Now significantly sun burnt and just all around burnt out, the novelty of the whole festival had worn off.
Festival goers had comfortably made a home out of the dusty park grounds for the weekend and it was almost a surprise when someone mentioned that we’d have to go home tomorrow. But this is our home?
I rushed to the festival in the morning because I didn’t want to miss Winnipeg’s only pride and joy, The Weakerthans. I’d been spinning their albums non stop recently (and for the past three years of course) and really wanted to just sing along to their catchy and clever rock. I was incredibly disappointed to find out they cancelled their Lollapalooza appearance.
Office, however, were there to take their spot. The local Chicago four piece really didn’t put on much of a show per se, they did play some nice Pixies inspired indie rock, which only half explained their spot on the festival line up. But my attention was fleeting as I anxiously awaited the John Butler Trio‘s forthcoming set.
The Australia bunch was comfortable on stage and main man Butler is possibly one of the best guitarists my eyes have ever seen. He played a bluesy hymn on the acoustic guitar that took everyone’s breath away and continued to solo the crowd away to tears. Amazing. He also didn’t hold back any of his political opinions and encouraged the crowd to vote for Obama. After playing the way he just did, they’d do anything he said. Their set wowed the eyes off me and I didn’t think I could possibly watch another band. It was so unreal I started exploring the option of Butler being some sore of inhuman ghost god creature.
Meanwhile, The Black Kids frolicked around a smaller stage to their catchy dance pop. I like their new album, but found it slightly annoying. Same goes for their stage antics. I passed on by and continued down to a main stage where G.Love & the Special Sauce played their catchy classics. I never quite got G.Love. I still don’t really. It’s possible that every musician after John Butler just paled in comparison, its also possible that I was just too tired to blink or be aware of what was going on around me.
What did wake me up was a offensively loud set from Saul Williams. His loud droning electronic chaos, and oh so very loud costumes woke me right up and spun me around a few times. His set was interesting from beginning to end although I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying when the instruments slummed away and he spewed some passionate spoken word in to the mic, I’m sure it was important. I must have been distracted by the guitarist’s completely silver aluminium outfit reflecting the sun. They sure know how to put on a damn enthralling show.
To change up the pace entirely, we caught the last half of the Blues Traveller’s set. It made me want to drink more beer than I already was and have a ho-down. With the full band in attendance, they played classic sing a longs under a now more noticeably blue sky. How fitting.
Next up was Gnarls Barkley on the main stage. The triumphant musical bond between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green extends past their genre bending recordings and on to the stage where they performed with a back up band like one big happy family from a sitcom. The back up band was dressed in pleated school uniforms complete with sweater vests while DM and Cee-Lo wore gold suits while whipping out their R n B soul-y funk hits. They even did a very original cover of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’ which moved their set from “totally awesome” to “inhumanly above and beyond awesome.”
Life was good. The sun was setting and the time was nearing for the final Lollapalooza set. Tonight I chose to see Kanye West play in his home town over Nine Inch Nails and I’m positive I made the right choice. Kanye, although still his pompous self, gave it his all with a crazy light show above him. He jumped around the stage for two hours straight pumping out rhymes like he was the king of the world. It wouldn’t be a normal Kanye set if he didn’t slip in some of his verbal over flow…he indirectly compared himself to “the greats” i.e. Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, and Einstein. But after such a great weekend the crowd easily forgave him.
