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June 2005
Public Enemy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now this was a headline-worthy, festival-closing show.
Hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy pulled the curtain on the Hot-107.9 stage Sunday night with a show with as much decibel power as anything on the rock stage, a crowd as diverse as anything throughout the 42-acre site and a set more cohesive than any on the rap bill Saturday night at Vibe MusicFest.
Not that it wasn’t as inflammatory as anything Ludacris or T.I. said at Vibe. Except Enemy’s Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Professor Griff assail the establishment and institutions instead of women or people who scuff their new tennis shoes.
“[Expletive] George Bush,” they said from the stage. And the all-ages crowd cursed along in unison. Then — ever the instructors — Atlantan D explained why he led that taunt: “The government will send your [expletive] to war in a minute.”
Later on he excoriated radio program directors who play music during the day that make “fourthth-graders want to be up in the strip club…In the name of James Brown, please, please, please look out for the babies.”
But the bulletproof baritone was just as deadly when he was rapping “Welcome to the Terrordome,” “Don’t Believe the Hype” and the crackling closer, “Fight the Power.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Devo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, Music Midtown booked its share of hot young acts this year, but one of the best sets came from none other than Devo. Yes, Devo — the oddball quintet you may know best (or only) for the angular pop song “Whip It.”
The band got that little number out of the way early on the 99X stage, clearing the way for a staggering set of jittery, pulsating rock. The men of Devo came out wearing matching yellow uniforms with their signature red flower pots as hats. They later stripped to matching black ensembles, including shorts and kneepads.
Sometimes they rocked like a conventional guitar band. Sometimes they played the bass parts on a keyboard. At one point they performed their cover of the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” giving the original a fabulous gutting.
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Def Leppard
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Def Leppard is the perfect outdoor festival band. The British ’80s rockers carry a testerone-driven, guitar-crunching sound merged with a hook-laden sensibility that generated 15 top 40 hits, more than enough to fill a one-hour set. Beer-buzzed, tank-top wearing fans can sing along badly to the simple lyrics and nobody cares.
This is the band’s second trip to Music Midtown in three years, and lead singer Joe Elliott said he had so much fun the first time, they came back. (Promoter Peter Conlon probably gave the band a great financial incentive, too.) And as he sang, “Let’s get rocked,” the crowd obliged with much gusto.
Though Elliott’s voice sometimes got swallowed by the fine guitar work of Phil Collen and Viv Campbell, the big hits still carried a full-bodied heft. And while predictable, the final three songs in succession â€â€? “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages” and “Pour Some Sugar In Me” â€â€? was pop-rock heaven.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Montgomery Gentry
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At long last, sunshine finally visited the mud-encrusted Kicks 101.5 stage in time for Montgomery Gentry’s set early Sunday night. With substantial sound bleed coming from Def Leppard across the park, the country duo had its work cut out for them.
And then threatening skies returned and not even free Hooters beachballs could distract a sizable crowd that was kept waiting for more than 30 minutes because of “technical difficulties.” So it helped that comic Larry the Cable Guy was brought out to introduce the act.
Faster than you could say “Get er done!” the guys blasted onstage with “Gone” from the MG album “You Do Your Thing,” and “She Couldn’t Change Me.” Clad in black leather, jeans and hats, country’s resident tough guys gave off plenty of heat from the stage.
“The party officially starts now!” they assured the crowd before blasting into the barroom bawl, “Lonely and Gone.” Singing “We’re gonna be a tough act to follow,” MG proved precisely that. The act was the last band booked on the Kicks stage Sunday night.
Permalink | | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
Common
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chi-town emcee Common exploded onto the Hot 107.9 stage Saturday night with a surprising ferocity. Although his catalog of songs aren’t as popular as mainstream rappers, they were more than enough to keep the crowd bouncing through the first three songs, which included the title track off his new album “Be.” Shortly after, the crowd went ballistic when Common’s fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West blessed the stage for a few tracks of his own, including “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks.” Together, the two made something that fits their “Good Music” campaign: a “Great Hip-Hop Show.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Alan Jackson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cowboy hats, NASCAR apparel, Braves caps, ponchos and Polo shirts converged near the Kicks 101.5 stage late Saturday night for Newnan’s own Alan Jackson.
