Weekly Mix 12/24/12

Tomorrow is Christmas! Whether you're excited about that or not, I hope that you have a great holiday and a productive new year! More stuff coming up.

1. Cloud Nothings - "Wasted Days"

2. Devendra Banhart - "Bad Girl"

3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Mladic"

4. Gold Panda - "You" (Second version)

5. Sufjan Stevens - "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"

6. St. Vincent - "Just The Same But Brand New"

7. Sparklehorse -"It's A Wonderful Life"

8. Pedro The Lion - "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"

9. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gradenhead - Leave Me Alone"

10. Damien Jurado - "Tonight I Will Retire"

Weekly Mix 12/17/12

Hello, how have you been? I've been very busy with another project, but I am getting started on my write-up for the Lost In The Trees show at Duke from a couple weeks ago, so expect that sometime soon. In the mean time, here are some songs:

1. Now, Now -"Wolf"

2. Metronomy - This Could Be Beautiful (It Is)

3. Alex Turner - "Hiding Tonight"

4. Port St. Willow - "Hollow"

5. Thrupence - "Voyages"

6. Borealis - "Glaciers"

7. 2muchachos - "Forest Breath"

8. Boards Of Canada - "Macquarie Ridge"

9. Willis Earl Beal - "Same Old Tears"

10. Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Christmas Time Is Here"

Weekly Mix 12/10/12

Bonjour! Hope everyone has been doing well! I know for a lot of people this time of year can be very stressful with exams, shopping, crazy relatives, etc. so I send good vibrations to any of you that are having a rough time this holiday season. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed out it always helps to spin some tunes, so hopefully these can help out:

1. Eric Whitacre - "Lux Aurumque"

2. Nico - "These Days"

3. Portishead - "Small"

4. Radiohead - "Identikit"

5. My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep"

6. Miles Davis - "Blue In Green"

7. Do Make Say Think - "Chinatown"

8. CoCoRosie - "Candy Land"

9. The Books - "All Our Base Are Belong To Them"

10. The Mountaineering Club - "Christina Fjord, May 30th, 1889"

Silversun Pickups w/Atlas Genius @ The National 11/27/12

     Before I begin, I feel I should probably confess that I am not the most impartial critic of Silversun Pickups' live performances. They were my favorite band for a significant chunk of my formative high school years, and while my tastes may have changed, I still have a big soft spot for their fuzzy indie rock. 

Atlas Genius

     Having seen the band six times already, I felt that I pretty much knew what to expect when I got tickets for their show at The National in Richmond, Virginia. I'd even seen them at this venue before (in 2009 with Manchester Orchestra and Cage The Elephant), so I was looking forward to a night of familiar favorites at a comfortable venue. My complacency was misguided; all of my pervious experiences with the band were during the extended period of touring behind their 2009 album, Swoon, while this tour was supporting their 2012 release, Neck Of The Woods. Oh, what a difference three years has made…

              The show was opened by Adelaide, Australia indie-rockers Atlas Genius. The boys from Down Under sound akin to Ra Ra Ra Riot with a dash of Phoenix mixed in, but their upbeat, hooky set met with mixed reactions from the Richmond crowd. From where I was, I could hear a few people chatting about how much they liked the band, but it was clear by the disinterested expressions on the faces of much of the audience that many were only there to hear Silversun Pickups. Crowd opinions aside, Atlas Genius was tight and played confidently for their short, 7 song set.

Vocalist/Guitarist Brian Aubert and Bassist Sarah Negahdari 

     After Atlas Genius’  equipment was moved off stage it became clear to me how different this show was going to be in comparison to my past SSPU experiences. They had an entirely new, complex lighting setup, multiple fog machines, and a cloth screen backdrop that would catch the lights to create a colorful atmosphere for each song. By comparison, their Swoon tour rig from three years ago seemed like a couple flashlights and some dry ice. The atmosphere that has always been present in the band’s music was now fully realized in their stage show and it was evident from the first digital pulses of opener "Skin Graph" that this was going to be an intense night. The vivid luminescence of the backdrop painted the entire room a bluish pink, while strobes and thick fog made the band appear ethereal and otherworldly. The perfectly choreographed light show made back catalog songs like "Little Lovers So Polite" and "The Royal We" feel completely new, and when coupled with the unique style of replacement bassist Sarah Negahdari of The Happy Hollows (regular bassist Nikki Monninger is home in L.A. expecting twin girls) the band itself felt wholly transfigured. The electronic textures the band cultivated in Neck Of The Woods translated very well live and added a new element of ambience that complimented the band's already hazy sound. Neck Of The Woods tracks "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" and "Mean Spirits" were the highlights of the night, while it was the band's 2007 breakthrough single "Lazy Eye" that received the biggest audience reaction. The song was accompanied by a rainbow light display on the backdrop that was truly mesmerizing and managed to make a song that has been a staple of the band's live set for years take on a whole new life. The band ended the night on a nostalgic note with "Well Thought Out Twinkles", the first single from their 2007 debut album, Carnavas. 

