Langerado: Saturday Night

So around 630 on Saturday, things start to get blurry. No, not that way. There was just so much to hear and see and discover- it was overstimulation of the awesome kind.

On my way to the Everglades stage, I could hear RAQ absolutely tearing things up over on Greenarado. I didn't have time to stop and watch because Thievery Corporation were just about to start things up- but I did hear a scathing version of Van Halen's "Jump." 80s supergroup meets jamband rockers? Yes please.

Thievery Corporation aren't great on disc. Yet again, I think this is a personal taste thing. However, their globally conscious electro-jam-funk is an entirely different entity once these boys get onstage. The sun had set by the time TC hit the stage and the temperature was dropping at an alarming rate (it eventually got down to 40 degrees). I was too busy getting down to notice.
I honestly think this might have been my favoriteshow of the weekend- they just blew me away and left me, along with the rest of the audience, wanting more.

Next up was Matisyahu vs. Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood. Life would be so great if these were always the hard decisions in my life. ANYWAY I love watching mesmerizing Hasidic hip-hop stars, but it had been a while since I'd been spaced out by the trippy electro magnetism of MSMW. So away we went.

As much of a fan I am of all four of these men, MSMW is somewhat of a contradiction for me. Scofield is a very talented man- there is no question in that. But I have found that when he sits in with the band, he throws off the dynamic between the other three. That's what happened at Langerado; while the music was technically sufficient, I found the performance to be overall lackluster. Ok moment of honesty: I was freezing and needed to go warm up before R.E.M.

For all his weird eccentricities, Michael Stipe might just be one of the best front men ever to hit the rock 'n' roll stage. He had us following his every hand flourish, hip wiggle and eye flutter. The man is magnetic.

Bands with as many hits as R.E.M. always have a sort of predicament when they perform to a mixed fanbase (read: people that did not buy tickets to see them headline). They know we want to hear "Losing My Religion" and "It's The End Of The World As We Know It," but they want us to check out their new cuts off of the upcoming "Accelerate." And while the new album was definitely prevalent, they were able to pull off a two hour set packed with the hits. Here's the list:

1) What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
2) (I'm pretty sure this was from Accelerate - an uptempo, garage-rock of a song)
3) Bad Day
4) Drive
5) Fall on Me
6) Hollow Man (from Accelerate)
7) Southern Central Rain
8) Orange Crush
9) Accelerate (umm, yah)
10) Imitation of Life
11) Man-Sized Wreath (from Accelerate)
12) Begin the Begin
13) Electrolite
14) Houston (from Accelerate)
15) Losing My Religion
16) Horse to Water (from Accelerate)
17) Walk Unafraid
18) The One I Loveencores
19) Supernatural Superserious (from Accelerate)
20) Auctioneer
21) I'm Gonna DJ (from Accelerate)
22) Man on the Moon