My 2014 LOLLAPALOOZA Predictions

Let me begin by saying I would probably have never gone to Lollapalooza last year if it weren’t for Mumford & Sons. Their sophomore album, Babel, was a true 5 star CD, confirming for me that they were my favorite band and more importantly, that they were the biggest band in the world of spring of 2013. The moment it was leaked they would be at Lolla, and I realized I had a place to stay in the city, there was no question that I would go and that Mumford would kill it!

All of that came true last August. But in additional to the epic Mumford show, I had one of the best weeks of my life. Chicago is an awesome city, and the downtown skyline provides the perfect backdrop for a great music festival. Throw in good restaurants, easy public transportation, plenty of hotels, and ample small music venues that host after-shows every night, and you have yourself an unforgettable experience.

So even though Mumford won’t be back, I assure you that I will be. I don’t know the lineup yet, but I trust the Lolla organizers to put out a quality list. Over the past months I’ve been studying the message boards and band tour schedules. I have my predictions for Lolla this year. With tickets going on sale Tuesday, this seemed like the best time to share them.

SUPPOSABLY CONFIRMED HEADLINERS: (leaked by Chicago Post)

• Eminem: Not sure how I feel about Eminem being the rap headliner. Sure he has tons of songs, but I thought the hip-hop headliner would be someone like hometown hero Kanye, or even festival favorite Outkast this summer. Probably won’t catch this one.

• Kings of Leon: I’m ok with checking out KOL one night. They’re a solid American rock band with lots of material. I love their newest single, “Supersoaker.” But I do have to say that their hype has fizzled out in the past three years, making me think Lolla has something else bigger up their sleeve for a rock headliner.

• Skrillex: All I really know about Skrillex was that he was on the cover of Rolling Stone this week, which means he’s pretty HUGE. This isn’t my genre, but he should draw a massive crowd to the insane EDM stage in Grant Park.

• ARCTIC MONKEYS: YES!!!! Even though Arctic Monkeys only played mid size venues on their North American tour, they have been deservingly given the Sunday headlining slot at Lolla. (Hey, if you can headline Glastonbury, you can headline a US festival) This is easily the act I’m most excited for as Alex Turner and company support their 4.5 star rock album, AM.

I predict one more rock headliner will be announced. It will be one of the following:

• Foo Fighters: This is the one I’m hoping for! The Foo’s supposedly have a new album being released in 2014 and already are booked for a headlining slot at Firefly. They’ve played Lolla before, and it could be time for Dave Grohl to return to Chicago. Fingers crossed!

• Pearl Jam: If I had to bet on it, this is my best guess. Pearl Jam played a highly praised show to a sold out Wrigley Field last summer in Chicago, and apparently hinted at returning to the Windy City in 2014. Lolla?....seems like it.

• Black Keys: So I just heard yesterday that the keys are releasing a brand new single on Monday, the same day the Lolla lineup is being released. Coincidence? Maybe…..but maybe not?

• Imagine Dragons: I know, I know….they played Lolla last year. But really, how often does a sub headliner draw the largest crowd of the weekend? The guys behind 5 star – Night Visions, played to an estimated crowd of 110,000 on Friday afternoon of Lolla. It’s not out of the question for them to return as a headliner. If not this year, I GUARANTEE THEY WILL IN 2015 or 2016. 

• Coldplay: Outside of South by Southwest, haven’t heard much about Chris Martin & company’s plans for 2014. They do have a new album coming out, and are experienced headliners. It could happen!

• Arcade Fire: This is my long shot. Arcade Fire is already playing two shows at Chicago’s United Center this summer, so another Chicago gig seems unlikely and apparently against the rules of the festival organizers. The only reason I’m not ruling them out is because THEY ARE the biggest band in the world right now. Win Butler can do anything, so this is possible.  

My remaining headliner / sub headliner predictions:

• Justin Timberlake: I will be honest and say I love JT! There’s nothing this guy can’t do. He sings, dances, acts, kills it on SNL, and is best friends with Jimmy Fallon. A new challenge for him – headline a major US festival. His first weekend of August is free and there’s no Chicago date on his tour.

• Lorde: Lollapalooza has always been a festival that strays more to the alternative rock side and appeals to younger festival goers. Is there anyone more perfect to play than Lorde? She’s more than just a few hits now and can easily draw 100k to an afternoon slot. 

• Vampire Weekend: This is similar to my Imagine Dragons prediction above. Yes they played last year, but they have since released one of the best albums of the year. One thing for sure is next time they play Lolla, they’ll be on the top line of the lineup.

