daybreaker
STH since 2006
Offline
Anybody else go to this?
We saw Joseph Arthur, Mute Math, Drive-by Truckers, Blue October, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Juvenile, Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, and Duran Duran.
Having seen Joseph Arthur twice before, I was already expecting an awesome show, and he didnt let me down. Normally, he plays solo, performing all his songs using a repeater pedal, looping guitar riffs and vocals, but on this recent tour he brought a full band, and I think it worked out great. While his on-stage antics might seem cliche to some, he's just up there having a great time.
Since I knew what to expect from JA, I'd have to say my favorite performance was by The Flaming Lips. We were entertained before the show even started, because the screen above the stage was showing a man who had climbed a tree to watch Juvenile trying to get down after Juvenile finished. For some reason, the thousands of us already waiting for Flaming Lips found this enthralling. Every time he would come close to getting down, we would cheer, and when he would get scared and stay up, we would express disappointment. Even the Flaming Lips' lead singer, Wayne Coyne, came out to see wha twas going on, and seemed just as amused by tree-man as the crowd.
When the concert started, Wayne got inside a giant inflatable plastic ball, and used like a hamster-ball to walk out on top of the crowd. That was just awesome. Adding to the sheer awesomeness were the stage hands dressed as superheroes (Thor, Captain America, Flash), and the stage, flanked to the left by a dozen dancing alien girls, and to the right by a dozen dancing santas.
When the first song came on, 50 beachball-sized blue balloons were released into the audience, and we continued to bat them around all night. Even during Duran Duran you could see a stray blue balloon being knocked around. And even during another song, about 10 even larger white balloon were released, adding to the frenzy.
Add to that continuous confetti cannons, and the area of air immediately above the crowd was constantly filled with action, which just added to the amazing music that these guys performed.
Their music is a little difficult to get in to, as my girlfriend didnt like it too much (though she admits the show itself was impressive and entertaining), but since I love their music, I was incredibly impressed by this show, making it the highlight of my weekend (since that whole Saints/Ravens thing didnt work out so well...)
RHCP was playing all new stuff, so we left early for a Halloween party (though we heard later they closed with all their hits).
I've never really liked Duran Duran outside of their major hits (Rio, Hungry like the Wolf, Come Undone, Ordinary World, etc), but I have to say, they were pretty good in concert, and songs I wouldnt really like on CD were listenable and sometimes even enjoyable. So my surprise of the weekend was actually enjoying Duran Duran's entire concert.
Blue October, however, was kind of disappointing. I really like their CD, Foiled, but I could always detect a tiny bit of emo in it, and after Saturday's performance, I could see why. Not only was half the crowd little emo kids, but the lead singer was all emo'd out. Short spiky hair, black eyeliner... and the way he feels like he has to pantomime song lyrics as he sings them? I just found that annoying. And they didnt embellish their music at all, just played it exactly like it was recorded. I could have just played their CD at home and gotten the same experience, and without all the 15 year old kids swarming around me at that. So Blue October was my big disappointment of the fest (not of the weekend, though, as we all know who the weekend's biggst disappointment was)
I wanted to see Pete Yorn, but I guess even if I'd have known the outcome, I'd have still gone to the Saints game anyway.
And that's my Voodoo Fest report.
We saw Joseph Arthur, Mute Math, Drive-by Truckers, Blue October, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Juvenile, Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, and Duran Duran.
Having seen Joseph Arthur twice before, I was already expecting an awesome show, and he didnt let me down. Normally, he plays solo, performing all his songs using a repeater pedal, looping guitar riffs and vocals, but on this recent tour he brought a full band, and I think it worked out great. While his on-stage antics might seem cliche to some, he's just up there having a great time.
Since I knew what to expect from JA, I'd have to say my favorite performance was by The Flaming Lips. We were entertained before the show even started, because the screen above the stage was showing a man who had climbed a tree to watch Juvenile trying to get down after Juvenile finished. For some reason, the thousands of us already waiting for Flaming Lips found this enthralling. Every time he would come close to getting down, we would cheer, and when he would get scared and stay up, we would express disappointment. Even the Flaming Lips' lead singer, Wayne Coyne, came out to see wha twas going on, and seemed just as amused by tree-man as the crowd.
When the concert started, Wayne got inside a giant inflatable plastic ball, and used like a hamster-ball to walk out on top of the crowd. That was just awesome. Adding to the sheer awesomeness were the stage hands dressed as superheroes (Thor, Captain America, Flash), and the stage, flanked to the left by a dozen dancing alien girls, and to the right by a dozen dancing santas.
When the first song came on, 50 beachball-sized blue balloons were released into the audience, and we continued to bat them around all night. Even during Duran Duran you could see a stray blue balloon being knocked around. And even during another song, about 10 even larger white balloon were released, adding to the frenzy.
Add to that continuous confetti cannons, and the area of air immediately above the crowd was constantly filled with action, which just added to the amazing music that these guys performed.
Their music is a little difficult to get in to, as my girlfriend didnt like it too much (though she admits the show itself was impressive and entertaining), but since I love their music, I was incredibly impressed by this show, making it the highlight of my weekend (since that whole Saints/Ravens thing didnt work out so well...)
RHCP was playing all new stuff, so we left early for a Halloween party (though we heard later they closed with all their hits).
I've never really liked Duran Duran outside of their major hits (Rio, Hungry like the Wolf, Come Undone, Ordinary World, etc), but I have to say, they were pretty good in concert, and songs I wouldnt really like on CD were listenable and sometimes even enjoyable. So my surprise of the weekend was actually enjoying Duran Duran's entire concert.
Blue October, however, was kind of disappointing. I really like their CD, Foiled, but I could always detect a tiny bit of emo in it, and after Saturday's performance, I could see why. Not only was half the crowd little emo kids, but the lead singer was all emo'd out. Short spiky hair, black eyeliner... and the way he feels like he has to pantomime song lyrics as he sings them? I just found that annoying. And they didnt embellish their music at all, just played it exactly like it was recorded. I could have just played their CD at home and gotten the same experience, and without all the 15 year old kids swarming around me at that. So Blue October was my big disappointment of the fest (not of the weekend, though, as we all know who the weekend's biggst disappointment was)
I wanted to see Pete Yorn, but I guess even if I'd have known the outcome, I'd have still gone to the Saints game anyway.
And that's my Voodoo Fest report.