Crib Notes

CAT POWER

(all photos by Jeff Hahne)

My first reaction to the Echo Project, held this past weekend on 350 acres of farmland south of the city, was one of wonder. Of course, it was beautiful land, but I marveled at the vastness of the concert area on Friday. I had imagined something substantial, but much more low-key than the final arrangement — five stages spread liberally across a vast field with pockets of glass pipe vendors and food trailers spread throughout. It probably wasn’t the size of the venue that struck me, but that there weren’t a lot of people. Official ticket numbers came in much lower than 20,000 concert-goers. (Estimates range between 6,000 and 10,000.) So, there was a lot of room to spread out and see some great bands.

Cypress Hill
It was, by far, the most energetic show I saw all weekend. B-Real’s energy — his banter with the audience, his insistence on crowd participation — was infectious. In the 30 minutes of the performance I watched, I think I witnessed more pot smoked — on stage and off — than I’ve ever been privy to.

J.J. Grey & Mofro
My personal challenge was to explore new musical horizons and blindly take a chance on bands I had either never heard of or had only heard about but never listened to. A set by guitarist/keyboard player/harmonica enthusiast J.J. Grey on one of the more unassuming stages represented my first experiment, and it was a success.

The Flaming Lips

My opinion is going to make me very unpopular: I didn’t think the Flaming Lips’ set was all it was cracked up to be. I was ready for a party, and so was everyone else. That’s what we got, but for me the allure lasted about three songs. Lead singer Wayne Coyne was there in his ball, rolling over the crowd. There were streamers, balloons and confetti. Sure, it was a party, but should a band really create excitement from props instead of music?

THE FLAMING LIPS

GZA OF WU-TANG CLAN

Saturday
After driving to and from the festival for two days and burning almost a tank of gas, I decided to stay away on Sunday. I would miss Man Man, Spoon and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, but I would also be doing my part to help out with conservation efforts. I hadn’t made a firm decision until Matt McDonald of Perpetual Groove told me about the vibe in the camping area. People were policing each other, making sure everyone picked up and made the Echo Project as clean and as green as possible.

Son Volt
The alt-country band wasn’t too heavy on the distortion, so it was nice to find some scarce shade, sit down and listen to Son Volt. With just four people and no props — a stark contrast to the night before — the stage felt a little empty. But the thin crowd gathered for the set was into it.
SON VOLT

Avett Brothers
Call me uninformed, but I had no idea what I was walking into. Most of the audience made its way over to this show halfway through Son Volt’s set, and the difference in musical presentation was striking. Son Volt was subdued; the Avett Brothers were frantic. It’s avant folk music — spot-on harmonies, acoustic guitar solos and banjo thrashing. Scott Avett had a little trouble with his falsetto, but that did nothing to detract from the band’s set. And hey, the band has a cellist.

Brazilian Girls
I’m not usually a fan of electronica mixed with live instruments, but the rave/dance party vibe of the Brazilian Girls got into my bones. Maybe it was the intimate tent venue (most of the other acts were on outdoor stages) that brought people together, but I really felt a communal spirit during the band’s show.
BRAZILIAN GIRLS

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH

ENTROPY

ENTROPY

HOPE FOR A GOLDENSUMMER

MAN MAN

SPOON

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