Despite a driving rain and a Tom Petty concert across the field, country fans immediately punctured a hole in the notion that country acts just don’t draw at Music Midtown. Thousands upon thousands packed in to see the country artist.
Jackson, who arrived on stage in his hat, tan Western shirt and blue jeans, launched into “Gone Country” and didn’t look back.
The country icon, who’s sold 43 million records over his 15-year career, plowed through a big chunk of his catalog of 31 No. 1 hits.
Upon hearing Jackson favorites “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” “Livin’ On Love,” “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” fans forgot about the set-long torrential downpour.
“It’s good to be back here with the skyline of Atlanta, pine trees, dogwoods and the Varsity’s chili dogs,” the singer told the throng.
And by the time he got to his massive hit, “Chattahoochee,” the water and the red clay mud near the stage matched the images in the song.
Permalink | | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
Cowboy Crush
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you get when you add a bass, drums, keyboard, fiddle and five country girls? If you are a record executive, you are hoping for The Dixie Chicks plus two.
The answer, however, is Nashville’s Cowboy Crush — a country group that doesn’t hold a candle to the Chicks. The girls played a loose set of typical country arrangements marred by sound and microphone problems.
While each member is fairly proficient with their instruments — especially fiddler Renae Truex — as a band they are not tight enough to be impressive. Crush does, however, have a couple songs that might make it on country radio. The rest are lackluster and predictable.
Permalink | | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
Whodini
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The loyal and dedicated old-school hip-hop fans showed up early and were ready to party, and Whodini delivered. They performed some of their hits, including “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night” and “One Love.”
They are one of the few rap groups from the early ’80s that are still together. How MTV fails to mention them when retracing hip-hop’s history is beyond my understanding. But as the sign from a fan said, “Whodini Forever.”
Permalink | | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Jo Dee Messina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The fiery country redhead from Massachusetts came out swinging, belting out the words “let me entertain you, we’re gonna have a ball.â€? The sizable crowd at the Kicks stage, finally soaking up sun instead of rain, seemed more than willing to let her do just that.
“Heads Carolina, Tails Californiaâ€? followed, and it was just the second memorable tune of a solid, hit-packed hour with a side trip back to Motown for a cover of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).â€?
The sound problems that plagued some of Saturday’s sets on the country stage didn’t reappear.
“We love Atlanta. You guys are so awesome,� Messina shouted at one point, sounding genuinely thrilled at the rousing reception. It was just more evidence that bringing country back to Music Midtown was a brilliant move.
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Collective Efforts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Like many hip-hop performers, Atlanta’s Collective Efforts brought out guest stars you wouldn’t know if you ran into them tomorrow. But you would remember this group because they pumped out what old-schoolers used to call music to nod your head to. There was plenty of that throughout the crowd, mostly because of catchy hooks and DJ Creashun’s turntable skills, but don’t look here for that club record. The socially conscious MC’s rock the house in their own way.
The quartet’s lyrics and everyman demeanor are reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest with a dash of Common. After some teasing old-school rap posturing and Ben Hameen’s double duty as singer and rapper, the set ended far too soon.
Permalink | | Categories: Best Buy/99X Locals Only Stage
Joan Jett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Back in the early ’80s, Joan Jett came off as Pat Benatar’s rougher-hewed cousin, and 25 years later, things haven’t changed an iota.
Jett, a well-preserved 46-year-old with washboard abs and a punky short haircut, still sounds sharp vocally. The crowd was polite but somewhat languid, perking up, naturally, for her signature “I Love Rock ‘n Roll.â€?
Part of her problem was her habit of staring at her guitar too much and avoiding eye contact with the festival goers. She did liven up for a rousing rendition of “Crimson and Clover,� showing off her delightfully wicked grin all too briefly.
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Luna Halo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lead singer Nathan Barlowe promised that the band would “limp through this as best we can” after early sound trouble. Then the Nashville-based band, with Atlanta-born Chris Coleman on drums, galloped through a 25-minute set with bass booming heavy enough for your hard-core hip-hop fan.
