The big news this week was Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the VMAs, which had artists everywhere flipping out.
Everyone from Katy Perry to Jordin Sparks tweeted their disapproval, but the best came from P!nk, who kept it short and sweet:
Kanye west is the biggest piece of shit on earth. Quote me.
The best thing about this incident is that it has inspired the awesome new website immaletyoufinish.
http://twitter.com/Pink
In the two years I've been blogging it occurs to me I've not written a word on Eminem. With his new single "Crack a Bottle" shooting to #1 this week, now's a good time.
I have mixed feelings about Marshall Mathers. No question he's one of the most innovative rappers of all-time. The Marshall Mathers LP was a classic. The epic "Stan" might be the greatest rap song ever written, and "Kim," his brutal but fictional tale of murdering his wife, was positively chilling. But he does get lazy sometimes - "Without Me" was a pathetic rewrite of "The Real Slim Shady."
Eminem has had prominent beefs with several artists, most notably Will Smith. After Will bragged about being able to top the charts while writing clean lyrics, Em responded with the clever line, "Will Smith don't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records/ Well I do, so fuck him and fuck you too." I was always hoping Smith would respond, but he chose to take the high road. I imagined Smith saying something like, "Eminem can say whatever he wants as long as he realizes that I helped make him what he is today. If it wasn't for artists like me taking rap music into the mainstream in the '80s, Slim Shady wouldn't exist. Slim Shady be flipping burgers somewhere."
"Crack the Bottle" is alright. The song features Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, so it's nothing we haven't heard before. But it's nice to see Em back on the charts. If nothing else, next year's Grammys should be interesting - Eminem and Kanye West will have to battle for Rap Album of the Year. Neither of them ever loses that award, so somebody's about to be humbled.
Streaming Audio via YouTube:
Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent - Crack the Bottle
This year I saw a personal record 120 bands, and it’s time to rank them all.
1 Metallica, Bonnaroo, June 13
I am not a metalhead by any means. The only Metallica CD I own is the black album. But there was no denying their might at Bonnaroo, where they ruled with a mix of their biggest hits and lesser-known favorites. The 1-2 punch of “One” and “Enter Sandman” was an amazing display of brute force to close the set, as was the encore of “Seek and Destroy.” This was a great band at the very top of its game.
2 Black Keys, New American Music Union, August 8
The Akron blues-rock duo created an insane amount of noise and mayhem and blew everyone else out of the water at NAMU. They mellowed out briefly for a cover of Captain Beefheart's "I'm Glad," and then it was back to the face-melting solos. I'd seen the Black Keys once before and wasn't impressed, but this time they absolutely killed.
3 Sigur Ros, Bonnaroo, June 14
Sigur Ros played most of their new album, bringing out a mariachi band at one point on “Sé Lest.” Seeing “Gobbledigook” live for the first time was great - the pulsing, tribal beat really brought the song to life. The quiet beauty of the band’s music came out in the hills of Tennessee at 1:30 in the morning.
4 Kanye West, Lollapalooza, August 3
Kanye closed out Lolla in memorable fashion, performing with a live band and backup singers, and the electric guitars made the dark, moody “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” frighteningly intense. “Put On” was one of the most mind-blowing moments of the festival, Kanye saluting his hometown of Chicago with fury and sincerity.
5 Gogol Bordello, Bonnaroo, June 14
Possibly the festival’s most electrifying show. For 90 minutes, the zany gypsy punks bounced around the stage, beat the hell out of their drums, rocked the violin and accordion, and showed everybody a good time.
6 Avett Brothers, Point State Park, June 21
The Avett Brothers’ high-energy bluegrass-punk was easily the highlight of this summer’s Arts Fest. It’s thrilling when I don’t know any of a band’s songs but they still leave me wanting more. (Needless to say, I’ve since caught up on their earlier work.) The fact that it was a free show just made it that much better.
7 Okkervil River, Lollapalooza, August 2
Okkervil’s live show is phenomenal. The spontaneity between Will Sheff and his bandmates and the way they played off each other was great to witness. Sheff’s passionate delivery took the band’s best storytelling tracks like “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “The President’s Dead” to another level, proving (as if we didn't already know) that Okkervil River are one of the more exciting bands in rock these days.
8 New Pornographers, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, April 12
My first New Porns show was a treat thanks to Neko Case, whose wonderful voice was the star of the show on “These are the Fables” and “Stacked Crooked.” AC Newman was also in fine form, leading an ass-kicking cover of ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” “The Bleeding Heart Show” was a glorious show closer.
9 Vampire Weekend, Bonnaroo, June 12
"We're a jam band, we just play really short songs," said singer Ezra Koenig. "Oxford Comma," "A-Punk," "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"... pretty much every song they played sounded terrific. "M79" rocked even without the strings. Best show of the first night of Bonnaroo.
10 !!!, Bonnaroo, June 13
Just like last year at Lollapalooza, !!! delivered an insane dance rock show. Singer Nic Offer did his hysterical gyrating and crazy-man dancing, and they closed on a high with one of their best, “Heart of Hearts.”
11 Gogol Bordello, Lollapalooza, August 1
The only reason this show ranks lower than their Bonnaroo performance is that the Lolla set was 30 minutes shorter. It was just as intense, and the fans knew all the words to every song. A searing performance in the scorching heat.
12 Elvis Costello, Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 28
Elvis rocked hard and made the most out of his 45 minutes as the Police’s opening act. He dueted with Sting on “Alison” and closed his set by indulging the crowd’s unspoken wish to hear “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
13 The Go! Team, Lollapalooza, August 1
The colorful British ensemble perfectly replicated their lively dance-pop tracks from 2007’s Proof of Youth like “Grip Like a Vice” and “The Wrath of Marcie.” The Go! Team’s singer Ninja gripped the crowd like an overzealous aerobics instructor, providing dance moves and encouraging audience participation.
