Lollapalooza 2008: Day 3

DAY 3
After a rowdy Day 2 of Lollapalooza, Day 3 seemed to come as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was more than ready for Sunday though and the ladies of Ann St (Laura, Erin & Becky) were pumped to join the Waters duo and I.

Laura, Becky and I departed early for Grant Park to catch Chicago's Office at 11:30 at the PS3 Stage. I'm pretty sure they were both surprised by the size of the park as we made our first of many jaunts across the north end. After 30 minutes of what seemed to be an excruciating sound check, we were informed that the Weakerthans couldn't make the fest, so Office's show was bumped to the afternoon.

We had some time to relax, so we leisurely made our way south to the AT&T stage where female rapper Kid Sister was to perform. It was still early in the day so we were able to stand close for a good view of the show. Rage Against the Machine was the last show of Day 2 on the stage and sunglasses, pieces of shoes and dead grass were the only remnants left. Kid Sister appreciatively came out with a hype-man, back-up dancers and DJ AutoBot (Flosstradamous) on the ones and twos. Koko B. Ware hasn't come out yet, but had the crowd engaged with fun, new, dance rap ("Switchboard", "Control") and performed her biggest hit, "Pro Nails".

We met up with the rest of our crew at the sparsely filled Citi Stage for What Made Milwaukee Famous. They were serviceable, but didn't exactly wow the crowd until "Sultan" and a few closing songs. I did find out that they aren't from Milwaukee and didn't live up to all the Spoon comparisons I had heard though.

With our full group in tact we took a lunch break in the shade and headed for the Myspace stage. I had finally succumbed to the incessant promotion of Chromeo and was looking forward to them after copping Fancy Footwork a few weeks earlier. Dave 1 and P-Thugg were on their electrofunk A-game from the start keeping the crowd nodding ("Call Me Up") and dancing ("Tenderoni") in the sweltering humidity. I'm sure its nerve-wracking performing in front of thousands of people, but the Montreal based duo were one of the few acts that interacted with Lolla-goers all weekend. Aside from making the crowd bounce with "Call Me Up" and "Bonafied Lovin'", Dave and P were like a comedy duo with jokes incorporating P's talk box.

Florida's Black Kids set on the Citi stage overlapped with Chromeo, but I was able to hear a few of the hits from Partie Traumatic while the ladies took a break from the heat. Lead singer Reggie Youngblood's faux British accent got the best response on "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You". They sounded great live and probably could have played on one of the bigger stages.

We opted for shade and beer rather than G. Love and sweat from 4:30 to 5. After cooling off, we traveled north again to the PS3 stage (hearing Iron & Wine in the distance) to see Irish/punk band Flogging Molly. They had one of the largest crowds I saw at that stage all weekend and did their best to turn it into a rowdy pub. Irish flags were in the air and Dave King snarled and shouted his way through a fun set filled with banjos, accordion, and fiddles. We left after "Float", but "Requiem for a Dying Song" and other jams made me interested for more.

The toughest decision was at hand: Gnarls Barkley or Girl Talk. That resolution was much easier when we saw the crowd lined up at the Citi stage. The schedulers probably didn't anticipate it, but Girl Talk could have easily filled Myspace or PS3 stages. As the bass line for "Charity Case" played at the AT&T stage, it looked like fans were stretched back to Food Town, cutting off walkways. Gillis finally took the stage at 6:30 and made his presence known with VIPs swarming his lap top and fake cops with toilet paper guns as the intro began. The dance party was non-stop as he ran through mash-ups and samples old (Biggie/Elton, "Play Your Part") and new (Yael Naim/Khia, Daft Punk/Tag Team). It was so hectic that Gillis had to clear the stage because it was starting to bend. Nothin' like a daytime dance party. The grand finale was nothing short of epic. Birdman & Lil' Wayne's "Poppin' Bottles" played into Journey's "Faithfully" and looped as Girl Talk crowd surfed from the stage to the sound tent in a friggin' inflatable row boat. 'Nuff said.

Everyone pretty much used all of their energy at Girl Talk, so after that we retreated to tailgate-like lines for the port-o-potties. Mark Ronson and company sounded great on the Myspace stage. His throwback sound with covers (Coldplay, Radiohead, Justice) and special guests Candie Payne, Rhymefest and Kenna amassed a large crowd as well. Unfortunately, Ronson mentioned this is the last stop on their long tour (which obviously skipped Michigan).