“Kings & Queens” turned the once-sparse group watching into a crowd who cheered Barlowe’s little brother Cary, who strutted, preened and pranced across the stage. Whether they achieve rock-star status or not, these guys have the goods. Here’s a tip: Soho’s, Columbus, Ga. June 23, doors open at 9 p.m.
Permalink | | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Biz Markie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wearing a T-shirt, shorts, sandals and socks, the plus-sized old-school goofball Biz Markie started his set with a choppy bit of DJing. He spun and scratched various bits, dropping beats from funky pop/R&B, plus AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and some ancient LL Cool J. Then he said he was done messing around and began beat-boxing and rapping, and the show picked up considerably.
During the crowd-pleasing “Just a Friend,” a hilarious bit of marble-mouthed rapping and deliberately horrible singing, the big man lifted his shirt and rubbed his ample belly as a kind of fake-sexy joke. It was a nice reminder of one key difference between old-school MCs and today’s unsmiling rappers — the older dudes know how to have fun, sometimes at their own expense.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Coheed and Cambria
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On their studio albums, Coheed and Cambria displays a definite progressive rock expansiveness. Onstage Sunday afternoon, the quartet just blazed through a set that made them sound a lot more like a simple but effective cross between metal and melodic punk. The band’s most distinctive elements came from frontman Claudio Sanchez. His high-pitched, expressive voice, a less feline version of Rush’s Geddy Lee, cut through the steamy afternoon like a machete. But his hair was truly riveting, a bicolored mass of fuzziness that covered his face most of the time. In short, the band rocked, but the hair rocked even harder.
Permalink | | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
Black Eyed Peas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Black Eyed Peas, seen at the Super Bowl, heard on NBA commercials, in high rotation on MTV, are almost as ubiquitous in pop culture land as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton — and almost as annoying.
Finishing the night on the Hot 107.9 stage, the multiracial hip-hop group hit the stage with one aim: to entertain you, whether you liked it or not. With a frenetic eagerness reminiscent of Tom Cruise on “Oprah,” they pumped out the hits, from “Hey Mama” to “Don’t Phunk With My Heart.” They were loud and relentless, with lead singer Will.I.Am feeding the crowd bonus riffs from Kelis, Lil Jon and Terror Squad.
So where is our love? We’ll give them this: 1) They keep a real band, unlike most hip-hop acts, who performed rockin’ guitar solos, a trumpeter and yes, even a flute player. 2) They possess an amazingly Richard Simmons-like positive vibe. 3) Fergie has the energy of a cheerleader gone bad and the pipes to break glass. And 4) they’ll be a great showroom act at the Mandalay Bay in 2028.
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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For unexplained reasons, the big-screen TV for Tom Petty’s set showed him and his long-time band the Heartbreakers in black and white, so they looked like an old clip from “The Ed Sullivan Show.â€?
Come on, Petty’s not that old. He’s only 55, even if the huge crowd averaged about half that age. Managing to be both soaked and baked at the same time, the youthful audience, which had flowed like a river from the 99X stage specifically to hear Petty’s headline act, was delighted. Petty, however, was not. The dreaded festival “sound bleedâ€? brought Alan Jackson’s show from the Kicks stage into Petty’s ears, and he kvetched about it several times. “Who is that â€â€? Clint Black?â€? he asked.
It’s been a while since Petty’s had a big hit, but he’s not yet an oldies act. Petty had a challenging 2002 CD, “The Last DJ,â€? and played a new song from what he said was an upcoming album. But many of his three decades’ worth of familiar songs don’t just sound like radio hits any more â€â€? they sound even bigger. “Free Fallin’,â€? “I Won’t Back Down,â€? “American Girlâ€? and the rest sound like anthems.
For one of several encores, he went with “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,â€? the Dylan classic he’s been having fun with at recent concerts. It was never more appropriate. â€â€? Phil Kloer
The Pixies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first time around, in the late ’80s and ’90s, the Pixies were cultishly adored, influential and only moderately successful.
The band’s recent comeback has proven far more lucrative, with sold-out shows all over the world. By the evidence on display at Music Midtown, the reunion was a good idea all around.