14 Chromeo, Lollapalooza, August 3
These Canadians are the coolest dorks on the planet, as evidenced by the combination of pre-recorded electronic elements and live guitars and keys, with late ‘80s-style dance music and sleazy love songs that had fans at the MySpace stage dancing their asses off.
15 Okkervil River, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, April 12
Okkervil was supporting the New Porns here, and this was one of the better performances I’ve witnessed from an opening act. The band brought the seated crowd to its feet and managed to talk the audience into participating in a sing-along on the emotional closer, "Westfall."
16 !!!, Rex Theatre, July 22
Playing in Pittsburgh for the first time in several years, !!! provided a nonstop dance party from start to finish. Though the crowd was smaller than anticipated (maybe 300 people tops), the band still gave its all. Which means singer Nic Offer climbing onto the speakers, two (and sometimes three) drummers pounding away, and Shannon Funchess shaking her sizable booty all over the stage.
17 Solomon Burke, Bonnaroo, June 15
Seated on a custom-made throne, the 68-year-old Rock N Roll Hall of Famer belted out hits of his own and a medley of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Mustang Sally," dedicated to his fallen friends Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Bo Diddley.
18 Girl Talk, Lollapalooza, August 3
Girl Talk’s parties keep getting wilder. He brought out giant balloons and toilet paper cannons to accompany his mash-ups. Being on a small, crowded side stage facilitated lots of sweating and dancing, and the ending was classic, as he surfed the crowd in an inflatable raft to Journey’s “Faithfully.”
19 Iron & Wine, Bonnaroo, June 14
Finally, a much-hyped artist lives up to his billing. Samuel Beam played much of his recent album The Shepherd’s Dog, and impressed with beautiful, poignant words and melodies.
20 Rage Against the Machine, Lollapalooza, August 2
Rage owned Grant Park, rocking like it was 1996 and they were in their prime. Singer Zach de la Rocha was a commanding presence, and Tom Morello’s shredding was a sight to behold. As might have been expected, de la Rocha got political, claiming, “It’s our very government that is the terrorist organization we’ve been hearing about.” But mostly, Rage let their music do the talking.
21 Fiery Furnaces, Bonnaroo, June 13
I don’t know how they so effortlessly play their intricate, complex songs
22 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Bonnaroo, June 15
Started off very mellow but kicked into high gear as the set wore on
23 The Police, Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 28
A highly-percussive “Wrapped Around Your Finger” was the best moment
24 Flogging Molly, Lollapalooza, August 3
We loved when singer Dave King dedicated a song to himself
25 Amanda Palmer, Mr. Small’s, November 29
Entertaining show, and her voice sounded as strong as I’ve ever heard it
26 John Vanderslice, Andy Warhol Museum, April 11
Offbeat, captivating show that moved into the lobby for an unplugged encore
27 The Hold Steady, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, Nov 13
America’s bar band triumphed, even in a dry venue
28 St. Vincent, Andy Warhol Museum, February 25
Annie Clark’s quirky songs sounded great, thanks in part to her terrific band
29 CSS, Lollapalooza, August 1
“Alala” and “Rat is Dead” offered the energy we were expecting
30 Radiohead, Lollapalooza, August 1
Still good because it’s Radiohead, but they're capable of so much more
31 Holy Fuck, Lollapalooza, August 1
Slowly built up “Lovely Allen” into a massive climax
32 Iron & Wine, Lollapalooza, August 3
Exquisite guitar noodling at the end of “Upward Over the Mountain”
33 Cobra Starship, Warped Tour, July 29
Their sassy pop was a “Guilty Pleasure” on Warped Tour
34 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Lollapalooza, August 2
She invited a young man onstage and taught him some dance moves
35 MGMT, Bonnaroo, June 12
Extended jam of “The Handshake” followed by “Electric Feel” was great
36 World/Inferno Friendship Society, Belvedere’s, September 23
Jack Terricloth almost hit the ceiling while crowd surfing
37 Tokyo Police Club, Mr. Small’s, April 10
Shortest encore in history – a spirited, 2-minute “Cheer it On”
38 Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Lollapalooza, August 3
Her strong voice was matched by her delightful personality
39 The National, Lollapalooza, August 3
Made sure to point out that “Mr. November” was not dedicated to McCain
40 Matt & Kim, William Pitt Union, November 21
Brooklyn indie pop superduo was fired up for the last show of their tour
41 Nine Inch Nails, Lollapalooza, August 3
“Discipline” and “March of the Pigs” were strong
42 Panic at the Disco, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
I don’t think the kids knew what to make of their new Beatles sound
43 Ghostland Observatory, Bonnaroo, June 14
Glow sticks, laser lights, and a 3 am dance-rock party
44 MSTRKRFT, Bonnaroo, June 13
One of the better DJ sets I’ve seen at a festival
45 Gnarls Barkley, New American Music Union, August 9
Cee-Lo was dancing up a storm until he got winded
46 Dave Matthews Band, Post-Gazette Pavilion, May 31
Way too many ballads, and not enough solos from Boyd or Tim Reynolds
47 Kanye West, Bonnaroo, June 14
