Live Blog from Rock the Garden Sunday
Reviler is at Rock the Garden. Sorry for typos.
- 4:10Here. Hot.
- 4:14Heard what I thought was a cut-rate Tame Impala song from the speakers as I parked my bike. Got in gates and realized it was Yoko’s kid. Huh.
- 4:22Some random guy just shared his sunscreen, which i had forgotten. Hero.
- 4:25People in beer line mentioned how cool it was to see Lennon’s son. They didn’t seem equally excited about his music.
- 4:28Beer is $7 per. Good vibes from sunscreen guy are gone.
- 4:32JD McPherson keeps calling the crowd “friends.” Calm down, buddy.
- 4:37This is a tour de force in stripping away the passion and creativiy from blues, country and rock and roll.
- 4:43In the spirit of being more positive, we are increibly excited for Seun Kuti and Babes in Toyland.
- 4:46In the shade, today’s weather is positively delightful. Two positive notes in a row!
- 4:58Mr. McPherson is crazy for a north side girl, apparently.
- 5:03The VIP area is a six foot fence around a picnic area. The people inside are akin to animals at a zoo. Except for these people paid good money to be there.
- 5:23The classic hip hop playing between sets has unleashed a torrent of awkward dancing.
- 5:32Lots of (clean) biffies, free water, and quick entrance. Nice worl, Walker Art Center. Other festivals should take note.
- 5:37This will be third time seeing Seun Kuti and Egypt 80,and first time outside of the Cedar. Cant wait to hear their infectious grooves on this beautiful afternoon.
- 5:42Classic band introduction for the legendary members of Egypt 80. They kick things off with their great horn-driven afrobeat featuring a two person dance crew. Sounds awesome.
- 5:52Here comes the man of the hour, Seun Kuti.
- 5:55Seun, as always, starts with a cover of his lengendary dad, Fela Kuti. On Fathers Day. Killing it.
- 5:58The horns sound like rightous lightening bolts on a sunny day. Seun flailing like a madman as the groove deepens.
- 6:02Like his dad, Seun isn’t afraid of politics. Wonder what this crowd thinks of a song called IMF (International Mother Fucker). Or maybe the are lost in the deep, funky groove, which would be understandable.
- 6:08I think the skin on my face is nearing the point where it will start boiling, but I don’t care, because Seun Kuti and Egypt 80.
- 6:12Just saw a prominent Foo Fighters tat. No way that doesn’t get laser removed at some point.
- 6:19When the stringy guitar lines and hi hat make even the most stoic Minnesotans nod their heads. That is afrobeat.
- 6:24Well that smoke doesn’t smell like cigarettes.
- 6:34A solid, deep set by Seun Kuti. Hope everyone appreciated that.
- 6:34Going to be hard to top Seun Kuti tonight, but excited to see Babes in Toyland give it a shot.
- 6:48Playing Iggy and the Stooges “Search and Destroy” before Babes in Toyland was the right choice.
- 7:17Babes in Toyland sprint out of the gate louder and more abrasive than anything we’ve heard yet. Sounds wonderful.
- 7:26It is always a risk when a bands had been away for a whole, but Babe in Toyland haven’t missed a beat. Heavy as a ton of bricks, searing as hell and with an attitude missing all too often today. These ladies are showing hiw it is done. So good.
- 7:34“We’ve missed you.” We’ve missed you too, Babes in Toyland.
- 7:31It takes a certain kind of band to make rock and roll strut. Babes in Toyland do that. Even the security guards watching the stage are bobbing their heads.
- 7:47Phone is dying, so less updates, but rest assured that Babes in Toyland are melting faces here. At least the faces that are paying attention.
- 8:08Babes are done. Great, sweaty set. Hope we can see them again.
- 8:13Just walked past the entrance and people are just arriving. Huh?
- 8:45Nine strong, Modest Mouse start out with a ballad from an old album. Solid.
- 8:56Playing their latest “hit,” the Modest Mouse sold out meme feels hollow. Even at their poppiest, still doing cool stuff. Not Lonesome Crowed West, but not shit either.
- 9:12Issac Brock is a weirdo, in all the right ways. Even if his band has jumped the shark, he doesn’t seem different.
- 9:22New theory. Modest Mouse didn’t sell out, they just ran out of ideas. Nothing glaringly bad, but set is dragging. They never were or should have been a “singles” band…doesn’t fit their style.
- 9:35“Float On,” so I imagine that sratched the itch for a good chunck of this crowd.
- 9:38Yep. Steady stream to exits.
- 9:45Modest Mouse’s inability to give a fuck, vis-a-vis their slowing down/ rearranging their “hits,” is commendable.
- 9:49Brock just said Minneapolis is #3 on his list of places to live…in North America. A very sincere almost-compliment.
- 9:54Modest Mouse are doing the pause -before-the-encore BS. While we wait, im guessing you can buy tickets for next years Rock the Garden at this point. Just give your credit card to any member of the Current staff. Why wait, right musicheads?
- 9:59A woozy, horn-filled version of “The Good Times are Killing Me” to close the night. As Brock said “If you’re drinking, dont drive, and if you’re driving don’t drink.” Signing off.
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“When life gets heavy we all float on” said one turd to the next