yes, it would be rude of me to refuse a gift from a friend, even if that gift happens to be the pitchfork top 50 on dvd... lol

Ok, so here's my Top Ten of 2007. Every year I struggle with this because there are so many good releases out there, and I always discover alot of stuff near the end of the year when the Top Ten lists start coming out. It's hard to not forget about stuff I listened to a year ago, because I'm usually pretty excited about the new stuff I'm listening to. Anyway, this year I tried to put down the 10 albums I listened to and enjoyed the most throughout the year. I also put down a huge list of Honorable Mentions because they're all worth checking out and a bunch of them probably fall in and out of my top ten depending on my mood. Anyway, here it is...

Top Ten Albums:

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Favorite band of all time. No question. I've been with them since Pablo Honey and as long as they keep making music like this, I'm happy to stay.

2. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

If Radiohead hadn't put out an album this year, this would be No. 1. Every song is unbelievably catchy. I think Spoon have pretty much perfected their sound with this record.

3. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even sank

Isaac Brock is an amazing songwriter. I wish I could get inside his head. How many bands still put out albums with 14 songs on them... and not one of them is filler. Brilliant!

4. Joel Plaskett - Ashtray Rock

Best summer/driving/rock record ever. Period. Catchy as hell!

5. Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up

I'm a sucker for Julie Doiron. She just hits all the right notes with me. And the fact that she's backed by Eric's Trip on this record is just icing on the cake. Girl Pop at it's best. Be sure to catch her live if you get the chance. She's as sincere as they come.

6. New Pornographers - Challengers

AC Newman. Dan Bejar. Neko Case. What more needs to be said? If you're not already a fan, this is as good a time as any to start.

7. Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

Best reunion album ever! Dinosaur Jr picked up right where they left and didn't miss a beat. This album brings me back to the 90s like no other. J Mascis has got one of the best guitar sounds ever. This album gets weekly rotation while I'm sitting at my desk wishing I was somewhere else. Just the right amount of angst to take me away.

8. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

These guys deserve all the praise they've gotten. See them live and you'll know what I mean. It was one of the most memorable live experiences of my life. They've got a youthful energy about their music that I find very refreshing.

9. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

I'm not really sure how to describe this album. I've been listening to and enjoying the Animal Collective for a few years now but haven't really understood their other albums like I do with this one. Maybe it's because the songs are more melodic here, but they seem to be taking their music in new directions, and that new path is very clear to me. Panda Bear's (a.k.a. Noah Lennox) solo album is worthy of a mention here too because he's one of the band members and has made a very, very solid record this year as well. It's called Person Pitch and is generally ranked higher on critics' Top Ten lists than the AC. There are a few tracks on there that I think are brilliant but I think "Strawberry Jam" is stronger as a whole. Avey Tare (the other primary writer in AC) also put out an album with his wife that was very intersting, however, I think that this is one case where the sum is greater than the parts.

10. Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian

This album's probably not for everyone, and it takes some effort to uncover the beauty in some of these songs, but I definitely feel it's worth the investment. Listen to "Bushels" and tell me this isn't one of the most exciting canadian bands making music today. Wow! I just realised as I was writing this that 5 of my 10 favorite releases of the year were from

canadian artists. That's pretty wicked... Whoever said canadian artists were second-tier was full of shit. This list (and many others out there) are proof that canada has got some great talent.

Top EP that I wish was a full length:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is EP

Honorable Mentions:

M.I.A. - Kala

Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Fiery Furnaces - Widow City

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

Bill Calahan - Woke on a Whale Heart

Feist - The Reminder

Amy Winehouse - Back in Black

John Vanderslice - Emerald City

The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

akron/family - love is simple

Iron and Wine - The Shepard's Dog

Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

Good Life - Help Wanted Nights

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs

Peter Elkas - Wall of Fire

The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse

Buck 65 - Situation

Rocky votolato - The Bragg and Cuss

Castanets - In the Vines

Ben Davis & the Jetts / Des Ark - Battle of the Beards

The Frames - The Cost

Against Me! - New Wave

Willy Mason - If the Ocean Gets Rough

Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice

Ted Leo - Living with the Living

Travis Morrison - All Y'All

Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklights

Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City

Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

Two Gallants - Two Gallants

Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars

Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Tori Amos - American Doll Posse

Cake - B-Sides and Rarities

The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain

Bands I like but haven't listened to their new albums yet (what can I say, I can't buy everything and I refuse to download so, I have to draw the line somewhere...):

Cuff the Duke - Sidelines of the City

Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara

Chuck Ragan – Feast or Famine

and many, many others...