• Foster the People: Three years ago, this was one of the hottest bands around with their debut album, Torches. They seem to have cooled since, but their sophomore album was released last month and they could get a headlining slot. This one’s a bit of a stretch. 

• Jack White: He’s already headlining Governor’s Ball and Osheaga Fest this year. Osheaga occurs in Montreal and is the same weekend as Lolla, so lineups are often similar. Plus he played Lolla in 2012, meaning he’s set to return after a year off.

LONGSHOTS:

• Daft Punk: So these guys won the Grammy for album of the year and performed at the show this year. Lolla tweeted a photo of the French duo and wrote – “Twice at the Grammy’s, Once at Lolla.” This could be an indication they’re going to even that up, but Skrillex hurts that case.

• Maroon 5: I’m thinking outside the box here. Maroon 5 has gotten worse with every album they’ve made since Songs About Jane. But, they’re one of those bands where you don’t realize how many songs they have until seeing them live. They could be like The Killers and surprise everyone here.

• Taylor Swift: Regardless of your opinion, you can’t get much bigger than T-Swift. I’m not ruling out a major female artist of this level to secure a top line on the festival poster.

My remaining predictions:

• Bastille: Pompeii is one of the most popular songs in the country, and their backing album, Bad Blood, is quite good. I expect them to be a festival favorite.

• The 1975: One of the biggest risers in the music industry over the past year seems like a lock to stop in Chicago this summer.

• Young the Giant: No stranger to The Only Music Blog, Young the Giant released a new album this year and should be making some festival stops.

• Capital Cities: A year after it was one of the most played tunes in America, the guys from Capital Cities are still riding high off hit, “Safe and Sound.” I expect to hear it in Grant Park this August.

• Grouplove: Similar to Young the Giant, they seem to be out playing as many shows as possible to promote their sophomore album. They seem like a fun festival band that would enjoy a stop in Chicago.

• Third Eye Blind: This is biased cause they’re my favorite. But 3EB does have festival dates at Firefly and Beale Street this summer, so Lolla is not out of the question.

• Avett Brothers: Although it doesn’t quite seem like their scene, the Avett’s are touring extensively but are mysteriously missing a Chicago date.

• Blink 182: A punk 90’s band like Blink could feel like they’re in their prime again with an evening slot at Lolla. I don’t see who wouldn’t want this to happen.

• Frank Turner: Frank and the Sleeping Souls have played Lolla before and after finally getting some US radio play with “Recovery,” it seems like they should return for round 2!

• J Roddy Walston & the Business: CONFIRMED! Ha I met these guys a few weeks ago at Gasparilla Music Fest and they did confirm they would be at Lolla.

• Fitz & the Tantrums: Fitz sang, danced, and entertained thousands with his last set at Lolla. With album 2 being released last year, it only seems proper that he returns for another go around.

• Alabama Shakes: Man I would love to see this! The Shakes are still riding high off debut Boys & Girls, and have other festival gigs scheduled.

•  Beck: Nearly 20 years after Beck got famous for his release of “Loser,” he could play Lolla to promote his well-received new album, Morning Phase.

• Of Monsters and Men: They played Lolla two years ago after the release of their outstanding debut, My Head is an Animal, but we’ve barely heard anything since. How do you stay relevant? Playing a great set at Lolla!

• Broken Bells: Their new tune “Holding onto Life” is super catchy and I expect to see them at The Grove this summer.

• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zero’s: This one is more of a wish than an actual thought. But Alex Elbert and his hippy band are playing festival gigs at Boston Calling and Shaky Knees, so it’s possible.

• Old Crow Medicine Show: Theses guys seem to be following the Avett’s around this spring, so I have to include them as a package deal. I wouldn’t mind though. “Wagon Wheel” would be epic!

• Modest Mouse: With slots towards the top of both Hangout and Shaky Knees Fest, you can’t rule out a stop at Lolla.

• Bleachers: Bassist Jack Antonoff of FUN has a new side project and a catchy first single to go with it. Check out “I Wanna Get Better.”

• Portugal the Man: Alaska’s greatest rock band spent majority of the past year in the top 10 for college album sales with Evil Friends, making them a perfect fit for a Lolla slot.

That’s all I have for now. We’ll see what happens this week. Very exciting for sure!

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Gasparilla Music Fest

Rockers J Roddy Walston & the Business were the winners this year at GMF!

