Forty-seven bands performed on three stages over the course of three days at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. It was just a ferry ride away from New York City, and almost every band commented on the awesome view of the skyline and Statue of Liberty.
While the festival was exhausting at times - we went from the train to the subway to the ferry to the long walk to the festival grounds and back each day - it was totally worth it for the festival experience. I love being able to see a bunch of great bands in the same place. Radiohead headlined the first two nights, and Jack Johnson ended the last day. After seeing a few bands and happily standing to the side or not having to push through to get close to the stage, the crowd was much more serious about the Radiohead set, which is understandable because they were the headliners, and amazing headliners at that.
Both nights, Radiohead played a lot from 'In Rainbows,' which was awesome and made sense because it was their newest album. Thom Yorke kept bending the entire top half of his body up and down over the piano and singing with the same emotion and feeling that draws fans in. A highlight for me: "All I Need" both nights. Also: pretty much the entire 'In Rainbows' album the second night. They didn't play "Karma Police," which I was hoping for but not expecting, and to keep up with tradition, they didn't play "Creep." But both nights, the entire band was great at every song with a musicianship that surpasses many bands these days. The light show was fantastic. A bunch of vertically hanging light rods were set over the stage, flashing with all sorts of colors and effects. That, combined with Radiohead playing their hearts out for fans listening their hearts out, made the concert not just another show, but an experience.
Jack Johnson was a nice, chill ender to the festival. I'd heard that some people who bought 3-day tickets to the festival left before his set, but when you pay nearly $300 for your tickets and even more for transportation to get to a show, it's really worth getting as much out of it as you can. I'm actually a Jack Johnson fan, and I thought his set was great. He did all his singles, and he brought Trey Anastasio from Phish, who also played a set on Sunday, which added to the fun of the set.
I also saw Ben Jelen for the third time on Sunday. It was pretty sad to see the sparse crowd in front of his stage, which was the furthest from the main stage. But that also meant that I was able to be right up front. He did a lot of new songs from his newest CD that I didn't buy until after his set, but he did play some older songs. He ended with "Christine," which actually made me cry. I was probably the only one though. I was able to meet him and take a picture with him after the set, and I got a signed poster for my friend, which was an added bonus.
My new favorite band from the weekend was the Roots. Yes, I probably should have listened to their music before. I've read about them, and I've heard some stuff. But sometimes you need to see a band live before you really get into them. The Roots put on a great show with their energetic band and sousaphone player. The hip-hop feel was authentic, and their music is really good. I read in Spin magazine about how ?uestlove's dad made him practice drums while growing up in a bad neighborhood and how he later felt that it was for the better. That practice showed, and it showed in every musician in the band.
The New Pornographers were already one of my favorite bands, and they were actually my favorite set at the festival. The Kathryn Calder's female vocals are just amazing with A.C. Newman's, and the music behind it all always builds up in an inspiring way. I like driving to their music, partially because it plays in the background in some car commercials, but mostly because it makes me feel good and just makes me want to go somewhere. The concert made me feel good, and at the end, they did a cover of ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down" and sounded just like the original. I actually heard two guys arguing over whether the New Pornographers actually did the original.
I also saw Mates of State for the second time, and they were great, as usual. Their dancey songs really got a pretty large crowd going. I feel like every time I hear about them, they're a little bigger, and it makes me really happy because they deserve it.
Other bands I caught: Underworld, CSS, Forro in the Dark, The Duke Spirit, Kings of Leon, Animal Collective, Chromeo, Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB, The Secret Machines, De Novo Dahl, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Rogue Wave.