Panoramic shot of the stage

     I left this concert with a reaffirmed feeling of respect for Silversun Pickups. I've seen them quite a few times now and not once have I ever come away from one of their shows feeling unsatisfied.  While my musical tastes have shifted somewhat, Silversun has always been there to remind me what a really good live band can be.

Weekly Mix 12/3/12

Christmas time is upon us! How exciting! I don't know about you, but this is my favorite time of year. You can't go wrong with all those pretty lights, delicious smells, and beautiful music. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying the holiday season!

1. Beach House - "Wild" 

2. Mindthings - "Fractal"

3. Stupid Loser - "Woebegone" (EP is pay what you want!)

4. Colleen - "Everything Lay Still"

5. Broken Social Scene - "All My Friends"

6. Other Lives - "Paper Cities"

7. Lowercase Noises - "We Are Ok"

8. Parachutes - "Your Stories" 

9. The Velvet Underground - "Sunday Morning"

10. Modest Mouse - "Ionizes and Atomizes"

Weekly Mix 11/26/12

Lots of good shows coming up, starting with Silversun Pickups in Richmond tomorrow. That means more posts soon! Huzzah!!! Thanks for all the support!

1. CALCULATOR - "Night Trot"

2. Citizens Here and Abroad - "In The Dark"

3. Sea Oleena - "Milk"

4. Johnny Marr - "The Messenger"

5. Nada Surf - "Popular"

6. William Basinski - Disintegration Loop 1.1 (Powerful video..)

7. Sleepy Sun - Marina

8. Elvis Perkins In Dearland - "Chains, Chains, Chains"

9. Silversun Pickups - "Ribbons And Detours"

10. Lower Dens - "Nova Anthem"

David Bazan Band plays Pedro the Lion's "Control" w/Stagnant Pools @ Cat's Cradle

     When a songwriter announces a tour commemorating the tenth anniversary of an album's release it’s usually for one of two reasons:

First: The artist’s career has floundered since the success of their early albums and they decide to cash in on bygone days of quality songwriting as a last attempt at relevancy.

Second: The album itself not only has endured after all these years, but has grown more meaningful with age. A new generation has found significance in the work and it has become something larger than itself; something truly worth commemoration.

     

     David Bazan’s decision to tour behind the tenth anniversary of Pedro the Lion’s Control fits squarely into the second category.

     A politically driven concept record written in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Control tackles themes of division, suspicion, ambition, and betrayal that are as applicable in today’s tense political climate as they were ten years ago. An extended metaphor comparing the political schism of post-9/11 America to the disintegration of a family after infidelity underpins the album’s primary themes of disunion and deception. By extensively using metaphor, allegory, and symbolism, Bazan avoids the pitfalls of writing blatantly political songs, which he described to me as “in poor taste.” Control’s ability to address complex political problems in an affecting, personal way is what has allowed it to age so gracefully, and why it is the best choice for Bazan to commemorate on tour. 

Brian Enas of Stagnant Pools

     

     The show was opened by Bloomington, Indiana band Stagnant Pools. Brothers Brian and Douglass Enas craft their My Bloody Valentine-meets-Joy Division brand of shoegaze gloom with only one guitar, a drum kit and a few pedals; an impressive feat when compared to the massive amounts of equipment used by similar bands. The duo conjured a moody, punk-tinged haze that kept the blood pumping and got the night started on a strong note. The only hiccups in the set stemmed from a somewhat loose drum section that struggled to keep up at times, and a dry vocal mic that clashed with the band’s heavy instrumental atmospherics. Those were only minor complaints and I highly suggest that any fan of shoegaze or dark indie rock check out Stagnant Pools.

