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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.
--Fauzia Arain
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.
--Erin Osmon
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.
--Matt Pais
