Lolla Friday

One of the first bands I wanted to see was Robert DeLong, however his set was at 12:30pm on Friday, and I knew I wouldn't be ready to leave the office that early.  But, I packed my backpack and planned to walk right from work to the fest, as soon as I could.  That time ended up being about 2pm.

The security was a little tougher than ACL, but not nearly as tight as The Gorge. The first band I wanted to see was Band of Horses at 4:15pm, so I had some time to walk around and get oriented to the sheer space of Grant Park.  I might be wrong, but it seems like lolla is a lot bigger, both in terms of space, and people attending.  Grant Park is way different than Zilker.  Rather than being a huge green space, Grant has streets and mini-parks within it.  For the most part, the festival layout prevents it from feeling as crowded as ACL or creating as many bottlenecks of traffic.  I definitely appreciated this, as I did a lot of wandering on Friday.

I entered the fest on the north side, so caught part of Ghost BC’s set as I got oriented to the park.  Ghost BC is a metal band.  They sounded great, and were hilarious to watch but metal’s not my thing.  Once I made it all the way south, I caught most of the Smith Westerns.  They are originally from to Chicago, and it was funny that they accidentally did a shout-out to Coachella.  They sounded alright- but I felt super old watching them, surrounded by a lot of under-21 year/olds.  

Then I wandered back north, stopping by the EDM stage, Perry’s.  Five stars to lolla for having a stage devoted to one type of music.  I’m pretty sure lots of people spend their entire day dancing to the DJs at Perrys.  I enjoyed part of Monsta’s set from afar.  As I headed back north to catch Band of Horses at 4:15pm I walked through the food stands.  They do the same thing as ACL, having local restaurants setup stands rather than typical concert-venue food.  Similarly, there is also an artist market and farmers market on the west side of the park.  Ah- which reminds me, the craft beer situation.  Ha, I scoff because it’s juuust like ACL’s and serves Bud products only.  However, Chicago’s craft beer includes Goose Island’s 312 wheat and green lime pale ale ($8 each).  On the west side of the park is also The Grove stage, which is surrounded by trees, and can get very crowded.  As it was for Atlas Genius, which I couldn’t get close enough to see, but sounded great.  Will have to check them out further. Like ACL, Lolla has two larger stages facing one and another, at both ends of the park.  BOH was at the largest one north, and as I made my way closer to the front and center,  heard Jessie Hare playing.  Her voice was nice, but it’s country.

Band of Horses was incredible.  The best I’ve ever heard them (also my third time seeing them live).  I met fellow BOH dude friends, and together we enjoyed how great they sounded and how thankful we were for the clouds overhead.  Thievery Corporation started playing immediately thereafter, which I heard while finding the uncrowded (but not Honey Bucket) port-a-potty and purchasing my second $8 beer of the day.  I heard that one song of theirs I know (from Garden State).  It’s a bit of a trek between the far north and south stages, but I wanted to try to hear Imagine Dragons for a little.  That was an impossible feat, as the Lakeshore stage was sooo crowded.  I did a quick walk-by and thought they also sounded okay.  Back north- again, to check out HeyMarseilles, which I just heard of in my Lolla-prep.  Highly recommend these guys for anybody who likes my taste in music.  The lead singer sounds oddly The Decemberists, and these 20-something guys can play a mean fiddle.  

Sometime during their set I found myself next to another band, in the audience.  Somebody else recognized them, and after further research I think it was Lianne La Havas and her backup dudes.  I’m not sure if I’ll catch Lianne on Sunday, due to scheduling conflicts, but it was pretty neat to see her among the masses.

After passing by dancey Disclosure and catching a few songs I knew from Queens of the Stone Age, I swung by the Samsung Galaxy booth for a free battery swap and a free pizza voucher. 

The line for deep-dish was unfortunately long, but you all know I’m never one to turn down free swag.  I patiently waited for my dinner, and took it to eat at the Grove Stage, waiting for Scottish band, Frightened Rabbit, to start.  These guys were very Mumford-sounding, and even though I was fairly front and center, the show wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped.  