David Bazan

     After a quick line check, Bazan and his ace backing band of Andy Fitts on bass and Alex Westcoat on drums burst into Control opener “Options.” Being the first song of the set and the album’s most well-known track, the recognizable intro riff was greeted with hearty cheers and applause. Moving along in order of appearance on the album, Bazan pounded through “Rapture” and the sardonic corporate commentary of “Penetration.” The set was organized into three parts: a set of Bazan-penned songs from his various bands and solo projects, bookended by the two halves of Control. Highlights from the middle section of songs included a poignant solo rendition of the Strange Negotiations single “Wolves At The Door,” and Pedro the Lion staples “Transcontinental” and “When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run.” During breaks between songs Bazan frequently asks if the crowd has any questions at various points in the set, so I decided to take the opportunity to ask about the concepts behind the Pedro the Lion albums Winners Never Quit and Control. He responded with an insightful description of how Winners was a very deliberate concept record mocking evangelical Christian values about two brothers who take different paths through life, while Control was “an accidental concept album” that grew organically as the album took shape. Sadly, few audience members decided to take advantage of this time to ask good questions, and instead just drunkenly blurted “play (insert song here)!!!” As the band finished off the second half of Control the performance reached its zenith. The emotionally charged stretch of songs from “Magazine” to “Rejoice” was the most dramatic and moving period of the night. The bitterness and resentment of “Rehearsal” and “Second Best” has grown into a catharsis for Bazan, while the dejected narrative in “Priests and Paramedics” has become more cautionary tale than parable. A re-vamped version of “Rejoice” finished out the set on a powerful note, and Bazan graciously thanked the crowd for listening before leaving the stage.

Westcoat on Drums

    
     Pedro the Lion’s Control is a rare case of an album that not only stands the test of time, but becomes more pertinent as time progresses. This tour commemorating the David Bazan masterpiece comes at the perfect time, when the political division in America is as evident than ever, and the values of post 9/11 society are starting to be questioned. When will the climate of disunity and partisan quarreling become too much? It’s tough to say, but only by holding a mirror up to the situation and letting the reality of it sink in, as Bazan has done with Control, will there ever be chance for the masses to realize that the current milieu of aimless infighting does not work.

Weekly Mix 11/19/12

Many good shows coming up. Expect more posts soon.

1. Tennis - "Origins"

2. The Snake the Cross the Crown - "The Great American Smokeout"

3. Real Estate - "Municipality"

4. Earlimart - "It's Ok To Think About Ending"

5. Grizzly Bear - "Shift"

6. Daughter - "Landfill"

7. Iron & Wine - "Weary Memory"

8. Bark Psychosis - "Hex" (Full Album) [It'll blow your mind]

9. Carole King - "It's Too Late" 

10. Elliott Smith - "St. Ides Heaven"

Weekly 11/5/12

Because election day is tomorrow, I decided that this week I would make a mix of song that deal with political themes in some way shape or form. I know that this can be a messy issue, and I'm sure to some this sounds like the most boring possible subject matter for a mix, but like it or not politics affects us all. These songs don't necessarily represent my personal political beliefs, but I feel they deal with issues and ideas pertaining to politics in a powerful, thought provoking way. 

1. Pedro the Lion - "Simple Economics"

2. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Ohio"

3. Radiohead - "2+2=5"

4. Godspeed You Black Emperor - "The Dead Flag Blues"

5. Joy Division - "Candidate"

6. Pink Floyd - "Us and Them"

7. LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum"

8. Pedro the Lion - "Indian Summer" (I really like Pedro the Lion..)

9. Jimi Hendrix - "Machine Gun"

10. Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band - "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)"

 

Weekly Mix 10/29

I've been very busy of late, but I'm going to make getting some things posted a top priority. Here is a list of some cool music that I have been obsessed with for the last few weeks. Check back soon for more tidbits of fun.

1. Do Make Say Think - "Auberge Le Mounton Noir"

2. JBM - "Going Back Home"

3. Patrick Watson - "Fireweed"

4. Brian Eno - "The Big Ship"

5. Pedro the Lion - "Bad Things To Such Good People"

6. El Ten Eleven - "I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool"

7. Flicker State - "Go About It"

8. Kissed Her Little Sister - "Miracle Mile" (The whole album is free, so get it!)

9. The Appleseed Cast - "Forever Longing For The Golden Sun"

10. Bear vs. Shark - "Baraga Embankment"  

Weekly Mix 9/24

I know, I know, I can't refer to them as "Weekly Mixes" if I only do them every once in a while. But really, my lack of output on here has not been without reason! Between covering Hopscotch with Speakers in Code, applying for college, and working I've been super busy. I know that's no excuse, but hey, we'll be cool about it. Right?