It was amazing to watch the sun rise at 5 am during his show
48 Chris Rock, Bonnaroo, June 13
Tore up the presidential candidates, especially Hillary
49 Raconteurs, New American Music Union, August 9
All four members brought their own talents, but Jack White dominated
50 MIA, Bonnaroo, June 13
Most crowded festival tent ever; I wish I could’ve seen the stage
51 Tegan & Sara, Bonnaroo, June 13
Played a nice version of "Nineteen" dedicated to Cyndi Lauper
52 Okkervil River, Mr. Small’s, October 9
Didn’t quite measure up to the other two times I saw them in ‘08
53 Shwayze, Warped Tour, July 29
Hilariously stupid rhymes about weed and women
54 Explosions in the Sky, Lollapalooza, August 2
Instrumentals don’t typically play well at festivals, but they persevered
55 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Bonnaroo, June 14
Sassy old school soul, Sharon will always show you a good time
56 Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Bonnaroo, June 12
Cover of Patti Smith’s “Pissin’ in a River” was powerful
57 Say Anything, Warped Tour, July 29
Emo’s poet laureate, Max Bemis, delivered on “Shiksa”
58 Bob Schneider, Diesel, May 10
One of the most under-appreciated singer-songwriters around
59 Best Fwends, William Pitt Union, November 21
There was a lot of screaming, and silly costumes, and somehow it rocked
60 Against Me!, Warped Tour, July 29
Solid performance, but they feel so 2007
61 DeVotchKa, Diesel, May 21
"How it Ends" was majestic, Nick Urata's vocals soaring over exquisite strings
62 Basia Bulat, Diesel, May 21
Reminds me of Regina Spektor with an autoharp, or Feist with a smile on her face
63 The Roots, New American Music Union, August 8
“The Seed 2.0” was a letdown, played at warp speed and without any hip hop elements
64 Motion City Soundtrack, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
“This is for Real” and “It Had to be You” are quality
65 Mindless Self Indulgence, Mr. Small’s, April 30
I can’t justify why I like this band on an intellectual level; I just do
66 Grizzly Bear, Lollapalooza, August 1
Half the songs were engaging, half were uninteresting
67 Pennywise, Warped Tour, July 29
I didn’t realize they were named after a monster in a Stephen King novel
68 White Rabbits, Diesel, January 16
Not as energetic as usual, but most of the band members were sick
69 The Whigs, Lollapalooza, August 3
Their powerful guitar riffs and catchy melodies packed a real punch
70 Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves, Lollapalooza, August 3
Nifty ‘60s R&B sound with a big band
71 Gnarls Barkley, Lollapalooza, August 3
Unfortunately didn’t get to watch much of their set
72 Spoon, New American Music Union, August 9
Hard to dislike, but there’s nothing exceptional about them either
73 Mike Doughty, Mr. Small’s, April 13
Mike was pretty good even though he yelled at some girl and called her a cunt
74 Drive-By Truckers, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, November 13
If they’d stopped after 30 minutes it would’ve been a much better show
75 The Duke Spirit, New American Music Union, August 9
Sexy garage rock fronted by harmonica-playing vixen Liela Moss
76 Steel Train, Bonnaroo, June 13
Hand-clapping rock and power pop, and a decent cover of “1979”
77 Vermillion Lies, Mr. Small’s, November 29
I wish I’d seen more of them… “Global Warming” was hilarious
78 Motion City Soundtrack, Warped Tour, July 29
It’s too hard to hear the synths when they play live
79 Jack Johnson, Bonnaroo, June 14
Decent music, but I wonder how in the world he got so popular
80 The Academy Is…, Warped Tour, July 29
Didn’t hit their stride until the end
81 Innerpartysystem, Lollapalooza, August 2
Their emo-electro was the early highlight on the second day of Lolla
82 Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Lollapalooza, August 2
At least the vocoder-heavy “Doomed Now” lived up to its potential
83 Ladytron, Bonnaroo, June 15
If you’ve heard the first 30 seconds of a Ladytron song, you’ve heard the entire thing
84 Cat Power, Bonnaroo, June 14
She turned the jazzy “Lived in Bars” into a strange up-tempo freakout
85 B.B. King, Bonnaroo, June 14
Great to see the 82-year-old legend while he can still rock
86 Dierks Bentley, Lollapalooza, August 2
The only country act I saw this year
87 Phantom Planet, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
Gotta love that O.C. theme song, if nothing else
88 Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet, Bonnaroo, June 14
Bela Fleck is the undisputed banjo king
89 Kid Sister, Lollapalooza, August 3
She capably brought the hip hop but came off like a lesser M.I.A.
90 Icy Demons, Rex Theatre, July 22
Brought the funk with tracks like “Crittin' Down to Baba's”
91 Foreign Born, Andy Warhol Museum, February 25
Part spacey, part jam band, part sensitive acoustic folk rock
92 Duffy, Lollapalooza, August 1
You call that soul? She sounds like a cross between Paris Hilton and Porky Pig
93 Wednesday 13, Rex Theatre, July 16
Interesting goth metal show
94 Jakob Dylan & the Gold Mountain Rebels, Bonnaroo, June 15
Played just one Wallflowers track, a slowed-down “3 Marlenas”
95 Willie Nelson, Bonnaroo, June 13
Willie’s a living legend, but at this point he’s mailing it in
96 Gym Class Heroes, Warped Tour, July 29
Can this band ever produce a hit that doesn’t have Patrick Stump singing the chorus?