As they finished, I made my way south to find a spot to hear some of the Killers before walking back north, and home for the night.

I heard a few Killers songs, which were great, then caught part of Steve Aoki’s set at Perry’s (insane!), swung by Lana Del Rey at the Grove (meeeh) and finished with some Nine Inch Nails.  It didn’t seem like the video monitors were working for NIN, however the guy’s voice is great.  It was a great show to finish up on, as I could hear them for most of my walk home (all of 10 minutes, might I add).

Albums of My Year

Growing up, I never thought of myself as a music person. I actually remember saying, “I don’t really like music,” while I was in elementary school. The first CD I owned was The Soundtrack to the Lion King. The second CD was an Ultimate Dance Party mix including essential hits like, “The Macarena,” and “The Chicken Dance.” You know, so I could practice at home for skating parties. But really, I would actually listen to these from start to finish while playing Freescale on our Windows 3.1 PC.

Then, our family got Greatest Hits, Queen, and I knew every word to “Fat Bottom Girls,” and “Bicycle Race.” Because it wasn't on the CD, I didn’t even know "Bohemian Rapsody" existed.

So, today, I find it extremely flattering when friends compliment my party playlists. Oh, how far I have come!. Thanks very much to the influence from high school friends, music festivals, iTunes, Spotify, and this guy.

Thus, with the oh-so-quickly closing to the year, here’s a few of my favorite albums of 2011 (with one exception):

Foster the People, Torches
I discovered FTP in March, via a South by Southwest music-sampler. They reminded me of MGMT, except... better. A few months later their first album, Torches, came out, and nonstop radio play soon followed. For my friends and me, this has definitely been the year for Foster the People dance parties.


Belle Brigade, Belle Brigade
Ha, does anybody else still use the iTunes Pick of the Week? Every Tuesday iTunes has a new song available for free download. And over the last few months, they’ve increased it to 3-4 free songs instead of just one. I’m pretty sure “Where Not To Look For Freedom” was a free iTunes download back in March. At first I thought it was too country, but after I listened to the whole song, and then the whole album, I had found a new fav. I was quite fortunate to see them play twice this year, both at the DMB Caravan Fest in Washington, and at ACL two weeks later.


Fitz and the Tantrums, Pickin’ Up the Pieces (2010)
I was sad to learn that this album actually came out in 2010. However, I didn’t listen to it until this past spring, when I was researching artists for ACL. I think Fitz and the Tantrums sound like they are from back in the 60s or 70s. I listened to a lot of them this year while making dinner.


Adele, 21
One of my favorite local music dudes, Andy Langer, said 21 was for sure to be the best selling album of 2011. It reminds me of driving to/from kickball all spring, and of the phenomally awesome Glee Mashup from this fall.


Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
I first heard Fleet Foxes at ACL 2008 when they played an afternoon set to a couple hundred fans. They were excellent! So, I’ve been a fan ever since, however I was not as impressed with their new album as I was with their first.


Brett Dennen, Loverboy
Alternatively, I feel that Brett Dennen’s new album, Loverboy, is definitely his best yet. I also discovered him through ACL (2009) and saw him play again at The Gorge this fall. His look is about as unique as his voice, and I dig them both.


Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
This CD has been in my car since I burned it last month. The girl can SING.


Givers, In Light
I think I got “Up Up Up” as a free download from Amazon. As soon as I heard the song I loved it, and quickly Spotifi-ed (are people saying that yet?) the entire album. It’s very much my taste.


Kanye & Jay-Z, Watch the Throne
The fact that Jay-Z didn't show up at ACL was horrifyingly tragic. What a dumb rumor. Regardless, the Kanye concert was really fun. I think he is one of the artists I started liking from radio play. Either that, or my college dormmates...

Thanks Char, Jackie, and Justyna for introducing me to Hip Hop. Among other things...
M83, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
Haha, this one is also thanks to the radio, specifically Chillville. Five years ago I never would have liked this kind of music, “too modern!” But today it’s totally perfect for lazy Sunday mornings, weekdays at the office, or Friday game nights.


Did I miss any of your favorites from 2011?