1. Atlas Sound - "The Light That Failed"

2. Autolux - "Capital Kind Of Strain"

3. JBM - "Ferry" (Shout out to my main man T. Lemons) 

4. Woodkid - "Iron"

5. Deerhoof - "Secret Mobilization"

6. Bear vs. Shark - "Kylie"

7. Buke And Gass - "Sleep Gets Your Ghost" (Come see Morgan's End with Buke And Gass!)

8. O'Brother - "Malum (Alternate Version)"

9. Father John Misty - "Fun Times In Babylon"

10. King Krule - "Baby Blue"

Hopscotch Day 1

Check out Speakers in Code (and my) coverage of Hopscotch Day One!!!!!

http://www.speakersincode.com/2012/09/full-report-day-one-hopscotch-music.html

Weekly Mix 8/31

I do these mixes entirely too sporadically, but that's all right! Sporadic can be fun! Anyway, I'll keep this short. Hopscotch is next week! Anticipate a Hopscotch anticipation mix soon. Here ye be matey!

1. the Soil & the Sun - "One Woman"

2. Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Like Blood Does"

3. Chelsea Wolfe - "Moses"

4. Do Make Say Think - "Frederica"

5. Zack Hemsey - "Mind Heist"

6. Yuck - "Rubber"

7. We Are Trees - "Sunrise Sunset"

8. Boards of Canada - "Everything You Do Is A Balloon

9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Moya"

10. Sleep Party People - "A Dark God Heart"

-Drizzle

mewithoutYou w/ Kevin Devin and Buried Beds @ Cat's Cradle 8/12/12

     Genrefication of mewithoutYou as simply "Christian Rock" is wholly incorrect. The band cites a wide range of influences, from ancient Islamic folk tales, to Neutral Milk Hotel. The music of mewithoutYou runs the gamut from upbeat, acoustic recitation, to heart-palpitatingly intense, vocal chord-shredding philosophical rhetoric. Vocalist Aaron Weiss raves like a man possessed, but still retains an understated melodic sensibility that keeps the existential subject matter firmly grounded in rock-music approachability.

     Buried Beds and Kevin Devine did well opening the show. The bands were clearly enjoying this tour, as performer cameos were common place throughout every set. During Buried Beds' final song Kevin and a few members of mewithoutYou came on to assist with percussion. Later Eliza Jones, vocalist of Buried Beds, returned to the stage to assist Kevin with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Cupid." It's refreshing to see bands that really enjoy playing together on tour. The collective camaraderie spills over to the audience, building a sense of connectedness between the crowd and the band. It's a beautiful thing, and it goes a long way towards making a show truly great. 

     MewithoutYou's diverse catalog kept the show fresh. With Biblical folk-tunes, and heavy-metal parables to keep things interesting, you find yourself more readily engaged than you are at a usual club show. Opener "February, 1878" got things moving, and a mosh pit formed in front of stage left quickly. "C-Minor" kept the pace up and the  blood pumping. Things relaxed slightly for "Messes of Men" and the rhythmic "Grist for the Malady Mill." The more folk oriented side of the band came out for a few songs, until the trend was broken with Catch For Us The Foxes rocker "Paper Hanger." Some difficulty presented itself when Weiss's overdriven mic lost volume for a good portion of the set. It returned intermittently, but it was disappointing to see Weiss scream so furiously and not hear a thing. Another Catch For Us The Foxes staple, "Son of a Widow," came later in the set to a receptive audience. A few minutes after exiting the stage, the band returned for an encore of "Silencer" from A To B Life. At the first notes of the recognizable riff cheers where heard, followed by quiet anticipation. As Weiss burst into his bipolar frenzy he skipped around the stage and hunched against walls, all the while his eyes were cast upward. The crowd was sea of bobbing heads and enunciating mouths; clearly they had wanted to hear this one, and it was met with  thunderous applause after its conclusion. The band closed the show with "Allah, Allah, Allah," and they made sure it was a party. Kevin Devine joined the band on stage, bouncing to and fro like a tambourine-wielding jack rabbit. There was almost a childish singalong aspect to the song, and that made it all the more exciting, as a feeling of youthful wonder befell the crowd. After the song's conclusion, the band exited the stage to cheers, nearly ones of exaltation.

     The range of emotion and stylistic diversity is what made this show great. Having such a wide range of songs really made the performance consistently engaging and entertaining. The bill was perfect for show, and the added sense of brotherhood created new layers of meaning with each song. I can truthfully say that after months of anticipation, I was not let down.  