97 Katy Perry, Warped Tour, July 29
Not much substance beyond “I Kissed a Girl”
98 Brazilian Girls, Lollapalooza, August 3
Fun to sing along to “pussy pussy pussy marijuana”
99 MGMT, Lollapalooza, August 2
Bored everyone silly with a shockingly joyless performance – biggest letdown of Lolla
100 Mayday Parade, Warped Tour, July 29
I like their studio stuff but I don’t even remember seeing them at Warped
101 Pfunkt, William Pitt Union, November 21
Solo rapper at least gets points for enthusiasm and energy
102 NASA, New American Music Union, August 8
DJ duo spliced together songs, but not as well as Gregg Gillis
103 What Made Milwaukee Famous, Lollapalooza, August 3
Nothing set them apart from countless other indie rock acts
104 The Builders & the Butchers, Mr. Small’s, November 29
Easily the least-interesting opener Amanda Palmer has ever had
105 Mates of State, Lollapalooza, August 1
I didn’t have the patience for the easygoing, relaxed pop Mates of State were serving up
106 Broken Social Scene, Bonnaroo, June 15
Strip me of blogger cred if you want; I just can’t get into this band
107 The Birthday Massacre, Mr. Small’s, April 30
At least they earn eye candy points for being attractive
108 State Radio, Post-Gazette Pavilion, May 31
Wasn’t terribly impressed by Dave Matthews’ opening act
109 Aimee Mann, Bonnaroo, June 15
Very disappointing. She’s not bringing a lot to the table when it comes to live performing
110 The Walkmen, Diesel, January 16
I don’t get the acclaim for these guys; I find them boring
111 Stephaniesid, Bonnaroo, June 12
A mediocre late-night show on a smaller stage
112 The Hush Sound, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
I’ve seen them twice now, and I’ve had my fill, thank you very much
113 Crooked Fingers, Mr. Small’s, November 29
I’m sorry, this band does nothing for me
114 Bob Dylan, New American Music Union, August 9
He doesn't even sing anymore; he just talks the lyrics, in completely unintelligible fashion
115 Umphrey’s McGee, Bonnaroo, June 13
I don’t know how anyone can like this shit unless they’re high (but maybe that’s the point)
116 The Panderers, Mr. Small’s, April 12
First band Mike Doughty signed to his label… oops!
117 Dark Star Orchestra, Bonnaroo, June 13
Opened with the least-inspiring cover of “Stir it Up” in history
118 Hollowboy, Mr. Small’s, April 20
Very lame openers for Mindless Self Indulgence
119 Tiny Masters of Today, New American Music Union, August 8
Teenage brother-sister punk duo has great potential - I’ll leave it at that
120 Spanish Prisoners, Andy Warhol Museum, April 11
John Vanderslice’s openers were awful. They offered rambling, painfully boring banter that never led anywhere. Their songs were mostly quiet, which made their laughable lyrics stand out even more. The singer doesn’t have a singer’s voice; it’s too weak and colorless. The worst song was the one about living in NYC, which they wrote right after moving there, which made them come across as the biggest posers ever. ‘Hey, let’s move to Brooklyn and write a song about living there, so we can act like we’re actually from there and pretend we’re part of some scene…’
Check out last year’s list:
Ranking every band I saw live in 2007 from 1-101
Day 3 of Lollapalooza 2008. Photos and videos taken by Deena and Scott. Reviews by both of us except where noted.
12:30 Kid Sister (Scott)
The most interesting thing about Kanye protégé Kid Sister is that she named her just-released debut album Koko B. Ware, after the parrot-wielding 1980s WWF wrestler. She capably brought the hip hop, though she came off like a lesser M.I.A.
12:30 White Lies (Deena)
I decided to check out White Lies and weasel my way up to a prime spot for The Weakerthans, who were scheduled to play at 1:15. These four attractive British gents delivered a bit of a rushed show (they had been scheduled to play at a different stage), with not much audience banter, but their Depeche Mode-esque songs were well-delivered with excellent vocals from singer/guitarist Harry McVeigh. By the time they finished I was planted firmly against the fence in the front row, only to discover that the next band introduced was Office, due to a poorly-publicized cancellation by The Weakerthans. I left a bit disgruntled, through no fault of White Lies.
1:00 What Made Milwaukee Famous (Scott)
This band gets the “Chin Up Chin Up award” for being the act that I remember least at Lolla. WMMF had a cool keyboard line here, a nifty drum roll there, but nothing that set them apart from countless other indie rock acts.
1:30 The Whigs (Scott)
The Whigs have a heavier sound than you’d expect from a band signed to Dave Matthews’ ATO label. Their powerful guitar riffs and catchy melodies packed a real punch. They were one of our best discoveries of the festival.
2:15 Nicole Atkins & the Sea
We interviewed Nicole last year, and though she hasn’t taken off yet, if she keeps performing like this, it’s only a matter of time. She played all the best from Neptune City, including the ones where she gets to let loose, like “The Way It Is.” Her strong voice was matched by her delightful personality, like when she feared that her makeup was running in the overwhelming heat - “Do I look like Alice Cooper yet? That was kinda my goal.”
Video clip: Nicole Atkins – “Maybe Tonight”
3:15 Chromeo
“We’ve been friends since we were kids... and he doesn’t have a shirt on,” said Chromeo’s Dave 1 of his bandmate P-Thug. These Canadians are the coolest dorks on the planet, as evidenced by the combination of pre-recorded electronic elements and live guitars and keys, with late ‘80s-style dance music and sleazy love songs that had fans at the MySpace stage dancing their asses off.
4:15 Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves
There’s been a revival of the ‘60s R&B sound recently, but most of those performers are female. On Nicole Atkins’ recommendation, we checked out Eli “Paperboy” Reed, who preaches this music to a new generation of listeners. He channeled James Brown vocally, and his big band helped serve up one of the more unique styles during the weekend.
4:45 Iron & Wine (Scott)
Iron & Wine was pure beauty. Sam Beam and company added a touch of twang to “Boy With a Coin,” and Beam’s guitar noodling at the end of the slow-burning “Upward Over the Mountain” was exquisite.
Video clip: Iron & Wine – “Boy With a Coin”
5:15 Flogging Molly
“I’d like to dedicate this song to myself!” said singer Dave King. His band’s Irish punk rock was great fun. His band gets a run for its money - they’re great musicians to be able to play these fast songs so well live. We’ve seen Flogging Molly before, but they were never this good. “Drunken Lullabies” was the biggest highlight.
