I kept notes on my phone during the blur-that-was-Riot-Fest. These are they, spelling errors (hopefully) corrected but syntax errors and general lack of ability due to chemical cocktails left largely (sic)'d. Also, I'm sure I could add more to some of these show reviews, but there's something to be said for the candid medium.
Riot Fest
Tera Melos: Never having heard them, I was totally impressed. It's like if Nathan Wall was famous. Promptly lost my friends and was having bad chemical foreshadowing.
Off With Their Heads: Loved em, but for some reason convinced myself they were only playing Clash covers. Bad things start happening to my head.
Bosnian Rainbows: paralyzed with fear
Best Coast: Following a "nap" in the medical tent, I watch these nice people from the shade of a Marlboro tent. Apparently they sing that "Boyfriend" song.
Superchunk: Great fun, played a bunch of new stuff, played "Out of the Sun" as the sun set behind the stage, which was cute and appropriate. Great fun cut short when a dude had a seizure next to me and I sprinted back to the medical tent to inform a totally disinterested "medic", which set about a chain of weird righteous creepiness and I raced around the festival yelling at employees about the "free water" shortage.
Dismemberment Plan: I found a good dirt hole to waller in and shield the sun from my eyes with a giant foam middle finger. Didn't watch them, but they sounded good and were hilariously weird.
Guided By Voices: Blew my mind, won me over. Bob Pollard did a lot of high-kicks and got wasted.
Alkaline Trio: Back in my dirt hole, came up with this idea and began writing, only paying attention to Ak3 when they play a song I recognize, which is about twice. Lost my friends and I don't think any of them want to see Rocket from the Crypt.
Brand New: SO FUCKING GOOD. Loud as shit, so loud they made my teeth hurt. I cried. Had a mental lapse in the middle of their set and got confused and thought they were playing reggae.
AFI: Especially considering what Brand New had just finished doing not five minutes before, AFI seemed wimpy and irrelevant. Bad.
Iggy and the Stooges: Iggy Pop is Iggy Pop. Some kind of sexmeat avatar. I had to leave halfway through their set to get a good Replacements spot, but Iggy & the Stooges were TREMENDOUS!
Replacements: Surreal.
Day 2
Stars: Regret missing their set, but it made good a soundtrack for tailgating with friends.
Public Enemy: Real bad sound for the first third or so of their set. Flava Flav is stupid and obnoxious. Fire that dude. Also, I'm pretty over the "rappers sampling/referencing Nirvana" thing. Seems too obvious for these kinds of shows, like, "Hmm, what do white people like? Oh, I know, Nirvana!" Yeah, but I like hip-hop more, y'know? After the sound was fixed, they sounded good. Live band. Chuck D's the dude. Sucks that I love hip-hop shows so much but still feel awkward putting my hands in the air. Justin got sexually assaulted during the set.
Flag: Way cool, set got cut short because a storm blew in and tore all of the giant Riot Fest banners down and shit ("There's only room enough for one Flag in this town"). We drank a lot of whiskey and Sean moshed.
At this point all of Riot Fest was evacuated and we sat in the car and got real weird and listened to Icona Pop's "I Love It" on repeat.
Bad Religion: First set after long-ass storm delay in which EVERYONE went back to their cars and ate/drank whatever drugs/drinks were left over (re-entry wasn't previously allowed - ed.). Mass delirium. I danced a little. I like when Bad Religion play their songs that are older than me.
Matt & Kim: Watched about half their set, not sure what was going on. Pretty annoying. Fell asleep in the grass until a guy kicked me to make sure I wasn't dead. Left Riot Fest, napped in the jeep.
Rancid: I hear em playing. I'm going to sleep.
And here are some random notes I took en route:
Turnback Creek, atomic veterans, Master National, lunger road, euphoria awareness optimizer, Huggers condoms, Running Turkey Creek, Operation Battle Fire
Idea: discount dental work, performed by children
"I have to concentrate when we kiss"
Crawlord
"evades hemps arpus waivor"
Bovina, a beautiful cow goddess
Jovanotti
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