The Gasparilla Music Fest! Taking place in downtown Tampa, this is one great weekend of music that seems like it should only get larger in years to come. The festival features a wide range of genres over two days, with four stages and lots of food trucks and beer tents. $40 got you a one-day ticket into Saturday’s busy lineup. The band that convinced me to attend is the rock band – J Roddy Walston & the Business.

J Roddy and the rest of the group from Cleveland, Tennessee had an afternoon slot on the second largest stage. Their crowd was not as large as I expected, but that didn’t seem to bother the band, who came on stage and never stopped rocking.

Walston himself is the lead singer and has a very iconic style of pounding on his piano as he sings. The rest of the band provides catchy guitar rifts and surprisingly high backup vocals to compliment Walston’s voice nicely. The four-piece group treated the crowd to one hour of true rock-n-roll music. This was the first time I’ve seen J Roddy Walston & the Business live and it definitely increased my fan hood.

The highlight of the set was the group’s most well known tune, “Heavy Bells.” This rock anthem just makes you want to sing, dance, jump around, and most importantly, just BE LOUD. Walston sounded great singing it live, and I’ll admit it was my favorite moment of the day.

Performance Review: 3 Stars

After enjoying a few afternoon Rolling Rocks at the Hub, conveniently located right across the street from GMF (who allows re-entry), we were back in time to catch the tail end of Delta Spirit’s set. The only reason I was familiar with this indie rock band is because their front man, Matt Vasquez, has a side project playing in a super group called Middle Brother. Vasquez plays alongside Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and John J. McCauley III of Deer Tick in this folk rock band that has quite the cult following.

Unlike the indie folk sound of a Dawes or Deer Tick though, Delta Spirit strays much more to the rock side. Their live performance was very intense, and they did a great job of entertaining a crowd that was mostly there just waiting for The Flaming Lips. Check out the song “California” to get a nice preview of the band.

After Delta Spirit left the stage, the roadie crew for The Flaming Lips was hard at work, setting up an elaborate stage that had glowing neon noodle lights extending from the rafters of the stage down to the floor. They also assembled a pyramid shaped platform of silver globes that just increased the anticipation for the Flaming Lips to start their set.

It’s easy to say that the Tampa crowd was ready to explode when wacky Lips’ front man Wayne Coyne took the stage. To make the fans even rowdier, Coyne walked out carrying a giant inflatable balloon, spelling out the words - “Fuck Yeah Tampa.” Coyne released the balloon into the Tampa sky and took his place on stage, perched on top of the silver pyramid, confirming that he would be very much in the spotlight.

For someone like myself who is not very familiar with The Flaming Lips, I have to say the most entertaining part was the production of their performance. Coyne is a strange man with stranger on-stage antics. For the first few songs he performed while carrying a baby doll in his arms and acting like a caring mother. He also constantly used smoke and confetti to his advantage with a truly wondrous stage as his backdrop.    

I have to say though, once you got used to the spectacular stage, the set was quite dull. I thought their songs would be much more high energy, but it seemed like a set list full of melancholy songs, one after the next. I’m never a guy that will take his phone out at a show, but at times I thought The Flaming Lips were so boring that my post concert plans began to take priority.

One standout was “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” which did create a nice sing a long. Also, the set closer, “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” was very uplifting, with the word “LOVE” flashing in large golden letters on the backdrop as the band left the stage.

Other than those though, The Flaming Lips were a disappointment. They’re a large production for sure, but take away the thrills and the lights, and the stripped down music just did not sound good. I wouldn’t recommend them.

Performance Review: 2 Stars

Overall, despite a underachieving headliner, I gotta say the Gasparilla Music Fest organizers did a great job. This is a cool festival that takes place in downtown Tampa! Why not spend your Saturday or full weekend enjoying some good music!

My main recommendation for them is to not use too much of their budget on one big headliner, which I’m sure was a factor this year. Instead go for 4-5 quality sub headliners that appeal to a wider audience. (Dawes and Dr. Dog were perfect in 2013) Also, look to book smaller bands that have BIG followings in Tampa. The perfect band would have been Twenty One Pilots. They’re the most popular band on 97X and attracted thousands to 97x’s Backyard BBQ last spring. They would have brought in a few hundred more Gasparilla concertgoers easily.

Concert Review - Wild Child

For being a dirty dive bar in Ybor, I gotta hand it to Crowbar for bringing in some solid musical talent. After a spring calendar that’s already featured Shovels & Rope and Bronze Radio Return, I was happy to go see Wild Child perform there on March 6^th.