Unhinged songs like “Cactusâ€? may not sound as shockingly new and off-kilter as they did in the late ’80s, but that’s just because so many bands that followed them have copped the Pixies’ moves.
The Boston-born quartet still sounds dangerous, though, rocking ferociously through “Wave of Mutilation,” “Gouge Awayâ€? and capping the set with the strange and sinister “Where Is My Mind?,â€? which had some apparently altered audience members singing along appropriately. The Pixies’ collective mind was firing on all cylinders.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
The Killers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How did the Killers get so popular, anyway? What do they do that, say, Franz Ferdinand or the Futureheads don’t do better? Their rock is too soft to feel dangerous, their musicianship is too tame to be exciting, and their act is too cool for its own good.
At the 99X stage, lead singer Brandon Flowers went from sounding like a rock frontman to sounding like a bored lounge act — Dean Martin fronting a slower, less sexy version of the Strokes. Yes, “Mr. Brightsideâ€? is a great pop song, but it’s not enough to hang a career on. Actually, maybe it is — a massive crowd turned up for this stuff, and many people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Well, whatever. They all should’ve been there earlier in the day for Bloc Party, a band that makes better, smarter, more intricate, more rewarding music. Maybe one day.
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Clay Walker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first few songs of Clay Walker’s set, you might think he’s a direct descendant of fellow Beaumont, Texas native George Jones or, even more to the point, George Strait. A couple of tunes later and he ditches the acoustic guitar and the microphone stand to rock it up with a little bump and grind.
Suddenly, we’re not in Strait-land anymore.
When he gets to a cover of “Sweet Home Alabama,â€? and you can hear where he gets his rock rowdiness. Then he takes on “Play That Funky Musicâ€? and Steve Miller’s “The Jokerâ€? and it’s as clear as a non-Music Midtown weekend where the man’s coming from. Though he has more than enough hits of his own to fill an hour-long set, he’s going to do anything he can to make his audience happy. And that’s what any good festival set should do.
Permalink | | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
John Fogerty
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just as the Saturday night deluge was winding down, leaving a soaked but intensely dedicated core crowd, John Fogerty had the chance to open his set with one of the greatest rock songs about rain. After all, he’s written two of them.
He opened with “Travelling Manâ€? instead, but got to “Who’ll Stop the Rainâ€? by the third song of his set. The audience sang along enthusiastically with the chorus, many pointing one finger aloft at the wet, gray skies, as if trying to summon some primeval power.
(He got to “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?� later in the set, and man had we ever by that point.)
Forgerty gave the people just what they wanted, all the old hits, played pretty much the way they remember them - “Down on the Corner,â€? “Green River,â€? “Midnight Special,â€? “Lodi,â€? and so on. Even one of his post-Credence songs, “Centerfield,â€? which really wasn’t a huge hit when he released it in the mid ’80s, has been played so much by every baseball team in America that the crowd knew the chorus as well as if it had been “Happy Birthday to You.â€?
No frills, not a great deal of patter, just Fogerty, the hits, a singalong crowd and a tapering off of rain. More than enough. � Phil Kloer
a fir-ju well
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In regard to a fir-ju well’s performance Saturday at Music Midtown, a typical conversation between two audience members might have gone something like this: Dude #1: “Hey, dude. What did you think of a fir-ju well?� Dude #2: “Well, dude, at least the music was interesting.� Even with four vocalists and the use of harmonies, not one member could deliver a decent sound. Someone get these guys singing lessons. And, by calling the music interesting, Dude #2 really meant they were all over the place.
Keane
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“We’re sorry about the rain,” said Keane’s babyfaced, big-voiced frontman, Tom Chapin. “It’s a special gift we brought with us from England.” In truth, the steady rain seemed like a perfect backdrop for the Brit trio’s soaring, sweet melancholy.
The trio can be light-hearted too. “Here’s a glaringly inappropriate song called ‘Sunshine,’ Chapin quipped to the drenched crowd.
