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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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Over 16,000 people from all over the Northwest crammed into the Gorge at George, Washington on Saturday, May 28 to view the incredibly diverse lineup of bands ready to play the day away. With everything from Kanye West, The Pixies, Wilco and The Arcade Fire to the young sisters of Smoosh, the folksy Joanna Newsom, radio-friendly Jem and Hasidic reggae-rapper Matisyahu, there was a little bit of everything to be seen and heard amidst the best place you could play on earth according to Jem. This year, the addition of a third stage, the Yeti stage for regional acts, made it a little bit harder to catch everyone. I had my running shoes on and a schedule in my pocket, but I still wasnt quick enough to see it all. I was amazed at how many people opted to spend the majority of the show in the parking lot with their coolers and personal fans instead of enjoying the music they had driven so far and paid so much to see. I was fighting off heatstroke for a good portion of the day while I ran from stage to stage and even witnessed three people pass out next to me in the pit, but it wasnt anything I couldnt get through without a few cherry slushies. Even though I missed Seattles Oklahoma transplant Aqueduct due to taking the wrong turn and ending up in some alfalfa field in the hills, I still managed to make it pretty early in the day and walked in the gates to the music of Parks and Recreation, who were just finishing up their set on the Yeti stage. Next, it was over to the Wookie stage to check out the Portland-based group, Menomena. While I didnt actually see Bloc Party, who were playing down on the Sasquatch Mainstage, I could certainly hear them rippin it up from down below. I was particularly interested in seeing Menomena perform live because of their unique style of pop music and improvisational recording process. The group gathered a good-sized crowed, and it was well-deserved.
After soaking up half of Menomenas lively set, I headed back over to the Yeti stage to check out the young sisters of Smoosh. They probably drew the largest crowd for that stage, and they enjoyed it. Their stage presence was minimal, but Asya smiled shyly from her keyboard in response to the crowds hollers and claps. The hip-hop inspired hit, Rad got everyone dancing and cheering and was very appropriate for the sunny day. They seemed to have a good time and played a decent set, and plus you just have to respect a band that has a Long Winters sticker on their keyboard. I couldnt help but imagine the girls ten years down the road getting annoyed as some audience member requests Rad as they try desperately to get over the image from their younger days. On my way down to check out Welsh singer Jem on down at the mainstage, I passed by The Dears, who were rockin out on the Wookie stage. They sounded pretty good as I had expected, but I was more curious to see how Jem would put on her show. While she was cute and had a sweet personality, the mainstage just swallowed up her small frame. The crowd was sizeable, and people were dancing; but there was just something lacking in her half pre-recorded performance. Granted I didnt expect it to be any different, but I guess part of me just hoped to see backup singers and instruments, rather than speakers and a DJ. But either way, she won the audience over with her warm smile and girl-next-door charm. As I sat down on a concrete block wall on my way back up to the Wookie stage and felt the burning heat through my jeans, a KEXP DJ opened for AC Newman and asked Is anyone hot? It was like a beach scene with girls in bikinis wandering around with towels and guys with shorts that were falling off their skinny indie-rocker hips. The smell of smoke was competing with the summery-sweet aroma of coconut oil and aloe. One girl was so hot that she took off her shirt to display little stick-on flowers in lieu of a bra while she threw water on herself. There was a shed filled with misters that became a popular make out spot, and the water stations were filled with people fighting to fill water bottles, hats or just splash on themselves and others. This was a complete 180 from last years chilling winds, biting temperatures and two-thirds less people. Next up on the mainstage was Maines Ray Lamontagne with a tough slot. He held his own for most of the set, along with a very animated upright bass player that had a huge smile on his face the entire time. His folksy, acoustic sound was nice and soothing but seemed more suited for a smaller, more intimate venue. Soon the crowd became overwhelmed with people trying to get a good spot for The Arcade Fire.
