Lolla '08 reviews

Photos:

Sunday

Kanye West
8:30 p.m. AT&T stage
Having obviously learned his lesson from the two-hours-late Bonnaroo incident, Kanye West started his set fashionably late at 8:35 p.m. sans any big introduction from Barack Obama (sorry, Internet rumors). Bursting on stage in a cloud of blue and purple, claps of strobes and foreboding synthesizers he grabbed the audience and never let go. West performed all his hits and played on audience emotions as he called for onlookers to “Scream for my mama” (who passed away Nov. 2007) as he fell to the floor. West has an obvious flair for the dramatic and through full-throttle swagger and production he channeled it in the best way possible, leading Lollapalooza out with a bang.
--EO

Nine Inch Nails
8:30 p.m. Bud Light stage
By closing with the self-mutilating sing-along "Hurt," Trent Reznor made sure nobody on his end of Grant Park went home too happy. But the preceding show – which started with a wail of punk fury and retained its menace through a mini-set of post-rock instrumentals and the devil cabaret of "Piggy" – proved that the weekend’s only veteran of the first Lollapalooza (in 1991) was far from stale. The special effects were top notch, but nothing beat the pummeling fireworks of "Terrible Lie" and "Head Like a Hole."
--RM

Mark Ronson
7:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Playing the last night of a 16-month tour Sunday, DJ-producer Mark Ronson proved himself to the Lolla crowd as a band leader too, calling on an arsenal of talent to carry out his vision on stage. Though the revolving-door nature of the vocalists contributed to a sometimes uneven energy, Ronson controlled the pace of the 75-minute set by calling in just the right people—notably Rhymefest and Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet—at just the right times.
--M. KP

The National
7:15 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
An audience member's feelings on The National's Sunday evening set was all about context. If you were winding down after a long weekend of music, they were just the sedative you needed. But if you were seeking that final push, it was a bit of a slog. Matt Berninger's baritone and the band's foreboding melodies were an antidote to second winds, even as the darkly majestic "Fake Empire" fit the partly cloudy skies.
--RM

Girl Talk
6:30 p.m. Citi stage
The psyched body-to-body mass eager to be rocked by Pittsburgh's Gregg Gillis toiling away over his laptop was in place and still growing 20 minutes before showtime, a hot mess in the making. Gillis is basically like crack for partygoers and, sure enough, more chaos than the Citi stage had likely seen all weekend ensued--including the requisite rush of dancers to the stage--thanks
to his talent for mashing together hit after crowd-frenzying hit. Closing his set, a pumped Gillis informed the overflowing crowd, "The stage is f***ing bending! Congratulations!"
--FA

Gnarls Barkley
6:15 p.m. AT&T stage
Dressed like a group of milk men, Gnarls Barkley took the stage in a burst of drum beats, screaming “Chi-town make some noissseee.” Dapper front man-turned-sweaty soulster Cee-Lo Green swooned, while Danger Mouse recalled Peanuts character Schroeder with his hovering posture over the organ. The band provided flailing dance moves, and the crowd freaked over favorites like “Crazy” and a cover of Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone.” This was a safe, solid performance from a couple of Grammy winners.
--EO

Saul Williams
5 p.m. Citi stage
Taking the stage in black and blue feathers, vocal powerhouse Saul Williams unleashed genre-bending songs from his newest release, "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!". Short poems and some serious words—to the tune of race and politics--peppered his raw, energetic set. The crowd listened intently but showed more enthusiasm toward rocking out to “List of Demands (Reparations)" and his cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday” than changing the world right there and then.
--RP

Iron & Wine
4:15 p.m. Bud Light stage
Used to be the most exciting part of an Iron and Wine festival set was seeing what other act would drown them out. But Sam Beam has finally found a way to enlarge his bedroom folk sound without sacrificing the intimacy. With a nine-piece band patiently unspooling old songs and new, the beardy Beam at moments sounded like he was leading the mid-seventies Grateful Dead, a welcome salve for tired ears.
--Rob Mitchum

