Day 3 proved to be the busiest day of the festival for me, and while it took me another full hour to find parking, it was unbelievably close and therefore worth waiting for. Even better, (well, for me, anyway) was that one band’s last minute cancellation pushed back the set for the first act I had scheduled, which meant I didn’t miss him after all…
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini, courtesy of Carl Pocket.
I know a lot of people were sad that Chvrches had to cancel their set at the festival, but it worked well for me: the slot opened up to allow Paolo Nutini to play at 3:10 instead of 1:50, giving me time enough to park & get in just as he began his set with current single “Scream (Funk My Life Up),” followed by “Coming Up Easy.” The sunny, breezy weather and Nutini’s gorgeous voice are a match made in heaven; I sat on the grass with an American Grilled Cheese Kitchen grilled cheese with bacon and a strawberry lemonade, blissed out. Nutini paid Chvrches a little homage, covering their tune “Recover” “for shits and giggles,” or more accurately because they couldn’t appear on their own behalf. After another song from his newest record (“One Day”), Nutini played what he called was his “bum-squeezing song, ” “No Other Way.” Ultimately, he played a great set and was wonderful to see. I was quite disappointed he didn’t grace us with “Last Request” or especially “New Shoes,” but he was still excellent.
I had plenty of time before the next set to find something yummy, so I sidled up to Earthly Delights for a chicken, apple, and brie sandwich. It sounded amazing. Unfortunately, it was barely warm and the chicken was burned black on one end, sadly only taking up real estate in two-thirds of the bun. Interestingly, though, the third that had no chicken was fantastic – a blend of pesto, great bread, gooey melted brie and granny smith apple. Ultimately a fail, but could certainly have been worse!
Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne
I have been enamored with Ray LaMontagne‘s voice for several years, but somehow this was the first time I’ve ever been able to catch him live. Right away I noticed how different his singing voice is from the one with which he speaks. Either way, though, he’s utterly brilliant, and even better live than on record. Highlights included recent single “Supernova,” “Smashing,” megahit “Trouble,” a breathtaking cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me,” complete with the entire crowd singing and dancing along, “Song for Meg White,” “Julia,” and closing song “Drive-In Movies.” Though he’s a man of few words, at least on stage, LaMontagne was an absolute treat.
Just before the final set of the evening began, I opted to celebrate what was advertised as “National S’mores Day” with a s’more from Charles Chocolates on homemade graham. They looked amazing, and for a moment I thought it was a big, soft, pillowy graham. Sadly, no. It was just one big graham that tasted like it was pretty much otherwise straight-outta-the-box, a nicely toasted marshmallow and some chocolate that had been melted around the edges. It was okay, but I can do better. Next year, my friends, I’ll celebrate it as such a day should be… Alas, it would in no way dampen my spirits, as it was nearly time to wrap up the festival right.
The Killers
Thanks to Carl Pocket for the use of this cool shot of The Killers & crowd.
I admit, I wasn’t at all prepared for how much I was going to enjoy The Killers. Before they began, I thought I knew approximately two of their songs. Turns out, I know quite a few, and all sound great live. Though in no way a requirement for me to enjoy a band, it never hurts to discover that the front man is adorable, and clean-cut Brandon Flowers is all that and more. Jumping right into their hits, they began with “Mr. Brightside,” followed by “Spaceman,” “The Way It Was,’ and “Smile Like You Mean It.” “You guys are… this is a very fabulous crowd!” Flowers gushed. “Thank you for being so good to us! This one’s called ‘Bling.'” Next was “Human” and “Somebody Told Me,” after which Flowers addressed the crowd once more. “How’s everybody doin’ so far, alright? We love comin’ here, we do! We love the Bay Area, it’s given us so much… The Golden Gate Bridge, the 49ers… Uncle Jesse! The Grateful Dead, Rice-a-Roni… CCR!” With that, they blessed the crowd with a phenomenal cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.” (For me personally, a killer cover or two is what makes a concert experience exceptional, and the Killers seemed happy to indulge this particular love of mine, for which I’m grateful.)
“For Reasons Unknown” was next, after which Flowers asked, “I know it’s been three days and you’ve seen some of the greats… But did you save some of that love for The Killers? You still got your dancin’ shoes on?” According to the level of noise generated in response, everyone was still ready, willing, and able to party until the Killers said they could stop. Flowers took a moment to introduce the band, and then came “From Here On Out” and “A Dustland Fairytale.” Next came another fantastic surprise cover, this time of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay,” which was all I’d want it to be and more, complete with lyrics tailored for the evening (“I left my home in Vegas… headed for the Frisco Bay… it’s Outside Lands and the Killers… I think it’s gonna be okay…”) Next was “Read My Mind,” “Runaways” and “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which concluded the regular set. Moments later, the encore began with “Shot at the Night,” followed by “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” and finally, the addictive “When You Were Young.” I have to say, I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever going into the last set of the weekend. I had no strong opinions on the Killers, and all these years after its release, was still feeling pretty sick of “Somebody Told Me,” but at the end of the day, I’m thrilled with this band’s fantastic set and great energy. It was a great way to end my festival experience, and I would see the Killers again any time.
(Parts of this review originally published by Spinning Platters – thanks for sharing!)