Announcement/Weekly Mix 8/20/12

     Hello all! It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything online, and for that I apologize. Part of my lateness stems from a confusion about how to present my posts in the future. The ephemerality of the Tumblr community doesn't really jive with my predilection for writing long, in depth posts, so I've decided to move my serious writing to a new forum, this blog. I'll still be updating the SuperPrecarious Tumblr, but with more of an actual Tumblr feel to it; more pictures, videos and re-blogged content than previously. All music reviews, concert reviews, weekly mixes, etc. will be posted here from now on, and old posts (other than weekly mixes) will be re-posted here. Be sure to check back regularly, as I have many more posts planned for the near future, including concert reviews for the recent mewithoutYou show at Cat's Cradle and Brian Jonestown Massacre which is tomorrow (8/21/12). Thanks for all the support, and here is the weekly mix:

1. Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"  

2. mewithoutYou - "Son Of A Widow"

3.  Mister Lies - "False Astronomy"

4. Wintersleep - "Breath Normal, Nerves Normal"

5. Pedro the Lion - "Rapture"

6. MGMT - "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything"  

7. O'Brother - "Poison!"

8. Pavement - "Gold Soundz"

9. Phantogram - "Don't Move"

10. Radiohead - "These Are My Twisted Words"

-Dylan

Lollapalooza Day 1 Recap

Day One 8/3/12

     Day one of my first Lollapalooza was a little daunting. With a good idea of what sets I wanted to catch already, I figured that I'd pretty easily make my way around Grant Park  and see most everyone I wanted to see. Oh, how naive. Between the heat and the massive crowds, moving around the park was much more arduous that I had anticipated. I realized I'd have to very carefully plan out how I'd make it between stages, when to start the trek to the next set, how much time to allot for standing in line for water, etc. After I began to get my bearings it was already time to check out my first show, First Aid Kit. 

First Aid Kit: Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg opened the festival at noon on the Playstation stage with a good sized crowd already waiting for them. The early afternoon heat did nothing to deter their set of pop-folk balladry from resonating with the sweaty crowd, who applauded and cheered heartily after each song. Klara opened crowd pleaser "Emmylou" with an extended dedication to Johnny Cash, Graham Parsons, June Carter and Emmylou Harris, which was met with hoots of approval from the audience. Great set ladies.

Best moment of the set: Maybe it was just me, but when the whole band stepped on stage and began playing was the moment that it really hit me that Lollapalooza had just begun and I had three days of fantastic music like this in front of me.

     

     After a brief lunch and water break, I was off to the shady BMI stage to see Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band's 2:10 set 

    

Kevin Devine: Oh Kevin, you never disappoint. This being my 5th time seeing Kevin Devine perform I pretty much knew what to expect, but as most of the crowd seemed relatively new to his music, there was a vibe of anticipation and freshness as he began his set. He and the Goddamn Band powered through tracks both old and new with remarkable intensity, to which the crowd responded in spades; bobbing heads, cheers and clap-alongs permeated the crowd, and by the end of "Cotton Crush" the audience was in Kevin's palm. As is expected at any festival, a few technical difficulties presented themselves, but were rectified quickly and relatively painlessly (this became a theme for the whole festival). Closer "Brother's Blood" had the crowd going wild as Kevin and the band yelled and bashed their instruments with a fury that was unparalleled for that early into the festival. Every time I see Kevin perform I find yet another reason to love him, and aside from being a great musician, he's also one of the coolest, most down to earth people I've ever met. If you get a chance, definitely be sure to check him out in future, you won't be disappointed.

Best moment of the set: The powerful band interplay on "Brother's Blood" is always a sight to behold, and this time was no exception. 

     

     Directly after Kevin's set ended I sped over to the Playstation stage again to catch a little bit of Sharon Van Etten before making my way across the park to see Tame Impala. Ms. Van Etten was fantastic, but I was only able to catch her first few songs as time constraints pushed me over to the crowded Sony stage for Tame Impala's set. 

Tame Impala: The 3:15 slot at the dusty Sony stage was the most populous I had encountered yet, and with good reason. Tame Impala's prowess at raw psychedelia was on full display here, and an excited, albeit stoned, crowd was feeling the groove. The fuzzed-out fury of "Desire Be Desire Go" and new single "Elephant" had the throng swaying and bobbing like a troupe of hippie zombies. Issues with lead singer/guitarist Kevin Parker's guitar led him to postulate that one of his  many effect pedals might have melted in the hot sun, which was met with laughter from the crowd. After a quick guitar change, things were up and running again within 5 minutes. Despite this interruption and the blazing mid-afternoon heat, the band retained their cool Aussie charm and finished out their set to a jovial audience. 