Black Kids
3:30 p.m. Citi stage
It was so packed for the Black Kids show on the Citi stage, they could have easily filled a main stage. The girls of the band, dressed in candy-colored get-ups, represented ... bouncing with high energy despite underwhelming sound and Chromeo competition. Unfortunately frontman Reggie Youngblood was a Debbie Downer, frequently whining about the heat and humidity. Excuse me, but aren’t you from that swamp down south? I think it’s called Florida. Despite high expectations, this performance fell flat.
--Erin Osmon

Chromeo
3:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Electrofunk duo Chromeo knows the cardinal rule of live showmanship: If you have a good time, the crowd will too. Dave 1 and a shirtless P-Thugg built fans into a steady groove with hands-in-the-air hits like “Tenderoni” and “Bonafied Lovin’”, then commanded them to erupt by breaking out “Fancy Footwork” about 30 minutes into the set. By the time they eased up with the mellower “100%”, most still-dancing fans were too worked up to notice.
--M. Kathleen Pratt

Amadou et Mariam
3:15 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
The Malian couple set a party tone for the healthy crowd of bouncers and booty-shakers. Despite an extended version of “Toubala Kono,” which slowed the pace early on--not to mention Mariam Doumbia’s failed attempt to lead the crowd in a group sing-along, en Francaise--Amadou Bagayoko’s bluesy guitar riffs kept fans screaming for more, as did the backing band’s funky bass lines and expert drumming for rock-laced songs that teetered, somewhat surprisingly, on disco as the set ended.
--Rebecca Palmore

Brazilian Girls
2:15 p.m. AT&T Stage
Sabina Sciubba didn’t one-up Bjork’s famous swan outfit, but she came close. Nestled in a white mini-skirt dress with mushroom cloud-sleeves, the Brazilian Girls frontwoman --sort of a Nico for the new millennium -- turned the stage into a clubland catwalk as she strutted to her band’s globally influenced dance music.
--MM

Office
1:15 Playstation Stage
Would The B-52s be as much of a party without Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson? Would Fred Snyder seem slightly more annoying? A couple questions I pondered during Office’s set, which featured the male replacements for departed bassist Alissa Noonan and keyboardist Jessica Gonyea. The Chicago rockers sounded as polished and poppy as ever, though they’ve clearly lost some of their on-stage charm.
--Matt McGuire

The Whigs
1:15 p.m. MySpace stage
After a weekend of electro, indie and hip hop mash ups, The Whigs were a pleasant ending. Rock and roll is alive and well with this trio, evident in their dripping sweat and singer Parker Gispert screaming concentration at the mic. Whether on the guitar or at the keyboard, Gispert kept a heady pace as he propelled the group through standouts "Mission Control" and the slightly more psychedelic "Sleep Sunshine."
--Rex Chekal

White Lies
12:45 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
If you haven't heard of the White Lies yet, you're probably not the only one. The new, young British group has created a buzz back home but is yet to catch on in the U.S. The four-piece band, led by Harry McVeigh's melancholy vocals, have such a polished sound you might think they've been at this for years. Their moody set, perfect for fans of The Cure or Interpol, kept the groggy, early Sunday-afternoon crowd interested, but not bursting with excitement.
--Sara Stewart

Wild Sweet Orange
12:30 p.. BMI stage
What happens when a perfectly decent rock band presents the type of earnest lyrical mush common to fourth-rate John Mayer knockoffs? Well, then you get Birmingham's Wild Sweet Orange, who effectively compensates for grade-school lines about green lights and open doors with a tight and sometimes rowdy emphasis on Southern guitar boogie. Singer Preston Lovinggood's breeziness was perfectly suited to the cool, shady BMI stage--the group wouldn't have a chance on one of the larger stages--and they've got a nice sound going. Now it's time to find something to sing about.
--Matt Pais

