So many bands, so little time – it was the best type of endurance test! Here are Eleven’s Lolla Day 2 highlights:
Dan Black – 3:00 PM – BMI Stage
I’m guessing Dan Black will be all over music media in the next year. The crazy electro-disco party starter and his band threw the medium sized crowd at the smaller BMI stage into a frenzy. Decorated with tribal face paint and constantly tinkering with two sample triggers, the spastic Black flung himself all over the stage for hits like “Alone” and “Symphonies” (obviously CuDi-less). But Black wasn’t afraid to slow it down and lead the crowd through more funky, Jaime Lidell-style soul.
On a golf cart riding down Lakeshore Drive – thanks Red Bull for the ride!
Gogol Bordello – 3:45 PM – Parkways Foundation Stage
I only was able to catch a few songs at the beginning of Gogol’s set, and I made sure to rock my way into what was probably one of the few mosh pits (if you could even call it that) of the weekend. Eugene Hutz and company were as lively as ever, sporting their nomadic swagger and multicultural melting pot of musical stylings. Latin hip-hop, Eastern European rhythms, and punk attitude emanated from the stage, and Gogol once again turned Lollapalooza into a gypsy-rock romp.
Grizzly Bear – 4:15 PM – Budweiser Stage
I enjoyed Grizzly Bear’s set – it slowed down the manic energy of the festival. But, almost too much; many my fellow audience members seemed to zone out and lose interest. Grizzly Bear’s laid-back vibe, ultra relaxed stage presence, and dreamy vocal harmonies put many to sleep – but even the dozing audience members woke up to sing the chorus of “Two Weeks.” Daniel Rossen’s turn to take lead vocals on “While You Wait for the Others” was solid, and a more upbeat version of “On a Neck, On a Spit” closed out the set and brought the audience back to reality.
Metric – 5:15 PM – Playstation Stage
If you’re compiling a list of girls who rock, Emily Haines better be close to the top. Metric’s bombshell fiery frontwoman seemed to be leading a workout routine, constantly pacing and jumping across the stage. The band fired crowd pleaser “Help I’m Alive” early in their set, and chaos ensued. Metric’s high energy, electronic tinged sound kept the whole Playstation Stage area grooving through “Gimme Sympathy” and the synth-heavy musical interlude of “Dead Disco.” Haines proclaimed “We’ve got stadium loooovvveeee” before leading into the hit, and they closed with a low-key version of “Combat Baby” to bring the dance party to an end.
Spoon – 6:15 PM – Budweiser Stage
Spoon consistently delivers live – and their Lollapalooza set was no exception. Singer/guitarist Britt Daniels opened with acoustic-y “Me and the Bean” to warm the audience up, and then blasted into “Nobody Gets Me But You.” The band maintained a cool composure on stage, yet Daniels wasn’t afraid to show some emotion while ripping through chords in “Trouble Comes Running.” Spoon hit a groove through the bass driven “I Turn My Camera On” and surprisingly chose to play a cover of contemporaries Wolf Parade’s “Modern World.”
Rusko – 7:00 PM – Perry’s
Though I only caught around fifteen minutes of dubstep superstar Rusko, I did hear his bass heavy remix of “California Love,” which was awesome.
Phoenix – 8:00 PM – Budweiser Stage
I’m guessing Phoenix’s headlining spot on Saturday was their largest show ever – but the endless crowd didn’t scare off the band’s playful attitude. Playing a set heavily favoring Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the band shot off to a screaming start with “Lisztomania” and hit “Rome,” “Fences,” “Funky Square Dance,” and the epic musical interlude of “Love Like a Sunset.” The whole band kept their enthusiasm high during the whole set – and kept tens of thousands of fans clapping and screaming the whole time. Frontman Thomas Mars couldn’t hide a huge grin as he returned to the stage for an encore, which ended with “If I Ever Feel Better,” and of course, “1901.” Mars disappeared into the crowd with a light-up, red microphone cable to sing the last few “fallin’s” with an audience ready to follow the band back to France.
Foxy Shazam – ??? PM – Belvedere Nights at the Hard Rock Hotel
The drinks kept flowing, which seemed to perfectly match headliner of Warner Music Group’s afterparty Foxy Shazam’s glam rock attitude. Iconic mustached singer Eric Sean Nally hammed it up on stage – he was constantly ranting at who-knows-what and managed to smoke six cigarettes at once while sitting on his keyboardist’s shoulders (see above). All of Shazam’s band members shared this late 70s/early 80s rock swagger, which blurred the line between concert and theatrical performance. But then again, at ??? PM, anything goes.
