At 7:45PM Umphrey’s McGee started on the Main Stage with a blistering 1348. The sun was setting for the first half of the Umphrey’s set. It was beautiful to see the gentle rolling hills around the festival site be highlighted by wispy clouds of pink and orange. Umphrey’ s played a solid set from start to finish, though it felt like Umphrey’s turned it up a notch once the sun went down. It really is a tale of two festivals – Wakarusa comes alive at night and the change in energy is noticeable everywhere.
Umphrey’s McGee
6/4/2010 Wakarusa1348, 2×2, Mantis Getts, Hurt Bird Bath> Uncle Wally, Divisions > Dr. Feelgood > Divisions > Echo/Techno > Divisions, Der Bluten Kat, Time (Pink Floyd) > Der Bluten Kat, Booth Love > Andy’s Last Beer
E: Jajunk (Power outage)
Towards the middle of the set Divisions gave way to a jam on Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood. It started with the riff, then once connected the band playfully shouted the chorus “Dr. Feelgood!”
I found myself pumping my fists and had a flashback to High School. A few of the younger kids around me seemed perplexed by my behavior. “Did no one else grow up in the 80’s?!?” I shouted. “This is Motley Fuckin Crue! Dr. Feelgood!” Blank stares. Then, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a cute girl in a wig and a cut up Motley Crue t-shirt. Umphrey’s made her night – I have never seen any girl head bang as hard as she was at that moment.
The other cover of the night – Pink Floyd’s Time – really transitioned the crowd and energy into the second half of the Umphrey’s set. It was dark enough for [Umphrey’s LD Jeff] Waful to dazzle us with the lights and Der Bluten Kat was smokin’. Everyone in the field was into it, but when the famous Time intro started it was as if the crowd woke up from a trance and the “ticking away the moments that make up a dull day…” line brought the entire crowd to its feet. After that it was straight smoke; Umphrey’s played as tight as ever and the band was firing on all cylinders.
The encore was unique – not for the music, but rather that the light rig went completely dark. The stage was suddenly black. Was this on purpose, or did Windows Vista crash from an overload of shredding? I was standing fairly close to the stage and could barely see the band. The lights were dark but the sound was crystal clear. Intentional or not, it was actually fun to hear incredible guitar riffs and precise double bass kicks coming from the darkness. The green laser pointer guys in the crowd seized the opportunity and lit the dark light rig with green scribbles. All in all, an excellent set from the boys from Chicago.
Jamtronica act STS9 was up next on the Main Stage, but most of us went to check out Big Gigantic at a smaller tent a few minutes walk away. Every time I see Big Gigantic they get better and better. The young pair of drummer Jeremly Salken and Sax player/Ableton whiz Dominic Lalli were excited and clearly feeding off the energy from the enthusiastic crowd. Dominic’s sax playing and Jeremy’s drumming create a live feel a DJ with only a laptop can’t touch. We worked up a full body sweat and headed back just in time to see the start of STS9.
STS9, 6/4/2010
Wakarusa
Atlas, Once Told, Shock Doctrine, (pause for technical difficulties) Ramone & Emiglio, Abcees > Kaya, Grow*, Arigato, Rent, Breathe In, EHM
E: Circus
*W/Dominic Lalli from Big Gigantic
STS9 Lighting director Saxton seemed to have solved the light rig problems on the main stage, showing off beautiful color schemes and sweeping lights for the opening of Atlas. But something seemed off; it did not seem loud enough. The performances of Once Told and Shock Doctrine seemed tentative, then Murph came on in his southern drawl to ask the crowd for a moment to get things right.
The crowd seemed annoyed at the pause and STS9 was in danger of losing their attention. After about a two minute pause STS9 came back with one of their classic heavy hitters- Ramone & Emiglio. STS9 is at their best when Hunter is playing a repeating guitar riff and the band builds the energy to a peak. The R & E brought the crowd back and the rest of the set delivered the guitar riff> build> peak formula to us with great success. Grow was especially powerful and beautiful with the added sax of Dominic from Big Gigantic – Dom precisely matched Hunter’s guitar riffs on the melody.
After nearly four hours of intense music from Umphrey’s > Big G > STS9 there was no rest for the wicked. Up next was Bassnectar in the Revival Tent. Video and lasers projected on the ceiling of the tent transforming it into the feel of a club. Bassnectar delivered a non-stop dance party, mixing in samples of popular songs from all generes with his trademark bassy wooommmppps. I especially enjoyed his use of Massive Attack’s Karmacoma riff and I brought back my fist pumping air guitar for Bassnectar’s last song – a dance remix of Metallica’s Seek and Destroy.
It’s 3am at Wakarusa. Why go to sleep? EOTO kept people dancing while I went back to my campsite for a breather and cold cocktail. Overall this festival I have seen very little sketchiness, relatively speaking, but on my way back to the camp I noticed some dude swimming in the small pond ripe with algae next to my campsite. Security was attempting to get him out while a fat State Trooper sat and watched the scene from his golf cart. “I just want to play video games! I just want to play video games!” the young man shouted as he was wrestled out of the water. “Dude, let me talk to somebody cool! Are you cool man? Do you like video games?!?” The scene was entertaining, and no wookies were harmed in the performance.
The Satellite stage was packed again on night two from 4AMto sun rise. Tipper entertained with his trademark wobble as the sun came up. The transition to sun rise is subtle at the Satellite stage – it is tucked back in a bowl surrounded by trees. One moment it’s dark outside, and the next moment I found myself reaching for my sunglasses. One thing I have learned – if you know you are going to stay out till sun rise, don’t forget to bring your sunglasses – the sun can be an evil surprise for the spun out party people.
The vibe at Wakarusa continues to be fantastic. Friendly people everywhere, and the crowd for the most part is clean-cut Southern and Midwestern festival kids just looking to have a good time and dance. Costumes come out when the sun goes down and night time is the right time. This afternoon I’m looking forward to the guitars of Black Keys > Zappa Plays Zappa > Widespread Panic followed by another performance by Umphrey’s.
One Response
may be pond swimmer warped to Super Mario Bros level 2-2?