Bonnaroo: Friday 6/15/07
This year's 'Roo is Saturday heavy -- today we get Franz, Hold Steady, Regina, Dr. Dog, and a band called Police your parents loved -- but the tame opening day brought some stuff worth writing home about, including local boys Sam Champion, ever-touring Reagan babies Cold War Kids, French hero Manu Chao, and love 'em/hate 'em preacher's sons Kings Of Leon. Also got to check in with Tom Morello's folk alter-ego The Nightwatchman (set replete with copious third-person self-references), and yes our credo these days is "quit your day job," but Tom ... don't.
The day's best sets came from (relatively) old-timey Stereofaves Lily Allen, in trademark rainbow frock and trainers, and Hot Chip: the former still working her Alright setlist, covering the Specials, Blondie, slugging her drink of choice (Jäegermeister), and showing off some new and improved dance moves; while the Hot Chippers proved why they're still a draw, one hundred and fifty one festivals after offering The Warning, tweaking and turning out now-standards "Boy From School" and "Over And Over," along side tour-staples/newly-recorded dance jams like the slamming "Shake A Fist."
From there it was off for laughs at (Another) Comedy Tent, where our friends Aziz Ansari, David Cross, and Nick Kroll (as Human Giant craft services coordinator Fabrice Fabrice) drew a packed crowd, laughing at bits aimed at all that goes down south of the Mason-Dixon (including Blue Collar Comedy send-up "You Might Be A Dead-Neck If..." and lots of "Get 'er done"s). Also, a fun bit from David about the absurd East Village's Tompkins Square Dog Run, and why he named his pup Ollie Red Sox (for the repeated pleasure of saying "Let's Go, Red Sox" in NYC). And a Toby Keith send up including singing about towns read off a Murfreesboro map.
The main stage was occupied by Tool for two-and-a-half hours (sorry no photos, Maynard likes his privacy). Been a while since we've been through Ænima or Lateralus, but the latter's title track (with Tom Morello), "Stinkfist," and "Forty-Six & Two" were sufficient to fill this month's prog-metal quota. They're hella tight for a band that rarely plays these days, and still love that freaky stutter-shot imagery (trippy stage pojections).
Our night closed with the set labeled simply "Superjam," but the word was out that it'd be the innocent criminal Ben Harper, joined by Zep legend John Paul Jones and Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, barreling through a set of Led standards (some instrumental, some Harper voiced, appropriately featuring "Dazed And Confused") and other covers, including Buddy Miles' "Them Changes."
Too many pics for your own good after the jump. And to join the fun while you should be outside enjoying nature, tune in to AT&T blueroom, where they'll have streaming sets from Regina Spektor, Black Keys, Hold Steady, and your faves String Cheese Incident.
You want photos? We got photos...
SAM CHAMPION
THE NIGHTWATCHMAN
APOLLO SUNSHINE
ICE CREAM MAN
COLD WAR KIDS
BLACK KEYS
KINGS OF LEON
HOT CHIP
PRESS CONFERENCE WITH LILY ALLEN, NATHAN WILLET, WARREN HAYNES, RICHARD THOMPSON, DAVID CROSS, ?UESTLOVE
SOUND TRIBE SECTOR NINE
LILY ALLEN
MANU CHAO
NICK KROLL, AZIZ ANSARI, DAVID CROSS
SUPERJAM: BEN HARPER, JOHN PAUL JONES, ?UESTLOVE
Posted at 2:12 PM in Concert
Tags: Aziz Ansari | Bonnaroo | Cold War Kids | David Cross | Hot Chip | Kings Of Leon | Lily Allen | Nick Kroll | Rage Against The Machine | Sam Champion | The Roots | Tom Morello | Warren Haynes
-->
-->
meh
Score = 0
i want to be in you, bonnaroo.
Score = 0
attention: The Libertines reunite for "A Day In The Life" cover for the BBC Sgt Pepper thingy.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/tzks0s
unfortunately theres some chatter in the middle and at the end.
Score = 0
"You want photos? We got photos..."
But I want photos of chicks in the campground who are in one stage of undress or another.
Score = 0
You know you're obsessed when "Franz" means Nicolay (of the hold steady) and not Ferdinand.
Score = 0
You forgot John Paul Jones also played with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Score = 0
Murfreesboro
Score = 0
The kings of Leon must have really sweaty balls and who knew Hot chip were down with the movement.
Score = 0
I can't wait to hear that Superjam. Must have been pretty sick.
