All Points West Recap

(Quick preface: I hate talking about the weather. Unless it’s to point out an Obama-shaped cloud, a sunset or a looming natural disaster, when a conversation turns to the weather, it’s generally time to bail. So it comes with great sadness when I say that my All Points West recap has to include a discussion of the weather. Sorry for the delay on this post…it’s taken me more than a week to dry off, and I’m in the process of moving.)

The throng’s enjoyment of APW this year was entirely reliant on its reaction to the rain. After a warm, sunny morning and a beautiful ferry ride, it looked like things were going to hold off for a while. Seasick Steve was finishing up at the main stage and spirits were high. Clouds loomed as Fleet Foxes set up their gear and it was warm enough that several in the audience agreed that a little rain might be nice to cool things off.

And then, it rained, hard, and there was little that was nice about it. After waiting it out for Ra Ra Riot, we headed for cover, and sporadically braving the downpour for some of the National, Organized Konfusion, Vampire Weekend and the Pharcyde. Eventually, the rain subsided, before Yeah Yeah Yeahs began their set at the main stage, but the damage was done. The festival grounds were a sloppy mess of mud and festivalgoers were uncomfortably wet, in spite of their jackets and umbrellas. And just when the audience was beginning to think about heading for the ferries back to Manhattan, Hova rocked the main stage and reminded everyone why they had withstood the rain.

So enough whining about the weather. Here are my superlatives from All Points West 2009:

Performance of the Weekend goes to one Jay-Z. Hova was in a difficult position, filling in for the Beastie Boys, as at least some portion of the crowd had bought their tickets for the original headliners. While he didn’t bring out a bunch of guests as he has done in the past at shows in New York, he did impress, opening with a tribute to the Beasties with “No Sleep ’til Brooklyn” followed by “Brooklyn We Go Hard.” I believe he played something from every album (though I can’t remember which track from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1), ranging from Reasonable Doubt’s “Can I Live” to the just leaked “Run This Town.” The accompanying band was a nice touch and Jay turned in a thorough, memorable performance, closing his encore with “99 Problems,” parts of “Big Pimpin’” and “Encore.” Hip-hop is usually a tough sell at large festivals, but Hova managed to pull it off. Having seen him dominate live settings a few times, I now have even more respect for him as a performer than I do as a recording artist.

Jay-Z also wins the award for Best Line of the Weekend for “I fucks with tie-dye.”

Jay-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (Unplugged with the Roots)

Discovery of the Weekend - I described Seasick Steve as a “redneck bluesman, though not as oxymoronic as that sounds” on Friday, and I think that sums it up. Between the torn up John Deere hat, the swigging of whiskey straight from the handle on stage and the decidedly un-ironic beard, Steve Wold’s aesthetic embodies backwoods authenticity. He posted up on the main stage with just a chair and his acoustic-electric and proceeded to wow the crowd, most of which, myself included, had filed in early for Fleet Foxes. His brand of old school man-with-guitar-will-play-for-food blues was a refreshing break from the blog-worthy buzz bands of the rest of Friday and Saturday. I wish I had filmed Wold’s closing number, a tale of child abuse and running away from home, told impassionedly and unapologetically enough to make me believe it was autobiographical. I’m not sure if it’s a passing thing, but Seasick Steve is far and away my favorite discovery of the last few months.

Seasick Steve - Started Out With Nothing

Funniest Moment of the Weekend goes to Bootie Brown and the rest of the Pharcyde for their wonderful rendition of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” complete with the dance and everything. They were referencing the media’s coverage of the group’s supposed infighting, but still, great stuff…check it out below. Also, their live renditions of “Passin’ Me By” and “Oh Shit” were fantastic. It was fun to see the whole group together again.



The Pharcyde - Soul Flower (Remix)

Biggest Surprise of the Weekend goes to Crystal Castles, who, for once didn’t destroy everyone’s ear drums during their set. Sure, they still showed up late and ended early. And yes, it’s still unclear how much of a “live” performance the whole thing is, outside of their drumming. And absolutely, this was their most enjoyable set yet because something was screwed up with Alice Glass’ microphone and as a result, the screaming didn’t overtake the beats, as it usually does. And of course, they still look ridiculous dressing the same as they do on their album cover. But, given all of that, I’m starting to come around on Crystal Castles. They have some jams, that, when left alone, independent of the yelling, are uber-jams, and while it seems they’re a little too cool for school, I am digging what I hear in going back and listening to the LP.

Crystal Castles - Air War

Other Notes
-I would be remiss without mentioning that the folks at AEG/Goldenvoice did everyone in attendance on Friday a solid by making their Friday tickets eligible for use on either Saturday or Sunday of the festival. Of course, the mud stunk on Saturday and it dumped again on Sunday, but they didn’t have to do that, and it was much appreciated.
-Vampire Weekend has grown up nicely…they were so nervous to play for large audiences, even a year ago, and put together a solid performance as the rain poured.
-Ra Ra Riot is at a similar place to where Vampire Weekend was last year; they just don’t seem to have played together quite enough just yet.
-Caroline Polacheck of Chairlift has serious pipes.
-Saturday's crowd had a decidedly Tool-y feel to it, no pun intended.
-Performances I would have enjoyed a lot in a smaller or more intimate venue: Neko Case, St. Vincent and Q-Tip.
-A word on The Ting Tings: they need a full-time keyboardist. For music that is driven by the drums and synth, not having a keyboardist playing the backing tracks takes away from the “live” aspect of their performances. On a similar note, what’s with all the swapping in and out of instruments? They don’t have the “press play on an iPod and sing over it” problem, but there’s some of that there, and it’s an easy fix.
-The National were solid/steady/whatever you want to call it. I haven’t seen them have a bad performance yet.
-Fleet Foxes are fun. I’m bearded and wear flannel on occasion, for what it’s worth.
-Unfortunately, I missed four performances I would’ve enjoyed (Carolina Liar, Flying Lotus, Peanut Butter Wolf and MSTRKRFT); schlepping across the festival grounds and back was not going to happen all that much.
-The AEG/Goldenvoice peeps seem to be looking to expand APW and why wouldn’t they be? APW is the biggest festival in the Northeast and its appeal will only expand. They took over a much larger slice of Liberty State Park this year, perhaps double the size of last year’s site. It would not surprise me if they added another stage/tent next year, specifically for dance acts and DJs, a Sahara Tent East, if you will.