For those unfamiliar with the band, Wild Child is a poppy indie-folk group from Austin, Texas. I first heard of them through their new song, “Crazy Bird,” which was their lead single from the group’s second album called The Runaround, released last fall. This followed up their 2011 debut entitled Pillow Talk. 

The band is centered on Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins, who both sing and play around with the violin and ukulele. Their ensemble features a drummer, cello player, keyboardist and bassist. Together they’re capable of producing ample sound, but also sound great stripped down with just Wilson and Beggins vocals.

Wild Child played about 75 minutes to a small crowd at Crowbar. The beginning of the set was heavy on their second album, but they mixed in some old tunes as well. My personal favorite was “Silly Things,” a touchy slower tune from their debut.

The band kept things very casual with the audience, acknowledging that Beggins parents were in attendance and asking for recommendations on what bars to visit after the show. It was a very comfortable and enjoyable performance.

One of the coolest moments came on the very final song. After the singers dismissed the rest of the band, they asked the crowd if they knew the bands most popular tune - “Pillow Talk.” As the audience cheered, Wilson asked if the fans would sing extra loud if the band came into the crowd to perform from the floor. So it was pretty wild to see everyone crowded around the two, who sang “Pillow Talk” with just a ukulele and the fans voices. Definitely a good way to end the night!

I like Wild Child and I encourage you to check them out. It’s always enjoyable to see bands easily incorporate string instruments into their songs. Wild Child does this perfectly. For me, they remind me most to Of Monsters and Men with their two lead singers. They also evoke similarities to Shovels and Rope, and The Mowgli’s. (Especially on their song “The Tale of You & Me)

CONCERT RATING: 2.5 Stars

Young the Giant - Round 2 from NYC

So while I was in the city two weeks ago, Young the Giant happened to be playing two sold out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Even though I had seen them the prior Tuesday in St. Pete, I had to take advantage of being able to see them in NYC. So despite a rough start of once again purchasing counterfeit tickets and having to beg my way into the concert, the night turned around by the performance of Young the Giant.

Sameer and company definitely seemed to be fueling off the NYC Saturday night crowd. The younger audience sang and danced along all night, as the band played nearly the same set from the show I reviewed just two weeks ago.

They slightly altered the order of the songs, which I thought worked well. “Apartment” worked much better as the encore this time around compared to “Camera” in St. Pete, and moving fan favorite, “I Got,” up to the beginning of the set list forced the fans to start singing early in the night.

Highlights included “Mind Over Matter,” “It’s About Time,” and of course – “Cough Syrup” and “My Body.” Overall, I was happy to be seeing Young the Giant twice this spring. They’re a fun band and you won’t be disappointed seeing them live. And on a side note, despite having shady ticket dealers, New York once again proved to be a great location for seeing live shows!

CONCERT RATING: 3 Stars 

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Bronze Radio Return Awkwardly Plays Crowbar

I was pretty excited to see roots-rock group Bronze Radio Return play a small bar-gig in Tampa on February 20^th. As a native of Connecticut, I may be a bit more familiar than most Floridians when it comes to this 6-piece rootsy group that has gained some popularity through three studio albums. 

Unfortunately though, that popularity hasn’t quite made it down to Tampa. Front man Chris Henderson and the group played to a nearly empty room at the already small Crowbar in Ybor City, FL. This was discouraging, especially after realizing that the majority of the people there left after opening band Red Wanting Blue finished their set. Even local favorite Mercy McCoy seemed to have more followers.

There are ways to still put on a great show, even with a small audience, but I thought Bronze Radio just made things feel awkward. During “Melting in my Icebox” they tried to get the whole crowd to sing backup, but there was more chatter than singing. Henderson himself also appeared very strange and goofy on stage, awkwardly smiling and looking very robotic.

This wasn’t the best show, but I assure you this band is good! They’re probably more comfortable playing up in New England for their hometown crowds. But they do have national recognition in some places - hence a respectable position on the Hangout Festival lineup.

But anyways, give these guys a try if you like indie roots-rock music. Standout songs are “Down There,” “Everything Moves,” and “Blurry-Eyed Worries.”

CONCERT RATING – 2 Stars

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Band of Horses Go Unplugged in NYC

New York City for the weekend! My sister lives up here and I try to make an appearance in the city a couple times a year. As is the case with most large cities, there are so many music venues that I always seem to be able to catch a show while I’m in town. Over the years I've seen some of the best shows of my life in NYC - most notably Oasis at Madison Square Garden in 2008 and Mumford & Sons at Barclays just over one year ago. (Both 5 star shows) This time, NYC performances lived up to its reputation as I saw an incredible Band of Horses show!

