely faces some unfairly high expectations, but considering his past performances, this year’s was a bit of a letdown. The Mau5heads were out in force, and another down pour led to a frenzied, muddied dance floor, but it was the performer who seemed to be disengaged. He played popular tracks such as “Raise Your Weapon” and “Some Chords,” but his performance never seemed to surpass the rising act. He donned his fancy headwear, and “sang” for a bit, but he seemed to lose interest, passing the majority of the buck over to Sofi, who seemed far more excited than he. Even with his loyal following thrashing about and braving – moreover, completely disregarding – the rain, Deadmau5 closed his set 10 minutes early, turning a deaf ear on ceaseless cries for another song. I thought perhaps I was being too harsh in my disappointment, but was ensured I wasn’t alone by several folks wearing Deadmau5 shirts on the walk home, who proceeded to complain with far more finite reasons than this casual fan can begin to. Regardless, Deadmau5 was somewhat of a disappointing end to the festival.
