Langerado 2008 Day 2: Friday
Friday morning started with some early cocktails and chilling at the camp site. So far, this has been a larger battle against the environment than a typical fest. While I was initially worried about alligators, snakes, and mosquitoes, it turns out the most menacing wildlife is evil swamp ants with a nasty stinging bite. Between that, the “Rainarado” weather elements and the logistical issues that seemed to have plagued a fest at a new venue for the first time, it has made for an interesting adventure, but I firmly believe a great road trip requires obstacles to conquer, so it has been fun overcoming them.
The first band I caught were The Walkmen. I had not really heard these guys at all before going, but I decided to check them out because they were touring with Vampire Weekend. I thought they did a decent set, but they are not really my style.
After that, I walked around taking in the vibe. The festival area is really huge, which is good for sound between stages but bad for walking the long distances. I casually caught some of Ozomatli and The Wailers. They both did very typical sets, not really something that I can stay interested in for long.
After a little campsite rally, I headed to the far away “Chickee Hut” for !!!. They put on an energetic and captivating performance. The dancer/singer dude and the woman with the mohawk went crazy for the whole show, jumping off the stage at points and coming down to the audience. I really dug the double drummer setup. I think the “drumline” concept is something that is underrated and something I enjoy when I see because it is rare in pop music.
Built To Spill came on next and did one of the best shows I’ve ever seen them do. It was as if they said “Hey, you hippies think you know what a jamband is? No, we’re gonna show you what a jamband is.” The epic hour set was pure sonic bliss for me as they roared through great tunes like “Time Trap”, “Stab”, and closed with a “Carry The Zero” superjam. Everything they did was filled to the brim with stunning guitar solos, even adding an extra ending to “Conventional Wisdom”. Not only was this the best performance of the fest so far, but I think this is the best show I’ve seen all year. If you are in Atlanta, don’t make the mistake of not going to the BTS show Wednesday night at Variety Playhouse.
I went to catch the Beastie Boys next, but after the overwhelming badassity of the previous BTS set, I was totally not feeling it and dipped out to the campsite to party. I skipped the late night sets as word of a tornado watch spread. I was awoken late night by an incredibly intense storm that obliterated our camp. The storm actually destroyed the media tent, so I’m blogging in the open air today struggling to see my monitor. Well, it is time to catch more music, keep it here for updates.
- Posted by Davy Minor on March 8, 2008 at 4:16 pm