Artist I missed the most in 2007:

Jim Guthrie

Please come back... please!

alright, we'll probably be there by 6:30, so maybe we'll see some of you later.

people still meeting up at pub saint-ciboire for pre-show drinks? krissi and i will be in montreal fairly early as well.

randy

For those of you still recovering from this year's Bluesfest, PopMatters has just posted the first article of a multi-part series about the fest.

Read on...

this might have been posted here before, but here's an interesting article about some guys that invented a "green box" which captures emmisssions from cars, which are then sent to an algea storage site which then converts the emmissions into re-usable biodiesel and other forms of gas. pretty cool stuff...

Link

usually the biggest gain comes from slowing down. i try to never go over 120 on the highway, which is where i spend all my time, but i bet if i slowed that down to 110, i'd probably get 1000kms/tank.

Also, for city driving, coasting to a stop rather than braking will also improve your mileage. Racing from light to light in the city will quickly use up all of your gas. You should always try to keep your RPMs as low as possible for maximum fuel efficiency.

Also, shifting at the right time and being in the right gear for the right situation will help.

I'm no pro and I don't always adhere to these rules, but I did tons of research when looking into converting my car to run on used vegetable oil and these all seemed to be common ways to achieve better gas mileage.

And keeping up on your maintenance (oil changes, air filters, fuel filters, etc...) will also help.

Here's what I drive:

My daily commuter is a 92 vw jetta turbo diesel with roughly 355,000KMs on it. I average about 950kms/tank and log close to 200KMs/day. I paid $1000 for it over a year ago.

Our (family) car is a 2001 toyota carolla with about 85,000KMs on it. Krissi averages about 700kms/tank. We paid $10,000 for it a few months ago.

Cars I've owned in the past:

1986 mazda rx-7

1987 honda accord

1998 ford contour (totalled in an accident but probably saved our lives)

1988 vw jetta

1972 vw beatle

I'm also of the opinion that there is no need to buy new vehicles. Not that I'm against it, but there are always loads and loads of very decent used vehicles out there that can be had at a bargain.

And if I can do my part in reducing the amount of landfill and energy needed to recycle old cars/produce new cars by driving an old "beater", then I'm all for it.

Besides, I like the feel of old cars so much better. None of that ABS garbage or over-assisted power steering. Har har!

indeed. the projectionist was very cool. i love the audio visual combo.

it's also what i love about the books. they recently released a dvd called play all which collects all of their videos. they always have a large screen behind them while playing. here's a great one:

The Books - Take Time

what a great show last night. i've seen him a couple times now but i am always blown away by his ability to create such a complete soundscape for just one person. i know he's got the looper to help out, but he uses it very effectively.

his bloc party cover was amazing as well. definitely one of the highlight songs of bluesfest thus far.

glad i made the trip into ottawa for it. hopefully some of you were there as well.

good times.

yep, although chris and rosie weren't with us, they just stopped in to say hello

I, and the other 7 people I was at the show with, really enjoyed their set. I've seen them a few times now, and have always been impressed.

There's no denying it's not quite up to par with the sound of the albums, but that's to be expected. I just think they play the tunes a little differently live than they do on record.

I felt the replacement bassist did a pretty good job and they were fairly tight despite missing a very important part of their rhythm section. Johnny Marr was also wicked. I'm glad he joined the band.

Man Man were brilliant. Perfect pre-cursor. I love those guys. I missed their last show in Ottawa so I was glad to hear they were opening for the mouse.

AD, I'm pretty sure I saw you at the show. Were you with 3 other people near the washroom stairs in the upper balcony?

Randy

Bonnaroo 2006 – Festival Review (Part 2)

Manchester, TN June 16-18

by Alan Dodson

Preservation Hall in New Orleans French Quarter

photo by katedahl

In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States and forever changed New Orleans. The disaster was widespread, with almost two thousand people dead, hundreds of thousands displaced, entire neighbourhoods submerged, and the resulting political mishandling did not do much to raise the public’s spirits. New Orleans is a musical treasure of the world. Jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, early variants of hip-hop, Cajun, Zydeco and delta blues were all born in the Crescent City, and this culture still lives on in the countless music clubs, musicians, festivals, and traditions of the city.

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To say that Hurricane Katrina devastated the music scene in New Orleans would be a bit of an overstatement, especially when you consider that the spirit of music can never die; The musicians did take a large hit however. Superfly Productions, one of the companies that brings Bonnaroo to the masses every year, is based in New Orleans and has been putting on shows there since 1994. Understandably then, it was not a surprise that the following musical heavyweights from New Orleans were booked to play the festival this year, which takes its name from a 1974 album by Dr. John. Allen Toussaint lost everything in the floods. The Neville Brothers relocated to Austin. Preservation Hall, the 45-year old jazz hotspot, was forced to close after Katrina but escaped major damage. Dr. John himself was on tour at the time of the storm, but his whole family and most of everyone he knew in the city were temporarily missing for days.