6:15 Gnarls Barkley
We didn’t get to watch much of their set, but got to hear true-to-album versions of favorites like “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Run,” and “Don’t Be Surprised.” Cee-Lo was in fine form.
6:45 Girl Talk
Someone at Lolla who has no clue decided to put Pittsburgh mashup DJ Girl Talk on a small side stage, which resulted in the most packed-together crowd of the weekend. Then again, since that setup facilitated lots of sweating and dancing, maybe it was better that way. Girl Talk brought out giant balloons and toilet paper cannons to make the party insane. Which was good, because his actual performance wasn’t quite as strong. The transitions between songs were too deliberate – he stayed on “Whoomp! There It Is!” for several minutes, for instance. The ending was classic, though, as Girl Talk surfed the crowd in an inflatable raft to Journey’s “Faithfully.”
Video clip: Giant balloon during Girl Talk performance
7:30 The National (Scott)
The National closed with a great one-two punch of “Fake Empire” and the spirited “Mr. November,” which Matt Berninger made sure to point out “is not dedicated to John McCain.”
7:30 Mark Ronson (Deena)
Despite the small crowd (due to the anticipation of Kanye West’s performance at the adjacent stage, I suspect), Mark Ronson provided an entertaining, diverse set of stylized cover songs. Among those joining him and his band, which included brass and string sections, were Daniel Merriweather and rap duo Plastic Little. And though Radiohead didn’t play “Just,” one of my favorites of theirs, Ronson supplied his own unique, soulful version of the tune.
8:15 Nine Inch Nails
We caught the first half of Trent Reznor’s set, and though “Discipline” and “March of the Pigs” were strong, he also wandered into meandering instrumentals that lost the crowd. It looks like the rest of the set was great – too bad we missed “Piggy” and “Head Like a Hole.”
8:45 Kanye West
Kanye West elicits such strong feelings from people - they either love him or hate him. (Or they think he’s ok.)
Yeah, he’s cocky. But only the most biased Kanye haters would deny that his Lolla show was off the hook. It was everything Kanye’s performance at Bonnaroo was not: There was enthusiasm, spontaneity, graciousness, even a live band and backup singers. The band made a noticeable difference, turning “Hey Mama,” Kanye’s ode to his mother, into an even more forlorn, delicate ballad, and the electric guitars made the dark, moody “Can’t Tell Me Nuthin” frighteningly intense.
There was an odd 4-minute soliloquy in which Kanye boasted about trying to be the greatest musician of all-time, claiming, “I ain’t saying I’m there yet, but I’m going to the studio tonight – that might change by the morning.” A great “Kanye being Kanye” moment.
“Put On” was one of the most mind-blowing moments of the festival, Kanye saluting his hometown of Chicago with fury and sincerity. That was followed by “Touch the Sky,” which segued directly into “The Good Life,” both of which featured lots of throwing hands into the sky. “Stronger” capped the show and closed out the festival in memorable fashion.
Video clip: Kanye West boasts
Sunday’s top 5:
1. Kanye West
2. Chromeo
3. Flogging Molly
4. Nicole Atkins & the Sea
5. (tie) Iron & Wine
(tie) Mark Ronson
We're off to Lollapalooza. This year's lineup features an incredible group of headliners, but down the bill, the lineup isn't as deep as it has been in the past.
I'm ready for CSS to make up for last year, when they canceled at the last minute due to flight problems, leaving me devastated. If they cancel again, Lovefoxxx will be dead to me.
It's also Kanye West's shot at redemption, following his widely-panned half-performance at Bonnaroo. Chicago is his hometown, so I have no doubt he'll deliver.
There is rampant speculation that Barack Obama is going to make an appearance, perhaps to introduce either Wilco or Kanye West, both prominent Obama supporters. I will lose my shit if this happens. We're not going to see Wilco, though, so we might end up missing him.
Last year there were a ton of conflicts - bands I really liked playing opposite each other. This year, that is not the case. In fact, since I can skip Gnarls Barkley and the Raconteurs because I'll be seeing them a week later at the New American Music Union Festival, I have no significant conflicts at all. The biggest conflicts I can come up with are Black Lips vs. Holy Fuck and Brand New vs. Explosions in the Sky.
Scott's most anticipated acts:
1. Radiohead
2. Kanye West
3. CSS
4. Okkervil River
5. Gogol Bordello
6. MGMT
7. Rage Against the Machine
8. The Go! Team
9. Girl Talk
10. The National
Deena's most anticipated acts:
1. Nine Inch Nails
I've never seen a Nine Inch Nails performance, and I'm really excited about hearing tracks from The Slip as well as (hopefully) some older material.
2. Bloc Party
Their new song, "Mercury," is a slightly different direction than previous Bloc Party, but definitely good. Hoping these guys pack a good live show.
3. Rage Against The Machine
I'm stoked about seeing such a powerhouse band at a big festival show--can't wait to see the atmosphere of the crowd, and I hope I can get close enough to the stage without getting my ass kicked...
4. Girl Talk
I am going to dance my ass off when I see this guy.
5. Gnarls Barkley/The Raconteurs
Since the New American Music Union Festival in Pittsburgh sold out and I didn't get tickets, I'm definitely going to have to split up from Scott to catch these performances. Both have notable recent albums that I really enjoy.
6. "Special DJ Sets" by VHS or Beta and Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Since I've never been to Lolla, I'm not exactly sure what these DJ sets are all about, but I enjoy both of these electro-rock groups and am curious to see what these sets could bring.
7. Toadies
Back from the vaults! The Toadies, one of those forgettable bands from the early 90s who hit it semi-big with the single "Possum Kingdom," are reuniting for Lollapalooza. I always liked their southern goth-rock sound of their album Rubberneck.
