Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day Two

Day one was an undoubted success, but if anyone is familiar with music festivals, that kind of success isn't usually long-lived. But while day two wasn't the jubilant adventure Friday, August 6 was, the dropoff was hardly noticeable. Already, 2010 was shaping up to surpass 2009.

Day Two:

The perfect weather from Friday carried over the next morning, so me waking up over an hour later than I had originally planned didn't put too much of the damper on the beginning of my day, although it did force me to miss The Morning Benders at noon. I took my first steps in Grant Park that day just fast enough to catch the beginning of Harlem's short set. Quirky, intimate and fun, the Tuscon trio crashed through quick hits from their 2008 debut Free Drugs and this year's Hippies. Although nothing really jumped out of the group's set, the show still proved to be very solid for the early afternoon.

Harlem

Ubiquitously, apathy set in after my short leave from the Sony Bloggie stage. Wild Beasts and Rogue Wave were both competing for my half-assed attention, with the former winning out. Now while I can't say for certain that Wild Beasts played a good or bad set, I can pretty much tell you I didn't care either way. With that, and the fact that Stars continued to seem less and less appealing at the time, I did what anyone else would (or should) do; go to Perry's place before I grabbed a spot for Gogol Bordello.

It's within that time that I learned my first official lesson for Lollapalooza this year: when you're bored, don't hesitate, just go to Perry's. As pedestrian as it sounds, it really is a constant string of fun - no waiting, non-stop music and unavoidable freaks by the barrel-full. It'll be something to remember for next year.

Balkan Beat Box

And then there's Gogol Bordello. For those who aren't aware of my obsession with their live act, or their devoted, energetic fan-base, Gogol Bordello is one of the most intense, blissful and heavy-hitting live acts out there. And just like 2008, the band proved to be one of the best, if not the best, non-headlining act of the weekend. It's no wonder I've now seen them more than any other group in my life.

Exhausted, covered in sweat and confetti, I decided to forgo a spot for Deer Tick and grab a better one for Spoon. As it always seems to be around five and six o'clock, the crowds begin to swelter and gather in enumerable droves at the main stages. So what came of a nice relaxing spot in the grass quickly grew into a choke-gasm behind the festival's seemingly tallest fans (they were all friends, who would have thought?).

Spoon, by the time they had begun, had proved once again that waiting is usually worth it. The Austin natives played through most of their catalog, from 1998's Series of Sneaks all the way up to this year's Transference, with the set mostly focusing from their previous two albums. Again, it wasn't a set that "blew" people away, that's not the kind of music Spoon plays, but it was eerily pitch perfect, long-lasting and invigorating all in the same time.

Spoon

With the sun beginning to set on the Chicago skyline, I only had a few choices left for the night: starve to death, see a bit of Cut Copy or wait for Phoenix. Well, I hate starving, so I got that out of the way first, and wedged a spot for Cut Copy. Apparent sound problems drove me out after the group opened up with "Lights and Music," so I made my way back to where I started. It's worth noting that Cut Copy's show was apparently one of the best of the entire festival.

I may have lost my pristine-ish spot for Phoenix, but even from where I was (not too much further back than before) I saw perhaps the best show of the entire weekend. Coming in, knowing well that this was set to be the largest show in the band's ten-year career, and the fact that they supposedly weren't going to be a headliner prior to the festival's lineup announcement, Phoenix blew all my doubts right out the window. Spanning from the group's debut album United to last year's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (still the backdrop to their shows). While I'm not sure their big enough to still headline other festivals, they certainly are capable of doing so.

Phoenix backdrop

With two fantastic days behind me, I left the park, my fingers crossed until Sunday.

Best Performances: Phoenix, Gogol Bordello
Worst Performances: Wild Beasts

Highlight: "Start Wearing Purple," by Gogol Bordello, "Written in Reverse," by Spoon, "Love Like a Sunset" and "Playground Love" (Air cover) by Phoenix.
Lowlight: None

Day Three Review Tomorrow

Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. V

And finally, here's part V.

#2: Spoon
No, Spoon aren't one of the six headliners at Lollapalooza this year, something that speaks volume to the festival's plethora of solid mid-tier acts, or their maybe weak-ish headliners. The Austin, Texas indie-alterna veterans, now 12 years into their critically-amassed studio career, have become a staple for summer music festivals, appearing at Pitchfork Music Festival two years ago, Coachella in April, Lolla (for the third time) and Austin City Limits later this year.

