KC Confidential

So what’s my takeaway from the inaugural Kanrocksas festival at the Kansas Speedway?

First, I have a question:

What was the actual attendance? No, wait, even better:

How many tickets were really sold?

I’d like to know.

If you can answer that you win half of a happy hour cocktail and 30 minutes of meaningful conversation with none other than KCC godfather Hearne Christopher, Jr.

On to the observations…

For starters, the sound engineering and stage set up was excellent. At every stage, the sound was loud and clear, sometimes too much so, as at times there was a bit of bleed- through to other stages. That was probably more a product of the angles all the stages were set at than anything the techs could correct. Next time it’ll be a non-issue. 

The physical plant was huge, much bigger than I envisioned, though I have never been on the infield of a racetrack before.  And though everyone has complained about the long walks, once you were inside the venue, the walks were really nothing. The hike was from the parking lot to the venue.  Maybe next year they could do something about that – it definitely seemed like they had plenty of open space nearer the venue that even we elitist media guys weren’t allowed to take advantage of. 

Twenty-something, new KCC photographer, Katie Grogan, was feeling it as we hiked back to the parking lot Saturday night.  She spent basically all day both days out in the sweaty mess.  And she’s born and bred in KCK, so you know she’s legit. Katie spent the weekend schmoozing clueless security dudes and working her way onstage after the Brit-rock Arctic Monkeys took a liking to her.    
 
She gave me the real real lowdown on the seedy underbelly of Kanrocksas.  But be careful, it’s super seedy.  Here’s what she said: 

"Having this new festival at the Speedway was a fantastic idea, it’s a massive area and the overall atmosphere was awesome. It almost felt like I wasn’t at home because it’s something that never happens in Kansas but I’m super proud of KCK and I hope they continue to put on Kanrocksas every summer.

The worst thing was because it was the first year, it was very unorganized. The entrances and ticket pick-ups were confusing and asking for help was pointless because it seemed like no one knew where anything was. So hopefully if we have another one next year, it’ll be more organized.

My favorite act of the weekend was probably The Flaming Lips. Their set was so wacky and fun. The giant bubble, tons of confetti, giant hands and awesome lighting. It was very exciting."

If I had never seen the Lips before, I would probably feel the same way.  They’re memorable, different, and kind of getting a little played out.  Maybe they’re relying on this new wave of festivals and festival goers that still sees their act as a novelty.

And who can blame the Lips if the checks keep coming. Certainly not me.

Katie continues, "The vibe of the crowd was the usual for most shows – lots of drunk people. And despite the hot weather people were still dancing and rocking out like it was nothing. I love that vibe at concerts; it’s like everyone’s happy for the few hours that they last and no one has a care in the world.

I can’t say much on the food vendors because it was too expensive. No way I was buying 1 slice of pizza for $6 and a soda for $4. I actually gave in and bought a pretzel on Saturday night and it was cold and gross. Worst $4 I’ve ever spent.

I’ll agree with everyone else and say that the walk between stages was pretty far, but it wasn’t TOO bad. It was actually kind of confusing getting to the two stages that were on the other side of the Speedway. The sound was really good for the most part. Some of the acts had too much bass but maybe that’s because I was right next to the speakers.

Like I said before, I really hope that this becomes an annual thing because this is a huge deal for Kansas."

But despite some of the other issues, the biggest deal to me at live music shows is always the live music.  For my taste, the Kanrocksas lineup was simply uninteresting.  Not that that means anything. My taste is my taste, and I very likely could be WRONG.

I was most excited to see Muse, a band that is renowned for their live performances.  And they put on a hell of a show musically and visually.  But, here’s the thing: during the middle of their set, I could easily walk to the front of the stage. Know what I mean? I shouldn’t be able to do that. Not for one of the headliners. But I could, and the same for the Eminem set Friday night. 

At other big festivals I’ve been to you can’t get close to the stage unless you stake it out an hour or two early.  Normally, if you show up just before the headliner goes on, you’re talking 200 yards back. But that wasn’t the case at all this past weekend at the Speedway. No, you couldn’t get front and center, but pretty close – as close as you wanted on the edges. 

I also was pumped to see Eminem, Ween, the Black Keys, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Girl Talk, and Kid Cudi.  Other than that, nothing jumped out at me, especially considering the cost of the festival – $100 for one day, and $179, I believe, for the two. 

That’s just too much. 

I’ve had a lot of people tell me they might have been interested if the price was more in the $50 per day range, but for that lineup $100 per day was just too much.

