The Dead Part of You

So when we last left off, I was on my way to check out Sparklehorse. It was hot and I would be standing on pavement [which was a little weird - Coachella certainly wins that matchup] but I learned from previous festival experience that I should never by a bottle of water. I should always buy two or three bottles of water, so I was all set.

I didn't even really have high hopes for Sparklehorse, and was mostly checking them out based on web-log buzz. As it turns out, not only were they really good, but I've already bought one of their records since coming home. Kind of a cross between Red House Painters and The Jesus and Mary Chain, if that makes any kind of sense. It was shoegazey, it was alt-country, it was A++ and I survived!

After they were done, I had an hour before Blonde Redhead, who were playing the other side of Grant Park. Crossing back by Buckingham Fountain, it gave me that 'festival' feeling, of 'holy fuck there are a ton of people here'. I waited in line forever for some ice cream [at a park vendor, not a festival vendor] and went over to stake out space for Blonde Redhead. And shade.

Blonde Redhead were just fine. I had seen them years ago when they were a noise-rock four piece and liked them then - but now as a dream-pop three piece I say A++ to the 4AD record label! Sadly, I missed the last 15 minutes of their set [and luckily they didn't play "Equus" or "Misery is a Butterfly"] to meet up again with Bob for dinner [we parted ways after The Polyphonic Spree so he could go see moe.]. Will I go see Blonde Redhead at The Roxy next month? THE ANSWER IS QUITE LIKELY!

Dinner was a pretty awesome vegetarian plate from the chinese food vendor - fried rice, lo mein and spring rolls for $7, and it actually tasted good. Oh, I went nuts and got a smoothie for dessert, which was another $7.

We ate while watching Satellite Party, Perry Farrell's latest deal, from about as far away as humanly possible. Was it nice to hear the old Jane's Addiction songs? Sure. Even the Porno For Pyros stuff, and new stuff sounded great. But goddamn is Perry ridiculous. I don't have a lot of complaints about the whole Lollapalooza thing, but one thing that got to me was the presence of his ego everywhere - like, you were not getting out of there without knowing that this was a Perry Farrell joint. And it was just all so preachy and obnoxious. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!

Bob and I went to check out LCD Soundsystem. I had seen them earlier this spring and it ruled. At Lollapalooza? Not so much. It wasn't really their fault, it was a fine performance. It was so good Bob was converted the way I was last spring.

First, there's a big difference between a hot and sweaty nightclub, and a huge field of people outdoors. Bob and I were pretty far away from the stage by the time they went on, behind the soundboard actually, and while they had a TON of energy, it couldn't really reach that far.

Additionally, I was now completely out of energy. Hyper dance-punk was the last thing on my mind - I just wanted to sit down. Thank god I had abandoned my original plan of being RIGHT UP FRONT - I seriously think I would have been killed.

Their set list was almost exactly the same as last spring with a few cuts dropped for time. I was also a little disappointed they played "Daft Punk is Playing at my House" so early in the set - I was hoping they'd close with it and it could bleed into Daft Punk's opener across the field. James noted the irony of it all, shouting "You've got to set them up" at the people who actually were setting them up. James was pretty chatty and that worked.

They did well playing with the sunset and the Chicago skyline as their light show. He started getting cranky about the lights near the end - I couldn't really catch exactly what was going on from so far away. Had I conserved my energy during the day, had I been up closer - LCD Soundsystem could have ruled.

Now that it was dark, James told us to "turn around - go there - now" and those five tones from Close Encounters of the Third Kind floated across the field.

[to be continued]