Kid Sister
12:15 p.m. AT&T stage
Kid Sister's willing and definitely able backing DJ-emcee duo Flosstradamus (J2K and Autobot) warmed up the crowd before she took the main stage for 45 minutes of summery Chi-Town rap. Save for a couple of slow spots between songs, the too-cute rising hometown heroine and Kanye darling did her darndest to command the stage with help from background dancers, painted "golden girls," her own spunky nonstop dance moves and fresh songs about beepers, jukin' and, of course, "Pro Nails," from her hotly anticipated album on Downtown Records.
--Fauzia Arain

The Octapus Project
11:30 a.m. MySpace stage
The self-described "noise-rock musicians" from Austin, Tex., brimmed with smiles during their 45-minute instrumental set, highlighted by hypnotic, distorted songs from "Hello, Avalanche," their third full-length on Peek-A-Boo Records, and demonstrating Yvonne Lambert's eerie upper hand with the theremin on “I Saw the Bright Shinies." Sadly, the set was cut short by one song (“Truck”), but the midday crowd was responsive, if not as comfortable mirroring the frenzied, energetic dancing that the band displayed onstage.
--Rebecca Palmore

Saturday

Rage Against the Machine
8:30 p.m. AT&T stage
“Look out for one another,” pleaded Rage singer Zack de la Rocha, eventually threatening to end the show early if people didn’t calm down. Why? Only seconds into “Testify,” the band had already created complete mayhem among the ocean of people at the AT&T stage, with myriad mosh pits turning Grant Park into a sea of sweat, fists and elbows. Though hampered by dulled sound, the 90-minute set offered exceptional renditions of political fire-starters like “People of the Sun” and “Wake Up,” during which de la Rocha supported Barack Obama but claimed people would revolt if the new president didn’t pull troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. First things first: Rage’s show provided a pinnacle of excitement, a release of energy/anger and, for many, some lessons in self-defense.
--MP

Wilco
8:30 p.m. Bud Light stage
Jeff Tweedy and Co. have been doing a lot of sewing, as evident by their coordinating bejeweled suits. Opening with "Misunderstood" they sang to the crowd "thank you for nothing." But we have a lot to thank Wilco for. They treated the hometown mass to a stimulating set filled with old favorites and select tracks off their latest record, "Sky Blue Sky." By closing out the show with classic songs "Monday" and "Outtasite," Wilco earned their headlining spot.
--SS

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
7:30 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
It took all of three notes and one horn section blast for the Dap-Kings to put life into an afternoon of wispy indie rock. And that was before veteran soul singer Sharon Jones even took the stage. When she did - strutting, wailing, dancing with audience members, and conducting the crowd - Jones turned Grant Park into her own personal sweaty juke joint. Pity poor Wilco, who had the misfortune to follow such a showstopper.
--RM

Lupe Fiasco
6:30 p.m. AT&T stage
Lupe Fiasco launched into his early evening set with radio hit "Kick, Push" and closed out with fan favorite "Superstar." In between, he had the rowdy crowd chanting along with the lyrics to "Daydreamin'" and "Paris, Tokyo." Dressed in crisp white pants, shirt, tie and vest, the Chicago MC used every corner of the stage (at one point even doing a backflip). Turns out the MC who announced his entrance as "Lupe-palooza" wasn't far off the mark.
--JW

Broken Social Scene
6:30 p.m. Bud Light stage
Yes, Feist had a break in her touring schedule this weekend. No, she didn’t join sometimes-band mates Broken Social Scene on stage, as she did at the Lollapalooza two years ago. The fellas -- fronted by a swirling four-guitar army -- got along just fine without her. And when Stars singer/occasional member Amy Millan joined the group mid-set, the group seemed to kick into a higher gear.
--MM

Battles
6:30 p.m. Citi stage
This post-rock supergroup--staffed with members of Don Caballero, Lynx and Helmet--cranks out a sound that's at once tribal and robotic, and resistance is futile. The gathered gave in willingly, moving to well-oiled, hot-blooded mechanical grooves that ranged from plaintive to joyously frantic. This must be the jam band music of a very bright future, or perhaps what a party in a toy store might sound like after close and all the inhabitants come to life.
--FA