At Bonnaroo in the Centeroo, there are a few booths trying to raise funds to support both the regular people and the musicians of New Orleans. Mike Gordon states his love of New Orleans in a heartfelt tribute in the press tent, talking about how going to various music clubs in the city, seeing all kinds of new music and Toussaint forever changed his life. Sitting next to a gracious Toussaint, Gordon urges everyone present to visit the city, to the agreement of John Popper and Damian Marley.

There is deep mutual respect between the musicians in the press tent all weekend. Gordon speaks highly of Toussaint, who in turn speaks to Damian Marley about “Jr. Gong’s†father Bob, who left the legacy of the Marley family which Damian considers his fathers’ greatest gift. Toussaint also speaks eloquently and at length about the genius of his new partner Elvis Costello in the creation of their Katrina-inspired The River in Reverse. (As a sidenote, I later ask Toussaint about his and Costello’s involvement in the Paul Simon tribute show at the Montréal International Jazz Festival. He responds by talking again about the genius of both Simon and Costello who has picked out “One of the great American songs of all time,†but cannot divulge the choice to me. It turns out Costello and the Imposters perform “Peace Like a Riverâ€, and Toussaint joins them for “American Tuneâ€).

Saturday morning is another scorcher. While waiting in line for a shower I see another example of the instant community of friendly strangers of Bonnaroo. A man has been stealing things from tents and cars in a campground close to Shakedown Street. When he is caught in the act, he jumps in his car, drives dangerously through the campground over people’s campsites and even tents that were fortunately empty while trying to make an escape to the street. Eventually the group chasing him catches up, pulls him out of the vehicle and pins him down until the mounted police arrive and take charge. The gathering crowd surrounds the thief and boo him while applauding his captors, police included.

After the excitement of car chases and arrests, I have my cold shower and make it to Centeroo for the day. While the Neville Brothers make a wonderful noise from What Stage, British vocal group The Magic Numbers make their Bonnaroo debut to a large audience at Which Stage. The Magic Numbers describe their music as “Soul-pop with three-part harmonies.†Through watching their performance, it is clear they take their songwriting craft and live show very seriously. The set is well-paced, tight, and well-executed. Judging from comments heard around me, many in the audience have never heard of the band before.

The band admitted to the press before their set that it is intimidating being on the same bill as many of their favourite artists, but after a few songs most people at the back of the crowd are either humming along or tapping their feet, whatever they have the energy to do. No doubt there are hardcore fans in the front, singing along at the top of their lungs; their music lends itself to that quite well.

photo by Samuel Stroube

Elvis Costello is one of my musical heroes. His work since 1977 has been wildly diverse, recording driven new-wave, punky-pop, piano jazz, orchestral, and pretty much everything else you can tag with a label. Given his musical output over the years, it was no surprise when it became known that he was teaming up with Toussaint to record an album based on Hurricane Katrina and the issues associated with the disaster. Many of Toussaint’s older songs were re-recorded with Costello, and I was interested to hear their live interpretations. Indeed the only times I’d heard the music before was on old Lee Dorsey albums. The Bonnaroo live show was destined to be better.

The set opens with Costello and his band the Imposters and the Crescent City Horns playing the classic “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?†and the more recent “Monkey to Man.†Costello then introduces Toussaint and shares the story of their 1982 meeting while recording Yoko Ono’s “Walking On Thin Ice.†(Thankfully that “gem†isn’t played this afternoon!) The band then veers into the third track from the new album, and Toussaint takes over. He seems so cool on the piano, dressed in all black and giving the occasional backup vocal until the fun call and response song “A Certain Girl,†made famous by Eric Clapton. Costello looks like he was having the time of his life playing with Toussaint, and his energy comes through in both his voice and underrated guitar playing.

Allen Toussaint - Bonnaroo Day 2 (6/17/06)

photo by Matt Jordan

Unfortunately the flow of the set comes to a screeching halt with Costello’s performance of “Clown Strike†off 1994’s Brutal Youth. It is a bad song choice for such a large crowd; up until this point the audience has been dancing along to Toussaint’s shuffle, and this left turn into Costello obscurity kills the mood very quickly. As quickly as the vibe is stopped though, it starts again with a new Costello-Toussaint tune called “Broken Promise Land,†prefaced by a Costello rant about the mishandling of the Katrina crisis. The video cameras zoom into a George Bush figurine on Costello’s amplifier with the word “KNOB†written across the base. The musicians take the energy from the crowd’s loud roar and sustain the rest of the set with great music and both funny and poignant stories about the Gulf Coast. My personal highlights are Toussaint’s “Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)â€, Costello’s “Watching the Detectives,†and the incredible encore medley of “Alison†and “Tracks of My Tears.†Costello and company run off the stage after two more songs and I have little time to contemplate the great show I’ve just witnessed, as I have to make it over to That Tent for Gomez.