Score = 0
Judging by those pics, Lily seems to be gradually morphing into Meg White.
Score = 0
It's MurFReesboro.
Score = 0
more bonnaroo photos here:
http://www.spinner.com/2007/06/15/bonnaroo-2007-photos/
Score = 0
What was the theme of the press conference? Lily Allen, David Cross and ?love together? How cool is that?
Score = 0
Manu Chao is from France, not South America.
Score = 0
Dear Kings of Leon,
Your leggings make me cry.
Lily seems to be doing alright. Still. Oooo thats right i did it.
Score = 0
Fixed on Manu, thanks name.
> What was the theme of the press conference?
There was a moderator, and he was asking about what it was like to play festivals from the perspective of a "pop" singer (Lily), a "jam" artist (Warren), a comedian (guess), etc. Lots of questions about the hippie vs. indie thing, which has been a running gag at every set (the bands we've been seeing don't seem to like hippies too much). And of course, the mod got David going on his distaste for hippie nation, and he happily obliged, reliving lots of his String Cheese Incident bit on the spot, sort of pissing off Warren Haynes and Richard Thompson ("It's no secret that I vehemently dislike hippies. No, I just mean they are a filthy, disgusting, hypocritical bunch.")
Best was when ?uest showed up (a little late), and he was asked "What do YOU think of hippies?"
"What do I think of hippies?" he shot back. "Hippies pay my bills. I LOVE hippies."
Behind the scenes stuff: Cross is a big CWK fan (which you may remember from their Pianos shows last year), and he and Ahmir seem to have a lot of love for each other.
Score = 0
As much as I love D. Cross, I'm surprised the guy hasn't had his ass kicked yet by some wayward hippies and/or southerners. I won't be surprised when there's a report of Cross's car being found empty on the side of the road between Manchester and the Nashville airport and the only evidence is a torn piece of tie-dye or camoflauge. Of course, I'm sure that would just give him more to rant about and add fuel to the fire...assuming he lives.
Score = 0
i quite like kings of leon, but boy are they pretty bland live. i mean jesus, show us some energy, act like you want to acutally be there.
on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the black keys. gotdamn. got. damn.
Score = 0
last time i checked tool has been on tour for the last 2 years or so...they make a record, tour, etc, just like everyone eles.
Score = 0
who's eles?
Score = 0
Did anyone else think that nightwatchman thing really blew? My whole opinion of tom morello is shakey now, is he all just pedals and glam? Cause he sure as hell is a boring folkie.
Also, bad luck to follow david rawlings with that.
Score = 0
Some criminally overlooked details:
*Tool invited Tom Morello onstage during "Lateralus" (the song), where he proceeded to shred the fuck out of some guitar, playing a solo with his TEETH.
*Did y'all not go over to This Tent after Tool? Because Aesop Rock blew everyone's minds. He put together a perfect setlist (started with "Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives" and ended with an absolutely killer "Daylight" that had everyone singing along - "All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day/Put the pieces back together my way")
*DJ Shadow. Holy fuck. He was everything you want to hear (and see, omg, the visuals he was showing behind him) at Bonnaroo at 3:30 in the morning, and he played tons of shit from Entroducing..., ending with "Midnight in a Perfect World." He kept saying "Thanks for making my last show so memorable," which confused the shit out of me. He's playing a bunch of festivals over the summer in Europe and one next week in California...but who cares when you're so completely entranced by the music and the speed-flashing eyes?!
Score = 0
lily allen is clearly not wearing anything resembling a "rainbow frock".. you have pictures for christ's sake!
Score = 0
tool photos from the next stop on their tour here:
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2007/06/tool_in_cape_girardeau.php#more
Score = 0
agree 100% w/ Sara...DJ Shadow was f-ing insane...by far my favorite show of the weekend....and I wasnt sure if he just meant last show in America for a while or what....and having Lateef up there kicked ass
plus, earlier that day, Michael Franti and Spearhead tore it up....
Score = 0
I guess stereogum missed The Roots show but let it be known that it was also the shit.
Score = 0
Ah, David Cross, the man who neatly summarizes how deeply unappealing liberalism will always be for many of us in the South.
Will someone please beat the living shit out of him the next time he does this act anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line?
Score = 0
Please do not let the commenter above speak for all of the South.
Score = 0
So do you think the Kings of Leon have one giant mirror that they all jerk off in front of, or do you think each band member has his own?
Score = 0