Atmosphere played on, through a wind and rainstorm
Here is the lineup from day 1 of this behemoth festival!
Devotchka
Vampire Weekend
The Fratellis
Cut Copy
Superdrag
Foals
Atmosphere
Del the Funky Homosapien
Mickey Avalon
Holy F**k
The Muslims
The Veils
White Denim
Liam Finn
Port O' Brien
Lovelikefire
The Presets
The Night Marchers
A Place To Bury Strangers
The Photo Atlas
Blitzen Trapper
The Morning Benders
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
PWRFL POWER
Rock Plaza Central
KaiserCartel
The Morning Benders
So, my first week in Denver has been an adventure. I have been excited, sad, homesick, bored, drunk, happy and a.o.k.
When my phone rang on Thursday, I was excited to hear the voice of my friend Isaac who is currently on the road with my Twin City Darlings, Atmosphere. I had been contemplating pooling what little savings I had and attending Monolith, but thanks to Isaac, I was in like Flynn and relieved that I could save my money for necessities, like wine, beer, tampons, cigarettes, gas and my highest priority: avocados. (I have an unhealthy obsession).
As you can imagine, I was thrilled to be attending my first concert here at Red Rocks, the infamous ampitheater surrounded by breathtaking and gigantic rocks, an incredible night view of the city skyline and thin-ass air to help maximize the effect of $7 beers.
As I climbed a hill, then the enormous ramp, I wasn't even thinking about the fact that I was sweating like a glass of sweet tea on a hot Alabama afternoon. I was so taken aback by the grandieur of it all, I didn't care that my hair was getting ruined.
I entered excited, and left fulfilled.
The set up was odd, a stage blocking the way of the entrance boasted local and acoustic acts. The mainstage which held big-guns like Devotchka and Vampire Weeekend was easily seen and at the top of the ampitheater, a stage had been set up for hip-hop and electronic acts.
So, I found a seat, smack dab in the middle of it all, grabbed a beer and got ready for the madness.
I won't waste time talking about the bands that didn't stand out to me (in a good or bad way). There are a few that really shone bright, and a few that made me wish I could afford more beer.
Lets start with the bad, and end with the good.
The Bad:
The Fratelli's
Now, I have been a fan of brit-rock for as long as I can remember. Hey, I even like a Fratelli's song, you know, that one catchy iPod commercial tune. No? Meh. If you heard it, you'd recognize it. Besides a red-headed 22 year old going ape-shit next to me, the set was unremarkable, messy and boring. I know they are brits, and not prone to crazy stage antics, but amp it up a little. Basically, they had a stadium full of people just sitting and staring blankly, maybe tapping their toes to the beat.
They sounded like every other brit-rock band out there right now, and I even had to turn to a stranger and ask for confirmation when in more than a few songs, I was sure the Fratelli's were ripping off Social D riffs. And, they totally were. Grade: D+ (and only because of that catchy iTunes jam).
The Mediocre:
Vampire Weekend
Yeah, everyone loves em, wah, wah, wah. I keep thinking to myself that maybe if I give these guys a shot, they will grow on me. But no, they haven't. BUT. Regardless of my bias, they played a decent set. They were tight, on key and engaged the audience. I even found myself singing along to one song. Grade: B-
The Good:
Del tha Funky Homosapien
Now, I am a fan of Del. I appreciate his odd linguistics and his punk-rock brand of hop-hop. He was fun, and made a political statement, even selling :| bama t-shirts, and wearing them on stage himself.
He has a stage presence, but this time the lackluster just wasn't there. It was good, he was solid, but he just wasn't as on as I have seen him be. Maybe I was just bummed when a giant toothbrush didn't walk out on stage for "You gotta brush yo' teef, if ya musty..." Grade: B
Holy F*ck
I have been a convert to the waves of electro-rock invading American eardrums. Holy F*ck were animated, energetic, booming and an awesome alternative to the Fratellis. The second you walked up to the stage area, your hair stood on end and the bass and drums flowing through through your body caused major involuntary ass-shakin', no matter who ya were. The only low light of the set - the annoying little "new-ravers" spazzing out.
Grade: B+
The Awesome:
Cut Copy
Cut Copy was amazing. Their sound has evolved immensely since their days opening for Franz Ferdinand. Their sound has gotten richer and has been polished a bit. Tracks from Ghost Colours were a highlight of my evening, fueled by 80s dance pop and musical kudos to some of my favorite new wave bands like New Order the Pet Shop Boys.
Atmosphere
Now, you may say I am biased here, but Atmosphere were on their game. This is the first time I have seen these hometown heroes outside of the Twin Cities, and I couldn't believe it. The crowd barely fit the second stage area, a wind-storm threatened the set and took Ant's record with it, but Atmosphere stood their ground and tore that shit down.
Slug owned the audience, interacting with them, complimenting his fans, poking fun at himself and the growing popularity of his music. Say what you will about Atmosphere, but Slug's lyrics are perfectly thought out, poetic, beautiful. And last night you could feel his connection with the words, the beats, his band and his audience. It was amazing, and I, who have seen them over 25 times, was seriously impressed.
Grade: A
Devotchka
Devotchka is everyone's darling. This indie/folk oddball has been is a media favorite,has been romantically linked to Natalie Portman and was known for the mass of beard and wavy hair that hid his face from the world. Well, I finally saw him live, and now I understand why he is so critically acclaimed.
Newly shorn, beard free and donning a black satin suit, Devotchka took the stage with an orchestra and horn section. It was stunning. He was dead-on and pitch perfect, his unique voice conjuring up the ghost of Jeff Buckley...
Listening to a Devotchka song is nothing like witnessing a Devotchka show. It was beautiful, the stage light gorgeously, with creepy shadow-puppet shows layered over a live black and white feed. It was show business, and indie rock at its best.
Grade:
A+
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