The best act of the festival, hands down, was The Arcade Fire. Everyone was stopped in their tracks as soon as the large band started belting out the opening Ohh! Ohhhhhh! to their song Wake Up. The power of the group didnt stop for a second during their 45-minute set. The only reason I could come up with for them not getting an hour and a half was that they wouldve all collapsed out of sheer exhaustion with such a high-energy performance dressed in black suits and dresses. They switched instruments throughout the entire career-spanning set, sometimes mid-song, and everyone even the violinist and French horn player sang. Some members grabbed drumsticks and pounded on every available surface, all over the stage. It wasnt just a rock show; it was like a theater performance! Sadly, towards the end of their set, Win Butler announced that this would be their last live show in a long time. See you in a million years, he said. Not only did these guys play their hearts out, but they put on a great show full of dancing, instrument-switching and humor. Towards the end, Butler said they would play one more song, and the whole crowd yelled Noooo! Everyone threw their arms in the air and cheered them on with the hope that they would keep going. Two songs later, their time really was up, and the audience kept on clapping. Anyone claiming that Modest Mouse put on a better show that day is just in denial. While getting a much anticipated mini-pizza, I caught some of the music of The Be Good Tanyas. The old-timey, Vancouver B.C.-based trio got a bunch of girls with big skirts up on their bare feet to dance. The girl next to me would not stop talking about how much she loved the group, which took a little of the moment away for me. But annoying fans aside, these talented ladies backed their bluegrass style vocals with fiddle, mandolin and guitar which they switched up throughout the set. I took my mini-pizzas over to the safety of the sloping grass lawn to enjoy one of the most anticipated groups, Wilco. The guys had a bit of technical difficulties through the first half of their set, but Jeff Tweedys comments about starting to like the festival scene told us that he was having a good time, despite the heat and his choice of a blue blazer. We wouldnt be caught dead out here, he told the half-naked audience. Their set, while dappled with some oldies, relied heavily on material from A Ghost Was Born, which often ended in loud electric guitar solos that the guy in front of me couldnt get enough of. Despite the earlier bugs, they were definitely rockin. Unfortunately the guys were cut off due to the aforementioned technical difficulties, which took up some of their time. Right before Kanye West made his way, fashionably late, to the mainstage in his purple suite and white blazer, everyone was chanting Kanye! Kanye! Kanye! Backed only by a DJ, he looked a little out of place on a big empty stage. He put up a good fight but he just didnt quite pull it off. After witnessing the explosive power of The Roots, who took the stage with power last year, it was obvious that Kanye really couldve used more people to fill the space. It didnt stop audience members from crowding in the pit, but it didnt seem to hold them there either. This isnt to say he didnt put on his best show, but it just could have used more fire power for this crowd.
Another interesting act for me was Joanna Newsom, with her hillbilly Bjork-like voice and harp accompaniment. She looked like a cute little elf next to the harp as she sang tunes from her most recent release, Milk Eyed Mender, to an interested audience. She fit perfectly in the small stage with her charming presence, and she made people laugh when she mimicked the mainstage crowd by saying Kanye! right before dipping into another song. The audience was jam-packed into the small space, and most werent sure what to do with her music; so they just stood still, staring at her in amazement. From the hill by the beer garden, some guy yelled I love you Joanna! It was obvious people enjoyed her flawless performance and quirky style. Sometimes its hard to pick and choose at festivals but if Im faced with a choice between someone I know well and someone I dont but am curious about, I will likely choose to see the latter. This method has always delivered good results and proved to be effective yet again this year. I chose to stick around the Wookie stage to check out The Frames, and these guys were well worth my stay. The Irish group was happy to have a decent sized crowd; especially given that Modest Mouse could be heard playing Float On down on the mainstage. The group played an emotionally inspired set focused on their newest release, Burn The Maps. Lead vocalist Glen Hansard screamed Now we feel like ROCKSTARS! after pointing to the crowd to help him out with a chorus. His humble energy was infectious and the crowd cheered them on as they rocked their hearts out. From the groups beautiful harmonies and Colm Mac Con Iomaires violin in Happy to the powerful performance of Finally, I was sold and made sure to pick up a copy of the album on my way to the mainstage for the last half of Modest Mouses set. Having gotten their radio-friendly hit out of the way early, Modest Mouse treated their audience to a wide variety of material. The group definitely pulled the largest crowd of the evening, and I couldnt help think of their live performance 8+ years ago on a B stage at some festival when I said Who are these guys? while noticing that the other 20 people watching seemed to be thinking the same thing. They have definitely made their mark in indie music history, and this performance was probably one of their best. Highly animated, energetic and backed by two drummers, the set was near flawless. Everyone in the pit was cheering, dancing and pulling out their lighters. Back up to the Wookie stage, I was serenaded by the sound of Matisyahu while I stood in line for a half hour for what I thought was a teriyaki chicken noodle bowl, but the stand ended up being out of both chicken and noodles. The Hasidic reggae-style rapper had everyone dancing under the stars to the island beat. His tall form danced around the stage as his words flowed in and out of English delivering phrases of wisdom and peace. The crowd ate it up, and he saw the largest group of people that could fit into the Wookie space. After a long setup, The Pixies took the stage to slightly less of a crowd than Modest Mouse but still played a solid set. However, after a day of extraordinary performances and rare oddities, just a solid set didnt hold people inside for long. There was a stream of people headed for the gates while the serious fans stuffed into the pit. I took the long way out by heading down to the pit and then slowly making my way around the bowl, all the way to the top of the hill and then out to the gate. They sounded great, and even though people were headed out, they all seemed to be marching out to the rhythm of the bass instead of quickly scurrying for their car. In the parking lot, a lot of people were hanging out in lawn chairs and laying on their cars, enjoying the music from afar. The sky was clear, the temperature was much cooler and the frogs were croaking along with the music. It was a long day full of music and heat, leaving me thirsty for more. I can only imagine what 2006 will have up its sleeve for those who are once again brave enough to trek out to the great Northwest desert in search of the elusive beast.
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