It was near 90 and cloudless. A faint breeze blew around far too infrequently. And everything, it appeared, was much louder.
The main stages aren’t in the corners this year. The AT&T stage and Bud Light stage point due north and due south, respectively…and you can hear the bands on those stages for miles. Which is fine, when the mix job is done right. When it’s not, it’s death. We were a quarter mile away from one band, and they still hurt our ears. Who’s at the mixing board, Pete Townshend?
11:30: Rock for Kids Youth Jam Band, Kidzapalooza stage
Jason: Unfortunately this first little act I caught sounded more like an informal session than a real gig. Did these kids “jam?” It’s hard to say.
11:15: The Helicopters, Citibank stage
Jason: I caught the middle and end of this band’s set, a local group playing as part of the “Last Band Standing.” They rocked the hell out of the stage and made me an instant fan. The “modern rock” tag doesn’t always have to be bad, and these guys are proof.
11:45: The Fratellis, MySpace stage
David: Easily the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at Lolla for a band playing this early, but the fans were rewarded for their troubles, even though the band admitted it was a tad early for them (“We’ll be good by the end of the set.”) They weren’t much to look at in terms of stage presence, but they sounded fabulous. “Chelsea Dagger” has the best drunken barroom chorus since “Tubthumping.”
12:00: Illinois, Citibank stage
This Pennsylvania group sports a lead singer who also doubles on banjo and keyboards. These guys sounded great, despite their second song being riddled with microphone and keyboard problems. Nevertheless, Illinois persevered and the crowd enjoyed them muchly.
1:00: Improv Comedy: The Second City, MOTO Mindfield stage
Jason: This, along with the Helicopters, was my favorite thing I saw on the first day. These guys seemed to do skits instead of improv, but they were hilarious, combining short films and live sketches. Absolutely hilarious. I wanna see ‘em again.
1:30: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, MySpace stage
David: To paraphrase Morrissey, I was bored before it even began. Off to the north side to see the Polyphonic Spree.
2:30: Polyphonic Spree, Bud Light stage
David: Man, I can’t tell you how disappointed I was by the Spree. With all of those people onstage, I expected a party. What we got instead was the worst mix job in Lolla history, and the loudest band in Lolla history, thus making it even more unfortunate that the mix job was so bad. I was a good 100 yards from the stage and wearing earplugs, and they still hurt my ears. Time to go check out Jack’s Mannequin
2:30: Jack’s Mannequin, AT&T stage
David: I’ve seen these guys before, and they’re very good. We watched a good chunk of their set (after the 10-minute walk from the north side stages) from the AT&T Oasis, just to get a break from the sun.
3:30: Slightly Stoopid, MySpace stage
David: Who the hell are these guys? What started off as harmless reggae turned into an unopened love letter to the Beastie Boys. We were so annoyed that we went to get something to eat…
…and never came back.
We would like to send our deepest apologies to Daft Punk (currently playing as we post this piece), but when you’re staring down a four and a half-hour wait until the next band you give a damn about takes the stage, it’s difficult to rationalize subjecting yourself to such brutal conditions for no reason. We’re arriving a little bit later tomorrow, since there is no way we’re missing Muse and Interpol. Though Jason may require a trip to the disabled list after the wear and tear he suffered on his first day.