Best moment of the set: The dual guitar solos on "Elephant" melted more faces than opening the Ark of the Covenant. 

      

     After Tame Impala finished up I floated around the park for a while checking out segments of many different sets. I saw some of Metric, Band Skulls and The Shins before claiming my spot at the Sony stage for M83's 7:30 slot.

M83: This crowd was easily the largest I'd yet been a part of and the extended setup time for the elaborate lighting equipment seemed to wear on them. Finally, the band made their entrance and went straight into "Teen Angst". An inordinate amount of audience singing started nearly immediately, and it was clear that the crowd had been assuaged. Level issues with the first few songs marred things a little, but soon enough the mix was fixed and the show went on without a hitch. The vivid light show worked nicely with the band's electronic dream-pop style to create an experience that bridged the gap between EDM danceability and visual spectacle, and traditional rock band song structure and instrumentation. Songs like "We Own the Sky," "Steve McQueen" and "Reunion" had as many people rave dancing as they did head banging and singing along. After the band had finished their most famous song, "Midnight City," about a quarter of the audience pulled up stakes to go wait for The Black Keys to start at the Red Bull Soundstage while M83 still had 15 minutes left to play. I'm not complaining, I ended up much closer to the stage after they all left, but I think it's telling about the audience; "Shut up and play the hits!" The band closed their set with a  few instrumental tracks, which had the audience moving more than just about any other part of the set and was my personal favorite part of the show. M83 brought a wholly unique experience to Lollapalooza and did so without any pretension; if you missed this set, you missed one of the better moments of the entire festival.      

Best moment of the set: When the band's saxophonist came on stage in the middle of "Midnight City" he was greeted with cheers that came close to drowning out his wicked solo. It was surely an epic moment, and his onstage moves multiplied the excitement five-fold. He returned later in the set to assist on the instrumental tracks, and the slimmer crowd was just as excited to see him. That fella can kill an alto sax. 

     

     After M83 finished up, I waited around and listened to The Black Keys for a while, but I had to make my way back to the Bud Light stage to hear at least a little of Black Sabbath. It's not everyday that a seminal band like Sabbath reunites (at least mostly reunites; drummer Bill Ward was noticeably absent,) and you can't miss that opportunity. I heard their last few songs and thoroughly enjoyed Ozzy's onstage antics; how he could rile a crowd of 30,000 drunk bikers into a frenzy was endlessly entertaining. I tried to make it out of the park before the swarm, but was unsuccessful and ended up in traffic for an hour on the way back to my hotel. What a day..

Rainapalooza (Good one, right?)

     I've just put my soggy, blistered feet up after one of the oddest, most crusade-esque  days of my existence. From 55 mph winds, to drug dealers, to near-riots, it's certainly been a whirlwind experience. Surely Lollapalooza is always quite an adventure, but never could I have imagined I'd end up in a subway tunnel waiting out the apocalypse.
    
     There was talk of possible thunderstorms for Lollapalooza Day 2 by the end of Day 1, but , as I suspect most festival goers did, I didn't consider the implications of a severe thunderstorm in downtown Chicago when there are 100,000 people crammed into a public park. I arrived in Grant Park around  2:00 p.m. to catch GIVERS at the Google Play Stage. After their killer set (I'll address specific sets in another post, this is intended more as a narrative experiential account rather than a review of specific acts,) I began to make my way over the Sony stage to check out Neon Indian's set at 3:00. On the way over I heard the first whisperings of an evacuation, and by the time I reached the stage I was met with a barrage of people leaving the area. I quickly ascertained from a few sources that the festival had been postponed until at least 6, and later if the weather proved consistently inclement. As is expected, most people that I spoke with were not pleased that the festival's future was tentative, but no one had any idea what was to come, and if they did they would have been clamoring to get out of Grant Park as fast as possible.
    
