After how I left Lolla feeling last year, I was more than a little nervous to be volunteering again this year. For those who do not remember, my hatred of Lollapalooza last year was surpassed by nothing and I swore I would never participate again.

Well, I did.

There are several reasons why I sign up every year. I did mention it last year, but I work with just about the coolest group of people who make any of my shifts fun. I believe in what I’m there to do, which is help people with disabilities be able to access the concert as well as they can. Plus, there’s always a band that’s playing that I have to see.

This year: Muse. But I’ll get to that later.

First thing I have to mention is that Lollapalooza made several improvements to the layout of the festival this year. They moved the food to the main street, and put Perry’s (DJ Stage) in a tent a bit further away from everything. Perhaps these changes were minor, but they made a huge different in the feel during the weekend. Several people I asked had noticed this as well. Everything was more spread out, so we didn’t feel as scrunched together and places were easier to access. So yeah, good job Lollapalooza organizers!

I was working first shift again. Seeing as there was no one that I was really dying to see first thing, I allowed the boss to place me wherever they felt it necessary. I got sent to Perry’s.

Ok, it might be the case that I don’t necessarily considering doing a DJ set really “making music” because technically you’re just playing someone else’s song and maybe another song on top of it. And maybe changing the speed or something. It just doesn’t impress me all that much. Therefore, being sent to Perry’s made me worry that it would set the weekend off on a bad foot. However, I decided to be optimistic and think that I’m getting all the bad out of the way.

Black Cards

It wasn’t all bad, really. The first two “artists” were standard DJ sets which was pretty boring. But people were just trickling in and it was like the opening muzak. There was one stellar performance from Ana Tijoux. A female rapper/dj who raps in Spanish. I can definitely get behind this. There’s something so much sexier about music in Spanish.

Post-shift there was a short list of artists that I wanted to check out. My resolution for this year was that I was not going to bust my ass running from one end of the grounds to another trying to see everyone. First on the list was Black Cards.

Small confession: in another time I was a fairly loyal Fall Out Boy fan. So I wanted to check out Black Cards on the basis that it’s Pete Wentz’ new project and solely that. It was a huge disappointment. Pete spends his time DJing, and basically being Pete. That familiar stage presence was the best part of the show. I spent most of the time wondering a) why there were dancers and b) how the singer could be both auto-tuned AND out of tune. Not good. Not worth my time.

Food break: We got one $5 coupon for the whole weekend again this year, and I spent mine right away. I got a french scallop dish that was unbelievable but was probably the one thing at Lolla that was not a lot of food for the money. I also got some really good soy nut roasted edamame. Yum!
(For those who did NOT read last year’s article. The food was the only thing I liked. It’s fantastic, and affordable.)

OK Go

After a short rest, I met up with a friend for Ok Go. I was pretty excited for this one, since I’m sort of an Ok Go hipster and have an advanced copy of their self-titled album. It took a while for me to get into it (meaning: They didn’t play anything I knew until about halfway into their set). They did play this song using handbells, which was pretty badass. By the end I had to be dragged away to get to Muse. And even then I stopped and listened halfway there to see if I needed to go back.

OK Go play with their…bells?

And Muse. Not to give you all spoilers but Muse was really the highlight of the whole weekend. If my complaint last year was that the big headline shows did not seem all the big, or the bands messed them up, Muse set that all right. This is a band that knows how to do a big show and they do a really good job at it. The show itself is big, without eclipsing the music. And the band themselves don’t ever look too small to be on a such a big stage. Just amazing. Muse is a band that I’d see a million times over and not get tired of.

Muse: Oh, the spectacle

Who I Saw: Narcisse (Perry’s), LADY D (Perry’s), Ana Tijoux (Perry’s), Collie Budz (Perry’s), Black Cards (BMI), Muse (Music Unlimited)
Who I Missed: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Bright Eyes, A Perfect Circle, Girl Talk, Coldplay

Sock Monkey Sound

St. Vincent

St. Vincent’s Annie Clark has made a track off her new album “Strange Mercy” available for download on the website StrangeMercy.com. The song “Surgeon” will be available with others on September 13th when the the album drops.

Apple might buy Hulu according to a report on Mashable.com. Yahoo and other players are in the mix as well (which would be a help for a flagging Yahoo) but if Apple bought Hulu, what would that mean for Apple TV?

Proving that not everyone in politics is a square (am I square for saying that?), White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, talked about Mitch Mitchell and Guided by Voices. Check out the proof HERE.

On a San Diego Comic Con note: IDW Publishing is planning on bringing James O’Barr’s comic book series The Crow back to print in a new series and reprints of old material. Why do I bring this up you ask? Because arguably, the soundtrack for the movie featuring Brandon Lee raised the bar for licensed songs in movie soundtracks, which is how many bands make their money today. [via Robot 6]

If anyone is headed to the sold out Lollapalooza this year, you might wanna check out the free Lollapalooza Apps for iPhone and Android phones. Read about the App features, including group texting, at Mashable.

In other Lollapalooza news: if you didn’t get a ticket don’t worry! You Tube will be streaming that festival (August 5-7) as well as the Austin City Limits Festival (September 16-18). Our very own Andy Whorehall will be attending Austin City Limits this year and will be… doing something.

CNET reported on a suit against Grooveshark in which music publishers and songwriters assert that the service enables users to actively infringe on copyrighted material. With the launch of Spotify and other streaming services like Rdio, the spotlight is turning on Grooveshark, which allows users to upload songs and stream that content and the RIAA doesn’t like that.

In the world of television, The Walking Dead is returning with Season 2 October 16th. F#@K YEAH! The trailer below also features Wye Oak‘s “Civillian”!

Sock Monkey Sound

{Contributing writer Lindsey Bakker provides a months later, thoughts pondered summary to 2010′s 3-Day Festival in Chicago, IL highlighting an affordable way to enjoy the festival- but to be prepared for any festival this size and reasons why. }

By Lindsey Bakker

I may not be the best person to review Lollapalooza. I’m not its biggest fan, and by the end of the weekend I usually hate it and can’t say enough about how exhausting, hot and crowded it is. But I always seem to forget this once a year has passed and it’s time to sign up again. I know I’ll get shit for this because this year, after I posted how exhausted I was people replied that I shouldn’t complain, I got to go to Lolla.

I heard about the volunteer program through a friend, and decided that was the way to go if I wanted to experience this spectacle. I still pay, but my cost is only $10, which is basically an application fee. I work a 3-4 hour shift each day, but get to attend the show for the rest of the time.

I would never pay for Lolla. It’s really damn expensive. A 3-day pass will cost you around $210, and single-day passes are $90. On top of that, you’re going to be there for 10-12 hours so you’re going to have to eat at least one meal. And then there’s the beer. I remember beer costing about $5-$7 (I couldn’t really drink because I was volunteering) which isn’t terrible. But again, you’re there for so long that you’re probably going to drink a lot. I saw people with beer in their hand as soon as doors opened. All this adds up, and we’re not even counting any music or merchandise you buy. To me, what is offered is never worth that much money.

Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL 2010

There’s a lot that I complain about with Lolla. It’s too hot. It’s too crowded. I don’t like half the people that are there. It’s exhausting as well. Even though I was determined to see as many acts as I could, the only day I really did this was Friday. By Saturday I was running out of steam and on Sunday I gave up completely and stayed in one place most of the day.

I never complain about work though. I have a pretty sweet job. I help people with disabilities access the event. Most of the time, I “guard” wheelchair platforms. I get to see the shows at the stage where I am stationed. I meet awesome people on my platforms and I love everyone I work with. Basically, if I could work the whole time I am Lolla I would be happy, because I have more fun when I am working than when I am not.

The other part I would never complain about is the food. Seriously. There are some excellent selections, and I think that everything is reasonably priced. As a volunteer I usually get a $5 coupon to spend on food. This year, we got our coupon on Friday but not for the rest of the days. Every single volunteer was bitching about this. My favorite this year was a lobster corn dog by Graham Eliot. It really sounds disgusting but it’s so delicious. Almost anything offered at either food area is worth trying. The lines suck, but you’ll be rewarded for your patience.

Friday

As soon as doors opened you could start spotting Lady Gaga fans. The “Little Monsters” (Seriously. That’s what the members of her fanclub call themselves. That should be the first indication that you should never ever listen to Gaga) were all dressed up like walking freakshows. I wish I had my camera with to take pictures.

I was working first shift, placed at the out-of-the-way Sony Bloggie stage. It was slow, and not many people were showing up for the opening acts. Most people that stopped by were looking for B.o.B, who was performing at the opposite ends of the ground. There was no one coming to our platform, and we (me and the other volunteer) were getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. It was not a good way to start the weekend.

Foxy Shazam

Luckily, there were some awesome medics who sent us to go get bug spray from the medic tent. And they gave us someone to talk to before the music started. Foxy Shazam was first up, and they were impressive. A Queen-esque acid trip of a rock and roll band, their half hour set was just not long enough. Eric Sean Nally (lead vocals) has called his band “the Michael Jordan of Rock’N’Roll” but at the show he nailed the description during their set: “If Foxy Shazam were an animal at the zoo, we’d b the one most likely to bite your head off without even thinking of it.” They were a surprise, and a fantastic opening band. The chaotic, manic music was matched nicely by the stage antics of every member of the band. In-between song banter also complimented the songs. Neally is extremely quotable, and half my notes are just the crazy things he said between songs. The set ended in chaos, with all members switching instruments. The keyboard player was standing on his set, pounding on it like a monkey, and the singer had a cymbal on his head. I’m not sure recordings of this band will ever deliver the pleasure of seeing them live.

Atlanta-based band The Constellations were up next on my stage. According to the program, they did very well at South by Southwest, and were named on of Spin’s 50 must-hear bands. They were good as well. They didn’t blow my mind like Foxy Shazam, but it was something I’d go see again. The Constellations are a 7-piece band, so there is a lot happening on stage at one time.

Lady Gaga, Lollapalooza 2010

You can’t talk about Friday at Lollapalooza 2010 without mentioning Lady Gaga. It’s been the first or second (behind “Did you see Green Day?”) thing people ask me when I tell them I went to Lolla. Because I knew I’d be writing this up, I knew I would have to go see it. I figured I could still hate that trashy music but respect a good stage show. Unfortunately, Lady Gaga did not even deliver a good spectacle. I stayed at the stage for maybe 15-20 minutes, and caught pieces of the performance on the way to and back from the stage. During the time we were there, she played only one song (Boys, Boys, Boys). The “stage show” consisted mainly of men in their underwear cavorting around the stage. The rest of the time we were there, Lady spouted nonsensical bullshit about how nobody liked her last time she played Lolla, but look at her now, closing a main stage. I could tell it was bad, even for her, when the look-alikes started flooding back from the stage.

The atmosphere was completely different back at The Strokes stage. They didn’t have much of a stage presence, but their musicianship was solid. During the set, frontman Julian Casablancas announced that this was the first time they had played together in 4 years. This is not altogether untrue. They did play a “secret” show under the name “Villians” in early 2010. The band played several songs from a forthcoming new album. Rumor is that the album will be released in the Spring of 2011 but thus far is has been plagued with delays. The news songs sounded good, but not all that different from the old. Pair songs that were easy to listen to with unintentionally comical between-song banter (“Fuck man, fireworks. Cool.), and it was a good way to end the first night.

Saturday

My friend Bill and I had a long discussion about Saturday. He was planning on going, because it was an excellent lineup for our tastes in music. Gogol Bordello, Social Distortion and Green Day were playing the same stage, in addition to whoever else was playing that day. In the end, he decided that even that lineup was not worth $90. I can’t say that I disagree with him.

Nothing, besides Green Day, was a disappointment for the day. But nothing was fabulous, fantastic, or mind-blowingly good either. I go back to my refrain for the weekend. If I’m going to pay this much money for a show it better be good.

I can’t tell you what I did for the first half of the day. I wandered around the Green Market, where various eco-friendly vendors try to get you to buy stuff. There is a lot of the typical hippie dresses (which I think sell well to the yuppies that think they should have the right ‘look’ for Lolla). There is also some unique options. It’s worth a look, even if you don’t buy anything. Last year I found a purse made out of seatbelts. This year’s purchases included an enameled necklace and a $5 ring. It’d be easy to drop a lot of money, because some of the crafts that they have are extremely cool, although it is hard to find products that can be considered unique.

I also made friends with a guy working in the t-shirt tent. An offhand comment about dogs led to exchanging pictures of said dogs and so on. I actually went back to him a few times during the weekend to exchange a shirt size and buy more shirts. I didn’t make any friends in the crowd at Lolla, but I liked this guy.

I remember stopping by Perry’s Stage. I had been tipped off by my friend Maija that two very famous belly dancers, Elizabeth Strong and Zoe Jakes, would be performing there around mid-day. They just quite lived up the hype. The dancing was fabulous but the music left something to be desired. I feel like their performance was one of those hidden gems in Lollapalooza. It was something that I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did, and I was glad I took the time to see.

I had a mid-day shift, and they told us that if we checked in 15 minutes early we would be able to request our stage. It was critical for me to see Social D and Gogol so I was half an hour early and waited in line to make sure I got the right stage. It was a relief when I did. South stage is usually my favorite to go to anyway. It just seems like you get the best people there.

Gogol Bordello, Lollapalooza 2010

Gogol Bordello was amazing. If one band at Lolla had the capability to move thousands of people and win fans this was it. They’re another huge band with members from across the world. The gypsy-punk style is just what I like, and I love their energy and chaotic rhythms. If I hadn’t had to work I would have wanted to be in the middle of the crowd dancing and moshing along. I had been worried about the set because of the festival setting and the strange crowd. I shouldn’t have been. They’re just great, even in a large outdoor setting.

Up next was Social Distortion. The one thing I can say is that you know what you’re getting. They haven’t had new material in I don’t know how long. Even the between-song banter does not change between shows. If you’ve listened to the “Live at the Roxy” cd, you know exactly what Mike Ness is going to say before “Prison Bound.” Rather than making it seem like he isn’t trying, this is slightly comforting to me. I know what’s coming next, and rather than being boring it helps me enjoy the show. There is nothing exciting about Social Distortion on the stage. They play good music well. There are no fancy fireworks, no costume changes but that is as it should be. They are good musicians, and they don’t need any of that other shit to impress people. Other bands should remember this as well.

Skip to the end. Green Day was the grand finale of Saturday. The announcement that they were playing was one of the reasons that I really wanted to go to Lolla this year. I couldn’t have been more disappointed in a performance. Ever. I know people are going to disagree with me. I mean, it’s Green Day. I am not unconditionally loyal, however. If you make a piece of shit album (21st Century Breakdown anyone?) or give a shitty performance I’m going to call you on it. And Green Day’s performance was not good. This got hidden by the fireworks and flashy light show, so not many people noticed.

I’ll go back to what I said about Social Distortion. They didn’t have fireworks, or a fancy stage show, but their music was good and that’s all they needed. Green Day has, in recent years, shifted their focus from solid musicianship to showy displays of their popularity. Remember when they were a 3-piece band? No longer. They now have extra guitar players, and a keyboard player. It’s almost as though they are trying to make their stage show equal to their Broadway musical. It still sickens me that Green Day has a Broadway musical. The first 45 minutes of their set was taken by playing only music from their last two albums. This was half of their allotted time. HALF! I was so hoping to hear the songs that I loved that I threatened to leave after nearly every new song that they played. When they finally played only the most popular songs from previous albums they dragged every song out into oblivion. We were keeping a running total of the times Billy Joe said “Chicago” but lost count around twenty. They rounded out their performance will “King for a Day” where they all wear silly hats (they ALWAYS wear silly hats for this song) which morphed into a cover of “Shout” (they ALWAYS turn this song into a cover of “Shout”) plus several other song snippets. It got too long, too drawn out and just plain boring. There was a “face-melting” finale with fireworks. Despite Billy Joe’s protests that they weren’t going to let the city tell them when to stop playing (attempting to prove how punk rock he still was, I guess), they finished just after their 10 p.m. deadline.

Looking back on it more than a month later, I can see why people liked it. For people who have seen, and loved, Green Day in the past this was a very poor showing of their abilities. It’s almost as though having two hit rock operas (one of which I am attempting to listen to while writing) and a Broadway show have gone to their head. They were better when they were a little garage punk band. Hell, they were better on the American Idiot tour just a few years previous. The crowd ate it up. I, for one, was not impressed.

Sunday

By Sunday I was just fucking done with Lollapalooza. It seemed like wherever I went I could get away from the relentless thump, thump, thump from Perry’s Stage. At least last year they had Danger Mouse, which was something to see. But DJ sets from morning to night, like a giant, never-ending rave is so not my scene. Not only that, but whenever I was in a line it seemed like the people behind me had never heard of personal space. Even at 11 a.m. I was hot, cranky, and ready to go home.

I stood in line for what seemed like an hour to get another free tote bag from the Toyota booth. Like Warped Tour there is some unchecked commercialism, but it’s not all that frustrating because you can get some awesome free goodies. This year, Toyota was hyping their hybrid. People were riding a bicycle for 5 minutes for a free snow cone (worth it in the heat). What made it more interesting was that the snow cones were made with organic syrup. They were giving out free “cooling bandanas” (bandanas dipped in ice water) and screen printed canvas tote bags. The line for the bags was massive, but worth it. They screen printed the bag in front of you with the Lolla logo and date. I don’t regret waiting in line for an hour for this. I just wished the people behind me would stop making out and bumping into me.

Because I was so fed up with people, I decided that I was going to spend my day at Kidzapalooza. The kids stage is like an undiscovered wonderland at Lollapalooza. There are more kid-related booths and tents with more free goodies around the edge of the area, but these are for the younger crowd. Plus, there are seats and plenty of grass to settle down on. I ended up finding a nice, shady spot on the grass and just sitting for a few hours.

I caught the tail end of Peter DiStephano & Tor. DiStephano is the guitarist for Porno for Pyros. He used a back of band of students from the School of Rock (yes, it actually exists) to play a few cover bands. Nothing special, but still good. I also watched thenewno2. Apparently they were a hit last year on one of the larger stages. When they were asked back this year, they requested to play the kids stage.

The crowd started showing up for Perry Farrell’s annual Kidzapalooza appearance and The Verve Pipe’s set. As the organizer of the event, Perry has his hands on almost every stage of the concert. Besides this appearance he had a DJ set with his wife at Perry’s Stage on Saturday. This was more of an appearance than a set because he only played 2 songs. However, this was a highlight of the entire weekend. I mean it, if you go to Lolla do not miss Perry’s kids performance. Peter Distephano joined him on the stage and they played Porno’s “Pets.” Perry then talked about Lou Reed being a personal hero of his growing up, and played “Sweet Jane.” That was it. It was worth it.

You have to keep in mind that Perry was talking to kids. Not teenagers, most of the kids at the stage were under 10 and attending with their parents. Perry spoke to them at their level, but never talked down to them. He encouraged them to listen to music, all kinds of music. He told them that they are some of the greatest models and heroes they can have. He preached respect for others and rock’n’roll. If he wasn’t so scary looking, he’d make an awesome teacher. It was amazing, inspiring, and totally made my day.

Verve Pipe were honest, if not anything else. They announced immediately, and politely, that they were going to play only songs off their recently-released children’s album. At this announcement, 90% of the crowd left. I can see why, because I saw (and almost did) the same thing at Green Day. They were hoping to relive high school maybe. They missed out on a very solid kid’s set. The songs were funny, simple, and engaging. Again, this was something worth sticking around for, that not many people got to see. It was music that I would play in a classroom. I have both The Verve Pipe’s Villians, and Briand Vander Ark’s (lead vocal) solo album, so I was already a fan. They didn’t disappoint, even if I didn’t know any of the songs.

Soundgarden, Lollapalooza 2010

I had late shift that night, and it was the first night I actually got to work with my favorite people. I was back at the south stage, so I had the same security. I also knew some of the volunteers I was placed with. It makes for a fun night. Soundgarden was what I had wanted my headliners to be for the whole weekend. The show was simple, no flashy fireworks or costume changes. The band just got up there and played. And they played well. I knew quite a few of the songs, but it has been over 10 years since I listened to any Soundgarden at all. Nothing special happened, Chris Cornell didn’t have any acrobatics, there weren’t any special inside jokes with the crowd. It was a solid set, but it was something that I would not have taken the time to see otherwise. It was what I want out of my Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza 2010 Summary

What it comes down to for me is that there is nothing that Lollapalooza offers me that I can’t get anywhere else with better quality. For the price of the ticket alone, I could go to 10 shows that are better quality shows. At those shows, I won’t be surrounded by thousands of people that are there just for the scene and couldn’t give a shit about the music. I’ll be with people that care about the bands they’re seeing. And most of them won’t be off their asses drunk because they’ve been drinking all day.

Lollapalooza presents a unique opportunity. Yes, it’s nice to spend a (huge) chunk of your paycheck on a 3 day music festival. Yes, it’s something to experience once in your life. But what are you missing when you spend all that money on this concert and miss out on something else because you can’t afford it?

In my reviews, I will talk over and over about unity and the crowd and band acting like a family. This is why I love music. This is why I go to shows. A concert is a total miss for me if I don’t feel this at a show and I will not have a good time. This unity is one very important thing that Lollapalooza lacks. It’s a design flaw of the whole setup. It takes a talented band to play a show like this. It’s difficult to create a personal connection with the audience, and I’m thinking that the bands that tried fell short in my mind (Green Day and Gaga). Soundgarten and Devo nailed their performances, but I never once forgot I was one in a mass of people. Despite arguments to the contrary, I also see very little relationship between fans as well. I always find someone to talk to at a show, but I can’t imagine this at Lolla. Yes, part of the problem is that I have very little in common with these people. But everyone talks to me. Everyone. I’m always the one with the crazy person next to me on the bus talking to me for the whole hour ride. And I don’t meet anyone at Lolla? The only people that I meet are security, medics, and fellow volunteers. They’re good people, but I only meet them because I’m working.

Lolla is not for everyone. I personally don’t feel like it’s worth the money and the time people pour into it every year. I was severely disappointed with the performances from some of my favorite bands (Green Day) even though others gave stellar showings (Devo). I still think that there is better quality out there, for less money, if people are willing to go out of their way to find it.

Lindsey |  SMS

Sock Monkey Sound

We recorded this first episode of Talk Monkey Sound back in August 2009 and initially made just an exclusive video version of the interview available only on our website. Now we’re making this available to all of our podcast listeners as well so they can hear the elusive “2 words spoken by Patrick” that have been mentioned in later episodes.

Patrick and Chip got a chance to sit down and interview Heather Perry and the _____s after a show at CJ’s Lounge in Rockford, IL. Heather, Emily, Ben, and Carlos talk about their history, the writing process, and what they do when they’re on tour.

After that Brandon, Chip, and Patrick talk it up about Kevin Devine, Lollapalooza, and Pitchfork Music Festival. Mark gets irritated.

www.myspace.com/heatherperrymusic

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