In Review

It was okay, but it was not the greatest. Maybe it’s my fault for doing too much research and not having as many new discoveries, but I didn’t enjoy this year’s festival nearly as much as I have in years past. However, one thing that I did enjoy was hanging out with a group of friends for 3 days straight. In the past, I’ve gone with just one other person, and although that makes it a lot easier to squeeze up close to the stage, I always ended up spending a lot of the festival by myself in order to see the acts that I wanted to see. So, this year there were five of us, and together we smushed in with the crowds, relaxed in our chairs, and ate a lot of cheeseburgers. Overall, keeping a schedule jam-packed full of various artists. Here’s who I saw:

Friday
2:30pm Delta Spirit
3:30-4:10ish James Blake (overheard from quite a distance)
4:10pm Ray LaMontagne
5:10-5:20pm Beardyman
5:30pm Foster the People
7:30pm Pretty Lights
8:30pm Kanye

Saturday
1:30pm The Belle Brigade
2:00pm Young the Giant
3:00pm City and Colour
4:00pm Iron and Wine
5:00pm Fitz and the Tantrums
6:30pm Cee Lo
8:00pm Stevie Wonder

Sunday
1:30pm Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
2:30pm The Walkmen, Airborne Toxic Event, and Suzanna Choffel (about 60 seconds each, as I wandered aimlessly in the humidity)
3:30pm AWOLNATION
4:05pm School of Rock Kiddos
4:45pm Pernikoff Brothers
5:15pm Joseph Arthur
5:45pm Elbow
6:30pm Fleet Foxes
7:30pm Empire of the Sun
8:30 Arcade Fire

Click here to view these pictures larger

Labor Dave at the Gorge

We left our campsite Monday around 7:15am and arrived at SeaTac around 10:30am. Right after we went through security and started walking to the departure gate we saw the news on a nearby TV. Fires across Bastrop. Fires in Steiner Ranch. Fires in Spicewood. Remember the earthquakes, hurricanes and flooding on the east coast last week? All the while, Texas has been in a horrific drought, and now, our homes, forests, and ranches are burning up. Weather is viscous. Please put my friends Debbie and Natalie in your thoughts and prayers; they are directly affected by the Bastrop fires. As of Tuesday afternoon, some 600 homes have been destroyed, and the fires still aren't contained. Needless to say, that was a bit of a reality check for us coming home from a weekend of camping in the middle of Washington. And what a weekend it was. We spent just enough time in sunny Seattle to eat a bowl of chowder with Jackie, get a parking ticket, and see the fish toss in Pike's Place Market.

From there, it was right onto Chris's friend's quaint little house to grab a few camping supplies and then to the grocery store to purchase various provisions. This was the first time the four of us had camped without a fire or a grill, so we feared the lack of hot food (meat) might make us cranky. Fear not, for smoked salmon, cold-cut turkey, and summer sausage did the trick.

We made it to the Gorge by about 7:30pm Thursday evening and thus began an unforgettable weekend. The music was perfect. Dave performed three great sets, John Butler Trio had me smiling for a solid hour, and Brett Dennen, Dispatch, and the Belle Brigade were the icing on the cake. One artist in particular, Josh Ritter, captured my feelings particularly well during his Sunday afternoon set. He mentioned that he grew up in nearby Idaho and that he had been dreaming of performing at the Gorge since he was a little kid. That day was a dream come true for both him, and thousands of fans. He was smiling through his entire set, and I caught him taking pictures of the crowd while Dispatch played after him. I absolutely LOVE it when newer artists are so in awe of how far they've come. Josh reminded me of Regina Spektor during her ACL set a few years back. Does anybody else remember that? She kept saying, "There are so many of you!" It was great.

So, to summarize. The Gorge is worth it. Go there. See it. You will understand why artists love to play there, and why Josh Ritter dreamed about it as a little kid.

My Concert Resume

Taken from Austin's facebook note. and embellished.