It seemed that the release of 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga, that the band would be poised for an enormous breakout, similar to what Phoenix has experienced since the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix last year. While things didn't exactly pan out in the same manner (they never really do), the band is still is at the peak of their long career.

Spoon will be performing at 6:15 on the Budweiser stage, Saturday, August 7. Fans can also meet the band at 8:00 in the F.Y.E. Tent.

Spoon - The Mystery Zone (Live on KCRW)



#1: Arcade Fire
Six years and only three studio albums to their credit, the Arcade Fire are in a unique place - too big for the indie scene and still too small, obscure and profound for the big markets. While it remains to be seen that this will be the zenith of their careers, the band has certainly reached a point of critical profoundness.

I guess it's somewhat ironic that I ended up posting this today, the same day the group releases their third album The Suburbs. I've heard bits and pieces, but have to get my hands on a full copy of the release. But from what I've heard (and numerous others have) the band does not disappoint. Surely, during Lollapalooza, for those who aren't obsessed with Lady Gaga, the Arcade Fire may end up being the biggest thing all weekend.

The Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait - MP3

Well, that wraps up this year's top ten list. I'll be heading off pretty soon, so Bears and Bullets will be on its annual hiatus. Stay tuned next week for my in-depth review of the festival.

Stay cool kids ...

Tuesday Bears: Official Lollapalooza lineup revealed

One day after Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune leaked what was to be believed as the "official" Lollapalooza lineup, festival promoters have announced the legitimate lineup. And, in an ironic (or completely un-ironic twist), Kot was 100 percent on the money.

Indeed, the reunited Soundgarden, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Arcade Fire, Strokes and Phoenix are scheduled to headline the 2010 festival, with other notables, such as Spoon, The New Pornographers and The National, among others, making up a portion of the mid-tier acts.

The festival will host a couple retro and legendary acts, such as reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Devo and Cypress Hill, who appeared with Soundgarden at the first Lollapalooza in 1992. Perry's Place looks to replicate the fantastic success of 2009, landing 2manydjs, Empire of the Sun and Digitalism, among others, to lead the electro charge.

Despite the relatively improved headliners from last year and what appears to be another stellar stack of performers at Perry's Place, 2010's lineup (like 2009) appears to be a tad lacking, a la Bonnaroo. After various rumors had The Flaming Lips set to headline, the Oklahoma band is a no-show, which is likely the reason why Phoenix was thrown in as the sixth. Along with the disproved rumors possible appearances from David Byrne, Dangerdoom, Public Enemy and Against Me!, the mid-tier and lower groups look a bit light. Put that together with a superior Coachella lineup (it really is amazing), and fans may have some legitimate gripes this year.

However, with the seemingly last second inclusions of acts like Erykah Badu, The Walkmen, Harlem, Health and Wavves, this year may prove to be a little more full than meets the eye.

Three-day tickets for the Chicago festival, held from August 6-8, are available now. You can check out the whole lineup yourself here.

Stay tuned for more news regarding anything and everything Lolla ...

Friday Bears: Spoon bring "Nuffin" for Letterman

In Spoon's first late night talk show performance since they brought "Written in Reverse" to Conan's final Tonight Show gig, the Austin band brought their latest single "Got Nuffin'" to the Late Show with David Letterman.

The latest Transference performance came off a bit smoother than their Tonight Show, slow stagger, complete with unnecessary, badly timed (optional) captioning.

Spoon - Got Nuffin' (Live on Letterman)

Monday Bears: New Spoon Video - Written in Reverse

Director Danny Clinch recently shot a live black and white noir video for Spoon's new single "Written in Reverse," from the band's recently released Transference LP. Britt Daniel sounds a little more distraught here than he did on Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show finale, coming off a little more raw and forward than before.

The group is currently on the European leg of their tour, but will be hitting up the Southeastern States later this month. Local fans can catch the band with Deerhunter and Strange Boys at Radio City Music Hall in NY, March 26. Transference is out now via Merge Records.

Spoon - Written in Reverse

Wednesday Bears: Vampire Weekend and Spoon do Late Night Talk Shows

Before NBC goes into its post-Conan O'Brien collapse, Austin Texas indie icons Spoon hit the Tonight Show stage to perform "Written in Reverse," the lead-single off the group's seventh studio album Transference.