Gomez is playing at Bonnaroo for the second time, and like G. Love is relegated from the Which Stage to a tent. Strange. That Tent is overflowing with people anxious to hear material from their new album How We Operate, interestingly enough released on Dave Matthews’ label. Since I arrive an hour into their set, I only hear one new song, which is fine with me, along with three or four songs from various other albums, all much better than the newest. Their entire set is packed with high energy and is one of the more enthusiastic shows of the weekend.

After packing up camp and trying unsuccessfully to make a dent in the beer stockpile, This Tent beckons us to Mike Doughty’s Band for the first of Sunday’s shows. I am determined to see full sets of bands today, and I am very happy to start with Doughty. I have been a huge Soul Coughing fan ever since the day in 1994 when I first heard “Screenwriter’s Blues.†At one point in my days at university I managed to collect every Soul Coughing song and remix ever recorded. However, this will be just my second Mike Doughty show, both of them being at Bonnaroo.

Mike Doughty's Band

photo by Jason Merritt

At the beginning of the set the crowd is enormous, I like to think it is because of his genius but as more stages in the venue become active, the crowd thins out. There are definitely some hardcore fans in the audience; a friend points out a girl in front of us wearing shorts with “Tremendous Brunette†(a Doughty staple) written across the bum. His show starts of with a full band of upright bass, drums, keyboards, and guitar, but at times he sends the band off to sing some solo songs.

When you get right down to it, most of Doughty’s songs feature the same guitar rhythm, but it’s his downtown poetry and gravely tone that make him such a treat to see. Some standout tracks are the opener “Busting Up a Starbucks,†“F-Train,†the Soul Coughing song â€True Dreams of Wichita,†and the closer “St. Louise is Listening.†There is also a very strange medley / singalong of “Paradise City†segued into “The Gambler.†I didn’t think I’d ever hear those two songs mixed together. His banter is hilarious as usual, and you never would have known he finished a show in Cleveland just fourteen hours earlier.

After the show, Doughty shares some nice thoughts about Bonnaroo on his blog: “Bonnaroo really is as special as they say it is. The music business in general has lost its intense interest in the jam-band scene, but those hippies, man, they still have something beautiful going on.â€

Next up is The Streets, a British hip-hop / grime / garage mix that is the brainchild of Mike Skinner. Again a large crowd is anticipating this act, as it is an interesting mix of the more “indie†bands and hip-hop acts at the festival. The show features a full band and even a backup singer to do more of the melodic vocal work, as Skinner prefers a more conversational spoken-word rhyme scheme. There is plenty of ‘Jump when I say jump!’ calls from the stage, plenty of call and response, and Skinner goes as far as giving out a huge bottle of brandy to the front row. Not all of the show is light-hearted and fun though.

Earlier in the day he answered a journalist’s question about the day being Father’s Day, and sadly he noted that his father had recently passed, and today had special meaning for him.

Halfway through the set he introduces a new song that he wrote for his dad, tells the crowd about his father’s passing, and the crowd responds with a sympathetic yet very loud and enthusiastic cheer. Skinner thanks the crowd for their kind wishes and dedicates the show to his late father. This is not the kind of show I would enjoy in a club, or away from a festival, as it seems heavily scripted, even down to the obscene comments the backup singer makes about a girl in the front row. (The same ‘script’ was used at many if not every show on the current tour according to reviews.) However, sometimes a show hits you at just the right time and you are able to overlook all the cheesiness and have a good time. I manage to do this and have a good time, but unless his next material is mind-blowing I won’t go see The Streets again.

Steve Earl

photo by Jason Merritt

Before leaving Bonnaroo, I take a stroll to re-visit myself circa 1994-2000 at That Tent where Stephen Malkmus (ex- of Pavement) and Sonic Youth are playing. Hearing Malkmus sing songs off his newest album is an almost painful reminder of just how good Pavement was and how the mighty songwriters can fall into self-indulgent traps of cleverness. His set features songs from his newest album Face The Truth, which I don’t think is nearly as strong as any of Pavement’s catalogue or his self-titled solo debut. The songs are competently played, and his delivery is still good, but unfortunately even the most professional band and solid delivery can’t rescue mediocre songs. I take off to hear Steve Earle play some real storytelling music, as it’s hard to think of leaving Bonnaroo on a sad note, disappointed as I was with Malkmus.

