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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 p.m. 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
