Lollapalooza is two short weeks away. Friday’s lineup is solid and there are some difficult choices to make. But we’ve managed to settle on our schedule for the day. Below are some videos from each artist we’ve picked; some live and some studio work. Out of Friday’s entire lineup, I’m most interested in seeing The Decemberists if, for no other reason, to hear their new album played live. They seem to be really growing into their sound and that’s pretty exciting. But I’m also really looking forward to Heartless Bastards, Fleet Foxes and Heartless Bastards.
Here they are the Sound Citizen picks, in order of their scheduled appearances for Friday, August 7.
The Henry Clay People, 11:30 a.m. Relatively raw but their solid, steady sound does it for me.
Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears, 1:00 p.m. One of our favorite concerts this year. Don’t miss this one.
The Gaslight Anthem, 2:00 p.m. They draw comparisons to Bruce Springsteen (they’re from Jersey too) but mainly seeing them because I’m not yet sold on White Lies, playing a different stage.
Heartless Bastards, 3:00 p.m. Loving this straightforward rock sound. They were touring with Dan Auerbach — a big endorsement in my book. Along with this video is another great one here.
STS9, 4:00 p.m. Don’t know anything about them and I’ve never seen them. But I’m definitely intrigued.
Fleet Foxes, 5:00 p.m. There’s something about this band; kind of a throwback to the 60′s folk/trippy scene, Neil Young, Beatles… interesting. Below is one breakout hit, here’s another.
The Decemberists, 6:00 p.m. As mentioned previously, this one has “show stealer” written all over it.
Andrew Bird, 7:00 p.m. The Chicago boy returns. Big Bird fan, excited to see him for the first time.
Kings of Leon, 8:15 p.m. Maybe the radio has overplayed them, but Kings of Leon put on a great and powerful performance.
Coming soon – our Saturday picks!
(Video included) About 10 years ago, I saw Ben Harper play at the Vic Theater in Chicago. It was a powerful experience. He wailed on about 10 different guitars throughout the show, and used his electric voice to rip through a set that ranged from violence to despair. I walked out that evening a huge fan, and with a belief that I just witnessed a legend and a musical genius in the making.
This time around, Ben Harper’s tour came through Chicago with his latest band, Relentless7. And, for the most part, touring with a new sound. Harper came out on stage without a guitar – the first sign that things have changed, and what was to follow. That included something I never imagined I would hear from Ben Harper – “Under Pressure,” the famous tune by Queen and David Bowie.
Relentless7 features Jason Mozersky on lead guitar and he’s talented, to be sure. Harper cedes much of the guitar playing throughout the set to Mozersky. And while he’s quite capable, it’s just not the same.
To me, Ben Harper is one of those artists who should command full charge of the stage and the set. He’s the show. Playing with this new band seems to have put a leash on him. But Harper should be cut loose entirely. This tour sounds like a band feeling their way around a new sound rather than a world-class musician being supported by a talented band. For my money, I came to see Ben Harper and Relentless7, not Relentless7 featuring Ben Harper. There were moments where his unique sound and style took charge – just not enough of them. Ultimately, I didn’t hear the same unbridled passion that I have before.
Still, it was a good show. They are all clearly talented and they sounded good. And the crowd at the Vic gave their approval through cheers and the occasional standing ovation and clap-along. I try my hardest to see Harper whenever he comes around, and this show didn’t convince me otherwise.
The opening band, The Henry Clay People, put on a very solid show. And what really made it fun was the fact that this young band was on their first tour supporting a major talent. They told the story about how they just quit their jobs two weeks ago because they were told they had a chance to tour with Ben Harper. And now they were here. It’s a true rock and roll dream come true, and they acted like it. It was impossible to not notice their excitement – from the lead singer jumping down in the crowd and giving high-fives while singing, to jumping on his brother’s back near the end of their set. They’re pretty damn good too. It’s good rock and fun to watch. You can check them out at both Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits this year.
Below is some video from the show. The first one is “Under Pressure,” and the second is a brief clip of “Shimmer and Shine,” featuring a more typical Ben Harper sound from his laptop slide guitar.
