The weekend was borderline perfect and exhausting. It’s hard to recap such an event. Far from being a review, here are some bullet points:
- Best in Show – Kutsher’s Resort, completely run down with it’s carpeted hallways, lake, arcade, and basic “Do what thou wish” attitude. The weekend could not have been better placed with a great layout and a total hands off security team.
- Second Place – Stardust Ballroom – Possibly the best venue in music history, complete with great sight lines, fantastic sound, and the Milky Way
- Most Amicable – Thurston Moore (of course), who fumbled his way through Psychic Hearts with cheat sheets and a constant ear to ear smirk.
- Best Surprise – Harmonia
- Artist that most deftly overcame diminished expectations – OM
- Artist that would appear to be most dependable – Low
- Band that most made me want to explore their music further – A Silver Mt. Zion
- Biggest rock star in attendance- Todd Trainer, Shellac
- Most Competent Riffs – Shellac
- Biggest and Best Sound/Loudest Riffs – Mogwai
- Guitar Star – J. Mascis
- Most Underwhelming – My Bloody Valentine, possibly because of fatigue following Yo La Tengo, Mogwai, Dinosaur Jr., 3 days of the festival and a brutal hour long wait at midnight. But they didn’t quite bring it until…
- Most competently replicated a deafening turbine engine for over 20 minutes - My Bloody Valentine
- Most impressive amplifier setup – 2 way tie – Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine
- Most Chamelion – Yo La Tengo
- Biggest let down – The bombastic rock of Mercury Rev’s live show doesn’t seem too far removed from a Coldplay performance
- Last Place – Demographic (myself included). There was a definite lack of a communal vibe and very limited intermingling amongst the different “packs”. Also, just the most controlled and well behaved audience. Saw little or no debauchery (minus the stolen dog, of course).
Posted in: Music, Other Interests