Jamie Lidell
5:30 p.m. MySpace stage
At a music smorgasbord like Lolla, it’s only appropriate that a master of mashing up genres put on one of Saturday’s best shows. Jamie Lidell burst onto the MySpace stage with a slick version of “Another Day.” But it was only about 10 minutes before straight soul was out the door and he was sampling his own vocals and beatboxing like mad on an extended, funked up electronic version of “A Little Bit More.”
--M.KP

Okkervil River
5:30 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff commanded the stage Saturday afternoon, starting the group's set strong with an old favorite, "The President's Dead." He continued bashing around and howling his emotionally-wrought lyrics, backed by explosions of sound. And then, just as quickly, brought the tempo down for "A Girl In Port," asking the crowd to "pretend everyone is holding lighters, not iPhones." Sheff sang until he was literally out of breath. During "For Real," he had the crowd screaming right along with him.
--SS

Spank Rock
5 p.m. Citi stage
MC Spank Rock (Naeem Juwan) came out strong, and heavy beats and Juwan's authoritative presence had him conducting the audience like a symphony. When he raised his hands, the crowd obeyed–clapping and dropping on every cue. Then came Amanda Blank. Dressed in an outfit that seemed inspired by the Playboy "Bunny" costume, she spit rhymes rivaling her male cohorts. From the beat mixing to the club floor grinding, everything came together. How do I know? Spank Rock took hold of my feet and didn't let go.
--RC

Explosions in the Sky
4:30 p.m. Bud Light stage
By set's end, the four members of indie instrumental outfit Explosions in the Sky were visibly exhausted, covered in sweat and beyond out of breath. Despite a few lulls where the vibe was a bit too mellow, the band lived up to its reputation for insane live shows. With their sonorous bass, thrashing percussion and, ahem, explosive guitars, the Austin, Texas, quartet proved that, at least sometimes, lyrics are overrated.
--Jim Walsh

Brand New
4:30 p.m. AT&T stage
When Jesse Lacey told the crowd they were fools for watching Brand New and not Explosions in the Sky, we weren't sure if he was serious or just acting humble. When he later implied everyone was only there staking out spots for Rage, we wondered if he might rather be watching Explosions in the Sky. Though engaging on more melodic tunes like "Jesus Christ," the New York pop punk outfit mostly failed to rage themselves.
--M. Kathleen Pratt

DeVotchKa
3:30 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
Accordion? Check. Tuba? Check. Synth, violin, trumpet, piano? All there, and many more for DeVotchKa. The Denver four-piece band wove a beautiful set of gypsy rock, drawing notably from their recent album "A Mad and Faithful Telling." Frontman Nick Urata's melodic crooning filled the north end of the festival with a sense of celebration, and by the time he began whistling "How It Ends" from "Little Miss Sunshine," not a single person was standing still.
--Sara Stewart

MGMT
3:30 p.m. MySpace stage
Masters of skinny pants and divine electro/rock, MGMT invaded Lollapolooza. The crowd that descended onto the grounds surrounding the stage could rival the main acts playing this weekend. The set started with the band's signature smooth electro sound and seemed a little low energy for the massive crowd. The restlessness was apparent as people started to drift out, but that came to a halt when the band did a 180 with the groovy "Electric Feel." The crowd amped up further with "Time to Pretend," and "Kids" sent fans into a frenzy of stomping feet, shoulder rides and copious amounts of crowd surfing.
--RC

The Gutter Twins
2:30 p.m. AT&T stage
Dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan probably could’ve pulled off a mean Blues Brothers impression Saturday afternoon. But the Gutter Twins’ blues is bone-deep, and there was no room for comedy in their gloom and doom duets. Fortunately, the Twins’ misanthropy is also quite anthemic, and the band’s oozing slide guitar and mournful organ filled Hutchinson Field, as they not quite convincingly advised “don’t let the darkness eat you up.”
--RM