Now, throw in Radiohead and maybe we have a different ballgame.  And the Foo Fighters.

Then we can talk.     
 

Day two of Kanrocksas boasted what I considered the better lineup of the two days – Muse, The Black Keys, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Cage the Elephant, and a bunch of others.

If you can’t tell, I’m more into the rock than the electronic and hip hop stuff.

Saturday night’s headliner was the band I was most looking forward to, English prog-rockers, Muse. I mean, how can you go wrong with the band that Queen’s Brian May called "probably the greatest live act in the world today"?

You can’t .

Muse emerged to warning sirens blaring, right on time at 11 p.m. – just like nearly every other act of the weekend, the on time part, not the sirens – and they were coming hard right off the bat, with one of their biggest hits, “Uprising.”

Too bad the crowd was probably half that of the previous night for Eminem…

But that didn’t seem to faze lead singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy, who was decked out in hot pink pants and sunglasses with flashing lights.  He strutted around the stage as any good British rock star would, with the confidence of a made man. And he belted out the ridiculously grand lyrics without even a hint of self aware irony, and why shouldn’t he?  He’s earned the right to proclaim that, "They will not control us/ We will be victorious…" Bass player Christopher Wolstenholme thumped away, laying a thick foundation of Muse’s trademark fuzz bass to support the heavy drums and guitar lines. 

The first thing that hit me was how tight these guys are.  Their songs sounded virtually as clean as their studio cuts, but with a little extra dose of energy thrown in for good measure.

Almost too clean. Were these guys faking it?  No. 

Another thing I was a little surprised by is how many hits Muse have.  I mean, I know they have sold a shit ton of records, but nearly every other song they played was a radio single at some point.  The third song of the night, "Supermassive Black Hole," took the energy even higher.  Bellamy’s clear vocals were spot on, his guitar chops ample as well, as he segued the end of the song into a Jimi-like version of the Star Spangled Banner – then segued that again into a ripping version of "Hysteria," another radio hit. 

For those scoring at home, that’s three big time hits out of the first four songs. 

Muse’s setup was visually interesting, too, with honeycombed projection screens backing the band, while laser lights reached their futuristic tentacles into the audience. 

Towards the end of the show, giant eyeball-looking balloons were released into the crowd and exploded like piñatas with confetti for all. 

One drawback?  After awhile a lot of Muse’s songs start to sound somewhat similar.  You know, buzzing guitars, super tremolo vocals, buzzing bass, generally rhythmic guitar riffs to end the songs.  So if there’s a drawback, that’s it.

That being said, Muse did mix it up a bit with a few slower numbers that saw Bellamy switch over to the grand piano on stage right.  At times the softer stuff evoked a Queen type vibe, and at other times I could hear the Pink Floyd coming through. 

As Muse’s hour and a half wound down, the laser show intensified, and Bellamy went to work on his guitar, snuggling up to his amp to get some freaky feedback and squealing. Then he slumped into the metal-covered box as if he might lay his head down on it for a nap, but then took a vicious swipe and booted the amp into the back of the stage. 

Next, in the quintessential rock star move, Bellamy unstrapped his axe and swung it around and around before releasing it in a high arc over the drum set.  It crashed through the cymbals and shattered on the stage, but he wasn’t done yet. 

(Side note: It has to feel better the more expensive the guitar is, right?) 

He thrashed the remaining guitar bits sledge hammer style straight down on the stage. 

Whereupon the tech promptly brought out another multi-thousand dollar guitar and Muse finished the night with "Knights of Cydonia," which featured a harmonica intro that was strangely fitting considering the band’s usual electronica sound. 

But probably the biggest response of the night came for the song "Starlight," as thousands joined in on the choruses:

"Our hopes and expectations/ Black holes and revelations…"

For a moment, it seemed the audience realized that we were all part of something kinda unique, a show that won’t be forgotten for a long time – and one that probably will never be duplicated considering the circumstances:

A beautiful night with one of the world’s biggest bands, in what would have to be considered an intimate setting. 

I really doubt Muse ever plays another show with less than 10,000 people in attendance.

Oh, it was hot all right…

Thousands of music fans flocked to the Kansas Speedway this past weekend to partake in one of the weirdest named festivals ever: Kanrocksas.

When I first arrived I noticed the main stage was packed out with half naked twenty-somethings pumping their fists in the air. 

Who was playing?

