Echo and the Bunnymen, The Black Keys Rock the Muddy Masses at All Points West

August 3rd, 2009 by Hardeep Phull Leave a reply »

Photo: Bedder/Getty
Nevermind the slew of commemorative cash-ins and merchandise that have emerged in time for the 40th anniversary of Woodstock; Sunday at All Points West almost turned out to be a living, breathing, squelching, real-life re-enactment of the epochal 1969 mud-bath.

(Check out the best of All Points West, in photos.)

Early arrivals to day three of the festival were first denied entry and subsequently herded into the nearby ferry terminal like poncho-wearing refugees as torrential rain battered the site, which was still struggling to soak up Friday’s downpour. Rumours quickly circulated about a possible cancellation before the sky began clearing at around 2 p.m. Despite that, most fans arrived onsite well after 4 to find that main stage (Blue Comet) openers Steel Train and the Gaslight Anthem had been cut and the park now looked like little more than a green and brown swamp with concession stands floating on top. The mass, sludge-based anointing began en masse — and most of it was involuntary.

To their credit, the tens of thousands who braved the punishing weather, foul smells and indignity of being treated like cattle remained in good spirits and their first reward was a fizzing opening set from Silversun Pickups. Such was the desperation to hear something other than rain and thunder, the Los Angeles quartet could have walked onstage and played Liberace numbers and most of the crowd would have lapped it up. Thankfully though, they stuck to their moody, melodic West Coast shoegaze. The much-loved “Lazy Eye” is still an ace up the band’s metaphorical sleeve but cuts from their recently released album Swoon easily eclipse that early career highpoint and s...

Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily

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