Foals
2:15 p.m. Citi stage
As most mathy indie-rock groups tend to, Oxford's Foals brought in a sea of mostly male watchers, but ladies ... you're missing out. Their technical proficiency makes for a captivating rock show, plus it is wholly danceable. The quintet was as tight here as they were during their short preview set at the Apple store on Thursday, where they showcased this year's "Antidotes" (Sub Pop) to a packed house that seemed mostly interested in seeing them, over the other fun buzz bands on that bill (Black Kids, The Kills.)
--FA

Mason Jennings
1:30 p.m. Play Station 3 stage
Unlike most singer-songwriters with an acoustic guitar, Mason Jennings doesn’t strum his songs to death. His arrangements are thoughtful; His guitar playing is tasteful. That said, Jennings isn’t an engaging enough performer to command a medium-sized Lollapalooza stage. A coffeehouse, perhaps. And his lyrics? Easy and breezy, Jennings’ simplistic rhymes didn’t please me. (Sorry. They're infectious.)
--Matt McGuire

Dr. Dog
1:30 p.m. MySpace stage
Dr. Dog is Exhibit A that Lollapalooza doesn’t really bother any more with that whole “alternative” thing; The Philadelphia band’s sound is about as off-kilter as a baby-boomer’s record collection. But as most festivalgoers were still rinsing off the big-budget paranoia of Radiohead with picnic blankets and beach balls, the group’s instantly familiar tunes and tight guitar interplay – held just short of jamband excess – was also perfect appetizer for a cloudless Saturday afternoon.
--Rob Mitchum

Ferras
1 p.m. Citi stage
I wasn’t the only confused onlooker in the modest crowd surrounding the Citi stage during Ferras’ set. Don’t get me wrong, he has a lovely voice and a compelling story. But performing songs with titles like “Soul Rock” blanketed with introductions like “This is a song about how we all bleed the same"? It reeked of adult contemporary. Though the band played a tight set, it just didn’t fit. These songs belong on The Lite, not at Lollapalooza.
--EO

The Ting Tings
12:45 p.m. AT&T stage
Maybe I'm a sucker for an underdog--this British duo is huge overseas but got some lukewarm press for their SXSW appearance this spring--but their loud and fast set rang strong for a midday crowd looking to get Day 2's party started with ra-ra yelping and dancing from singer and guitarist Katie White, rhythmic motivation via drummer Jules De Martino's hard-working kick drum and a fair amount of preprogrammed loops. They covered their album like they really meant it, wrapping with iPod commercial fave "Shut Up And Let Me Go," punctuated by a crowd-pleasing cowbell.
--FA

The Postelles
12:30 p.m. BMI stage
Hailing from New York without any of the attitude that sometimes comes with it, The Postelles delivered an incredibly likable set that makes us want to keep our eye on what they've got cooking in the future. Tunes like "Hey Little Sister" justified the Frankie Valli-meets-the-Strokes comparisons (the band has even worked with Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.), though the Postelles soften their contemporaries' scratchiness into something more tender. Just simply good songs, played with love and feeling.
--MP

Does It Offend You, Yeah?
12:30 p.m. Bud Light stage
Sounding like the aftermath of a drug addled one night stand between the Chemical Brothers and Moving Units, Does it Offend You, Yeah? is an electronic/punk/dance dream. Even melting under the midday sun, this clan of Brits rocked the crowd, delivering a string of fan favorites– including "Let's Make Out" and "Dawn of the Dead"–and ended with the crowd jumping and sweating to "We Are Rockstars." Besides CSS, this was one of the most energetic shows of the weekend so far.
--Rex Chekal