Our group refilled on beverages and food while staking out a spot on the hill for Kanye West. I was pretty disappointed in not lining up close to the stage for the final headliner of the weekend, but I got over it after a few songs. Kanye was backed by an elaborate stage complete with bright lights, a DJ, and energetic band. After teasing the crowd with a slice of "Stronger", West greeted his hometown with "Good Morning". He ran through all the hits from "Through the Wire" to "Diamonds" to "Can't Tell Me Nothin'". After a 15 minute long, Chi-Town flavored edition of his guest spot on Jeezy's "Put On", West stated "Now we can start the show". For all of the names Kanye has earned over the years (arrogant, cocky, obnoxious), you have to give him credit for put passion into what he does. He shined throughout the his time on the main stage and was easily one of the best rap/hip-hop artists I've ever seen. Kanye showed his recent love for vocal distortion T-Pain style as he finished the last hour with rousing editions of "Homecoming", "Good Life", "Gold Digger" and more. Things got a little uncomfortable when West gave a short ode to his mother before "Hey Mama", but closed in grand fashion. He let his band get some due recognition by surprisingly covering Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" and played "Stronger", asking "is this what you've been waiting for?". Indeed.

And just like that Lollapalooza 2008 was done. An ocean of festival-goers poured out of Grant Park and cheered in the downtown Chicago streets. It was amazing seeing my iPod come to life and experiencing that many live acts in one weekend. Its hard to single out who was my favorite artist all weekend, but Kanye, Girl Talk, Mates of State, CSS, Lupe Fiasco, Chromeo and Rage Against the Machine certainly were most memorable. The bad news is that Lollapalooza was pretty much a "gateway" event that is going to make me want to go to see most of these artists at smaller venues and make Lolla (or some festival) an annual necessity.

Photos from Lollapalooza Day 3
Videos from Lollapalooza Day 3

Lollapalooza 2008: Day 2

DAY 2
After an amazing, but exhausting Day 1 at Lollapalooza 2008, I was looking forward to Day 2's less cluttered lineup. Jenny, Andrea, and I were able to make it to Lolla-land midway through Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos' set around 12:30. We heard the only song we knew ("Skeleton Key") and many others ("Quiet as a Mouse" and "Bar Fight Revolution") that made us realize they were worth looking into further. As the early sun and heat began to filter into our pores, Jenny concluded that I must not have an "off button" since I went out and about Lincoln Park Friday night and was still standing.

Next on the AT&T stage was indie-pop duo, The Ting Tings. Their music sounds like it would be hard to reproduce outside the studio, so I was very interested how it would translate live. Lead singer Katie White was commanding on guitar and Jules De Martino kept the speakers pounding on the drums. It was easily one of the most memorable performances of the weekend with "Great DJ", "Fruit Machine" and extended versions of "Thats Not My Name" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go". With an additional drum by White, it might have also been one of the louder performances of the day. The next two hours were pretty chill catching lunch, stages in the shade and the temperature a tad less humid. We saw a relaxed set by folkie Mason Jennings, a dizzying performance by Steel Train, and a lackadaisical hour from MGMT (but a huge crowd). Instrumental outfit, Explosions in the Sky floored the Bud Light stage with a numbing, guitar-heavy performance. I looked into their music before the festival, but you really need to see them live to view the passion and emotion they put into their work.

After breezing by Okkervil River, we opted to get a good spot for Lupe Fiasco's main stage offering. I had to pretend Jamie Lidell wasn't playing across the field, but the wait for Lupe was worth it. He back flipped on stage to the "Rocky" theme, doing one-armed push-ups, and was backed by a full band and DJ (not to mention the deaf interpreter who kept up with Lupe, wow). Dapper dressed in all-white, he almost looked like a preacher and echoed this getting the crowd into "Kick Push" and a gospel intro to "Daydream". Lupe ran through hits from The Cool and saved an extended version of "Superstar" for last. Lupe has clearly picked up some showmanship from Kanye the past few years and had the crowd amped and ready for Rage.

