rites of spring

i've never been a fan of music festivals. i bought a weekend pass for music midtown one year and just didn't enjoy it much at all. it was hot, it was crowded, and in crowds there always seems to be an overabundance of stupid people. and they all seem to find their way to me. so i hear about a little thing at vandy called rites of spring. i figure these little bands and songwriters will attract a smart crowd of folks who are there for the music. i mean, vandy kids are smart right? so they'll be there for the music.

megan and i got there a little after 6 because i wanted to hear brett dennen. he was good, nothing special, just sang his songs and wished everyone a happy 4/20 and earth day. a band from athens called the whigs came out and right away i was disappointed. the guy's singing kinda sounded like ryan adams, except he was about a quarter of a step flat... the whole set. the guitars sounded horrible, it was just a mess, painful at times. after them came keller williams. keller williams is very very similar to tim reynolds if you've ever seen him when he's not with dave. i enjoyed it. he had a little sampling doohickey set up so he could play bass, and 2 guitars by looping it. it sounded good. nerdy, but good.

it was about keller william's time when the vandy kids started to get obnoxious. i don't understand how people can pay $30 for a one-night pass to stand around talking. the talking was so loud at one point i had a hard time hearing the lyrics to songs that i knew. they stepped on feet, stepped on the cooler, knocked around the chairs... not fun.

drive-by truckers put on an amazing show but no one appreciated it. i hope the folks crammed up front were showing them more love than the majority of the folks around us. the only way it could have been better was if they played more off decoration day, especially "outfit."

wolfmother is great live so go see them if you ever get a chance. they had a big big sound for a 3 piece band. good stuff.

yesterday we went back, and luckily the 3 acts i wanted to see were all in a row. rocco deluca blew my mind. the album is great, but that boy is a force live. i've never seen anyone play a dobro like that and i never will. amos lee was pretty boring and didn't even play "shout out loud" which i'm guessing has been the biggest or second biggest hit of his career. mat kearney was great though. it's cool to see how much he's grown since i saw him last time. the big vh1 tour must have helped. he had a bigger band this time around so that probably helped.

i guess i'm getting jaded when it comes to concerts. i compare everyone to my favorite shows, and if they don't measure up i'm not impressed. favorite shows ever you ask?
-my first dave show... '98
-cowboy mouth - georgia theatre '99?
-jump, little children - "last" athens show - georgia theatre '05
-ben harper - classic center '05