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's
12:15 p.m. MySpace stage
How would this intricate 8-piece resonate in a festival setting? Amazingly, each component was distinct throughout the set. A quiet start quickly amassed into loud cheers with crowd favorites like “Skeleton Key." These masters of the pause-explode-pause-explose effect did a nice job of mixing old favorites from their first album with newer, less-familiar songs. All in all, a great performance and one of the more diverse crowds I’ve witnessed so far.
--EO

De Novo Dahl
11:45 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
"Who out there knows that they're sexy?" asked these Nashville dance rockers. In case you can't tell that they're silly, the group wears retro, red-and-yellow horizontal striped body-suits like they stepped out of a Frankie and Annette movie. They try a bit too hard to be fun, and the keyboard-heavy melodies certainly aren't taking anyone by surprise. But it's polished and precise, and if I'm thinking of having a beach party, they'll be among the top 20 bands I consider to play.
--MP

Friday

Radiohead
8 p.m. AT&T Stage
The normally moody Thom Yorke cracked a few smiles. It would have impossible not to. Looking out over a happy mob that filled every inch of grass and concrete, the Radiohead frontman was making his triumphant return to Grant Park’s Hutchinson Field, the site of Radiohead’s legendary 2001 concert. He didn’t waste much time grinning though. From the opening drum blips of “15 Steps” straight into the guitar riff of “Airbag,” Yorke and his merry band of guitar manipulators and knob turners launched full throttle into their catalog and never let up. A perfect end to the first day.
--MM

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
7:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Taking the stage Steve Malkmus exclaimed, “We’re a part of the cruel overlap,” setting the shaky tone for the start of his set. The levels were more than off and Malkmus’ vocals were undetectable in the attempt to drown out CSS on the neighboring Citi stage. Thankfully things came together during “Water in the Sea” and the band sailed smoothly until finishing in a charmingly sloppy fuzzed-out jam. I barely noticed the ubiquitous 40-year-old frat boy/Pavement fan screaming, "Play 'Cut your Hair.'"
--EO

Cool Kids
7 p.m. BMI stage
Knee deep in nostalgia and native to Chicago, the Cool Kids were right at home on one of Lollapalooza’s Lake Shore Drive-backdropped stages. Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish plunder memories proudly, mixing their own “One Two” with the “So Whatcha Want” beat and rapping along to a medley of Skee-Lo and Dr. Dre golden oldies mid-set. But they also proved master re-enacters beyond their fashion cues, navigating low and crisp beats with good-natured charm.
--RM

CSS
7 p.m. Citi stage
Frontwoman Lovefoxxx (clad in a full bright red bodysuit and later a blue patterned one) encouraged synchronized dancing and the crowd obliged on songs such as "Left Behind," a recent single off this year's "Donkey." Mostly they happily bounced and clapped along to the Brazilian dance-rockers' songs that blend into an energetic blur of fun if sometimes redundant ditties. The loose set was strongest when it fell back on hits like "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" and "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above."
--FA

The Raconteurs
6:15 p.m. Bud Light stage
At Lollapalooza, an encore is rare treat. But if there was a single show Friday that demanded one, it was The Raconteurs—and Jack White and the boys delivered. After tearing through a jaw-dropping set, they returned to the stage for a worthy finale that included crowd favorites “Broken Boy Solider,” “Many Shades of Black” and “Salute Your Solution.” Too bad more than half the crowd, already en route to Radiohead, missed it.
--M.KP

Bloc Party
6:15 p.m. AT&T stage
Bloc Party's a band you wouldn't mind seeing under a flashy light show. When the London art-punk outfit took the stage Friday just as the sun was beginning to cool off, then, anticipation for a danceable performance was palpable. Maybe the hordes gathered were just waiting to snag a spot for the Radiohead show scheduled to follow, but then how do you explain riotous cheering when the chords to "Helicopter" first tumbled out?
--JW

