Wolfmother Howls
Did somebody forget to tell Wolfmother that it’s 2010? More than almost every modern band, they strive to mimic that early-70’s amalgam of psychedelic blues and arena hard rock. You’ve heard Wolfmother before – they know it, and there’s no shame in their game.
In this connection, the band punctuated their set with a couple of gold-standard covers – “Riders on the Storm” and “Baba O’Reilly.” Their performance was better than serviceable, especially on the “Baba”, and the crowd lapped it up. More impressive was the fact that Wolfmother’s singles, “The Joker & the Thief” and “Woman”, sounded like contemporaries of “Baba” and “Riders”.
I can’t say I’d go out of my way to see Wolfmother live; they don’t offer anything unique or exceptional. But Wolfmother does know how to rock, and I definitely wouldn’t kick them out of my eardrum. In fact, they were a necessary jolt of hard rock swagger between a blissful My Morning Jacket set and a closing romp through the muddy banks of the Grateful Dead canon.
On The Strokes
I recognize that The Strokes exemplify a gritty, early-00’s hipster je-ne-sais-quoi. Indeed, This is It offers a perfect soundtrack for that hazy space between a blackout and a hangover in the East Village, early morn. Singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas is the real deal, and I commend all my readers to check out his single “Long Island Blues”.
Notwithstanding my inability to rock a pair of skinny jeans, I dig The Strokes. It would have been super-cool to catch a reunion gig.
That said, I simply could not bring myself to forego Furthur on hallowed grounds. This was, after all, Saturday night in the “Field of Heaven” known as Golden Gate Park. I considered trying to catch portions of both sets, but my desire for a cohesive musical experience laid that idea to rest.
Decision cemented, I made my way from Wolfmother to that tie-dyed, wide-eyed Wayback Machine known as Furthur.
In the Park, At Dark, With Terrapin
Unlike the rest of the festival, the vibe at the Furthur set was crystallized and distinctly familiar, well-worn like a favorite flannel. “Strangers stopping strangers, just to shake their hand,” as the Deadicated are fond of quoting.
That the members of the Grateful Dead family share a profound relationship with Golden Gate Park requires no explanation. Furthur accordingly pulled out many of their finest “softly spoken magic spells” – as well as a cover Pink Floyd’s “Time – in a two-hour, Saturday evening, main-stage closer.
Highlights of the set included a “Fire on the Mountain” that warmed the chilly evening, a jaunty run through a spiral-staircase “The Other One”, and a graceful “Unbroken Chain”. A wicked rhythm section of stalwart bassist Phil Lesh and Shiva-armed drummer Joe Russo drove The Bus on all three of these tunes.
On a tangent, I tip my cap to creative forces behind the trippy light projections cast on a cryptically enveloping blanket of fog during the Furthur set. In fact, thank you to all of the lighting crew at Outside Lands – you folks did a fine job of accentuating the beautiful shadows and textures of Golden Gate Park. But I digress.
One of the great things about Furthur is that they enable old, seen-it-all Deadhead eyes to experience the music anew. “The Eleven” and “Unbroken Chain” in a single show? Back in the day, nobody imagined such a thing was possible! Guitarist and vocalist John Kadlecik gives fans an eerily similar take on our beloved Jerry without the feeling of a novelty act. It was wonderful to hear Kadlecik’s shimmering waterfalls and terraced, off-beat leads behind a gruffer, slightly more Midwestern take on “Loser”. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti has grown leaps and bounds since he first joined Ratdog so many years ago; he consistently demonstrates an ability to dance his way through the massive songbook with equal admiration for the cadre of Dead keyboardists. I loved Jeff’s overwhelming gospel tones on “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and “Morning Dew”.
I am grateful for vocalist, poet, and rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, as much as anyone. I am therefore sorry to say that he earned The Trainwreck of the Night Award (“The Wrecky”) by miscounting “stars by candlelight” in an otherwise searing “Terrapin Station”, which included the full Terrapin Suite. No worries, Bobby – the Cassidy was confident, and it was a treat to hear you take on “Time”.
This wasn’t one of those nights where Furthur turned gravity on its ear; do know that the band is capable of such shows, for example New Year’s Eve 2009-2010. But they were “home…home again.” And by all accounts, they seemed happy to be there. So, too, were we.
And I Bid You Good Night
Outside Lands represents so much more than two days jam-packed with music. Besides the fact that the festival is becoming a week-long shindig unto itself – with pre-event festivities, late-night shows, after-parties galore, and a general influx of talent – it showcases all the things that make the San Francisco Bay Area so darn special.
If you’ve never been to San Francisco, this is your perfect reason for going. I’ll personally guarantee that something beyond the abundance of excellent music will render a positive impression.
If you’ve been to the Bay Area before, or if you are lucky enough to live there, then you already know what’s possible. I’m here to tell you that those possibilities have been realized – Outside Lands is, more or less, exactly what it ought to be.
Mark it on your calendars: Mid-August 2011, San Francisco, Field of Heaven, Outside Lands. I know I’ll be there.
No Comments comments associated with this post