Life is Music™

10,000 Lakes Festival 2009

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 

Gomez – Gomez rules.  This was one of the bands I was really excited to see at the festival.  The crowd was relatively slim and while most were quite chatty with first-day festival energy, Gomez put on a very fine rockin’ performance.

Widespread Panic – With the day #1 crowd finally packing full the concert floor and most of the lawn, Widespread Panic headlined the night.  Their first set was nothing to write home about, but their second set brought the energy.  Still I have a hard time getting too excited over this band.  Jimmie Herring is a damn impressive guitarist though.

Kinetix - This Denver, CO rock band is led by a hip-hop singer and funky ass rhthym section.  These guys were a nice small stage treat after Widespread Panic.  I didn’t see it all, but what I saw was good and a whole lotta fun.

Pretty Lights - This set kicked butt.  Onstage was dj Derek Vincent Smith and drummer, Cory Eberhard.  Together they shook the entire concert bowl with electro-driven rhythyms and great mixes.  I was impressed.  

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Railroad Earth - Over the years I’ve heard a lot of good things about this band.  This was my first opportunity to see them and they were excellent band to bounce around to in the mid-day sun.  Rootsy Americana tunes is their game and they play it very well.

Mason Jennings - Umm, boring.  We’re talking a major yawner here.  And I waited through the entire set to ensure I had a good spot for Wilco.

Wilco - This was the best show of the festival and it wasn’t due to “the Price is Right” intro.  I talked to a lot of people up front who had never even heard of Wilco before, and once the music progressed I watched these same people rock their asses off.  The band opened with “Wilco (the song)” and ended with “Hoodoo Voodoo”.  In between was a lot of recent tunes with “One Wing”, “Bull Black Nova” and “Country Disappeared” sounding phenomenal from the new album.  The band was on all night and most of the crowd appreciated it.  Of course there were a few dipshits trying to ruin the party for everyone.  For every glow stick that hit that stage some little girl’s puppy died.  You stupid punks who were throwing those should truly be ashamed. 

Wilco will love you baby

Nels & Glenn of Wilco

Atmosphere – As soon as I got to the stage sprinkles came down.  I don’t know a lot about this hip-hop band but the section of their set I hung around for was fantastic.  The crowd was rocking as much as I had seen all weekend.  When the first downpour came, I tucked my camera under my arm and ran like Adrian Peterson.  I give props to those who tried to stay it out.  In the end a big set was cut way short due to thunderstorms.

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Tea Leaf Green – My first time seeing them and I wasn’t overly impressed.

Steve Kimock’s Crazy Engine – The band was ripping it!  I only caught a few tunes on my way to the main stage to hold down a front row spot for Trampled by Turtles but these guys were great.  Thankfully I heard the rest of their set from afar while waiting for TBT.

Trampled by Turtles – The boys from Duluth have grown up to the Main Stage!  I’m thinking the Field Stage would have been a better fit as this huge stage dwarfed the band but the crowd was out in groves and it was great.  They started off with a few jitters (can’t blame them), but as things warmed up their hardcore fanbase and new listeners gave them the support they deserved.  It was great seeing one of Minnesota’s finest treasures letting it fly up there on the big stage and it seemed to end far too soon.

Dave Simonett & Tim Saxhaug

Ryan Young & Dave Carroll

Erik Berry & his son

Widespread Panic - Hey promoters, why the hell didn’t Umphrey’s McGee have this headlining spot?  Seriously though, are you people friggin’ crazy?  Midwest represent!!  Although I’ve had some great times at Widespread shows in the past, their unchanging tempos, stale drumming and similar song structure is boring.  This set was just OK in my book, which ain’t saying much of anything at all.

Wookiefoot – This show was a load of fun and one of the highlights of the festival.  Although their music has never captured me, the stage show is the brilliance behind this band.  Everything from the lights, to the fire dancers, to the back-up singers, to the alien bugs on stilts makes this an impressively theatrical show.  The band pushes the creative envelope and delivers a positive message which in the end will always make me smile.