Lupe filled the south end of Grant Park, but by 8:30 it was clear who Lolla-goers were there to see, Rage Against the Machine. Unless they had been to a few festivals last year, there is good chance fans hadn't seen the band since 2000. Flanked by an blazing red star, Zach de la Rocha and company erupted with "Testify". Fans eager to get closer to the stage immediately pushed forward and mosh pits sprouted left and right. After a chorus of cheers, "Bulls On Parade" fueled the fury and the atmosphere was electric as fans bounced in unison to Tom Morello's guitar genius. Unfortunately, this is the moment fun energy almost turned to riot mentality. After "People of the Sun", Zach paused to urge the crowd to "take care of one another" and move "5 to 10 steps" back so hurt fans near the front barricades could exit the area. Rage played an amazing, energetic set, and sounded as tight as their records, but had to stop two more times to make fans realized the seriousness of their actions. We would later find out that Rage fans without tickets had been jumping fences and plowing through security to join the mayhem. Our bubble below the left Show vision screen wasn't nearly as crazy as others, but after a fan was sucker punched by a meat head, for no reason during "Guerrilla Radio", we decided to catch the last few songs by Wilco.

We peeked in Perry's tent to see DJ Momjeans aka Danny Masterson (Hyde from "That '70's Show" on our way to the Bud Light stage. Highlights included a "Fedora" convention on stage and Masterson giving the crowd the finger to a chorus of cheers. Wilco proved to be the polar opposite of Rage. The north lawn was scattered with people much older than Rage's demo relaxing on blankets to Jeff Tweddy's scratchy, alt/folk rock. We stood nearly the same distance as we did for Rage and didn't bump into a single person while the band closed with "Walken" and "Outtasite".

Day 2 was just as solid as Day 1. While we didn't see as many bands, we were closer for most, didn't get cooked by the sun and saw some of great performances. Lupe and Rage Against the Machine had the most influential performances of the day, in my mind, but the Ting Tings and Explosions in the Sky were stunning as well. We took a longer "el" ride and quickly passed out ready for the 3rd and final day of Lollapalooza with the rest of the the Ann St. ladies.

Photos from Lollapalooza 2008: Day 2
Videos from Lollapalooza 2008: Day 2

Lollapalooza 2008: Day 1

Disclaimer: What I'm about to post is as accurate (and long-winded) as I can be about my experience at Lollapalooza 2008. For each day I'll post photo albums here and you can check out videos here. It doesn't really do justice to what a great event and how sweet the whole atmosphere actually was. Hopefully you will understand why I was grinning from ear to ear all weekend.

DAY 1
After a successful (and on-time) Amtrak train ride from Birmingham, MI to Union Station Thursday night, I could barely sleep in anticipation of Day 1 at Lollapalooza. When I woke up Friday, it was easy to let my sleepiness subside. I was on my own that morning, so after perfect directions from Ms. Waters, I made my journey from the Fullerton stop to Grant Park. After exiting the downtown "el" stop, I followed an obvious group of festival-goers who were trying to decide between early sets by Butch Walker and Rogue Wave.

I happily entered the heavenly gates to the right of a giant, inflated Lollapalooza sign just after 11:30. I didn't need to be at the Myspace Stage for Rogue Wave until 1:15, so I grabbed a free program and wandered the park. I was immediately taken aback by the size of Grant Park (later wouldn't be so roomy). I made it a point to survey all of the stages I had drooled over the past few weeks, take in the unique ideas (Green Street, shaded Hammocks, branded tents, Food Town), Buckingham Fountain and looked for a decent Lolla shirt (no luck).

When I reached the North end of the festival, I stumbled upon the early energy of reggae/hip hop artist, K'Naan at the Playstation 3 stage. He reminded me of K-OS and I quickly took note to check him out more when I got home. Immediately after he finished, Black Lips took over at the Bud Light main stage with their garage punk sound. They didn't exactly keep my attention, so I headed 15 minutes south to get a good spot to view Rogue Wave. Zach & company moved higher on my list of favorite bands with catchy indie songs past ("Publish My Love"), present ("Like I Needed") and Chicago-themed ("Lake Michigan"). I headed back to the Bud Light stage wondering why they were scheduled so early, when they much more worthy of a late afternoon slot. The Go! Team brought a lot of enthusiasm with their indie anthems, but were plagued by early sound troubles and lead singer, Ninja, was mostly drown out by the rest of the band.