Steve Earle is everything I like in a musician: a talented yet foul-mouthed wordsmith, musically versatile, intelligent, socially conscious, mildly controversial and unafraid to speak his mind. At Bonnaroo he decides to perform solo without the Dukes, which is disappointing to me starting off, but quickly becomes a great move. It is much easier to hear what he is singing about without the excess noise that rock / country / bluegrass bands tend to make. He plays a handful of songs off The Revolution Starts Now, including “Condi, Condi,†“F the CC,†and “Rich Man’s War†which is prefaced by a lengthy lesson on U.S. foreign policy, dedicated to the Republican Party. His mandolin makes an appearance, although it seems he isn’t quite ready to use it; he asks the crowd for nail clippers so he can play the instrument properly. His set progresses slowly, but he is a thoroughly entertaining musician. No flash but all substance.

Many different communities gathered this weekend in the middle of Tennessee. There were the indie kids, the hip hoppers, hippies and hipsters, old, young, infant, middle-aged people, aging legends, up-and-comers, Jewish reggae artists, British grime, Jamaican dancehall, New York slacker jazz and misplaced but persevering New Orleans musicians. The dreaded schedule conflicts did indeed result in happy headaches, or perhaps that was from the sun? It’s hard to ingest a festival like Bonnaroo in one weekend, there is just so much to see, do and hear that even a week would not be enough. That is probably the point; even though this massive community gathers at the same spot at the same time, each person takes home their own memories of Bonnaroo, and the collective memory is undeniably positive.

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the show and sharing in this amazing experience. I had a great time and am already starting to think about having them back again. Thanks to Mavericks for being such good hosts and thanks to Mike and Ollie for getting this done with me. Having the Slip in Ottawa has been a dream of ours for a while now, so it was nice to finally make it happen. I think it's safe to say that this definitely won't be the last jambands.ca/barcode records collaboration.

I was very happy with the turnout and couldn't really ask for anything more... well, ok, maybe 12 more people, but hey, for a Wednesday night, I was blown away by the crowd (and their enthusiasm).

And I would definitely agree that Andrew is starting to steal the show more and more every time we see them. It's a special treat to see a band with such a well-rounded line-up, where everyone can take their turn to shine, or beat us into submission by shining all at once.

Still slipping,

Randy

what is this slip everyone is talking about

Bonnaroo 2006 – Festival Review

Manchester, TN June 16-18

by Alan Dodson

What Stage Crowd

photo by Ryan Mastro

It is tough to write about a festival like Bonnaroo without resorting to old clichés and hyperbole. Yes, Bonnaroo boasts an extremely eclectic lineup. Yes, it’s held on a massive farm. Yes, it’s unbearably hot. And yes, the dreaded schedule conflicts cause many happy headaches for concertgoers from around the continent. These facts are widely known and reported on; this “review†aims to shed light on some of the lesser-known aspects of Bonnaroo that are equally as important, but usually take a backseat to superlatives aimed at a (deserving) headliner or superstar.

Unlike most other concerts where you can pack up and leave after the show, the campsite atmosphere of Bonnaroo creates an immediate sense of community upon arrival. Attendees and hopefuls line up on the highway and roads surrounding the site, waiting for what could be hours to enter and get set up for the weekend.

photo by Taylor Crothers

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Spontaneous games of Frisbee and footbag break out, and everyone is generally interested in others’ stories of the journey. We hear more than one ‘Wow, you drove all the way from Canada!?’ query. Snaking the route of Bushy Branch Road are many people on foot, using whatever energy they have left in the hot sun to make it to the gate. Once ushered through the gates there is the annual struggle to get a campsite close to the action.

For some reason this year the parking forces decide to reward those who arrive first by directing them to the far reaches of the campground. Having camped in the boonies once before, we were having none of that.

We ruffle a few feathers by refusing to follow directions, and we end up getting a much closer campsite just off Shakedown Street that will allow us to spend most of our time enjoying the festival rather than ferrying back and forth from camp. Everyone shares in the mad dash to unpack cars and set up elaborate home bases, all the while dealing with the oppressive heat of Middle Tennessee. Tools are exchanged, neighbours are met and stories are shared in this instant community - a neighbourhood of friendly strangers.

We had been warily watching the weather for the days leading up to Bonnaroo, trying to determine just when it would torrentially rain this year. The forecast didn’t call for rain though; instead it called for mid-thirties with little cloud for the whole weekend. Shade was destined to be our best friend for the weekend. Without it, even contemplating fun seemed pointless.

Once shade is set up we set out to explore Shakedown Street and get a feel for the familiar yet completely new neighbourhood. The ice vendors are amazed at our trip from Canada, the pesto mozzadillas are every bit as good as previous years, and I am very happy to see that there were indeed pay showers in the our campground despite official Bonnaroo emails telling us otherwise.

Back to the weather for a moment: Although we didn’t know it at the time, the dry weather all weekend was a blessing in disguise. The portapotties were serviced more often (it seemed) than years past because the trucks could actually manoeuvre the roads to get to them. Not so much a big deal for me, but for the girls that didn’t bring pee-mates it was good news.

