For the end of August in this rainy Maryland summer, the weather could not have been nicer. Sunny 80 degree temperature. There were two stages, the main Pavilion stage where regular concerts are held and a second "West" stage erected for Free Fest in a field far enough away from the Pavilion to avoid the music from one performance interfering with the other. The performances on the West Stage were more appealing to me and started earlier. In addition, the crowd for the Pavilion stage that actually wanted to sit in the enclosed Pavilion had to wait in line for quite a while to get a seat, without any music. Those content to sit or stand on the lawn overlooking the Pavilion stage just settled for the opening act, Mates of State, to come on at 1:30 p.m.
Over on the West stage, the music started at 11:15 a.m. with a group called Sundays Roulette from Bethesda, Maryland. I missed them because I was wandering around the grounds, checking out the exhibit booths and the assorted other attractions that come with a Virgin Mobile Festival, such as Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, billed as "Baltimore's Award Winning Acrobatic Burlesque Superduo." The outrageous burlesque nouveau couple and their entourage roamed the ground in full attire, posing for pictures with the spectators.
By the time I reached the West stage, the winner of a contest to vote a band onto the schedule, The Birthday Massacre was playing. Based in Toronto, The Birthday Massacre played an energetic, if short set. Dressed in what looked to be Cub Scout uniform shirts sized for adults and Marilyn Mansonesque facials, they seemed pleased to be getting the exposure. Not being a fan of this genre or this band, I cannot rate their performance, but can say that they played well, engaged the crowd and went off after their set to mingle in the "Recharge Area."
Next up was St. Vincent. This is actually a women named Annie Clark who performs with a band as St. Vincent. Paste Magazine reports:
When Annie Clark—the 27-year-old Texan who performs . . . her small frame is nearly hidden from view by her guitar.True to this report, dressed in black to match her jet black hair, she cradled a large electric guitar. I caught her in mid-set, doing a cover of "I Dig A Pony" by The Beatles, without her band. She started out gently, only to veer into a wild guitar solo in mid-song. When the band came back on, she performed several more songs which featured dissonant arrangements and equally possessed, explosive guitar improvisation from Clark. In all, St. Vincent resembled a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Jimi Hendrix (with a bit of Patti Smith somewhere in the mix), but the music was powerful, intriguing and well worth further exploration.
There followed a set by D.C. hip/hop rapper Wale, who seemed energized to be in front of what he clearly considered a "hometown" crowd. In turn, he energized a large number of fans who gathered to hear him at the West stage. Again, I cannot review Wale's performance critically because I have too little reference. His band was a powerful fusion of rock and rap and his music had strong qualities, but in my humble opinion, Wale could stand to cut some of his talk between songs and stick to the music. That said, the mostly white audience seem to love him, even when he was strutting around repeatedly referring to "DC", saying "F - ing" this and "F- ing" that and throwing water bottles into the crowd. So, what do I know?
By mid-afternoon I was ready for the band that I really wanted to hear, The Hold Steady, who arrived on the West stage, having performed the night before at the 9:30 Club in Washington. Never having seen them live, I had the impression from their albums that The Hold Steady are a variant of bands like The Counting Crows.
Craig Finn's voice in the studio sounds a little like Adam Duritz, if only a bit more earnest. There are some similarities in the enigmatic songs both bands write and perform, but there is a darker edge to many of their rock anthems, and I am not sure that The Hold Steady will be doing a song on a Shrek soundtrack anytime soon.
Live, however, The Hold Steady unleash themselves from the limitations of the studio. They are a full-till rock & roll experience. They are: Craig Finn [vocals], Tad Kubler [Guitar], Galen Polivka [Bass], Bobby Drake, [Drums], and Franz Nicolay [Keyboard]. Finn is the definitive frontman of the band. He conveys the dark angst and menace, the confessional twists, and the rollicking joy within the song lyrics. In pictures, he resembles a sedate accountant or doctor or lawyer. On stage, he explodes, often pumping a guitar and constantly in motion, leaping back and forth to the microphone, delivery lyrics with animated expressions and body movements that border on spasms. He clearly enjoys being in front of a crowd. And, if the crowd knows the songs, he delights and revs it up. I almost expected him to leap into the crowd, but the gap between the stage and the audience was too far.
Finn may be the focal point, but the band burns behind him. Polivka and Drake lay down a solid, pulsing beat. Kubler is a classic rock guitarist, who moves effortlessly from power-chords to solos. Nicolay finishes things off with keyboard runs on piano or organ and accents. The whole band provides backing vocals. The Hold Steady have been called the best bar band in America and their songs are lyrically rich in characters and detail and color, sometimes calling to mind early Bruce Springsteen, another artist who built his early reputation on phenomenal live performances in bars and clubs.
Touring now to support their powerful new recording, Stay Positive, the band charged through a lively set, including strong new numbers like "Sequestered in Memphis" and "Two Crosses". No doubt conscious of the abbreviated festival set length, but happily tried to jam as much music as they could into the time that they had. Most of the songs were drawn from either Stay Positive or Boys & Girls in America. Finn pumped the crowd to sing along and it responded. The band kicked up the momentum. Richard Branson wandered up backstage and observed the end of their set. No doubt this band has had some "Massive Nights", but this was one massive afternoon. May they have many more massive nights and days.
Check out there newest release, a live recording (with a DVD), A Positive Rage, which is representative of the energy of their performances. Also check them out on MySpace at The Hold Steady.
