Review: Virgin Mobile Festival @ Merriweather

Words: Tim J. Nelson

1:25 p.m. on 8/30/2009 - Columbia, Maryland. A new venue proved to be a positive for this year’s fourth annual Virgin Mobile Festival, this year rebranded as the FreeFest. That’s right, for a modest donation - five bucks per free ticket - a fan of music festivals could buy entry into Sir Richard Branson’s celebration of music, summer, commerce, and, well, fun.

Flying Fun is what you call two skydivers soaring over the lawn crowd at Columbia’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, the iconic host to such past acts as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, everyone’s eyes searching skyward, lots of shielding of eyes with hands, and oohing and ahhing as the daredevils land on the roof of the outdoor venue. On the roof, Sir Rich greeted them with champagne, opened the bottle, and then proceeded to christen the crowd with the sparkling-wine spray; it was a classy way to start the fest.

The partnership of Virgin, Branson, who is the CEO of Virgin, and independent promoter, Seth Hurwitz, who owns I.M.P., is continuing to prove it is a successful one. For a free show, there wasn’t any clear evidence of skimping, especially on the music talent. A quick overview:

As some christened fans wiped the champagne from their hair, Mates of State launched into their ’80s-inspired pop rock shortly after half-past one. The duo played Goods, ha ha, Fraud in the 80s, among others, and even covered a Tom Waits song, Long Way Home. Their hard-to-not-nod-your-head-to songs, with their up-beat tempo and snappy melodies, were a great warm up for the more-than-ready crowd.

READ ON for more from Tim about the FreeFest…

Taking Back Sunday continued the high energy, ramping it up to eleven. Even guitarist, Matt Fazzi, whose right foot was in a cast, couldn’t hold back from strutting and flying around the stage, tempting singer Adam Lazzara to keep up with his vibe. The crowd cheered them on and the band played with a fury. A humble and appreciative Lazzara repeated his thanks several times.

Jet. Yes, the Aussie boys cranked out their hits, you know ‘em, and the fans obviously were moved; however, this aging rock critic wants to challenge them, for what it’s worth, to up their game. The tired AC/DC comparisons are just that, tired. No pressure, guys, and good show, but dig deeper, eh.

The Bravery. This reporter was off discussing rawk with Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and missed this show, but they are crowd pleasers (saw them at a summer fest years ago) with their retro-80s, alt-rock thing they sling.

Public Enemy. Heard these iconic rap masters, but missed seeing them. My big regret of the fest. Reports and vids show Flava Flav was super fly, as Chuck D and the others ratta tat tatted some rap upon the masses. In addition to the main-stage acts, this was a great booking feat by I.M.P.

Weezer. OMG. They brought it, opening with Sabbath’s War Pigs, which led into Hash Pipe, and then hit after hit. This gig is clearly a fave on YouTube.

The Dance Tent had Holy Fuck, Lee Burridge, Danny Howells, and Pete Tong. This provided to be a concert-goer’s dilemma: who to miss to see someone else. The bottom-line, however: lots to choose from.

On the “other” stage (West Stage) one could see The Hold Steady, aforementioned Public Enemy, St. Vincent, Wale, The National, Girl Talk, and Franz Ferdinand.

The Main Attraction: Blink-182. Hmm. The guys had some lame “dick jokes” (I heard better back in middle school, and that was long ago.) The real reason to see the newly reunited pop-punkers: Travis Barker pounding the living hell out of his drum skins with razor precision. Barker never uttered a word, perhaps laser-focused for his deceased friend, DJ AM. It was a real tribute to witness. Overall, the band was a bit rusty, but it is their reunion tour. New songs will tell if the guys re-gel.

The Scene:

The planners provided lots of green space, despite diminished “green efforts,” with vendors’ tents and stands placed throughout the sprawling Merriweather grounds. Every food craving could be had, from crab cakes, to corn dogs, to roast beef, to veggie delights. Fest-goers could pimp their Chucks at the Converse stand, take a chance at winning a Gibson Flying V at the Lay-off Lounge, witness roller-derby girls in action, or enjoy the many other fun activities and attractions. Again, there was something for anyone five to 105.

The Future:

Even with the fest’s organizers debating whether to make it “free” next year, the consistent quality line-up and festival experience year after year make V Fest a growing, solid tradition in the Baltimore-Washington area. Many music fans would pay a reasonable price for a day or two of priceless entertainment in or around B-town.