…working …working …working …

Yes. I do like Umphrey’s McGee.

Because they are confused. I like that. I can relate to that.

Bands like them usually pull a few particular hardcore followers, and it was one of those I sought. (The crowd was actually pretty sparse for the Budweiser Stage, for how nice the weather is.)

I was looking for a tour rat, or at least a college kid writing down the setlist. What I found was my 18-year-old cousin Carter Watson, who confirmed what I had suspected as soon as I walked within earshot.

What was going on was pretty much improvised.

You can tell by the changing key centers, general sense of uncertainty, and causal glances among band members. But it sounded like a song.

Click here and you can see for yourself.

“They have kind of been playing ‘In the Kitchen,’ but it’s been going on for at least 20 minutes,” he said.

The jam heavy segments were interspersed with dynamic tempo changes, more melodic vocal sections and some lounge actish goofiness that, yes, reminds me of Phish. There I said it.

But it wasn’t the same bit, Anymore than George Carlin is the same bit as Lewis Black.
Not really even close.
There are just… similarities.

Most of the show was wound up pretty tightly.

It’s not everyone’s bag, but hey, what is?

I was impressed with both the technical virtuosity and multi-layered cohesiveness of the presentation.

See? I like stuff sometimes!

This might be it for me campers.
I’m thinking about bailing on Fergie and the Black Crows.

No offense intended to either.

I’m just about BSMFed out.

Thanks to everyone who helped this go so smoothly this year.

Cheers.

the contest for “who can have most women dance on stage with him.”

Usually that honor goes to a rapper.

I guess it doesn’t hurt if you play 10 or 12 shows.

Whatever, he still wins.

Okay John  and I are over 50. So as we entered the park we immediately noted the proximity of the restrooms to the stages. (We briefly thought about the portable restroom biz as a  second career but we’re done trying to move up in the world.) We noticed that most of the facilities were marked for men or women. What ever happened to any port in a storm? Then John noticed that some had no gender designation at all and decided that those were for the undecideds.

Here is a video clip and some photos from Christopher Blank of Friday’s exquisitely colorful crowd — colorful even when in black. Music is from Charlie Musselwhite’s set.

The Roots cancelled. Ben Folds, too.

It rained and rained.

You couldn’t have kept me at My Chemical Romance if both my legs were broken. But I still had a blast. I spent most of my time shooting dumb little videos you can see here:

www.qik.com/commercialappeal

But here’s some pics, too.

(more…)

Twenty four hours before showtime, it’s kinda desolate at Tom Lee Park. Everybody is saving their strength for a Friday that has the potential to rock out in all directions — although those pesky t-storms might have a say. Here’s what it looked like Thursday evening… Music fest eve

After showing off the camera all weekend, the power button on it’s stuck! Stupid karma…

Anywho, here’s some photos that I did manage to get off the camera before it went kaput.

Ann Peebles

Guster

Barenaked Ladies

After the Ann Peebles concert, we caught up with her organist Russ Wheeler, dressed in this lovely ensemble. Russ also plays at B.B. King’s on occasion, so go check him out.

Of course, we gotta zoom in on those platforms, purchased, he said at a store on Summer — the Portabello Road of Memphis.

Mike Witt, a crewmember on the AutoZone stage, had the best seat in the house. Not for watching Papa Roach, but for watching Papa Roach’s crazy fans.

Crowd Shot

Dog Shot

Brain Shot

“I want that one.”

yeah… me too buddy.
rawk.