-BEN FOLDS/Rufus Wainwright/Ben Lee: August 13, 2005, City Market, Kansas City, MO.
Attended with Laura June Ponath and Blair Miller
-SCHOOL OF ROCK AUSTIN: January 20, 2006, Redrum, Austin, TX.
Attended with Lauren Kessler, Justine Shaw, and perhaps other girls from Blanton Four.

-BEACH BOYS: February 17, 2007, AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Attended with Austin and Kerry.

-LITTLE RICHARD: March 24, 2007, University of Texas West Mall, Austin, TX
Attended with Lauren Kessler, Justine Shaw, and Austin.

-ALICE COOPER/Blue Oyster Cult: August 11, 2007, Sedalia Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO (Missouri State Fair)
Attended with Austin, and (I think) Alex Bergman, Michael Hogan, and Eric Thomas.

-BLUE OYSTER CULT/Rockus Circus/The Krayolas: August 25, 2007, Sunken Gardens Amphitheater, San Antonio, TX
Attended with Austin.

-AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL: September 16, 2007, Zilker Park, Austin, TX.
Bob Dylan, Wilco, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, Stephen/Ziggy Marley, Devotchka, The School of Rock All Stars.
Attended with Hank mostly.

-RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: March 5, 2008, Bovard Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
Attended with Richard Fletcher.

-FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS: April 24, 2008, Amoeba Records, Los Angeles, CA
Attended with Alex Yeh, Jon Cronson, and Richard Fletcher.

-NATASHA BEDINGFIELD, April 29, 2008, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Attended with the entire UTLA crew.

-THE WHO, PEARL JAM, INCUBUS, FOO FIGHTERS, THE FLAMING LIPS, TENACIOUS D: July 15, 2008, Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA.
Attended with Elliot Smith.

-HARRY AND THE POTTERS: Summer 2008, Lawrence, KS
Attended with Jonas Davidow, Colleen VanBuskirk, Ethan Miller, Kuran Bricker, and Austin and Alex Johnston. Hopefully I didn't forget anyone.

-AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL: September 26-28, 2008, Zilker Park, Austin TX.
The Foo Fighters, Beck, The Raconteurs, The Mars Volta, Conor Oberst, Erykah Badu, G. Love & Special Sauce, Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups, Gogol Bordello, Vampire Weekend, Slightly Stoopid, Fleet Foxes, MGMT, What Made Milwaukee Famous, M. Ward, Octopus Project, White Denim, School of Rock All Stars.
Attended with James Stevens.

-MATISYAHU: November 11, 2008, Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX
Attended with Chris.

-GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY: November 14, 2008, Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX
Attended with Chris.

-GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY: January 30, 2009, Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX
Attended with Chris.

-BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: January 31, 2009, Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX.
Attended with Chris.

-CAKE: April 28, 2009. Stubbs, Austin, TX
Attended with Chris.

-BRYAN ADAMS: June 2, 2009. Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX
Attended with Chris.

-GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY: July 17, 2009. Whitewater Rocks Amphitheatre, New Braufels, TX
Attended with Chris.

-COUNTING CROWS/Augustana: August 3, 2009, Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX.
Attended with Chris.

-JOURNEY: September 29, 2009, The Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX.
Attended with Chris.

-AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL: October 2-4, 2009, Zilker Park, Austin, TX.
Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Ben Harper, The Decemberists, The B-52s, Coheed and Cambria, Andrew Bird, Flogging Molly, Citizen Cope, Phoenix, Bassnectar, Brett Dennen, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Girl talk, Passion Pit, White Lies.
Attended with Chris.

-GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY: July 17, 2010, Whitewater Rocks Ampitheatre, New Braufels, TX
Attended with Chris, James Rexroth, Jaime Geil, Natalie Navar, Joseph Mattingly, The Woodards, The Wolfes, Hector, Mia, David Fajardo, Nick Salinas, and I'm sure there are others.

-DAVE MATTHEWS BAND: September 10, 2010, Houston, TX
Attended with Chris, Eric Weiss, Matt Probstfeld, and Monica Robb.

-DAVE MATTHEWS BAND: September 11, 2010, Dallas, TX

Attended with Chris, Eric Weiss, Matt Probstfeld, Mae Sattam, Mark Brennan, and Jessica Bush.