The tune everyone was waiting for though was the band’s first US hit, “Somewhere Only We Know.” And, wonder of wonders, the rain stopped for the first time during the entire set. The respite lasted just as long as the song. By the time the band started the gorgeous final tune, “The Last Time,” the rain had returned.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Best Buy/99X Locals Only Stage
Boyz N Da Hood
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The rap troupe Boyz N Da Hood has a trick: splitting the difference between Atlanta’s hard-hitting crunk music and the slow, swerving “screwedâ€? sound from Houston. The resulting hybrid drove Saturday’s crowd bananas, causing at least one swirling mosh pit near the stage. The waving hands, the throbbing bodies, the heavy music — it made for a scene akin to last year’s absurdly exciting Lil Jon show at this same location. Word from the stage was that the group would drop its record June 21. Don’t be surprised if the thing goes massive.
Permalink | | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Robert Randolph & the Family Band
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every year, Music Midtown throws up a few unexpected musical moments, and pedal steel guitarist Robert Randoph offered one Saturday when he launched into a bluesy, jam-band-inflected “Billie Jean.” He made no comment pro, con or otherwise about the song’s creator, Michael Jackson, awaiting a jury’s verdict on his future this weekend. The scene was made even stranger as it took place in a steady downpour, so from the back of the crowd, it looked like a bunch of multicolored poncho hoods bobbing and bouncing along to the music.
“There’s nothing like rockin’ in the rain — can I get a witness?” he called to the throng, rain glistening on his face under a black doo-rag.
Randoph is one of those musicians known to people who care about music, unknown to those who only follow commercial radio and MTV. He plays pedal steel guitar, normally a back-up instrument in country, only he plays it in a searing blues/soul style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, with some of the physical antics of Jerry Lee Lewis in his heyday thrown in when he gets going. And Randolph and his four-man Family Band got going from the beginning, laying down grooves so deep you could get lost in them.
For the closer, the original “Nobody,” he did a trick he loves to do at live shows where the band switches instruments several times. And when Randolph attacked the drums, his grin was so big he seemed to be having more fun than everyone else at Music Midtown put together.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Darryl Worley
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No matter how hard Darryl Worley tries, he’ll never claw his way into country music’s pantheon. At least not with the B-grade collection of songs he brought to Music Midtown.
Worley is the kind of guy who will always find himself in a midday festival time slot. His image — that of a country boy who has done some crazy things in his life yet still had parents who instilled in him a love for America and respect for God — is nothing country music hasn’t already seen.
And while there is nothing wrong with it, if it’s all the Nashville artist plans to offer, he should start writing songs original enough to make him stand out from the pack.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
Slim Thug
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
H-Town, welcome to A-Town.
Houston rapper Slim Thug — a lanky, dreadlocked former MC wearing a cap slightly askew with an “H” embossed on it — received a warm welcome from a soaked Atlanta crowd. He quickly swept through a 25-minute set that included big songs “Like a Boss” and “Ain’t Heard of That.”
He’s had radio hits floating around for almost a year, but his long-delayed debut release, dubbed “Almost Platinum,” finally comes out July 12 under the Neptunes’ Star Trak label. Powerful producer Pharrell Williams provides Slim Thug a solid platform for his slow-down music, backed by powerful bass beats, distinctive from the Atlanta sound. The pace works great for lounging by the pool — if not in the rain.
“It’s raining like the [expletive], but you’re still partying!” Slim Thug yelled.
Permalink | | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Bloc Party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A soft, diagonal rain fell from an overcast sky during this British post-punk quartet’s set, which was somehow appropriate. After all, Bloc Party’s music has a certain gray sensibility, something like the mopey parts of Blur crossed with the twitchy parts of the Cure. As on their excellent album “Silent Alarm,” the band’s two electric guitars rang and clanged. And secret weapon drummer Matt Tong propelled the action forward with intricate, halting beats.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
American Minor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This babyfaced Southern rock quintet looks like something out of “Almost Famous,” and sounds like a contemporary garage band obsessed with Lynyrd Skynyrd. The West Virginia group’s set of retro rock found them not as tuneful as the Black Crowes, as jammy as the Allmans, as weighty as the Drive-By Truckers or as tight as the Kings of Leon. They were somewhere in the middle—a vaguely sludgy band that aimed to bowl you over rather than cut you to pieces.
