Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

The first-ever stateside Virgin Festival took place Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and I was there and here to recommend it to you all for next year. The sound was good, the crowd wasn't overbearing, the beer flowed like water and the bands were tremendous. Here was the day that was for my buddy Dane and I:

1:15-1:50 Wolfmother on the main stage: Impressive performance. I need their album.
1:55-2:20 2 Many DJs in the dance tent: See them for a good time.
2:25-3:15 The Raconteurs on the main stage: Sounded better than on their record.
3:20-4:00 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on the second stage: Indie phenoms are finding their feet.
4:05-4:45 Gnarls Barkley on the main stage: Dressed in a Roman motif, which was mildly disappointing.
4:50-5:15 John Digweed in the dance tent: Trance sucks.
5:20-6:15 The Killers on the main stage: Eh.
6:20-7:00 Thievery Corporation on the second stage: Two dancehall MCs, one guy playing sitar, hands in the air, much fun.
7:05-8:00 The Who on the main stage: Incredibly, they've still got it.
8:05-8:55 Cheeseburgers and Bud Light in the grass: America, [heck] yeah!
9:00-10:00 The Flaming Lips on the second stage: Stole the show.

So, yeah, it was a long, fulfilling, memorable day, capped off extraordinarily by the Flaming Lips, whose set was right up there with the best I've ever seen: The Hives, Arcade Fire, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Fugazi, etc. Just to give you a taste, here's a three-minute video of them kicking off the set by having frontman Wayne Coyne climb into a human beach ball and roll out over the crowd:

Coming soon: More pictures and words from the day that was. For now, check out my friend's Jeff's photos over at And I Am Not Lying For Real.Great, great shots, and he even posed with Gnarls!

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• #1 Comment from rebelk9 
  9/25/06 3:56 PM | Permalink

  As much as I was tempted I couldn't spend my day amongst the unwashed masses to see Gnarls and the Who.