GIRL TALK: This Girl Talk show had the same strong features as the first Girl Talk show: inflatable beach balls, inflatable cylinders, mashups that made no sense, mashups that made perfect sense, etc. DJ Greg Gillis continued to do everything he could to pump the audience up.
The issue with this concert, though, was that I was nowhere near the stage. I stood hundreds of yards away, on the outdoor lawn, watching people inside the tent enjoy themselves. The people on the lawn and I did our best to rock out, but it’s hard when you see people getting showered with confetti, and you’re stuck baking in the sun.
Grade: B-
THE STROKES: My reaction to The Strokes, the last band to play at the Sweet Life Festival, was the same as my reaction to Third Eye Blind, the last band to play at HFstival the year before: What happened?! How could a band that I loved listening to in the weeks and months beforehand be such a letdown? With Third Eye Blind, the issue was lead singer Stephan Jenkins’ voice. What came across as earnest and passionate on the albums came across as whiny and amateur live.
The Strokes’ issue was vocal as well, but there was also lead singer Julian Casablancas’ whole manner. Everything that sounded chill with headphones sounded lazy live. It was also a visual problem: Casablancas kept himself hidden behind dark sunglasses the entire time, pausing occasionally to mumble between songs.
I haven’t completely given up on The Strokes. They have too many quality songs and a night at the 9:30 Club might showcase their natural Garage Rock sound. For now, though, I’m left wondering: Is this it?
Grade: B-
LUPE FIASCO: I didn’t prepare enough. This my first straight up rap show (Naughty by Nature seemed more like DJs than rappers), and I didn’t prepare enough. The lyrics were more important than they’d be at a usual rock concert because this concert was almost entirely lyrics – there were very few stage effects or instrumentation to pick up the slack.
That said, I would definitely go to another Lupe Fiasco show. I really liked the songs I knew (“The Show Goes On,” “Muhammad Walks,” “State Run Radio”), and he made me want to know those I didn’t. He threw all his energy into each performance. Next time, I’ll put all my energy into knowing know the songs, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the show.
Grade: B-
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