Bonnaroo Cinema

With no bands on stage for most of Thursday, there is time to kill and heat to escape. Thank Jebus for the Cinema Tent. Crowds swarm the tent for most of the weekend, but on Thursday it is a perfect refuge to stretch out, nap, take in some hilarious movies after the long hot car ride and set up. I’m sure the air conditioning in this tent saved a few lives this weekend. The cinema tent is a focal point for more community-building as live World Cup soccer games and the NBA Finals fill the movie screen. On Saturday during the United States / Italy game, horse-mounted police keep an eye on the very rowdy crowd, although it is all in good fun and there is no violence or anything inappropriate.

My first impression of the audience for the weekend is noticeably different than in years past. Usually a stronghold for the stereotypically ‘hippy’ types, this year’s Bonnaroo has transformed itself into a more inclusive crowd, and there are different opinions on this from the artists in attendance. Sitting in the press tent, Jack Antonoff from the New York-based band Steel Train notes, “There’s a lot more indie kids here this year!†with just a touch of disdain in his voice.

But perhaps John Popper describes the masses best. On Saturday afternoon when temperatures are at least 35 degrees, he finds the one thing that united everybody, “Now everyone just stinks the same!

The diversity in the audience can likely be linked to the diversity in the lineup. Many of the questions in the press tent this year had to do with this diversity compared to other festivals and package tours from the past.

Popper points out the troubles in the past with tours such as H.O.R.D.E. and Lilith Fair. All the guys would go to H.O.R.D.E. while all the girls would go to Lilith Fair, and that fragmentation wasn’t good for the music or the community. Or Popper’s hormones, it seems; “The absolute last place I want to be is in a field full of sweaty hetero males.†According to him, Bonnaroo brings all kinds of fans together, rather than separating everyone into niche markets.

When I ask about the more ‘radio-friendly, non-jammy lineup,’ G. Love responds that it is important to constantly change the lineups around because too often jambands and therefore Bonnaroo gets written off as stale and boring, only catering to one type of listener. A more progressive lineup means constantly challenging the listeners, critics and organisers to explore new bands and this method of discovery is really the most exciting thing about Bonnaroo.

Ben Folds

photo by Jeff Kravitz

Joel Cummins from Umphrey’s McGee agrees. “It’s really important to have that progressive element and bring new things in. I’d love to see something like Dream Theater here that doesn’t get as much exposure in the U.S., but is huge in Europe. You need to have that freshness. For fans to say ‘I’ve discovered something new that I’d never expect to see at Bonnaroo,’ I think that’s one of the things that brings people back here. It’s the ones you don’t know you’re going to see that blow you away and keep you coming back.

All that said, when it comes to the music, I did end up seeing some new impressive bands. The Cat Empire are an Australian band that throw every influence possible into their music, and the result is a wild, exuberant and positive live show that has a massive crowd dancing for hours in That Tent on Thursday night. They include plenty of call-and-response segments à la Freddie Mercury, and have lots of scat vocals, very danceable rhythms with Mexican-style trumpets. It seems everyone but me knows the words. I will try to see these guys again.

Friday the day starts with another unknown artist, Robinella. They are a local Tennessee jazz-bluegrass band that gained a national audience while opening for Kasey Chambers. The style is easy going and slow paced, with violin, upright bass, and a female singer who sounds a touch like Allison Krauss mixed with Bonnie Raitt. Her vocals are by far the best thing about this group; aside from a cover of Melanie’s ‘Brand New Key’ there is nothing memorable to report.

On my way to a press conference, I manage to hear by far, the best cover of the weekend, a ‘silent collaboration’ between Ben Folds and Dr. Dre on ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit.’ Later on Ben Folds shares that his dream collaboration at Bonnaroo would be ‘We Are the World’ with Lewis Black, the Comedy Tent headliner from The Daily Show.

Sadly, the rest of the afternoon I only manage to catch snippets of sets rather than my preferred method of catching whole shows.

Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes is the first host of what would be many guest artists; Gillian Welch joins to sing ‘Lua,’ and later in the set Jim James and Andrew Bird also help. Nickel Creek play an inspired set of their brand of bluegrass, and again bring some choice covers to help the newcomers find the sound. Radiohead’s ‘Nice Dream,’ Britney’s ‘Toxic’ and The Band’s ‘The Weight’ are given the bluegrass treatment, along with favourites such as ‘The Smoothie Song.’ In a very strange placement, G. Love & Special Sauce play in the festival’s smallest tent, just three years after performing on the Which Stage. The crowd is so large the sound system is rendered inadequate and I decide to seek refuge from the sun elsewhere.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers w/ Stevie Nicks

photo by Jeff Kravitz

I arrive at Cat Power’s show a bit late and witness the strangest musical sight of the weekend. Chan Marshall is sharing the stage with the 14-piece Memphis Rhythm Band, featuring Al Green’s right hand man and members of Booker T and the MGs. But Marshall sends them off the stage in order to take close to five minutes of precious Bonnaroo time making strange gestures and configuring cooling fans around her at the piano. This is inexplicably odd and I don’t want to stick around to see how it will end, having encountered her nervous unpredictable stage show before. It appears her struggle with stage fright is still a losing one; why else would you remove musical legends from the stage?