8. The Weakerthans
For some reason I looked at my schedule at least a dozen times before I noticed that The Weakerthans were going to be at Lolla. Looking forward to their Canadian indie pop-punk.
9. Flogging Molly
What's not to like about an Irish punk band? Hopefully I'll be able to find a Guinness tent nearby.
10. Mark Ronson
This may or may not be good, since Ronson is more of a producer than an artist himself. I love Version, but unless he gets a star-studded cast on stage to perform it, I'm not sure his performance will be as noteworthy as I want it to be.
And finally, a few MP3s from Lolla acts...
MP3: Girl Talk - Hands in the Air (from Feed the Animals)
MP3: Gogol Bordello - Wonderlust King (from Taranta)
MP3: CSS - Rat is Dead (Rage) (from Donkey)
MP3: Battles - Ddiamond (from Mirrored)
MP3: Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones (from The Shepherd's Dog)
I've got a full Bonnaroo review of 30 bands coming in the next couple of days, but tonight I don't have the energy. But I have to address the show everyone's talking about - Kanye West's late night set on Saturday.
I had resigned myself to missing most of this show, since I wanted to catch Ghostland Observatory instead. After Ghostland finished at 4 am, I sprinted over to the main stage, hoping to catch the last 10 minutes of Kanye, but when I saw hundreds of people streaming out, I thought I was too late. Then I spied the message on the big screen: "KANYE WEST UP NEXT!" It turns out Kanye hadn't even started. My guess is he wanted to wait until the other bands had finished, so he could be the only one playing. That would fit his personality.
At any rate, there was a lot of booing and yelling while people waited, but I was selfishly thrilled because it meant I'd get to see the entire show. Not only that, but because so many people had left, it was easy to get nearly all the way down front. When West finally came out at 4:30, maybe 10,000 of the 50,000 or so attendees remained. All was forgiven when he opened with (appropriately) "Good Morning," one of the many brilliant songs on Graduation.
Initially, this had the makings of being a fun show. The highlights were many: The crowd eagerly obliging when Kanye ordered them to throw up diamonds; there was the computerized/distorted vocal microphone effect on "The Good Life," which also featured my favorite Kanye lyric, "Now my grandmama ain't the only girl callin' me Baby"; the brooding, powerful "Can't Tell Me Nothing"; and the crowd-pleasing "Gold Digger," which turned into a sing along as fans shouted the money lines like "he'll leave your ass for a white girl!" Kanye commanded the stage despite being the only person on it - unlike most rappers, he doesn't need to bring out dancers or guest rappers to hold our attention.
About the lateness... did you expect anything else from Mr. Massive Ego? I couldn't help but smile when Kanye rapped in "Stronger," "You should be honored by my lateness!" The real problem with this show wasn't that it started late, but that it ended early. Less than 60 minutes after hitting the stage, he walked off without a goodbye or an encore.
His much-ballyhooed Glow in the Dark show turned out to be nothing more than a few video screens and a roleplay scenario in which he was supposedly stranded on a strange planet with a spaceship named Jane. But because Kanye left early, he never finished the story. Did he make it off the planet? I guess we'll never know...
During his final song, Kanye kept freestyling about "touching the sky." I was certain that would lead into the actual song "Touch the Sky," with a likely guest appearance from Lupe Fiasco, since Lupe was at the festival and had finished his set just a few hours earlier. Instead, Kanye walked off at 5:30 a.m. and the house music came up immediately, leaving woozy, incredulous campers to wander back to their tents in disgust. "Fuck Kanye!" became the official Bonnaroo slogan on Sunday, echoed from one end of the camp grounds to the other.
I suppose this might go down alongside Madonna's infamous 30-minute Coachella performance. It was frustrating, but I'm very grateful for having seen the show. When do you ever get to see a concert that starts in the dark and ends in daylight? Years from now I'll still be telling people about the time I got to see Kanye West play as the sun came up.
I've been picking Grammy winners for several years now, and this year has been one of the most difficult, as there are several categories which are tossups. Here are my picks in some key categories. I'll add more categories as the week goes on.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
• Rehab, Amy Winehouse (3-2)
• Umbrella, Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z (3-1)
• Irreplaceable, Beyoncé (5-1)
• The Pretender, Foo Fighters (7-1)
• What Goes Around…Comes Around, Justin Timberlake (7-1)
Should win: Umbrella
Will Win: Rehab
This is a really tough call. Umbrella was the consensus choice for pop single of the year, but hip hop doesn't tend to win here. My gut says Rehab will win, if voters overlook Winehouse's personal problems. Beyonce probably has a shot since her non-threatening style has always made her a Grammy favorite. Even the Foo Fighters have an outside shot. The Academy loves them, and if the pop vote is split between the other four songs, the rock vote could carry them to a win. In recent years, rock acts have unexpectedly won this award a few times (Coldplay, Green Day, not to mention U2).
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
• Back To Black, Amy Winehouse (2-1)
• Graduation, Kanye West (3-1)
• Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, Foo Fighters (10-1)
• These Days, Vince Gill (10-1)
• River: The Joni Letters, Herbie Hancock (100-1)
Should win: Graduation
Will win: Back to Black
What a sorry group of nominees. This should be a two-horse race between Amy and Kanye. Kanye has been close a couple of times, and the time seems right for him to breakthrough in this category, but I feel like the Academy will prefer Winehouse's retro style.
SONG OF THE YEAR (awarded to songwriter)
• Before He Cheats, Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins (1-1)
• Rehab, Amy Winehouse (2-1)
• Umbrella, Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash & Christopher Stewart (5-1)
• Hey There Delilah, Tom Higgenson (10-1)
• Like A Star, Corinne Bailey Rae (50-1)
Should win: Hey There Delilah
Will Win: Before He Cheats
If there's an award Amy Winehouse doesn't win, this will be it. Before He Cheats has massive crossover appeal and is a decent bet to win here. Hey There Delilah is a great song but it's unlikely to contend. Corinne Bailey Rae's nomination is befuddling.