Permalink | | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Mofro
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If Mofro frontman John Grey is a prophet of love, the human race is doomed. According to Grey, “The war between men and women is the greatest war in humanity.”
While this grandiose statement might seem like the kind of remark to preface a great discourse about human nature, what it boiled down to was that men know nothing about women.
Grey dispersed these such nuggets of wisdom during the breakdowns of the band’s spastic jazz/bluegrass fusions. While all of his ramblings about crackheads and love may not have been coherent, at least his music was. Mofro’s organ jams were jazzy enough to scat along to and funky enough to tear the roof off the sucker.
Permalink | | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Louis XIV
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Louis XIV demonstrated Saturday afternoon that they have all the rock-star tricks down pat.
Sunglasses — even though it was overcast — to camouflage the bedroom eyes the singer surely was making at the girls in the crowd. Chic black ensembles to complement the ultra-glam eyeliner and rocker mullets the band members were sporting. And plenty of hip-swiveling, strutting and stomping, punctuated by high-flying kicks.
Oh yeah — there was music, too. Image seems to come first for the Californians with the stylish faux-Brit affectations, but the tunes measured up nicely. The swaggering horndog lyrics of “Finding Out True Love is Blind” and “Illegal Tender” created a salacious intensity when matched onstage with punky head-bobbing beats and grinding New Wave guitar crescendos. Louis XIV keeps their songs short, raunchy and rocking. Although in honor of their trip to the South, they did throw in an extended jam that sounded like what might happen if Lynyrd Skynyrd and David Bowie had a drunken jam session at CBGB’s.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
The Wrights
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The sky looked threatening, but the Atlanta husband-and-wife duo Shannon and Adam Wright were as comforting and welcome as a sunny spring day.
As the first performers of the day on the Kicks 101.5 stage, they suffered through a sparse crowd and a few sound issues. On the windblown set’s second song, “Butterflies,” the large screen at the back of the stage caught a close-up of Shannon mouthing to the back of the stage, “I have no vocal.” Presumably, what she meant was that she couldn’t hear herself in the monitors. That’s a nightmare for a singer. By the time they got to the bluesy shuffle of the troubled-marriage ditty “On the Rocks,” things were looking up in the sound department. It was obvious that Shannon could hear herself just fine when she delivered a clear, powerful vocal on a cover of KT Oslin’s “Do You Still Think of Me.”
The Wrights’ spine-tingling blend rang out strong on ““Hard Time,” dimming the rock ‘n’ roll din of American Minor coming from the nearby 96 Rock stage. The sparse crowd got just a small measure of what this twosome can do. If enough folks can hear their fine debut, “Down This Road,” maybe they’ll score a better spot on the bill next time around.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
White Stripes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Related
- gallery: More White Stripes concert photos
Say this for the White Stripes: You’d be hard pressed to find another two musicians who can consume the vast concrete expanse in front of the 99X stage.
But that’s what Jack and Meg White did during their headlining set Friday night.
Swallowed it whole.
Oh, and while you’re talking about the blues-rock duo and its first outing since the release of its latest CD, “Get Behind Me Satan,” you might as well add that it wasn’t really a singalong either.
The approximately 90-minute set was more spectacle than anything. Watch Jack work the guitar like a weapon. Then the xylophone. Then the sitar. All while Meg gives it to the drums like the kit had stolen from her.
Then â€â€? oh, yeah â€â€? during the encore, the familiar seven-note guitar tug of “Seven Nation Army” filled the expanse and most of the crowd finally picked up its air guitars in recognition.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
Counting Crows
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While Counting Crows fans are accustomed to moody sentiment about rain and lost love, lead singer Adam Duritz had more weighing on him Friday night.
With a catch in his throat and rain beating on his face, Duritz told the crowd, “Just before we came out here gonight, I received a phone call telling me that one of my best friends had a heart attack and died today.”
At the time of the disclosure, the Crows were in the middle of a medley of “Rain King” and “Pale, Blue Eyes.” Duritz took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and clung to a microphone stand for support. From across the way, sound bleed from Keith Urban’s Down Under honkytonk set threatened to drown out Duritz’s words. For a moment or two, the crowd of Crows fans who were shelling out $5 a can for beer lost their buzz.