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Umphrey’s McGee - My love for the music these guys create is definitely not unknown, but I had a hard time getting into this set.  They seemed to be on a mission to destroy everything in front of them with some very heavy jams.  They played as well as they always do but it wasn’t the most festival friendly set in my opinion.  The sun was incredibly hot which didn’t help at all.  These guys need to be seen at night to truly appreciate, and put them in a rock club and it’s prog-rocking heaven.  They have one of the best light shows out there and that arsenal wasn’t even touched.  Hey 10KLF, main stage headlining with two sets next time OK?  Thanks!

Umphrey's McGee

Dave Matthews Band - My love for this band faded the day I realized quality beer was not available in 30 packs.  That didn’t stop me from checking them out though and I’m glad I did.  I had just as much fun watching their hardcore (and large) fan base enjoy themselves as I did watching the actual show.  Their “Burning Down the House” cover was excellent.  Even though I felt they cut it short (why not 2 sets?), this show was good fun.  It was also another gorgeous night for tunes and a fine way to end my 10KLF 2009.

With beautiful people everywhere, near perfect weather, friendly security and staff, this ranks very high in my 10,000 Lakes Festival experiences.  My only gripe was with the scheduling but one cannot control everything.  Next time make Umphrey’s McGee a headliner for the sake of everything good in music.  Then I shall return.

The Hold Steady at Basilica Block Party

Even Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak got in on the festivities while wearing a Hold Steady t-shirt as the one-time Twin Cities rockers, The Hold Steady, were back in town.  The band was back this time for the 15th annual Basilica Block Party, the annual music fundraiser to support the Basilica of St. Mary church.  And while Friday night The Jayhawks and The Black Crowes endured on and off rain, Saturday night The Hold Steady were fortunate to be blessed with an absolute perfect summer evening in Minnesota.

Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak

Mayor R.T. Rybak introduced the band and then the crowd waited a long eight or so minutes before The Hold Steady finally took the stage.  Singer/guitarist, Craig Finn, was all smiles as he picked up his guitar and jumped into the opener ”Constructive Summer”.  From there on out the wild crowd rocked as the band ripped through their set overflowing with Twin Cities influence.  No new songs were introduced, but instead the band gave the hometown crowd what they expected and as usual the often fanatical Hold Steady crowd was there to respond with fists pumping, feet jumping and voices backing the band passionately.  “Lord, I’m Discouraged” was a gorgeous highlight especially considering the surroundings.

the always energetic Craig Finn

After about an hour and ten minutes, the band took a quick encore break before Craig Finn came back with a beer bottle in hand and grateful smile on his face.  He put the crowd into a frenzy as he talked about Minneapolis and how it has changed since the late 80’s when he roamed town.  “In fact the only thing that really seems the same is Minneapolis’ two greatest houses of worship”, he exclaimed as he pointed, “The Basilica and First Avenue!”

singer/guitarist Craig Finn

With guitarist Tad Kubler on acoustic, the band changed directions and worked through a two of their slower songs, “Citrus” and “First Night”.  It was a beautiful moment before mayhem once again ensued as night ended with “Stuck Between Stations” and “Killer Parties”.  The Hold Steady rocked the best show I’ve seen all year.  It was a massive night.

Franz Nicolay on keys

 The Hold Steady – Basilica Block Party, Minneapolis, MN - July 11th, 2009
Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
Chips Ahoy!
Sequestered In Memphis
The Swish
Magazines
Massive Nights
Party Pit
Don’t Let Me Explode
Stevie Nix
Multitude of Casualties
Yeah Sapphire
Southtown Girls
Lord, I’m Discouraged
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Stay Positive
Slapped Actress
How a Resurrection Really Feels
————
Citrus
First Night
Stuck Between Stations
Killer Parties

FLAC audience recording available here.