BEST NEW ARTIST
• Amy Winehouse (1-2)
• Feist (7-1)
• Taylor Swift (7-1)
• Paramore (100-1)
• Ledisi (150-1)
Should win: Taylor Swift
Will win: Amy Winehouse
This is the biggest no-brainer of this year's awards. I've been singing Taylor Swift's praises for months, and she has an outside shot, along with Feist, but it would be a major upset if Winehouse didn't take this one.
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
• Rehab, Amy Winehouse (1-1)
• 1234, Feist (3-1)
• Candyman, Christina Aguilera (5-1)
• Big Girls Don't Cry, Fergie (5-1)
• Say It Right, Nelly Furtado (8-1)
Should win: 1234
Will win: Rehab
If Winehouse wins all the other awards, she'll take this one too. Feist and Fergie have a shot.
BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
• Belief, John Mayer (7-2)
• What Goes Around...Comes Around, Justin Timberlake (4-1)
• Dance Tonight, Paul McCartney (5-1)
• Amazing, Seal (6-1)
• Everything, Michael Bublé (9-1)
Should win: None
Will win: Belief
This is always a bizarre category, typically pitting young, trendy newcomers against fogeys like Neil Young and John Fogerty. This year is no different. The smart choice is Timberlake, but that wasn't his best song, and Mayer is beloved by the Academy. I'm going against conventional wisdom here and picking Mayer.
BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY GROUP
• Window In The Skies, U2 (1-1)
• Makes Me Wonder, Maroon 5 (3-1)
• Hey There Delilah, Plain White T's (4-1)
• (You Want To) Make A Memory, Bon Jovi (8-1)
• Home, Daughtry (10-1)
Should win: Hey There Delilah
Will win: Window in the Skies
U2 doesn't lose at the Grammys, so even though I've never heard of this song, I'm quite certain it will triumph. If Daughtry wins, I'm slitting my throat.
BEST POP VOCAL COLLABORATION
• Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On), Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (5-2)
• Steppin' Out, Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera (4-1)
• Give It To Me, Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake (5-1)
• Beautiful Liar, Beyoncé & Shakira (7-1)
• The Sweet Escape, Gwen Stefani & Akon (10-1)
Should win: Give it to Me
Will win: Gone Gone Gone
Alison Krauss has won more Grammys than any woman in history. More than Diana Ross. More than Madonna. More than Aretha Franklin! But most of those came in country and bluegrass categories. Will she fare as well in the pop field? I'm guessing yes, but it's no guarantee.
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
• Back To Black, Amy Winehouse (3-2)
• Memory Almost Full, Paul McCartney (5-2)
• It Won't Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 (3-1)
• The Reminder, Feist (5-1)
• Lost Highway, Bon Jovi (15-1)
Should win: The Reminder
Will win: Back to Black
I feel weird predicting Winehouse to win 5 awards, because I don't think she'll get that many, but logically, this is another one she should take home. McCartney and Maroon5 could challenge.
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
• Sound Of Silver, LCD Soundsystem (1-1)
• We Are The Night, The Chemical Brothers (2-1)
• †, Justice (5-2)
• We Are Pilots, Shiny Toy Guns (10-1)
• Elements Of Life, Tiësto (10-1)
Should win: †
Will win: Sound of Silver
Justice's album was one of the freshest things in dance music this year, but LCD Soundsystem and the Chemical Brothers are more well-known names. All three are in serious contention here.
BEST SOLO ROCK PERFORMANCE
• Radio Nowhere, Bruce Springsteen (1-1)
• Only Mama Knows, Paul McCartney (2-1)
• Come On, Lucinda Williams (4-1)
• Timebomb, Beck (5-1)
• Our Country, John Mellencamp (6-1)
Should win: Radio Nowhere
Will win: Radio Nowhere
Holy crap, what a high-profile group of nominees. There isn't one song that couldn't win, and that's exceedingly rare at the Grammys. I list Springsteen as the favorite, though for some reason, Bruce has never gotten that "veteran rock band love" that so many others get at the Grammys. McCartney really hasn't either. Lucinda Williams and Beck are Grammy whores, and Mellancamp's song was the biggest hit, having been featured in truck commercials.
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A GROUP
• Icky Thump, The White Stripes (1-1)
• Working Class Hero, Green Day (2-1)
• Instant Karma, U2 (5-2)
• It's Not Over, Daughtry (7-1)
• If Everyone Cared, Nickelback (10-1)
Should win: Icky Thump
Will win: Icky Thump
I just said U2 never loses at the Grammys, but neither do Green Day, and since they're going to cancel each other out, the White Stripes will take this one.
BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
• The Pretender, Foo Fighters (1-3)
• Sick, Sick, Sick, Queens Of The Stone Age (8-1)
• Sweet Sacrifice, Evanescence (10-1)
• I Don't Wanna Stop, Ozzy Osbourne (12-1)
• The Pot, Tool (12-1)
Should win: The Pretender
Will win: The Pretender
The Foo Fighters have inexplicably been Grammy favorites for years, so this one's theirs without a doubt.
Tonight at 9 pm are the 2007 Video Music Awards, from the Palms in Las Vegas, and I'm blogging as it happens. I've barely paid attention to the nominees, and I don't even know who's hosting, so I'll be going in cold, which I think is a good thing. I've seen pretty much every music awards show of the past 15 years so I'm pretty much obligated to watch...
