Lollapalooza Day One: Music's Got Me Feelin' So Free

Day one of Lollapalooza 2007 was definitely one to remember. Here are the details of each of the bands we saw.

The Fratelli's.
We arrived at Grant Park close to noon and made it to the MySpace stage about fifteen minutes into their set. As we walked up, they were playing their song Flathead, made famous by the iPod commercials that they have been featured on. I was hoping to hear Whistle for the Choir, but perhaps they had already played it before we got there.

Ghostland Observatory
The screechy voice Aaron Behrens and groovy rhythms of Thomas Ross Turner that make up Ghostland Observatory continue to get a crowd moving, even in the noon hour. Once again, they did not disappoint as they reeled off track after track of dance rock.

Son Volt
Since Jay Farrar reworked the band, he is writing and performing perhaps the best music of his post Son Volt days. They mixed in several songs from this years The Search and 2005's Okemah and the Melody of Riot. But of course, the band closed their set with the crowd favorite, Drown.

The Polyphonic Spree
It's been just over a month since that amazing show that I attended at the Granada in Dallas. Today's show was every bit as as great as that show as the band played mostly from the recently released The Fragile Army and included a few from The Beginning Stages Of... They stopped half way through their set and changed in to their classic robes to finish the set with When A Fool Becomes A King. This might have been my favorite show of the day. This band continues to bring lots of smiles to my face.

Sparklehorse
Mark Linkous and crew played a very typical show - not much from the new album, and loads from the first few albums. They did seem a tad uninterested in playing. I have to admit, I was surprised to see them on the bill since I did not think they were touring any longer this year. They finished the set ten minutes early much to the disappointment of the crowd. I did enjoy Painbirds, Spirit Ditch, and Gold Day though.

Silversun Pickups
I didn't catch much of this set. The singer's leprechaun voice and face scared me away. But I really do love their music. Had Blonde Redhead not been up against them, I would have stayed longer.

Blonde Redhead
My first time seeing this band in Dallas almost doesn't count. I knew none of their songs and had only heard the newest album one time. Since then, I've listened to 23 probably fifty times and I love every note of it. I was quite happy as the trio played many songs from that album and a few that I did not know. I really love the sound that this group has going right now. This time definitely counted.

Satellite Party
I was only partially roused by Perry Farrell's attempt to coerce a crowd over to see his sub par band that he created a few years ago. He played several unfulfilling Satellite Party songs while sticking in songs from his formerly great band Jane's Addiction and one or two from the less than satifying Pornos for Pyros. However, it was worth it to hear the Jane's Addiction. I kind of miss it.

LCD Soundsystem
I got really burnt out on this band fast a few years ago when they had their single Daft Punk is Playing at My House. Since then, I have tended to ignore them. I did learn that, despite looking like a bunch of ordinary white boys from Milwaukee, they have a pretty good sound and are actually from New York City. Perhaps I won't turn past the dial the next time Sirius 26 plays their music.

Daft Punk
I didn't want to see Ben Harper because I had seen him before. And I had never seen Daft Punk ever. But am I ever so glad that I went to see them. The guys came out and played atop a pyramid while wearing space suits. They turned me and everyone around me into complete and total spazzes as we danced wildly and enjoyed the amazing light show in the background. For an hour and a half, I thoroughly enjoyed their music. They seemed to keep mixing in pieces of their two most popular songs, Around the World and One More Time, until they played the entire songs. I really had a great time at this show. I am glad they were chosen as one of the headliners.


Day two coverage to come...