Lollapalooza 2005 Day 1
By: Brett Hickman |
Saturday September 10, 2005 |
| A beautiful thing happened this past weekend in Chicago's Grant Park. An estimated 65,000 music fans were treated to two days of amazing music and note-perfect amenities. |
Aside from Sunday's heat causing some minor medical issues, the festival was without problems. People enjoyed themselves and no one even got arrested! The corporate sponsorship presence was surprisingly very minimal, as was police presence. This was a well thought out and executed festival, and it deserves to revisit this town year after year after year.
 There were only two complaints that hold any water. One is about sound bleeding from one stage to another. But this was only a problem when the band you were listening to would stop playing. Executive producer Charlie Jones of Capital Sports and Entertainment, as quoted in Chicago's Red Eye, is aware of the problem. "When I started the site design, it was in the winter. Grant Park seemed a lot bigger without the trees and foliage. Now that we know the true dimensions, we can set our public announcement systems farther apart to improve the overall sound of the performers."  As for the music itself, while there were few transcendent moments, there were next to no low ones, and only a smattering of indifferent ones. My plan for Day One of Lollapalooza was to shuffle back and forth between the two bands performing on each of the main stages. Saturday's lineup paired off so many good combinations of artists that it was hard to choose one over the other. I would not be aware of the pains this plan would produce in my feet and legs until much later that day. Local favorites The Redwalls, riding high on a sea of overwhelmingly positive press to their Capitol Records debut, De Nova, were a pure rock and roll revelation. Across from them, when the International Noise Conspiracy weren't tearing through their high-energy political garage rock, they were encouraging fans to download their latest album to spite the record industry. M83's Before the Dawn Heals Us still ranks as my favorite album of 2005 and hearing it performed in this beautiful setting was awe-inspiring. The creation of Anthony Gonzalez, M83 takes the progressive space rock of Pink Floyd and marries it with the ambient work of Tangerine Dream. I regret not seeing more of their set, but felt I shouldn't slight The Warlocks, whose broodingly dissonant ode to Phil Spector's "wall of sound," Surgery, is due out in August. Though "Shake the Dope Out" sounded amazing, the rest of The Warlocks' set did not captivate enough warrant missing more of M83. Regretfully, I missed all of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Ambulance Ltd.'s sets. Interviews and a Billy Idol press conference took up that time. I was able to hear all of Trail of Dead's performance from the media area, however. It sounded as vicious as others described it. Anticipation was high for Liz Phair. She was due to perform a solo acoustic set of newer material as well as "Girly Sounds"-era songs. But, with the exception of new songs "Somebody's Miracle" and "Everything To Me," Phair stuck to the tried and true. In fairness, she did play an acoustic guitar for a bit. Phair's vocals were strained and her attempts to appeal to the crowd came off mannered. Plus, there's just something creepy about hearing her sing, "Every time I see your face, I get all wet between my legs" to a crowd in which children 10 and under were in attendance. It was at this point that the Kaiser Chiefs beckoned from afar.  Chiefs' lead singer Ricky Wilson's voice was strained as well, but he still proceeded to lead the band in a rousing performance. Particularly on "Everyday I Love You Less and Less." During "I Predict A Riot," Wilson climbed the stage's structure and blasted out what was left of his voice. Two fans were pulled onstage to sing "Oh My God" to close out their performance. With the release of the film Dig, interest in both the Brian Jonestown Massacre and its leader, Anton Newcombe has gone up considerably. Newcombe, a perfectionist and a mercurial performer to say the least, was well behaved until near the end of the band's alotted time. Hearing Dashboard Confessional's set from across the field took its toll and he began lashing out at the band and its lead singer, Chris Carrabba. Newcombe yelled into the microphone, "If I ever need birth control, I'll use a picture of your fucking band!" He also called Carrabba both "Bon Jovi" and "a punk," repeatedly telling him to "shut the fuck up!" Also of note, besides the band's blistering performance, was former member Matt Hollywood rejoining the group for the set. None of this seemed to find its way back to Dashboard's stage, as the band played with amiable aplomb. The band's music is generally not my bag, but their songs took on a different vibe in this context, bearing a resonance that wasn't previously evident on their albums. The Bravery displayed a dynamism lacking on their debut release. The band, and particularly lead singer Sam Endicott, took control of the stage and received and appropriate response back from the crowd. Cake, on opposite them, are a lively act that bequile their audience with a lack of pretense and a healthy dash of humor. Billy Idol has more enthusiasm and energy than performers half his age. If only his voice matched these two admirable qualities. Still, the audience clamored to hear "Eyes Without a Face," "White Wedding," and even his latest single, "Scream," and sang along to every word. Primus' funk-jam style was hit-and-miss in their heyday, but songs such as "My Name Is Mud" brought back memories of Lollapalooza's past glory. Inexplicably, two giant rubber duckies flanked the members onstage. Across from them was the blues-rock duo The Black Keys. The Keys' stripped down rock was a welcome respite from Primus' rampant wankery. 
Though the Pixies' set showed an assuredness indicative of their age and
expertise, and the band did make a spirited effort, the lack of bombast that
propels their albums was sorely missed. The deafening drums, guitar bursts and
wailing of a young Frank Black are the ingredients that made the band's reunion
such a hot ticket. Unfortunately, the only one that still has their old chops
is Kim Deal, and one person alone cannot save a sinking ship.
Digable Planets were one of only two main stage acts representing hip-hop (Farrell and the organizers made attempts to book more but were turned down at every turn), and their presence was a palette cleanser from an over-abundance of rock. Laying down smooth grooves and pointed lyrics, the reunited Planets were warmly received. The strongest audience pull of the day went to Weezer. Delivering strong renditions of concert staples "Say It Ain't So" and "My Name Is Jonas," the band stuck to the tried and true and never stayed outside of their safety zone.  Read Day Two of Lollapalooza 2005. |