The back and forth was only beginning as I hoofed south again, this time for Yeasayer's show at the AT&T main stage. The experimental and Middle-Eastern sounds were felt most on "2080" and the appropriate "Wait For The Summer". Next up was Duffy, back at PS3. I took in most of her set from a distance, but her Motown-influenced sound seemed a bit out of place. I met up with the rest of my party just before Akron, OH duo the Black Keys took the mainstage at nearly the hottest part of the day. So hot, that the crowd cheered for a large cloud that slowly moved in the Chicag sky. Their Southern blues rock was just what the 2nd largest crowd I saw Friday was looking for. Guitarist & singer Dan Auerbach repeatedly praised co-hort Patrick Carney for looking possessed while booming on the drum kit, especially on "Strange Times", "10 AM" and "Your Touch". The Black Keys closing their 3rd straight Lolla appearnce with a thunderous rendition of "I Got Mine" to great fanfare.

We opted to skip Cat Power and made our way back to the south end of the park, stopping at Perry's Tent to see DJ Million $ Mano. The organizers did their best to turn the shady, cool spot into a club-like atmosphere with couches and DJ's aplenty. I only saw a special appearance by Drea of He Say She Say for "Crash Dummie" and heard Mano spin "Lady", but it was enough to check out Mano out next time I'm in town. We caught married duo, Mates of State, (with 2 extra members on strings and horns) halfway through their set. My sweat level was reaching maximum levels but MOS's set was more than enjoyable as they performed "The Re-Arranger" and "Goods" and clearly had fun doing it.

The next two hours were a whirlwind that started with hearing a familiar Grizzly Bear song while inhaling a $5 cheeseburger from Food Town. Bloc Party played a solid set, but Kele and company belted out all of my favorites ("Hunting For Witches", "Banquet") early so we opted for a water break. The crowds had thickened to the point that the "75,000 people" number I heard earlier, became more realistic as we bounced back across to see the Raconteurs. We only stayed for a few songs, but got the point: the band is great a playing nostalgic, garage rock. I pretended that the Cool Kids weren't playing, in favor of catching the 2nd half of CSS's set. I'm sure the Cool Kids were great, but CSS was a great choice. Not only did they play all the songs I needed to hear ("Off the Hook", "Music Is My..") they actually got the Citi stage rowdy. Lead singer Lovefoxxx started in a red body suit with a ring of flowers wrapped around it, only to disrobe to another ridiculous outfit. She jumped roped with the mic cord, was flanked by a hilarious dancer in florescent spandex and made everyone, including a mohawked rocker scream "Alala". Mission accomplished. One of the best performances of the weekend.

Radiohead closed out Day 1 as the only headliner and filled the entire south end of the park. I stuck around for a half hour or so, but just didn't get into them. Everyone raved about their performance, so I'm sure it was great. I was glad I was able to see that ocean of people that clearly loved them. After exiting the park, I took a quick train ride back to the apt., showered and went out with the rest of the Ann St. ladies before I had a chance to think about sleeping.

Pre-Lollapalooza 2008: Part III

Day 3 Tentative Schedule:
Day 3 has all the ingredients to make for the best day of Lollapalooza: Girl Talk, Kanye West, and an Ann St. Reunion. I may not make it to Office's 11:30 slot, but I hope so. A little later, I'll take a requisite visit to see Chi-town's own Kid Sister, and succumb to the "Pro Nails" chorus in the process( you all will be saying it by the end of the day, ask Laura.) At first glance, it looks like Day 3 should be easy....until 3:15 hits. Luckily, many of the artists I want to see are at both Citi Stage and Myspace Stage (right next to each other). Chromeo's bouncy electrofunk kicks off at Citi, just before Black Kids at 3:30 at Myspace. Iron & Wine and G. Love & the Special Sauce have dueling sets across the park from each other (my interest in both should make that decision easy, with a coin flip). 5:15 brings the Irish-Punk of Flogging Molly just before the toughest conflict of the weekend: Gnarls Barkley, 15 minutes before Girl Talk. Do I catch a glimpse of Cee Lo & Danger Mouse's crazy costumes or get in line for the biggest party I'll ever attend. Probably a game-time decision. I'm looking forward to Mark Ronson's (special guest filled?) set to ease the tension at 7:15. Finally, what better way to close out the weekend with Chicago's son, Kanye West. I don't care what happened at Bonnaroo, I'm expecting the best show I've ever seen (no pressure).