I've seen Band of Horses one time before, at Lollapalooza 2013. The band was a subheadliner and played an afternoon slot at one of the largest stages, drawing over 50,000 festival-goers. I couldn't get anywhere near the stage, and ended up watching from ¼ mile away and didn't really feel a connection with the band. Well this show in NYC was the complete other end of the spectrum. Band of Horses was playing at a historic Broadway theater called Town Hall. The venue held less than 500 people, an incredibly rare intimate gig for these guys.

The show is part of a mini acoustic tour that they’re currently in the middle of. Following the framework of the Foo Fighter’s acclaimed Skin & Bones tour, the rock group Band of Horses left their electric guitars behind for these shows. They replaced them with an upright base, a grand piano, a scaled down drum kit, and an array of acoustic guitars.  

As you may imagine, this was no easy ticket. The sold out show had tickets for as high as $400 on secondary ticket markets. I made the risky choice of purchasing tickets from a ticket dealer on Craigslist. $70 for a good seat seemed great, and it was very much too good to be true. The ticket ended up being fake. But THANKFULLY, the security manager had some sympathy for me and allowed me to stand in the back of the venue. (seats opened up later where I sat for the majority of the show.)

So you can guess my frustration level after purchasing fraudulent tickets for the first time in my life. But that memory was completely erased once front man Ben Bridwell took the stage promptly at 9PM. This rock star that usually wears tanks and is covered in tattoos had a completely different look. He played his first tune, “St. Augustine,” completely solo in a suit jacket and pants. This set the tone for the night that it would be a much different Band of Horses concert experience.

Bridwell introduced the rest of the band and all members took their respective places on the small stage, appropriately lit with floor lamps. They sat in a half circle and immediately established a very casual feel. The guys interacted with the crowd, sipped on glasses of wine and joked with each other in between songs.

The 5 piece group started getting into song after song, and in all honesty, each one sounded great! The stripped down acoustic sound came off as very folkish – a genre that Band of Horses could fall into if the folk sound wasn't usually masked by guitar.

They spent time on each song and inserted plenty of musical breaks and extended instrumental intros, which were very enjoyable to watch. Drummer Creighton Barrett entertained the crowd with a “drum solo” using only his ride cymbal. Guitarist Tyler Ramsey provided an excellent acoustic guitar solo as the intro for “Everything’s Gonna Be Undone.” These musical arrangements were a true treat.

The crowd was very respectable throughout the night. At times you could hear a pin drop in the theater, but at other moments you couldn't help but hum along or shout out a quick cheer. The atmosphere was very relaxed as the audience remained in our seats the entire night. But we definitely were not bored. Everyone clapped as one during “Older” and sang along to crowd favorite “No One’s Gonna Love You.”

One of the things I was most impressed by was band member Ryan Monroe, who displayed some amazing versatility throughout the night. Monroe went back and forth between the grand piano and the ukulele. He sings backup on many tunes, and even takes the lead on a few songs, giving the band a slightly more country feel. His best moment was providing a powerful piano intro for "Detlef Schrempf." 

Some other highlights from the concert was a folky “General Specific” that Bridwell, Ramsey, and Monroe all sang together on one microphone, as well as the groups most popular tune, “The Funeral.” This alt-rock classic is usually very guitar and drum heavy. Those were replaced in this version by a nice piano opening and great use of the upright base as the rhythm section.

In total, Band of Horses played for a generous two hours, partially due to the increased conversation in-between songs. Arguably the best song of the night was their final closer, “Is There a Ghost.” As strange as it sounds, the guys absolutely acoustically rocked this final tune, sending the crowd into a long standing ovation. 

My overall opinion that I’m taking with me from this show is that it is very possible for a band to produce ample sound, even without the standard drums, guitars and synths that most alt-rock bands use today. This concert was 5 guys sitting on a stage playing acoustic instruments, but it was plenty loud. This confirms the strategy used best by the Mumfords, (who entertain hundreds of thousands at festivals with only plugging in a guitar on a few select songs), but just in a smaller setting. 

This was a special night for sure, and increased my fan hood in Band of Horses. The guys from Seattle will finish this acoustic tour up throughout the next month, and will most likely return to their usual instruments for another run of shows later this year. For fans that couldn't make it to an acoustic show, I recommend checking out their new live album, Acoustic at the Ryman. This was recorded over two nights of shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last spring. It is a great listen!

CONCERT RATING – 4 Stars