The performance, entirely Spoon-like, is dead on and sounds just like it does in-studio

Spoon - Written in Reverse (Live on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien)

Vampire Weekend, fresh off the band's number one debut (seriously, number one on the billboard charts) for their new album Contra, hit the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to perform their ode to Mexican rice milk, several days after performing on both the Tonight Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. Sadly, there are no jokes here about the late night television landscape.

Vampire Weekend - Horchata (Live on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson)

Bears and Bullets Top Ten Albums of the Decade - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

The 2000's are over. It was decade more mired by displacement than status. The internet thrived, and took over most if not all facets of modern culture, contorting and distorting anything and everything in music, films, news, politics, and so on. What emerged, however, despite the collapse of the record industry and print media, was music in itself.

The 2000's don't have a definite image because life has never been more expansive and all-encompassing. Every day is more vibrant, explosive and meaningful than the last, and we experienced it on levels that we cannot even fathom. So to look at music for the past nine years and 362 days and what sticks is not one thing, but everything.

So where are we then? Is it completely possible with the motions of music today that 2010-2019 is going to be a mirror image of 2000-2009? Yes and no. It's hard to say that if there was nothing definite about the 2000's that there will be something definite about the 2010's. Then again, with the speed and unpredictability of culture that we've witnessed in past several years, how anything from this point on can resemble something in the past would be nothing short of remarkable.

What we have to remember the decade is, in itself, nothing short of remarkable on its own merits. After the mass arrival of MP3 technology no individual genre thrived on unprecedented levels. Indeed, many facets of the music, while not as popular as others, began to grow on a more even playing field. What used to be referred to as underground in the 80's and 90's doesn't entail the same meaning anymore. Aside from your town's local talent show band, underground and in many ways "indie" music doesn't mean the same thing anymore.

The definition, gone from bands working to promote themselves and publishing their own records, has become artists who aren't as popular as others but are just as good, if not better. Of the ten albums I put on this list, only one hit number one on the Billboard charts. Is any coincidence that it is also the oldest album on the list? See for yourself.

#10: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a maturity extension of Spoon. The wry witticism lead singer Britt Daniel made popular on Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight is cleaner and more coherent on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga than on any of the band's previous albums, and yet the subtle variations that are prevalent on each new album are still apparent here. In "Finer Feelings," Daniel expects "I'll find a love/One that's gonna change my heart," leading into a drippy atmospheric spasm of echoing electro-filler. Much of that first two minutes is what really settles and describes Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga -- its minimal drums and guitars helping Daniel plead and understand, and then the sounds float into the quiet ether. The experimentation, as is with most of the Austin, Texas band's records, isn't overwhelming - it's a careful groove the band has been smart enough to settle in without making themselves loose and careless. Carefulness, here, may make more sense than any other description of the band's work. Every tambourine hit, xylophone cling, hand clap and bruising horn isn't what brings the listener in; it keeps them listening.

If, indeed, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, could be deemed Spoon's masterwork, what separates itself from the aforementioned Kill the Moonlight should be a little more clear. The latter album equates to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's predecessor more than the their elaborate 2005 album Gimme Friction; the sounds are simpler and more decisive, utilizing saloon-piano and acoustic harmonies with minimal electronics to hone in on Daniel's quelling lyrics. But foremost, it's indie-pop in it's more clean element - clean and sharply produced, with experienced and crisp craftsmanship guiding it. Each of those forces is prevalent in the former album, but with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga the quiet tremble is missing. As clean and polished as it is, the album can boast its triumphs - particularly on "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb," "The Underdog" and "Black Like Me" - that soar and revel any of the band's best work. "Cherry Bomb" and "The Underdog" are achingly appropriate pop anthems for a band that had, more or less, trouble finding accessible tracks on a multitude of levels. "Black Like Me," is band's most solemn moment, with Daniel recounting that "I believed that'd someone take care of me tonight," over and over until the track breaks into the dusk.

A Series of Snakes, Kill the Moonlight, Girls Can Tell and Gimme Friction, all of Spoon's memorable albums released prior to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, are minimal progressions to the band's ultimate achievement. They experiment and polish what makes the group such quiet perfectionists. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is what we get when those elements are all brought together in a terrific blend, combining Daniel's man-in-the-corner aesthetics and observations with the pristine sounds standing in the back. But more than anything else, it doesn't rely on those quiet, blissful bench-marks that made the band popular. It still uses them though, and better than ever.

Spoon - The Underdog

Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb