Sony Bloggie
5-6 pm
I've written about Frightened Rabbit on here before, they're a Scottish 5-some specializing in anthemic folk-rock, if that's even possible. On 2008's The Midnight Organ Flight, singer Scott Hutchison's heartbreaking lyrics interpolated with the rest of the band's galloping melodies made for an album of definitive beauty. The band followed up this year with The Winter of Mixed Drinks, which provided a bit of a shift in sound. Originally a trio, Frightened Rabbit added two new members and thus has expanded sonically. Mixed Drinks missed the mark a bit though, the raw emotiveness of the former Frightened Rabbit is a bit crushed under the weight of heavy production. Lyrically, Hutchison's sometimes jarring honesty still exists, it just doesn't feel as brutal as before. Perhaps the band's new sound washes some of the eagerness away, or perhaps as Hutchison proclaims he's just "Not Miserable" anymore. Despite their relative misstep with Mixed Drinks, Frightened Rabbit's live talent remains unaffected. Describing this band as anthemic seems most apt when describing their live shows. The set at Lollapalooza was no exception. Frightened Rabbit played to quite the eager and packed crowd. Songs like The Modern Leper, Nothing Like You, Living in Colour, and My Backwards Walk were transformed into chants, and acoustic tracks like Good Arms vs. Bad Arms and Poke were greeted with hushed appreciation. The band finished up with Keep Yourself Warm, a Midnight Organ Flight track that provides the chorus "you won't find love in a hole/it takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm." It's an uncomfortable line for sure, but that's what makes it, and Frightened Rabbit heartbreakingly real.
The National:
PlayStation
7:15-8:30 pm
I've seen The National three times this year, Lollapalooza included, and my only explanation is that it's 100% worth it. The National is undoubtedly one of my favorite bands, so although seeing them here guaranteed that I wouldn't be anywhere near the stage for The Arcade Fire, I couldn't resist. 2010 brought about The National's fifth album, High Violet, which follows in the band's pattern of highly lyrical, perhaps melodramatic, relatively frill-less indie, but adds quite a bit of grandeur. High Violet is dense, powerful, and string-soaked, which sets it wildly apart from the band's earlier, more sparse work, though closer in feel to 2007's Boxer. The National have been progressing to more flushed out material in a way that seems natural and logical, steadily perfecting what it already knows. Singer Matt Berninger's voice is as connective as his lyrics, a bit harsh, but beautiful and magnetic. The National's live shows have a sort of manic/depressive feel. The more passive songs are met with a wandering Berninger, who's signature suit makes him look something like a college professor. On their more powerful songs, Berninger breaks into a frantic yelp, manically throwing himself into the crowd. This transformation of character usually occurs on Alligator's Able and Mr. November, though it slips in from time to time on less obvious tracks. The band's Lolla set provided most of High Violet, beginning with Runaway and concluding with Terrible Love. Earlier albums were also represented, Boxer's Mistaken for Strangers, Brainy, Start a War and Squalor Victoria as well as even earlier tracks Available and Cardinal Song. Once it was time for Able and Mr. November, Berninger scaled a plant-covered wall before leaping into the audience. His "my mind's not right" and "I won't fuck us over I'm Mr. November-s" were echoed instantly by the crowd. After three times, it's still undeniably captivating.
The Arcade Fire:
Budweiser Stage
8:30-10:o0 pm
I remember when I first heard 2004's Funeral. I was going on a road-trip to New York City with my Aunt and Uncle and basically begged my older brother to drive me to the store before I left so I could listen to it in the car. I was 14, sitting in my Uncle's minivan, with the headphones of my disc-man glued to my ears for eight hours. Funeral is one of the first albums I ever really loved. Sure, I was born in the era of CD's, so I wasn't unaware of the concept. But, given my age, most of my CD's were Backstreet Boys or Nsync, so the idea of an album as more than just a couple radio hits and a lot of filler was new to me. I don't think anymore praise can be given to Funeral that hasn't been already. There really isn't much controversy or argument, consensus says Funeral is near perfect. Arcade Fire's baroque style includes strings, horns, theatricality, ballads, anthems, story and majesty. Their 2007 follow-up Neon Bible seemed underappreciated, perhaps only if in the context of Funeral's definitiveness. Neon Bible is more aggressive, blends more styles into the band's aesthetic and isperhaps even more an album than Funeral is, in the sense that taken out of context it doesn't stand up as easily. Three excruciating years after Neon Bible's release came 2010's The Suburbs, and the adoration was renewed. On The Suburbs, the orchestra is back in full force, as are some of the more "rock" type elements found on Neon Bible. The story here is sprawling, and in true Arcade Fire fashion, quite dramatic, without being overly so. With their relative return to form on The Suburbs, there isn't much doubt that The Arcade Fire is one of the most important band's of the decade. I'll admit that I didn't catch as much of their Lollapalooza performance as I would have liked. Sprinting over from The National crowd before-hand left me watching the screens, but what I heard was incredible. The set began fittingly with Ready to Start, and was heavy on both Funeral and Suburbs material. Neighborhood 2 (Laika) followed Ready to Start and really cemented The Arcade Fire as headliner worthy. Also on the set list were, Rebellion, Month of May, No Cars Go, Keep the Car Running, Neighborhood 3 (Power Out) and Funeral Ballad Crown of Love (which Winn dedicated to The National) and finally Wake Up, providing quite the ending to not only their set but to Lollapalooza 2010 all together.
(Not my photo)
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