Minnesota Twins

Rock-n-Roll

Don't Let Me Explode

When it comes to writing album reviews, the natural precedent has oftentimes lead a writer to compare the new release to past releases.  In Wilco’s case this is not advised (or at least becomes an unenviable task) as the band has continuously reinvented itself over its 15 year run at alt-country/rock domination.  From one album to another a new Wilco often has emerged with a new lineup and a new sound leaving some fans moaning and other fans glowing.  This is not the case on Wilco (the album) though.  For the first time in their history Wilco has the same lineup as their previous album and with this the sound hasn’t changed much, instead on the most brilliant tracks the onstage chemistry and precision the current lineup possesses shines bright with accents of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born and Sky Blue Sky.

The album starts off very strong.  The opener, “Wilco (the song)”, is a rocking number that sticks with you long after a listen with Tweedy’s lyrics both immediate and personal, “Do you dabble in depression?  Is someone twisting a knife in your back?  Are you being attacked?  Oh this is a fact that you need to know.  Oh.  Oh.  Oh Wilco will love you baby.”  “Deeper Down” is number two, a mellow emotional song with Jeff Tweedy’s voice and a slide guitar leading the way.  It’s a fantastic tune that progresses nicely with interesting verse/chorus changes and great subtle drumming by Glenn Kotche.

“One Wing” is an analogy about breaking up and one of the best rock songs Tweedy has written in years.  Its lyrics are fantastic, “We may as well be made of stone.  We can’t be flown.  One wing will never fly.  Neither yours nor mine.”  But what really shines on this tune is Nels Cline’s guitarwork which is more subdued yet quietly richer than what he displayed on Sky Blue Sky.  This song is absolutely beautiful.

Taking a page from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, the album’s most experimental track is “Bull Black Nova”.  The song takes off with a piano based rhythm similar (albeit slower) to “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” from 2004’s A Ghost is Born and works into a noisy broken bridge.  The song is about a person running from a bloody murder and the instant paranoia that follows.  Tweedy paints quite the picture with the lyrics, “I wonder if they know, I’m in a bull black Chevy Nova, silhouetted by the setting sun?”  It’s an interesting song to say the least but it doesn’t blend well in the grand scheme of Wilco (the album).

From there the album moves into the first duet ever featured on a Wilco album.  Canadian singer, Feist, lends her pretty voice on track five, “You and I”.  It’s a mellow song of relationships and compromise and sounds like it was born on 70’s AM radio.  Track six is “You Never Know”, the first single released from Wilco (the album).  “You Never Know” sounds like a single as it pushes no boundaries, but with that said it’s a fine song with nice background vocals and a catchy line that repeats over, “I don’t care anymore”.

The album then slows down considerably.  “Country Disappeared” is a melodically gorgeous tune that Tweedy should be very proud of.  But next in line is “Solitaire”, a slow moving track of guilt that is the weakest song on the album.  Song nine is “I’ll Fight” and brings back the rock with a nice keyboard rhythm and a country tinged sound of the slide guitar.  Overall this song doesn’t go very far though with Tweedy’s lyrics repetitive and cliche.

The second half of the album finally comes back around with “Sonny Feeling”.  This is a fun rocking number full of 70’s pop-rock influence and not-so-subtle pokes at today’s subculture.  This should be a very fun live song.  Wilco (the album) ends appropriately with “Everlasting Everything”; a beautifully dark and fearless song about facing death in all of its inevitability.  Tweedy calmly croons, “Oh I know this might sound sad.  But everything goes, both the good and the bad.”  He has that one right.

Wilco (the album) obviously stems from sunnier times for Tweedy & Co. but it doesn’t run far from their previous albums nor the themes of relationships (both the good and the bad) that Jeff Tweedy has often written about.  What struck me most about the album is its mature mellowness that is somehow a long way from being dry.  With exception to “Bull Black Nova”, gone are the screachingly sonic Nels Cline guitar solos that could raise the dead.  Instead Nels is still obviously there, but as an integral part of the band’s overall sound and this pays off greatly.  The result is another terrific effort by one of America’s most consistent rock bands.

Wilco (the album)

Wilco (the album)
1. Wilco (the song)
2. Deeper Down
3. One Wing
4. Bull Black Nova
5. You and I
6. You Never Know
7. Country Disappeared
8. Solitaire
9. I’ll Fight
10. Sonny Feeling
11. Everlasting Everything