     After the mass exodus of nearly 100,000 people into downtown Chicago, the weather was beginning to get worse and things were getting somewhat more worrisome. Police began blocking off streets as more and more people flooded the       3 blocks around the park, and sirens whirred constantly as the number of injured and sick grew quickly. As things deteriorated people where being directed into the Chicago subway system to seek shelter from the coming onslaught. The sky grew increasingly darker and winds began to pick up as the first shudders of thunder elicited cheers from the massive crowds. As debris began to become airborne I sought shelter on the stairs leading into the subway tunnels, a perfect place to get some shots of the chaos (I have a roll of film with 25 shots of entire ordeal and those photos will be up as soon as they're developed.) In the stairwell I bonded with a guy over his This Will Destroy You shirt and we spoke for a few minutes before things got really out of hand and dozens of people began to pour down into the tunnels at the command of Lollapalooza security. In the tunnels things were totally surreal; screaming children, more and more people coming in sopping wet as the rain began its torrent, and water puddling to nearly 3 inches at the bottom of the stairs in leading into the subway. I made my way through the subway tunnels and met many interesting people from all over the world. A Canadian from Winnipeg who came to Lolla' "because my friend had an extra ticket; I don't even know who to see." A German man who's frustration at the whole situation was very evident, but sadly I couldn't understand a word he said through his heavy accent other than "money" and "fuck." He was not pleased. Eventually, I was lured into a more secluded offshoot of the tunnels by a very sketchy looking man and his two silent cohorts. He offered me some weed and some "molly" (ecstasy,) to which I very rapidly said "No, I think I gotta go.." He wouldn't take this for an answer, however, and began to attempt to peddle his wares to my little brother, to which I made clear that BOTH of us didn't want his ecstasy. After that somewhat terrifying encounter, I decided that the subway tunnels were not the place for me; it was time to resurface.
    
     The rain had subsided somewhat and there were many people on the streets by this time, many of whom had been out during the thick of things dancing and having a grand 'ole time. I applaud your courage, sirs and madams. I made my way around the surrounding area just to see what the environment was like and found that nearly every restaurant in the vicinity had a line of ill-dressed young folk at least a block long out the door. I eventually ended up outside the garden at the Art Institute of Chicago and walked further up the street to the main gates into Grant Park, where a sea of bodies had congregated in anticipation of the festival's rebooting. I followed the stream of people into the heart of the crowd, and the madness continued.
    
     At this point all adherence to structure and authority had totally dissolved and the crowd was getting progressively more ornery. Chants of "tear down the fences!", "USA, USA, USA!", and "IRELAND, IRELAND, IRELAND!" (by one proud, flag-welding Irishman,) were beginning all throughout the mob. People began crowd surfing and very soon it became a 20,000 person attention grab, with some even climbing slippery street posts by having the crowd hoist them high enough to get a footing on the metal street signs that protruded off of the posts Things were escalating fast; more and more crowd surfing, beer throwing, a couple of heated arguments, and still little word on when things in the park would be up and running again. Soon there was talk that an updated schedule had been posted on the Lollapalooza website and that they'd open the gates soon. Sure enough, at about 5:50 the gates were opened and a bum rush for the entrance began.
    
     People were climbing barricades and pushing initially, but security staff made it very clear that everyone would get back in and that no one needed to get hurt. Finally, after the ordeal of a lifetime, we made it back into Grant Park. Upon reaching the information tent to check out the new schedule, who should I find but the man with the This Will Destroy You shirt. I shook his hand and we shared congratulations for surviving the journey, and as I walked away I heard him explain to his wife/girlfriend, "I talked to that guy in the stairwell when it looked like the world was ending." Luckily everything worked out and most of the sets were pushed back a little while or truncated somewhat (sorry Alabama Shakes.) The festival did take quite a beating from the weather; most of the stage screens were out for the rest of the day, and they had to bucket water off the top of the huge Bud Light Stage, but after everything that happened I can thoroughly say that the bad weather made for a much more memorable and more interesting day.

Sigur Rós @ The Mann Center Skyline Stage 7/30/12

     The most frustrating part of attempting to describe a profound concert is not describing how amazing the music was, or how striking the visual spectacle was, or even trying to describe how it all made you feel emotionally. The most frustrating part of describing a profound concert is illustrating for your audience how those things combined with the latent energy of the crowd, the anticipation that festers as you wait for the band to enter the stage, the sensation of seeing your musical luminaries a mere 50 feet away, and the other hundred variables of the night combine to form more than just a concert. More than a common display of musical proficiency; it becomes a moving, illuminating and insightful experience that fosters introspection and reflection like few other things can.
    
     I feel this frustration when attempting to describe what it was like to see Sigur Rós at the Mann Center Skyline Stage on July 30, 2012, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was the second show of the band's two night tour-opening slot at the Skyline, which had seen its inaugural performance the night before. More accurately, this was less an inauguration for the recently completed Skyline Stage, and more a consecration.