Cadence Weapon
6:15 p.m. BMI stage
“They’re the Cool Kids, we’re the Cold Kids,” self-deprecated Rollie Pemberton--aka Cadence Weapon aka Edmonton’s finest hip-hop act--at the start of his set. But Cadence needn't have worried about being mere hypeman for the hometowners, as he showed a versatile flow over beats that looked forward with video game squelches and dancefloor gloss. But Pemberton didn’t neglect the hopper basics, conjuring up handwaves and claps while allowing his dirt-stached DJ to outduel the laptop.
--RM

Grizzly Bear
5:45 Citi stage
Frontman Ed Droste's loungey voice shone fuzzy and bright over the a capella-like harmonies of his bandmates, not to mention the quartet's carefully considered, spare but ever poignant jazzy instrumentation. Bassist Chris Taylor stole the show on crowd favorite "The Knife," hitting all the right high notes.  Actually, each member of this group got a turn in the vocal spotlight, even drummer and Chicago native Christopher Bear. Overall, a perfectly summery, relaxing and engaging set.
--Fauzia Arain

Cat Power
5:15 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
The new, more reliable Cat Power isn’t necessarily improved, and can sometimes feel like live band karaoke with the healthy percentage of covers and Dylan-blues arrangements. But Chan Marshall has been out of her shell long enough to improbably become a confident, fascinating frontwoman. Though she started out breathy and slight, the constantly prowling, gesticulating Marshall drew power from the setting sun and howled out a venomous “Fortunate Son” and a snotty “Tracks of My Tears.”
--RM

Mates of State
5:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Indie pop duo the Mates of State bounced on stage after an introduction as the "best band on the planet." And they didn't disappoint. Singer/organist Kori Gardner and her husband/vocalist/drummer Jason Hammel took their respective seats and rarely took their eyes of each other during the hour-long set of vibrant, catchy songs. The big tunes came at the end, closing with "My Only Offer" and "The Re-arranger." Their sound is intoxicating and demonstrates two people clearly doing what they love.
--SS

The Black Keys
4:15 p.m. Bud Light stage
The Ohio-based duo of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney of Ohio made their second Lollapolooza appearance, this year to a much larger crowd. The pair create a scuzzy, garage-blues rock sound that makes at least as much noise as any four-or-five-piece band. This two-man engine was relentless in their live performance, playing old favorites mixed with the more polished hits from their new album "Attack and Release." Highlights from the set included crowd favorites "Strange Times" and "I Got Mine."
--Sara Stewart

Gogol Bordello
4:15 p.m. AT&T stage
Talk about leaving it all on the stage. Gogol Bordello came out shouting and strutting and flailing about and didn’t come up for air until about 40 minutes into their set—and only then for about three seconds before launching right back into it with crowd favorite “American Wedding.” Bottom line: These gypsy punk phenoms can get any party started just by showing up.
--M. Kathleen Pratt

Duffy
3:15 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
Duffy’s often characterized as a more charming, less troubled version of Amy Winehouse. Add to that less interesting. Predictably, the Welsh singer-songwriter hit the title track off her acclaimed “Rockferry” within five minutes of taking the stage and wrapped up with her biggest hit to date, “Mercy.” Lovely as Duffy's vocals are, her 10-song set came off feeling too squeaky-clean and polished for a soul act—or any Lolla act, for that matter.
--M. Kathleen Pratt

The Kills
3:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Two words: hot and sexy. The emphasis is on the hot part, as singer Alison Mosshart looked like she might pass out in the full sun bearing down on the Myspace stage. "The Kills" rocked as hard as expected, searing through theirset with drum machine beats  blasting in the background. Ever song made me want to be that guy singing and dancing barefoot in the crowd--and I almost did to the gritty "Cheap and Cheerful."
--RC

Jeff Tweedy
2:30 p.m. Kidz Stage
"I'm sorry if you can't see, but I thought this was for the kids,"  Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy said to to the sea of 2,000 adults who overwhelmed the Kidz stage to catch his solo set. Instead of taking the stage, Tweedy performed on the lawn, and the all-Wilco set had one exception: Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," which showcased a brief reunion between Tweedy and short-lived UT drummer Bill Belzer, who had just finished his Kidz stage set with The Terrible Twos, the childrens songs moniker for indie rockers The New Amsterdams.
--Matt McGuire

