"We're from Oakland, Calif., but we love Chicago," was the sentiment echoed by Zach Rogue after his band, Rogue Wave, ended their first song for Lollapalooza 2008. As tens of thousands descended upon Grant Park, it was hard to imagine anyone disagreeing with the statement. Lines were long and seat-saving situations grew tense, even downright nasty as the Chicago sun began to set. But these moments couldn't ruin the eventful and eclectic weekend of music.
Friday night was all about Radiohead. The musical titans were scheduled alongside no one. If you had any intention to be in Grant Park after 8 p.m. on Friday you could either be the only one in line to buy a T-shirt or join the estimated crowd of 70,000 for Radiohead's 24-song set.
The show started with "15 Step," the upbeat opener off their new "In Rainbows" record, and never looked back, following with "Airbag" and "There There." Quick turnarounds coupled with the band's eco-friendly LED display kept the audience enthralled. Blistering renditions of "2+2=5" and "Idioteque" closed Friday night's festivities for good around 10 p.m.
Saturday, I found myself with front row seats for the Eastern European gypsy punk of DeVotchKa and the raucous indie rock of Okkervil River. Both shows proved to be highlights of the entire festival. Every member of DeVotchKa utilized multiple instruments throughout the show, encompassing guitars, sousaphone, drums, accordion, trumpet, keyboard, violin, double bass and a theremin.
If the many instrument changes weren't enough to keep one's attention, it's almost impossible not to be swept up by frontman Nick Urata's splendid fervor. The full wine bottle that he brought on stage didn't stay corked for long. The bottle's fermented contents seemed secondary as Urata used the bottle to hold down the frets on his guitar as he wailed away on the strings with his free hand. Not to be outdone, drummer Shawn King managed to play his trumpet and keep the track on pace with his foot on the kick drum, all while hitting his snare with the drumsticks he held in his opposite hand.
Next was Okkervil River's 5:15 p.m. show. Aside from an amazing set list, which kicked off with "The President's Dead" and "Black" and ended with the sing-along "Westfall," the band seemed determined to spread their infectious enthusiasm to the whole audience. Front man Will Sheff spent time jamming with each of his bandmates and demanding the audience to clap and sing along.
Sunday seemed like a downer after two great days. The Weakerthans' 1:15 p.m. show was canceled. Iron & Wine managed to bore casual listeners enough to create a noticeable shift of festival-goers to other stages. My odyssey weaving through drenched Flogging Molly fans to get good seats for The National's show almost proved fatal. An initial acoustic problem with The National's set led fans to shout at the band in between numbers to try and rectify the situation. But the band locked in and played a good show, closing with the political rallying cry "Mr. November."
And then there was Kanye West. West managed to start his show promptly, using his "Stronger Intro" to build hysteria for his entrance before he opened the show with "Good Morning." Chicago's hometown hero delivered the goods, playing hit after hit behind his blinding light extravaganza. The crowd let themselves get swept up by West's distinct brand of hip-hop hoopla and danced what was left of the weekend away.