My Schedule

Day 3
Day 3
1. Office - Oh My
2. The Blakes - Magic
3. Kid Sister - Pro Nails ft Kanye West
4. What Made Milwaukee Famous - Sultan
5. The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart
6. Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin'
7. Black Kids - Listen To You Body Tonight
8. Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend To Dance
9. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
10. Saul Williams - List of Demands (Reparations)
11. Flogging Molly - Requiem For A Dying Song
12. Flogging Molly - Float
13. Gnarls Barkley - Going On
14. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces
15. Flosstradamus - Yeah Yeah (Matt & Kim Remix)
16. Girl Talk - Pure Magic
17. Girl Talk - Set It Off
18. Mark Ronson - Amy ft Kenna
19. The National - Apartment Story
20. Child Rebel Soldiers (Lupe, Kanye, Pharell) - US Placers
21. Kanye West - Touch the Sky ft Lupe Fiasco
22. Kanye West - Homecoming ft Chris Martin

Pre-Lollapalooza 2008: Part II

Day 2 Tentative Schedule:
Hopefully, I'll have my bearings figured out and know the layout of the Lollapalooza grounds by Saturday morning. Day 2 doesn't pose as many conflicts as Day 1 and Day 3, but it will be nice to know if its actually possible to bounce from stage to stage. I hope to start the day by taking in sets by bands that I only know a few tracks by, like De Novo Dahl, Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos, and Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The Ting Tings will probably have a decent crowd before Mason Jennings captures my attention with his twangy, folk offerings. 3:30 at the Myspace Stage, MGMT is one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend (for me), and I'll be interested to see how their electro-funk music translates live. I'll check out Jamie Lidell's retro crooning, before going to the AT&T stage to see Chi-Town's finest, Lupe Fiasco. I'm probably 3 years overdue, from when I first wanted to see Lupe, but his strong catalog will have made it worth the wait. Day 2's headliners are much more interesting for me. I'll check out Wilco for Jeff Tweedy & company's legendary stage presence, but this will probably be my only opportunity to see Rage live and in-person. All of this will only further my anticipation for Day 3.

My Schedule

Lolla 2008: Day 2
1. De Novo Dahl - Shout
2. The Postelles - 123 Stop
3. Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos - Skeleton Key
4. Does It Offend You? Yeah - Epic Last Song
5. The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go
6. Dr. Dog - Worst Trip
7. Foals - Balloons
8. Mason Jennings - Drinking As Religion
9. Mason Jennings - Memphis, TN
10. MGMT - Time to Pretend
11. MGMT - Electric Feel
12. Jamie Lidell - Wait For Me
13. Lupe Fiasco - Daydream
14. Lupe Fiasco - Superstar (acoustic) ft Matthew Santos
15. Serena Ryder - Brand New Love
16. Okkervil River - A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene
17. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
18. Wilco - Walken
19. Wilco - What Light
20. Rage Against the Machine - Killing In the Name
21. Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade

Pre-Lollapalooza: Part I

In celebration of the event I've been waiting 2 years to attend, Lollapalooza, I've decided to be really original, and make a mixtape for each day. Though I can't claim to know all of the artist descending on Grant Park next weekend, I think have done enough research to keep up.

Day 1 Tentative Schedule:
After arriving by way of Amtrack the night before, I plan to begin Lolla with Rogue Wave's set on the Myspace Stage. If their performance in Ann Arbor last fall is any indication, they should feel right at home with tracks like "Lake Michigan" and "Chicago X 12". Day 1 gets complicated at 2:15 when I have to decide between the cheer-leading anthems of the Go! Team and tribal sounds of Yeasayer. From there, I'll head for the PS3 stage, to see if the hype Duffy has received from across the pond is worthy. After that I'm inclined to see the Black Keys, before hopscotching from stage to stage to catch Million $ Mano spinning and Mates of State crooning at the same time. 6:15-8:00 is a free-for-all with The Raconteurs, Bloc Party, The Cool Kids & CSS battling. Though I still haven't been persuaded to the ways of Radiohead, I would probably check out a few songs before enjoying the Chi-Town nightlife.