Night is fast approaching and Tom Petty’s legendary live show is an hour away. The cooler weather and anticipation sets the campground in a great mood, and Tom Petty immediately proves why he’s endured all these years. Listening to his set, it appears that everyone in the crowd knew every word to every song. When you look at the setlist, it’s like a greatest hits show, but unlike most other older acts, there is very little cheese or nostalgia; the songs still sound fresh and his band is understandably super tight. Petty’s band proves this professionalism and enthusiasm time and time again, especially during Peter Green’s (Fleetwood Mac) ‘Oh Well,’ with Petty running around the stage with tambourines. Continuing the trend, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks joins Petty for a number of songs including ‘Stop Dragging My Heart Around.’ Her voice still sounds great and many considered it the highlight of the day.

Tom Petty’s performance raised the bar for the rest of the headliners.

My Morning Jacket’s tent is overflowing as soon as Petty’s show finishes. This is My Morning Jacket’s fourth Bonnaroo, and according to their leader Jim James, the festival is their favourite place to play. They have been my favourite act at two previous Bonnaroos, and I have no doubts that they will be my favourite this year, having toured behind their latest album ‘Z’ for months leading up to the midnight show. They open with ‘Wordless Chorus’ and ‘It Beats For You’ from ‘Z,’ and continue to play for another three hours.

My Morning Jacket

photo by Jason Kempin

Usually I have no regrets when seeing bands play live; this is a notable exception.

After the intense heat of the day and probably not enough water, I fell asleep on the lawn about four songs into their set. I’ve been kicking myself ever since.

Later, I find out their setlist was incredible, material from throughout their career was played, and I heard nary one negative word about their set from the people I talked to the next day. Many people called it the show of the festival, and I have no doubt that they are right. Much like the diversity in bands and people present at Bonnaroo, My Morning Jacket’s cover songs spread across a wide range of styles. There was The Flying Burrito Bros’ ‘Older Guys’ jammed into the Velvet Underground’s ‘Head Held High.’ Songs from the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Band and the Misfits were also played.

Surprisingly, when listening to the recordings of the show now, I skip through the covers to hear more of MMJ’s originals; Bonnaroo truly makes this band seem like the greatest thing in the world. For many people that weekend they were.

Part two to come...

Nice review Andre. Both of those shows were simply brilliant, proving once and for all that Radiohead can do no wrong.

Yeah, there's definitely some Isaac Brock (singer for Modest Mouse) in there. Brock produced Wolf Parade's full length, Apologies to the Queen Mary, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of his delivery rubbed off on him.

That depends, are you a scary old man with a van full of candy?

Sorry Davey Boy, my parents told me to never give my address out to strangers

I know Krissi is working during the day on Saturday, but I'd like to check out the Golden Dogs at night if it's not sold out yet. I saw them at Zaphod's about a year ago and they were really good. Definitely recommended.

Anyone else planning on going? I may be up for a get together as well.

[Edit]Oh yeah, Golden Dogs are Friday, and BootyJuice are on Saturday.

Either way, I'd still like to check them out, as Bullmoose is also really cool.[/Edit]

I'll agree that I wasn't overly impressed by Gruff Rhys, but I did feel that his set got better as it progressed, even if the crowd's applause were a little over-the-top. I remember turning to Krissi after his first song had ended and having to yell into her ear over the noise of the crowd: "That wasn't that good, was it?"

But openers have a tough job, and if the only thing he managed to accomplish was to make the audience laugh a little and ease the tension in the room, then it was a job well-done. It was just nice to see an opener that was as comfortable on stage as he was.

If you're a fan of Wolf Parade, or even if you're not, you should do yourself the favour of downloading the four tracks by Sunset Rubdown found at the following link:

http://www.daytrotter.com/article/99/free-songs-sunset-rubdown

Sunset Rubdown features Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade on vocals and keys, so fans of that band will appreciate the familiar vocal stylings they've hopefully come to love as much as I have.

Comparisons to David Bowie are often thrown about, and although I think that's probably fair, there's a definite sense of something new and special going on with their music.

The first track is a new one and it's a real treat. The other three songs are from their recent album "Shut Up I Am Dreaming". That these songs were recorded live is a real testament to the talent of the players and to the authenticity of their sound.