It sounded like a DJ, spinning tunes at the Granada or something.  Nope, it was none other than Bassnectar, spinning records for probably the biggest crowd of the festival.

What happened to live musicians?

They’ve been rendered obsolete. 

Or so I thought until the sun went down and I wandered to the second stage…

Around 9:30 on Friday, festival veterans The Flaming Lips took the second biggest stage, called Stegosaurus Rex for some reason. 

Frontman Wayne Coyne entered the stage by way of his favorite conveyance, a giant inflated hamster ball, and proceeded to roll it out into the crowd, raising his arms and pumping his fists every so often.  Anyone that’s been to a handful of festivals over the years surely has seen this spectacle before – it seems the Lips have been pulling the same stunts for a decade or more now. 

Maybe it’s time to get some new toys?

I mean, their light show is always pretty cool, with the images of naked women dancing and eyeballs flickering, and shark mouths.  And, of course, there were the 30 or so girls on either side of the stage, dressed in short skirts and dancing throughout.

But that’s pretty much the same thing they had going on in 2002 when I saw the Lips at the first Bonnaroo.

Once the band started playing, they almost immediately launched into their biggest commercial hit, "She Don’t Use Jelly," probably to keep the interest of the somewhat un-festival like crowd.  Unfortunately, it was a really slow, quiet, meandering kind of version, with Coyne pausing early and often to urge the crowd to sing along. 

"Come on guys, come on!" Coyne said, probably 50 times during the set.

By the time the band really started hitting their stride, Coyne informed the crowd that they only had two songs left. Most bands at Kanrocksas played just 50 minute sets, making it tough to really get in a groove. I mean, by the time you play three or four songs, it’s halfway over.  At least the headliners Muse and Eminem played for an hour and a half.

On the nose. 

Predictably, the Lips pulled out their closer to end the performance, the beautiful "Do You Realize?"  As I listened to a song I’ve heard live probably ten or twelve times, it still hit me pretty hard. That is such a good song, it almost made up for the Reader’s Digest set. 

I would probably pay money to see them play just that one song live. 

As the final chord struck, Coyne bid everyone a good night and revealed his excitement for the upcoming Eminem set at the other end of the infield. 

"We’ve never played with Eminem before, so we’re going to hustle over there to catch his show!"

A few moments later, right on schedule at 11:00, the main stage video board lit up with an Eminem advertisement. 
Kinda weird, I’d never seen that sort of thing before at a festival.  It was a Lipton BRISK ice tea commercial, with a cartoon version of the rapper. This was followed immediately by graphics with subtitles explaining the genesis of Eminem’s newest album, "Recovery," as the man himself stormed onto the stage. 

He started the night off with "Won’t Back Down," and soon touched on some favorites like "Kill You" (complete with graphics of an assault rifle firing into the crowd, skulls, and blood dripping everywhere), "The Way I Am," and "Stan." 

I say "touched on" because Slim Shady only played two songs all the way through, the encores "Lose yourself," and "Not Afraid."

Overall, Eminem’s set was adequate. He definitely brought energy to the stage, and his crowd was one of the biggest of the festival no doubt. 

But I’d be lying if I said it was a memorable show.  Other than the Lipton commercial, that is.

And for the main headliner of the weekend it was surprisingly easy to get up close to the stage, much more so than other festivals I’ve been to, so I’m guessing the attendance wasn’t quite what the promoters were expecting. 

There may not be a more interesting personality in rock music right now than My Morning Jacket’s enigmatic front man, Jim James.

During his band’s Wednesday night concert at the Uptown Theater, James mentioned that the brightly painted interior of the venue made him feel like he was in a small village in Mexico. (Maybe that was because of the heat and humidity inside the Uptown. Or maybe that’s just James.)

He raised his open palms to the sky in what looked like a pagan rain dance while spewing guttural shrieks at the sky. And at times he wore a hooded cape that looked like it came straight out of Sleepy Hollow.

Obviously he and his band have ample style, but their substance is what really sets them apart as one of the premier live acts around right now. And Wednesday night they delivered big time.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of openers, Delta Spirit, a California roots-rock act that I was really looking forward to. But their problem had nothing to do with the songs they performed – indeed, lead singer Matt Vasquez’s unique vocals carry his band.

No, the problem was that they only played about four songs before announcing that they had to cut it short to get on the road to Chicago. What?

Why even have an opener if they have an 8:30 curfew?

