Show Review: Lollapalooza - Sunday

What Made Milwaukee Famous - Citi Stage - 1:00

I would have felt bad if I didn't go by and at least check out a few songs from Austin's What Made Milwaukee Famous. After all, I did name this blog after my favorite song of theirs. The new album is fantastic and if I hadn't already caught them a few times in the past years I would have stayed for the whole show. Instead I had to check out The Whigs, who I hadn't see live before.

The Whigs - Myspace Stage - 1:15

It was most certainly one of the hottest sets of the weekend, but that didn't stop Athens, Georgia trio The Whigs from playing the asses off. Their new album, Mission Control, is a breath of fresh air and possibly the re-birth of the true rock trio. Live, The Whigs bring a ton of energy to their show and the drummer is a madman. They are yet another band that would fit better in a club setting, but the performance was still extremely solid.

Saul Williams - Citi Stage - 5:00

I've been a huge Saul Williams fan since I saw his movie, Slam, almost a decade ago. Saul Williams seems to be a poet at heart that just happens to be a talented MC/Musician as well. Although I though his Trent Reznor produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust was a bit disappointing, it was refreshing to see someone put so much of themselves into a show. It was also weird to see a few long haired metal kids in NIN shirts rocking out to a socially conscious act like Williams. I can only assume they are consuming anything that Reznor puts his stamp on. Either way Saul put on the best performance of the day, he never stood still and the fact that him and his band were all decked out didn't hurt. The highlights were definitely 'List of Demands' and seeing his 12 year old daughter sing back of vocals and dance around on stage with her Dad.

The National - Playstation 3 Stage - 7:15

The National were another can't miss show for me. I've been a huge fan since Alligator and they've been on the top of my "bands I need to see" list for a few years. Although their albums can be somewhat mellow their live show is anything but boring. First off, the band sounds absolutely flawless live and singer Matt Berninger is a great frontman. The highlight of their set was definitely the set closer 'Mr. November', which was (according to Berninger) "not dedicated to John McCain"...which makes sense considering one of The National shirts for sale at Lollapalooza was a shirt with Barack Obama picture with Mr. November written under it.

Kanye West - AT&T Stage - 8:30

Let all the haters say what they want about Kanye West. Sure he's an egomaniac and is constantly saying things that bring criticism at every turn. I don't care. I think he's an brilliant producer/MC and I think he's great for the music business and pop culture in general. Oh yeah, he also is one helluva live performer. Although the girlfriend and I were way back it was perfect to take in the huge light show he brought along. The first half of his set was essentially a non-stop medley and he played just about every song you'd think he would. Overall, I had as much fun watching his show as I did all weekend. It was an absolutely perfect way to close out the Chicago weekend with the hometown boy making 40,000+ shake their asses for an hour and a half straight.

Other shows we saw on Sunday: Black Kids, Love and Rockets, Nicole Atkins & The Sea

-Matt