     The stage itself sits upon a grassy hill surrounded by trees and foliage, with a perfectly picturesque view of the Philadelphia skyline as its backdrop. With the sunset lighting the near panoramic view of the stage a vibrant palate of oranges and yellows, opener Perfume Genius took the stage. In all honesty, the somewhat repetitive songs began to wear on my nerves, but the promise of Sigur Rós kept excitement alive. A relatively long breakdown and set up period after Perfume Genius' set ensued. This period was ripe with anticipation and anxiety; after sitting through an entirely unexpected opening band the audience was ready for the real show to start. After about 20 minutes of stagehands moving equipment while an ominous ambient loop played over the PA and the projection screen emblazoned the stage with simply "Sigur Rós," the lights were cut and the true show began.

     Upon their entrance to the stage, the 11 member ensemble nearly instantly dove into "Ekki Múkk," the first single off of the group's most recent release, Valtari. Just as the music began, the projection of a ship floating above a turquoise sea from the "Ekki Múkk (moving art)" video, which was released to announce Valtari's release, covered the stage. Just these first few moments were so moving and affecting that many around me were already in tears, less than 3 minutes into the show. As the band progressed to "Varúð" (the only other track from Valtari played that night,) emotions in the crowd began to shift from pensive to elated. As leader singer and guitarist Jónsi tore into an unaccompanied squall of guitar feedback and distortion the crowd went wild, only to go more wild as the feedback faded and the first notes of the "Ny Batteri" bass line were heard. As "Ny Batteri" mounted, the stage lights began to display their true potential; strobes and atmospheric colors whirred with near dizzying intensity as the music reached earth-shaking volume. Coming off "Ny Batteri," the band quickly segued into the lilting organ and vibraphone intro of "Í Gær." Just as this placating introduction seemed to be slowing down a single snare hit pierced the air, followed by a wall of sound pressure that echoed through down the hill, into the night. As the band moved through "Vaka" and "Sæglópur," the audience moved with them; it was as if a mystic trance had befallen the entire crowd. They were simple marionettes under the control of powerful Icelandic puppeteers. Unexpectedly, the band played the rarely preformed "Gong," which added a rhythmic energy that broke the heavy catharsis of the prior few songs. "Gong" connected seamlessly with "Andvari," a more emotional, but equally as rarely preformed, track, whose sweet string ending drew many couples in the crowd into a loving embrace. As the night continued, we came to the obligatory back-to-back performance of "Hoppípolla" and "Með Blóðnasir." Despite the expectation of seeing these songs, any preconceived notion of what  they could be like live was shattered as the combination of the moonlit night sky and the spectacular light show added new layers of elegance and poignancy. The most magical moment of the night came midway through "Olsen Olsen," when a small, candle-lit, hot air balloon floated around the crowd and made its way above the stage. The ethereal red glow of the sky lantern made it appear almost angelic; it was as if a seraph from the heavens joined us at that moment, affirming that this was not just a concert, it was nearly a metaphysical experience. After the slowly building, but endlessly satisfying "Festival," and the rhythmically intense "Hafssól," the band exited the stage.
Unexpectedly, about two minutes after they left the stage the band returned for an encore, which was fairly surprising, as Sigur Rós hasn't played an encore in years. The crowd went crazy as the bass line for "Glósóli" emanated from the wall of speakers at the front of the stage. As the song reached its zenith there wasn't a dry eye to be seen; whether it be due to some personal connection to it, or simply from the emotional energy that pervaded the crowd, nearly everyone was tearing up. Nearly everyone could feel that this was something special. As "Glósóli" ended, "Popplagið" began, and so the night began its climax. The first 6 minutes were archetypal Sigur Rós; dulcet strings, airy falsetto vocals, and a brooding intensity built up until it seemed ready to snap. And at about six minutes in, it did snap. From there the song escalated into something else; a display of sheer force and power that is unmatched in live music. At the song's violent apex, the stage became an unrecognizable slurry of lights, strobes, sporadic projections, real-time footage and moving bodies. An unprecedented experience, best compared to a drug-addled hurricane of sensory input. It was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed, and something that is impossible to fully put into words.

     In summation, this was the best live show, and one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed. Nothing has ever caused me to feel the intense range of emotions I experienced that night; it was truly an ineffably moving experience. And it was just that, an experience.