To be fair, the few songs that Delta Spirit did play were great, especially a touching version of “Ransom Man” that MMJ’s Bo Koster and Carl Broemel sat in on. But I wanted more, and so did everyone else I talked to.

No matter, though.

The lights went down and Jim James appeared onstage in his trademark overcoat with wild hair and big, bushy beard. As the opening chords of “Victory Dance” echoed over the crowd – the first track off MMJ’s newest album – everyone forgot all about the opener’s non-set.

James’ distinctive reverb-soaked vocals sounded large as ever inside the cavernous Uptown while the strange half bird call, half fanfare call of the opening track announced the band’s arrival.

“Should I close my eyes and prophesize/ Hoping maybe someday come…” lilted James, the shaman.

As has been the norm on this tour, the band followed that song with the next track off the new album, the jaunty, staccatoed “Circuital,” which features a softly repeating rhythmic guitar pluck before unleashing into full-on rock outro with buzzing guitars and pounding bass.

By this time, I think it’s safe to say that everyone in attendance was hot and sweaty in the Uptown’s muggy, 90 degree haze. And ready for more.

How much more? How about a full 2 hours? That’ll do the trick.

In general, the first half of My Morning Jacket’s set was an exercise in tension and release. Some slower, softer songs led into rockers and back again.

The second half saw the band crank up the energy a bit more. As has been the case when I’ve seen these guys in the past, their entire show slowly smolders more and more until, by the end, smoke turns to fire to finish on the highest of high notes.

Throughout, Jim James was, well, Jim James – part medicine man, part good ol’ boy, and part hard rocker – as he tossed his mane of hair around the stage executing precision karate kicks, climbing up on the drum riser, and exorcising his own personal demons in front of a couple thousand interested onlookers.

I wouldn’t have been that surprised if James had set something on fire.

One of the night’s highlights came midway through, as My Morning Jacket hit their stride with the chunky delay guitar texturing in “It Beats 4 U.” Lead guitarist Carl Broemel seems to know exactly what his role is with this band.

Displaying an awesome Euro mullet that I’m going to go ahead and grow myself, Broemel stepped to the front of the stage, rock god style, when the moment called for it, and retreated to the side when it didn’t. At times -especially considering My Morning Jacket’s big sound – it’s surprising how little Broemel plays, but that’s not a bad thing at all.

It’s really a compliment to MMJ that they can be sparse without becoming bare, and still keep their momentum.

As the band rolled into the next song, “Honest Man,” all the stage lights suddenly went out, leaving the theater in complete darkness as MMJ forged on. Though the lighting issue wasn’t planned, it didn’t seem to bother James and his cohorts who used the blackout to build even more energy.

Eventually, the lights came back on and order was restored.

Just before leaving the stage for the first time, another highlight came in the form of the odd new song “Holdin’ On To Black Metal,” a down and dirty take on soul Satanism with horn blasts and big choir choruses.

Is Jim James the devil? Maybe.

“Oh black metal so misunderstood/ Deep black service under Lucifer’s hood/ Black metal steals souls young, enuff is enuff / Wants refills out of Lucifer’s cup…”

When the set ended, MMJ promptly returned to the stage for a long encore that culminated predictably with the closer, “One Big Holiday” that features everything that this band is known for: intricate rhythmic layered guitars, soaring vocal lines, and hard hitting chunky guitars. Oh yeah, and bass that pounds the air out of your lungs.

Overall, a great show, as expected.

The only drawback for me was that at times the sound got a little muddled. But that’s to be somewhat expected at a venue like the Uptown with a band like MMJ that uses a ton of reverb.

Was this the best show I’ve seen this summer?

No. I think I have to rank their Wakarusa performance ahead of this one, as well as Arcade Fire’s epic set at Starlight a few months ago.

Most everyone I talked to afterwards was thoroughly impressed, exhausted, hot, sweaty, and even more of a fan than they had been before the show. Except for one guy who was disappointed that My Morning Jacket is not Bon Iver.

Weird, right? They’re not Wilco either, but hey, whuddyagonnado?

As for me? I’ll worship at Jim James’ funky alter any day.

Set List:

Victory Dance

Circuital

Off The Record

I’m Amazed

Gideon

Lay Low

Golden

Outta My System

It Beats 4 U

Honest Man

Slow Slow Tune

Smokin From Shootin

End of Run Thru

Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2

Holdin’ On to Black Metal

Mahgeetah

Encore:

Dondante

Wordless Chorus

The Day Is Coming

Anytime

One Big Holiday