Lollapalooza Report: Friday [Matthew Solarski]

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Grizzly Bear [5:45 p.m.]





Photos by Kirstie Shanley

Certain things are lost when you coax Grizzly Bear out of the cave-like mid-sized indoor venues they're used to playing. This is a band that thrives on nuance, after all, draping oddly-structured songs in intricate arrangements that really demonstrate the unique contributions of each of the group's four members. One suspects Grizzly Bear would have a more difficult time subbing out a member-- like, say, Bloc Party are doing right now-- than a lot of acts.

Wisely, here they stuck primarily to the Daniel Rossen material, which tends to be built around the electric guitar and is thus louder. The only major exceptions were "Knife" and Ed Droste-led set centerpiece "Fix It"-- from Grizzly's bedroom-spun first offering Horn of Plenty-- which has turned into quite the epic, packing multiple parts and several false endings into what felt like a good 10 minutes.

And if there's one thing the great outdoors can't nullify, it's those gorgeous vocal harmonies, which only rang out more beauteous against the skyline and sunset.

Bloc Party [6:15 p.m.]



Photos by Kirstie Shanley

Ah yes, Bloc Party. Rocking a handsome Obama t-shirt, Kele Okereke and company were already a ways into their set by the time Grizzly Bear ended and I weaved my way through a few hundred yards of folks already getting in position for Radiohead. I seem to have stumbled into a sleepier portion of the set, but things picked up considerably with "The Prayer" and new single "Mercury"-- which, I'm sorry, still sounds to me like a meager attempt to cash in on last year's Klaxons-led new rave thing. Also, is that a "Shock the Monkey" sample? Really guys?

Still stuck further back than I would have liked, I took stock of much of this performance via the adjacent video screens, and learned a few things I wouldn't have otherwise in the process. Such as: guitarist Russell Lissack has amassed an impressive collection of stickers on his pickguard. By the time Okereke invited the crowd to shout out absent bassist Gordon Moakes' new kid via the live audio stream, I was considering how precariously close we are to creating an at-home festival experience that's preferable to the real thing. Once streaming technology improves and live fest videocasts take off-- and they will-- all the heat and sweat and high ticket prices will have to compete with better vantage points, superior sound, air-conditioning, cheaper beer, and the very real possibility of being able to take it all in while not wearing any clothes. Then again, maybe I just let WALL-E get to me.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks [7:15 p.m.]



Photos by Joseph Mohan

Poor Mr. Malkmus had the dubious honor of playing immediately prior to his 2003 tourmates Radiohead on the stage just opposite theirs. And indeed, down in the audience, much craning of necks and nervous shifting of feet would ensue. Leave it to Malkmus to describe the situation pithily: "The Cruel Overlap," he announced upon taking the stage, prompting one audience member to reply pointedly, "FUCK RADIOHEAD!"

Still, the slacker cool of Mr. Malkmus shone through as he and the Jicks spun through a bunch of Real Emotional Trash material (but no "Cold Son" or "Out of Reaches", boo), a new jam called "Water in the Sea", and particularly crowd-pleasing renditions of Face the Truth's "Pencil Rot" and "Baby C'mon". The Trash material sounded a little rough, but here's where Malkmus and the big band across the way differ vastly. Had Radiohead flubbed up the opening bars of a song like Malkmus did with "We Can't Help You", some folks would be aghast (until Thom Yorke made a funny or something). But with Malkmus? It's all part of the charm.

~~- Bloc Party