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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Bonnaroo scene report #5: Okkervil kills!
“We are from the state of Texas and the city of Austin,” Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff announced near the end of an astonishing set that did our burg proud. “Lost Coastlines,” with an extended banjo intro by Lauren Gurgiolo, had the crowd of about 2,000 clapping their hands over their heads, and the closing couplet of “Our Life Is Not a Movie” and “Unless Its Kicks” caused waves of delirium.
Sheff has developed quite a flair for dramatic pause and effect, with “A Girl In Port” building to a climax and “John Allyn Smith Sails” delivering mightily on the seque to “Sloop John B,” which Sheff sang like this is the last show of a tour. The crowd sang back parts of “For Real” as Sheff rocked out on his acoustic.
But Sheff and his Arcade Fire-like band of multi-instrumentalists were just as dynamic on quieter moments, creating grandiocity without big strokes. Sheff dropped imaginary walls and curtains around the confusingly-named “Other Tent” (as opposed to “This Tent” and “That Tent”) on a solo acoustic “A Stone.” As Sheff sang “You love a stone/ You love white veins/ you love hard grey/ the heaviest weight/ the clumsiest shape/ the earthiest smell/ the hollowest tone” the rest of the fest was drowned out by the boldly naked moment.
Among the other highlights was “Westfall,” from the first record, which moved back and forth between “Paint It Black” by the Stones.
Pure and simple, Okkervil River destroyed on the last afternoon of Bonnaroo. Their fans sang every word, the passersby stopped passing.
Talking to Sheff after the set, he said the band was nervous, yet energized, by the presence of Bruce Springsteen at stage right for the entire 90 minutes. “The Boss” complimented the Okkervillians and hung out with them for awhile. “He told us how much he’s been enjoying touring these days,” said Sheff, “because there’s only so much time.” Springsteen was later spotted taking in Neko Case’s set.
(Ed. note: Springsteen also joined final night headliner Phish on stage for performances of Mack Rice’s “Mustang Sally” and his own tunes “Bobby Jean” and “Glory Days.”)
Okkervil River tapes “Austin City Limits” for the first time Thursday. Then they’ll go into the studio to make an album with Roky Erickson.
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Bonnaroo scene report #4
ASSOCIATED PRESS
It’s probably hard to freak out producer Don Was, but when Robert Earl Keen opened his set Sunday with an amazing version of “White Room” by Cream, Was had to make sure he wasn’t hearing things.
Was had just played a set on bass with Todd Snider that was alternately hilarious, tender, angry and sane. With just Snider’s acoustic guitar and Was’ standup bass, the duo had every hand in the air at “This Tent” during “Stuck On the Corner,” with it’s “Hell, Yeah” crowd response.
Snider did some new songs from the album “The Excitement Plan,” with a tune about Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LSD in 1970 resonating especially.
Keen joined Snider on the latter’s “Corpus Christi Bay,” which is on Snider’s new album. It’s a song about giving into the elements, which seemed well-placed on this final day of the country’s biggest, craziest music fest.
Right now, Erykah Badu is making it hard to write, not just because the bass is making my laptop vibrate. Sounds like she’s really fired up- and so is the crowd- so let’s see if I can get some of that.
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Bonnaroo scene report #3
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hate when they change the rules about where you can and can’t go. Now already I know I’m coming off as a snob, because, well I am when it comes to big outdoor festivals. After 34 years of reviewing shows, I just can’t do the sun-stroked behemoth without some sort of special access and at Bonnaroo they have this cool deal where they vacate the first 50 yards in front of the main stage after each set and then let diehards line up for a place in the pit. With the kind of pass I had, I was able to join the action up front for Al Green and the Beastie Boys.
But before Saturday evening’s Wilco set, that was off: no artist badges allowed up front. The word was that reps for Bruce Springsteen, who came on next, wanted to clear the area of S.I.P’s (sorta important people). Wilco came out rocking, but not enough to move me from the next county, so I went back to Gov’t Mule at the other main stage. The Mule was on some weird cover mission, like maybe they’d lost a bet with Phish and had to play such worn tunes as “Helter Skelter,” “Creep” by Radiohead and Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” It was an experiment that worked for awhile.
Saturday morning I dropped my laptop on my bare foot and my big toe was as black and swollen as Kanye’s ego, so I called it a day early and drove back to Nashville. I thought I was done with the ‘roo, but on Sunday my big ‘un made a remarkable recovery and I was back on I-24, headed 66 miles to Manchester, Tenn.
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