DeVotchKa (day 1, afternoon, Main Stage): This eclectic band borrows music from around the world. With the reverb up on the vocals and a variety of different instruments (I am a sucker for a horn section in a "rock" band; what says rock 'n' roll more than a tuba, right?), DeVotchKais only getting better over the years and always worth your time.

Fleet Foxes (day 3, afternoon, Main Stage): These fellas from the Northwest were perfect for the late afternoon show, with the shadows getting a little longer and the blue sky overhead. The harmonies filled the venue, and they threw together my favorite songs for an impressive triple play of "White Winter Hymnal," "Ragged Wood" and "Your Protector."

Gogol Bordello (day 3, afternoon, Main Stage): Parts Borat and Iggy Pop, lead singer Eugene Hutz capers shirtless around stage with his guitar while the fiddle and accordion guys play and the drum ladies smack their drums. Except for Girl Talk (see above) I did not see anything resembling the dance party that went on during their set.

Of Montreal (day 2, evening, Wookie Stage): This psychedelic dance/rock band borrows heavily from the glam road that Bowie paved. The show seemed to be thematic to some degree, but I was not really sure what was supposed to be going on. There were pigs, gorillas, tigers, ninjas and other crazy people in costume parading around on stage. My friend, a huge Of Montreal fan, said that when he saw them play solo, all of those roles had a story of sorts that they were acting out. However, with the time limitations of a festival, they kept things moving and the story was lost on me. One crazy surprise was that Kevin Barnes felt the need to SMASH! his guitar at the end of the set. We're in a recession! Except for Girl Talk (see above), this was biggest crowd at one of the smaller stages that I saw.

TV on the Radio (day 2, evening, Main Stage): I have heard tell that this band has an impressive live show. That is very true. They are a little serious, but so is their music. Like Animal Collective (see above), they have some serious harmonies. Like The Decemberists, Animal Collective and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, their albums reflect an artistic evolution. Their path is most similar to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs: a couple of rocking albums followed by a dance-y one.

This tight band knows how to squeeze intensity out of their instruments. Playing songs from all three albums, they often crafted unique arrangements...for example, turning "Method" from mostly a cappella with a couple beats to a beat heavy dance tune without a lot of harmonizing. It was great hearing two of the greatest modern rock tunes live -- "Wolf Like Me" and "Standing in the Sun." They gave "Sun" more punch than their studio version, which builds but never explodes; the live version was heavier on the bass drum and guitars, and ended their set with an exclamation point.  

Yeah Yeah Yeahs (day 1, evening, Main Stage): It is said that Karen O is the quintessential front person; now that I have seen their live show, I totally agree. She chats it up with the crowd, wails and croons, and interacts with the band. The most surprising thing was watching how much fun the band was having; I think Ms. O. and the drummer were smiling throughout the whole set. The guitarist, Nick Zinner, was all bidniss, and was a great straight man to Karen's antics.

They fired through new songs, and some oldies. I left as they played a quiet version of "Maps" (see Venue section for more on that) to check out the second half of Bon Iver (see above).

Who Was That?

One of the best parts of a festival is coming away with something you had never heard before. Here is mine...

The Pica Beats (day 3, afternoon, Yeti Stage): This five-piece band has some nice male/female harmonies, which I am always pleased to hear. They reminded me of the Submarines a little bit (see below, 15 more shows in 15 words or less), or maybe Mates of State. However, they would go into some tribal territory at times, with all of the band members getting rhythmic and chanting. Also, some samples got me wiggling. The nasal vocals reminded me of Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal or Jeff Magnum from Neutral Milk Hotel. This band was obviously having fun, which also wins points with me.

They Could Be So Much More...

Passion Pit (day 1, afternoon, Wookie Stage): This was the first band that I saw for the weekend, and I got there just in time. Or so I thought. They were having some sound problem with the two smaller stages sometimes, causing some delays (see Venue section for more info about that).

Before I dis on this band, let me tell you that I was obsessed with them for at least a month before the fest; my expectations, therefore, were pretty high. Passion Pit is a very young band from Boston (just barely legal to drink), and their rise to be a "buzz band" has been quick (garnering lots of attention after releasing the EP Chunk of Change last spring). This rise almost always comes with a price, especially for a young band. They are looking for their "voice," and from where I was sitting, the expression was quite is literal.

The lead singer often uses a falsetto, which can work pretty well in the studio but is a little tricky onstage. I found it be grating and forced after a few songs; his normal range works better. Also, their studio material features a children's choir on some songs. It would be cool to have something like that live, or at least a sample of it.

I loved about half of the songs here (if I looked past the sound problems which plagued them throughout their shortened set). Their disco pop/new wave-y sounds and big hooks do get me dancing. Some of their songs, however, are a little too sugary. Regardless, Passion Pit is a band with potential; I am looking forward to hearing what more they have to offer.

Ben Harper and the Relentless7 (day 3, night, Main Stage): Several years ago, I loved Ben Harper. His former band, the Innocent Criminals, had two drummers and a bouncer-looking, beefy bassist. His current band, the Relentless7, are a bunch of indie-rock, yuppie-looking guys. I still love Ben Harper; his guitar work and voice are still great. However, these new songs are not there. They played almost all new material, except for a couple covers—a Led Zepplin cover that worked, and "Under Pressure" which didn't (more falsetto killing a song). I kept waiting for Harper to step out from the band and play acoustically (something I have seen him do in live shows previously), but he didn'tThere were a couple songs that had a nice thumping dance beat, but generally I felt like I should have gone back to camp for an early night.