But the mood lightened some. While the Crows resisted playing their Oscar-nominated, feel-good “Shrek 2” hit, “Accidentally in Love,” fans did have a chance to sing along to “Mr. Jones.”
Permalink | | Categories: Ford/Best Buy/96 Rock/UPN Atlanta Stage
Keith Urban
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Proof of Keith Urban’s pin-up status came when, during set opener “Days Go By,â€? a cameraman caught a sign that read “Thank God for Bob and Marienne for having you.â€? These fans even know the names (and correct spellings!) of the man’s mom and dad. His 70-minute show was slick, energetic and immaculately played. His country is mixed with a hefty dose of rock. There were considerable opportunities for the Australian heartthrob to display his considerable guitar prowess. The guy’s a natural showman, working the entire stage during his hit-packed set, with microphones stationed stage left, right and center. His rock tendencies came through loud and clear with a snippet of U2’s “Beautiful Day,â€? followed by Tom Petty’s “Free Falling.â€? The latter got a little bogged down by an audience participation element that went on too long, but he brought it back up to par with a high-energy take on one of his hookiest hits, “Somebody Like You.â€?
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage
The Game
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You have to know how to play the game to get ahead, says Jayceon Taylor, aka hip-hop star The Game, on his debut CD. And this is how he played it Friday night: Scheduled to be onstage for an hour and a half on the Hot 107.9 Stage, he clocked in at exactly 25 minutes, then left the stage. Presumably he pocketed the full fee; that is playing the game indeed. For a new star without a huge amount of performing experience, though, he was sharp and gave the crowd a lot of what they wanted: about half a dozen songs from “The Documentary,� a little hometown homage (Atlanta Hawks jersey and cap), a look at that torso and all those tats, and enough name-checks to fill a history book, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Lisa “Left Eye� Lopes.
Ciara
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thirty minutes late, Atlanta R&B star Ciara was received by the throng in front of the Hot-107.9 stage as if she were right on time.
And for its enthusiastic response, the crowd got a technically-hobbled 35 minute set.
To Ciara’s credit, the one thing a faulty sound system could not affect — her choreography — was perfect. In fact, the first major swell of applause from the audience came when she duplicated the Matrix move from her “Goodiesâ€? video.
But the highlight of the airy singer’s set had to be her closer, “1,2 Step,â€? when the crowd nearly drowned her out as she sang “Automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, funky fresh…â€?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Coca-Cola/Verizon Wireless/Hot 107.9/Fox 5 Stage
Interpol
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The specter of Joy Division no longer haunts Interpol. The New York band has come into its own after a mountain of comparisons to the late ’70s post-punk act. In a set made up mostly of songs from the 2004 release “Antics,” Interpol played with the poise of a true original.
Even in the evening heat, the men of Interpol came somberly clad in black jackets and ties, sweating out their dark, hypnotic noise. Despite a bleak sound, fans still found beats to dance to, and many sang along.
The highlight came from the group’s first CD, “Turn On The Bright Lights.” The cathartic guitar build-up of the song “PDA” was a satisfying finish.
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Lou Reed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The question on everyone’s mind before Lou Reed’s set: Will he do any Velvet Underground? The query was answered quickly with the noisy drone of “White Light/White Heat.” He even indulged in some atonal guitar strangulation that was hypnotic — at least until his amp went wonky. The sound man brought out a new one. “That’s a real vintage amp,” Reed said. “I can’t replace that one.”
His deep and imperfect — but hugely influential — voice sounded surprisingly strong after a career that’s spanned more than four decades. The title track from his 1982 album “The Blue Mask” was one the set’s highlights, despite missing the original’s powerhouse guitar chug. His four-piece backing band, including cellist Jane Scarpantoni, still worked the tune into a brutal free-for-all.
Even those in the crowd who didn’t recognize anything else started dancing when he strummed the iconic opening chords to “Sweet Jane.” Like thousands of cover bands since he wrote it more than 30 years ago, Reed knows it’s the perfect way to end a set.