I was supposed to see them with Frog Eyes and Swan Lake in Montreal a few weeks back, but unfortunetaly that show got cancelled at the last minute. I've seen Wolf Parade a number of times, but it would've been nice to take part in what was sure to have been a great night of music, as Swan Lake members include Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes, Dan Bejar of the New Pornographers and Destroyer, as well as Spencer Krug - a Canadian indie all-star line-up, if you will.

So, now that I've surely convinced you that these songs will be well worth the five minutes it'll take you to surf on over to the above-posted link and download those tracks, I'm not sure how long they'll be avaiable, so don't miss out on this chance. Yet another highly recommended band to come out of Montreal.

Randy

[blurb]Honestly, I don't know that I'll ever be able to enjoy another concert again after seeing Radiohead two nights in a row, let alone in a 2800-seat venue in Montreal. But here I was, less than 24 hours later, crammed into my clammy little seat at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa, trying to shake those thoughts from my head and prepare for the music that was to follow.[/blurb]

Gruff Rhys opened the night with a set that started off a bit slow but eventually picked up its pace and ended on a very relaxed and playful note. Although alone on stage, he made good use of some very inexpensive keyboards, a looper and a handful of squeeze toys, giving his songs the light-heartedness they so desperately needed. Despite not sending me running for the merch table, I will definitely find some more of his music online, if only to hear what he sounds like with a full band behind him.

The intermission seemed to fly by, no doubt attributable to my new-found pre-occupation with what will most likely be the death of me, and my interaction with society, the Su Doku puzzle (thanks Krissi). But before I could even finish a square (not an easy feat for a rookie), the crowd erupted as Bright Eyes took the stage for what was to be an enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable set.

This was to be my sixth time seeing them, four of those in Montreal venues of varying capacities, and once at Coachella. Conor is an amazing lyricist, and he usually tours with an incredible, ever-evolving line-up of musicians, but this group just didn't seem to gel for me like past ensembles have. Often known for touring with two drummers, giving them an explosive energy, I felt this was one of their biggest weaknesses this time around, with the on-time but very delicate Maria Taylor (of Azure Ray and Saddle Creek) left to handle that task on her own, coming off high-school band-ish behind the kit, even though she was surrounded by other very capable players, including Mike Mogis of Presto! Studios, and other Bright Eyes founding members. It's not that they weren't good, or that the song selection was sub-par, but it just felt like the performance lacked the compassion and intimacy which is so crucial to a good Bright Eyes performance.

Add to that a venue which is still relatively new to the rock show game, struggling with sound that was overly muddy and bassy, as well as a light show that was practically non-existent and you've got a show destined to mediocrity. I'm not usually one to blame a bad performance on poor sound, but I really feel like I would have been able to enjoy their set a whole lot more had I been able to hear all of the instruments and flourishes intended for us. Given that I've only seen a handful of shows at this venue, and that the last one, Hawskley Workman, has easily found it's way into my top ten of the year, due in large part to an amazing performance and fantastic sound, I'm not quite ready to give up on the Bronson Centre yet.

So maybe it was the near $40 ticket price, or the lack of air conditioning, or maybe even the tall woman with the big hair sitting in front of me that kept tilting her head from side to side, tempting me to plonk her down with one of those big rubber stompers you'd find at a midway... but those are really just excuses. Excuses I'll have to keep making up until I finally see another band that live up to the new bar that's been set by Radiohead. And as an avid concert-goer, it'll be hard to justify the time and money spent going to see two or three concerts a week, knowing full well that when stacked up against the spectacular, extra-terrestrial experience that was Radiohead, most will probably shy in comparison.

I blame Radiohead. I blame Radiohead for ruining Bright Eyes, and I blame Radiohead for ruining my life. Things just won't be the same anymore.

Randy

06/12/06

P.S. I'll let Krissi post the set list because I'm pretty sure she got all of the songs written down, and I can't find her piece of paper right now, so that'll come a little later.

Hey,

Krissi and I will also be at the show.

We've seen him live a few times and it's usually a pretty good show (as long as he doesn't get too wasted!).

This will be the first time in Ottawa though, so I'm hoping the Bronson Centre will be a good fit. We saw Hawksley Workman here about a month ago, and that was among the top shows of the year for me so far, so my hopes are high.

Speaking of good shows, Radiohead in Montreal were amazing (I know some of you were there).

AD/Allan, I've been meaning to meet up with you at some point since we seem to have quite a bit of music in common. I was talking to Mike last night about possibly working with you on your Bonnaroo reviews. Maybe providing some band background content to accompany the live reviews you write???

Anyway, we should meet up at the show tonight. Let me know.

Later,

Randy