The Go! Team
2:15 p.m. Bud Light Stage
There are bands that don't deserve an exclamation point in their names, and then there's The Go! Team. Backed by thrashing guitars and percussion, The Ninja, the band's MC, led a frenetic set by the U.K. exports dressed in Rainbow Bright stockings, a cherry-red skirt and heart-shaped shades. The only thing louder than the band's outfits, of course, were their tunes ("Grip Like a Vice" particularly), which consistently got the crowd thumping.
--JW

Yeasayer
2:15 p.m. AT&T stage
The hazy, humid "All Hour Cymbals" suggested Yeasayer would be the ideal band to usher in a hot weekend. But instead the Brooklyn band’s intimate details were sacrificed to big-stage necessity, with the sound mix emphasizing sequencers and drum pads that over-strengthened the band’s rhythmic backbone. Minus the ragged harmonies, “2080” and “Wait for the Summer” turned from shimmery to shrill while the band’s winding arrangements proved too fleetingly tribal to animate the increasingly shirtless crowd.
--Rob Mitchum

Rogue Wave
1:15 p.m. MySpace stage
Rogue Wave's early afternoon set started pretty low-key with fans reclined on blankets, but by show's end the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd was on its feet and hanging on frontman Zach Rogue's warbling words. His airy vocals shouldn't sound so good propped against the band's aggressive guitars, but with favorites such as "Chicago x 12" and "Harmonium," they did. Despite problems with sound bleeding from a nearby stage, the Oakland, Calif., act didn't disappoint.
--Jim Walsh

Butch Walker
1:15 p.m. Playstation 3 stage
When singer-songwriter Butch Walker told the crowd that we probably didn't know who he was, he was probably right, and the show started to smell like a potential bust. Still, after a couple of solo songs things picked up when Walker's band the "Let's-Go-Out-Tonights" joined him to generate some fun with the Joplin-esque number "The 3 Kids in Brooklyn." When rocking, Walker's producer background stands out to give everything an extra bit of polish.
--Rex Chekal

Holy F***
12:15 p.m. AT&T stage
They rarely spoke, but they sure rocked the funky white boy dance. Holy F*** got the show going with a mix of swirling synths, keys and four-to-the-floor beats that became increasingly dense and hypnotic. The massive crowd ate it up, with a few die-hard fans doing the pogo the entire length of the set, which ended in a psychedelic bang. Awesome!!!
--EO

Black Lips
12:15 Bud Light Stage
The psychedelic punk vibe of Atlanta’s Black Lips works better in small venues, where their fuzzy yet oddly catchy tunes can smack against the appropriate walls and faces up close. While the Lolla crowd’s relative indifference confirms this, the band’s well-honed attack conjured some ‘60s/’70s spirits and proved the band to be just good enough to wish their songs were better.
--MP

K'NAAN
11:30 a.m. Playstation 3 stage
Somalian singer K'NAAN started with a protest song proclaiming "The work visas they won't give us ... the odd jobs we take to put food upon our plates!" The group urged onlookers to put up fists, and everyone cheered. Girls in flowing skirts danced and straw hats bobbed to the beat. Energy increased after each song, and arms swayed the entire time, with fans erupting to lines like, "I make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit."
--Erin Osmon

Bang Camaro
11:30 a.m. MySpace stage
The ideal festival opener, Boston's '80s-inspired metal choir--yes, that's right--had a surprisingly large crowd’s fists pumping constantly. With 11 singers and a total of 16 dudes on stage, they’re a full-throttle, meat-and-potatoes rock arsenal, shouting choruses in unison around riffs that scream even louder. It’s not a joke and it ain’t rocket science—hell, it might be the exact opposite—but it’s still hilarious, and it totally rules.
--Matt Pais