7:19 pm
I just went to the Wikipedia page for the awards show and learned that all the genre-specific awards have been done away with. That means no Best Dance Video, Best Hip Hop Video, Best Rock Video, and, for fucks sake, no Viewers Choice Award! What in God's name is MTV thinking? There are only 12 awards now, including such bullshit categories as "Most Earthshattering Collaboration," "Monster Single of the Year," and "Quadruple Threat of the Year," which goes to someone who is in music, movies, TV, etc.
This is absurd. Now, I'm completely unable to take these awards seriously. I'm going to spend the next hour and 40 minutes bitching, until Britney takes the stage to open the show.
8:07 pm
Sway is interviewing Rihanna on the pre-show. I like Sway, he's a cool dude. I was never a huge Rihanna fan but "Umbrella" is undeniable and might be the single of the year. Sway throws it back to John Norris, who appears to have some sort of small rodent on his head. I like John though; I'm glad MTV has kept him around amidst all its new teenage VJs. John actually knows music and knows how to conduct an interview and ask questions other than "What are you most looking forward to tonight?"
9:00 pm
Britney is on stage and there's an extreme closeup. She looks cross-eyed. She doesn't even have a mic on - she's not even pretending to sing live this time. I kind of admire the honesty, I must say. Oh wait, there is a tiny mic under her hair. The track is decent but I'm quite underwhelmed by this performance. She's barely even dancing. It looks like she's going through the motions. I have to say, I don't think she looks too bad considering the craziness of the past year.
Edit: Maybe I spoke too soon, after seeing this photo:
9:05 pm
Sarah Silverman does some comedy... I'm not a fan of the new trend of award show hosts insulting the attendees, but she's not too inappropriate this time. Her best line is saying of 50 Cent, "It's so cute that he's still alive." She also says of Britney - "She is 25-years-old and she’s already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life." Alicia Keys comes out and cuts to Pete Wentz, whose microphone is off. Whoops!
9:12 pm
They're announcing the nominees for Monster Single of the Year. One of the 11 nominees is "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama. I've never even heard of this song. The winner is Umbrella by Rihanna. This might be the only award I agree with all night.
9:21 pm
Seth Rogen and the other guy from Superbad make an appearance. It lasts all of ten seconds. Boo.
9:23 pm
The Quadruple Threat award goes to Justin Timberlake, who is in some other room partying. I don't get it.
9:25 pm
They're showing a 90-second clip of Fall Out Boy playing Thks Fr Th Mmrs, apparently sponsored by Rhapsody. Is this live, or is this a commercial? Why do they keep cutting to these mini-performances? It's like MTV is bringing the ADD vibe of TRL to its awards show now. This is about the tenth WTF? moment of the show, and we're only 25 minutes in.
9:35 pm
Kanye and 50 are onstage to give out the Collaboration award to Beyonce and Shakira. I thought that was a terrible song. MTV has been making a big deal about the fact that this year's awards will only air once; I'm starting to become incredibly grateful for that decision.
9:43 pm
Chris Brown is performing, even though I don't think he had any hits in the past year. He's not singing live, either. Apparently, you only get a full performance if you agree to lip sync.
9:46 pm
Rihanna comes out to join Chris Brown. I get my hopes up, thinking they'll do the remix of Umbrella where Chris sings a verse and changes the lyric to "Cinderella", but instead he starts dancing to Billie Jean. I don't have a fucking clue what's going on.
9:56 pm
Male Artist of the Year goes to Justin Timberlake. Now I'm thinking it's a good idea MTV had Kanye host a party in a separate room, so he can't rush the stage to interrupt other peoples' speeches.
10:07 pm
Short clip of Justin & 5o doing the new single "Ayo Technology." Stupid title, good song. Next up, Fergie wins female artist of the year. Um, ok.
10:09 pm
Kanye gets to play a full song. I like that he's performing from a balcony, several stories up in the Palms. That's one cool thing about having the show in this venue. I don't recognize the song, but there's a Snakes on a Plane reference, so it gets points in my book.
10:24 pm
Fall Out Boy win a moonman, and this qualifies as a major highlight to me, given how lousy the rest of the broadcast has been so far. A few minutes later, Rihanna is singing Shut Up and Drive with Fall Out Boy. This collaboration, I actually like.
10:34 pm
It's Alicia Keys' turn to perform. I don't like most of her stuff, but this song isn't bad. Still, it's a toss-up whether I want to keep watching this, or go to bed.
10:44 pm
It's back to the Fall Out Boy party, where Gym Class Heroes are playing Clothes Off!, allowing me to drop in another reference to Jermaine Stewart. Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner come out to present Best New Artist and it goes to Gym Class Heroes - no surprise, since their teen fans were likely to be the most active dialing up the phonelines.
10:49 pm
Miss Teen South Carolina ("some people don't have maps") makes an appearance and pokes fun at herself. Finally, a legitimately funny moment!
10:55 pm
Robin Thicke comes on for a 30-second performance. I take him about as seriously as I take Vanilla Ice. Am I the only one who thinks he is a joke?
10:57 pm
Dr. Dre gets the lifetime achievement award. OK, I can buy that. Wait, did he actually get an award, or did he just get a glowing introduction from Mary J. Blige? I don't see any award in his hand. Strange. Dre gives out Video of the Year, and it's Rihanna. It's not deserved at all, but I wasn't holding my breath they'd actually give it to Justice.
11:00 pm
Diddy is on stage and makes a reference to a fight between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee that happened earlier. This is a juicy story that we clearly need more details on. Diddy introduces the Timbaland medley, with my girl Nelly Furtado and Justin finishing it off with Give it to Me.
11:10 pm
Mercifully, it's over. This was quite possibly the least interesting MTV awards ever. I have nothing more to say. Only two months until the Billboard awards!