My Schedule

Day 1
1. Rogue Wave - Endless Shovel
2. Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan
3. Butch Walker - Race Cars & Goth Rock
4. The Go! Team - Doing It Right
5. The Go! Team - Grips Like A Vice
6. Yeasayer - Wait for the Summer
7. Yeasayer - Sunrise
8. Duffy - Mercy
9. The Black Keys - Strange Times
10. The Black Keys - Your Touch
11. Million $ Mano - Lady
12. Mates of State - Punchlines
13. Mates of State - The Re-Arranger
14. Bloc Party - Banquet
15. Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches
16. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldier
17. The Raconteurs - Old Enough
18. CSS - Music Is My Hot Sex
19. CSS - Rat is Dead (Rage)
20. The Cool Kids - I (Mikey) Rock
21. Radiohead - Karma Police

Jamie Lidell: So Soulful Man

Sure to be making waves this summer is singer/songwriter, Jamie Lidell. After realizing I hadn't heard of many of the artists that will be appearing at Lollapalooza, I checked out Mr. Lidell via Lolla's handy "Discover Artists" page. I was immediately impressed with Lidell's soulful ways and jealous of his genius skills on the piano. Seriously, when your mother tells you that you'll regret quiting playing the piano in 5th grade, she was totally right.

Lidell's latest album, Jim, was released last week and its upbeat rhythms are perfect for the upcoming, long awaited summer season. He seems to be channeling his inner-Sam Cooke on cuts like "Another Day" and "A Little Bit of Feel Good". Most of the songs deal with the usual subject of love lost and heartbreak, but have a retro-soul feel that leaves you uplifted, rather than depressed. Even when he slows things down on "All I Wanna Do", his crooner sound genuine and not cheesy.

Most of the info I have read about Jamie Lidell mentions that Jim and recent album Multiply are a departure from his Electronica days. If his past passion for electro is half as good as his soulful crooning, it would be worth checking out.

Jamie Lidell - Another Day

Jamie Lidell - A Little Bit Of Feel Good

See Jamie Lidell at Lollapalooza 2008.

Lollapalooza 2008: Initial Lineup

It has been waaaaaay to long since I have added anything to this site. I was really hoping to not have one of those blogs that gets updated once a month. Hopefully, I will return to form immediately.

Whether it was a clever ploy by Perry Farrell and organizers to drum up more early ticket sales or just an innocent leak, I love it. When the "potential" early line-up for Lollapalooza 2008 leaked Friday via the Chicago Sun-Times, it only validated my recent ticket purchase. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will be amped and ready to roast in Grant Park, Chicago August 1st - 3rd. Not only were most of my hopes answered for most of the artists attending. But my recent task of scouring band websites and tour itineraries to see who had the 1st weekend of August free, made many of my guesses correct.

Here is my take on who will be joining me at Lollapalooza:

Headliners:
-Radiohead: I know the basics of their catalog, but I'm excited to have another reason to check out their catalog in preparation. In Colours seemed to be the "it" album of 2007, so no surprise here.

-Nine Inch Nails: I can't lie, I don't know the band's work. Their video for "Closer" creeped me out beyond believe in 7th grade, so we'll see about these cats.

-Rage Against the Machine: I may not be in the middle of the most pit, but I have been looking forward to a Rage reunion. My friends who saw them at Vegoose and Rock the Bells said it was insane. Count me in.

-Wilco & The Raconteurs: I know an equal amount about both bands, very little. I have been impressed with both albums by Jack White's boys and look forward to hear more from Wilco.

-Kanye West: Chicago's son comes home to rock the biggest party in the city. I expect a lot of "Flashing Lights", emotion and specials guests (could we see a CRS performance?). Cannot wait!

The rest:
-Gnarls Barkley: "The Odd Couple" may have turned away mainstreamers without a pop record like "Crazy", but it was still solid. I'm hoping to see some interesting costumes while Cee-Lo spits the Gospel.

-The Black Keys: Yes, yes and yes. These guys have been in heavy rotation in my eardrums since I heard "Your Touch" this winter. Although I'll have to skip their show in Royal Oak, it will only further my anticipation of their throwback, garage rock sound.

-The Cool Kids: Another Windy City act poise to explode from the hype that has already been bubbling. Their '80s inspired rhymes should keep the crowd in a head-nodding frenzy.

-Mates of State, Bloc Party, Office, the Go! Team: All constants on my playlists and will all be part of my plans for that weekend.

-Cat Power, G. Love, Broken Social Scene, Jamie Lidell: Research for the next few months.

-Blues Traveler: What?

-Girl Talk: Do you really have to ask? I'll be there.

Would you like a sample?

Wilco - What A Light

Gnarls Barkley - Going On

The Cool Kids - Action Figures

Mates of State - Goods (All In Your Head)

Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches

Office - Oh My

The Go! Team - Grips Like A Vice

Girl Talk - Pure Magic