Francine Reed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta vocalist Francine Reed made an energized return to Music Midtown on Friday night after bad weather and scheduling conflicts kept her off stage last year and in 2003.
With her old pals Java Monkey providing backup, Reed blasted through fan favorites like “Trouble in Mind” and “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues.”
Performing a conga-laced cover of “I Feel Good,” Reed had the crowd dancing and screaming James Brown’s part. Even a bandana-sporting photographer shooting the set on stage couldn’t resist grooving between shutters.
Singing the ballad “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” Reed immediately turned the festival setting into an intimate “blue light in the basement” party. Said Reed: “This is one of the coolest gigs in the world, being a blues singer on a stage this big. We’re feeling all the energy and love y’all are sending us. We’re gonna throw it right back at ya!”
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Bobby Valentino
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta R&B singer Bobby Valentino made his solo bow in every sense of the word.
The former member of local R&B group Mista appeared on stage for his first major appearance alone (in sunglasses, though it was very overcast).
He performed his approximately 25-minute set without any accompaniment — no band, hype men or dancers.
And Valentino must have felt pretty alone in front of the meager crowd, as one song into his show he said, to no one in particular, “I don’t care if it is 15 people out there or its 15,000, we’re gonna do it, anyway.”
The “it” was the one song — other than a cover of R. Kelly’s “Bump n’ Grind” — that the audience seemed to recognize, his No. 1 hit “Slow Down,” which Valentino delivered just like you hear it on the radio.
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Red Letter Agent
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No doubt about it, Atlanta’s Red Letter Agent brought its A-game to open Music Midtown’s Miller Lite 99X stage. The rock group’s intimate Coldplay jingle translated well to the big festival.
Playing on a bill with the likes of indie-darlings Interpol and The White Stripes, Agent was in a great position to reach its target audience.
And if the band did earn a few new fans, they were well-deserved. Whenever frontman James Templeton nailed a Bono-esque high note, the crowd screamed with excitement.
After the first song, one person near the front of the stage screamed, “It’s good,” as if to let everyone else know the band was likeable. Luckily, his prediction was right.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Miller Lite/99X Stage
Puffy Presence
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We already know that “Sean P. Diddy” Combs will be the Master of Ceremonies for opening the events for Vibe Musicfest on Friday night as well as performing. But rumor has it that he will also make an appearance at Music Midtown on Saturday.
Do you hope the original Bad Boy will make an appearance or does it even matter?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: News
Rain, Rain….Go Away!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Possibly thunder showers are forecast for Friday. Weatherman says Saturday and Sunday will be partly cloudy with highs in the low 80’s.
Music Midtown was moved from rainy April/May to humid June but once again rain is in the forecast. Was this a good move in terms of weather? Will a few clouds and raindrops or heat keep you from Music Midtown?
UPDATE:
The weather report is not looking good.
Music fans may get soaked this weekend
By MIKE MORRIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/10/05
Music lovers hoping to avoid a drenching this weekend might want to head to the Georgia Dome and the indoor Vibe MusicFest, as moisture from Tropical Storm Arlene will mean a good chance of rain for the outdoor Music Midtown.
The Midtown jam hasn’t had a dry weekend since 2001.
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PODCAST: American Minor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Related
- audio: Stream of the interview
If you’re a closet Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rolling Stones or Tom Petty fan who grew up listening to Fugazi and Pavement then you might like American Minor. AJC music writer Shane Harrison talks with frontman Robert McCutcheon. The band performs 3 p.m. Saturday at Music Midtown on the 96rock Stage.
Get a Podcast of selected audio related to Music Midtown by subscribing to our regular feed or our special RSS Podcast only feed.
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PODCAST: Tift Merritt interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Related
- audio: Tift Merritt interview
Check it out, now you can subscribe to Music Midtown podcasts.
First up, listen to AJC music writer Nick Marino interview country artist Tift Merritt. Merritt, who’s grammy-nominated album Tambourine is on many best of list, is appearing Saturday 4:15 PM on the Hooters/Kicks 101.5 Stage.
Get a Podcast of selected audio related to Music Midtown by subscribing to our regular feed or our special RSS Podcast only feed.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Podcast
