Disappointments?

[JohnnyB]

Anyone have somebody they really wanted to see that was a let down?

For me:
Gomez
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (more like Shrug Your Shoulders Say Eh)
Elvis Costello (I thought he was much better at the Tennessee Theater)


Mostly, I was very impressed.

JB

ps- Oh yeah, anyone else come down with a case of Bonnaroo Neck? My neck is sore from rocking so hard.

[catpinw]

I was disappointed that...

I didn't get to see Gomez. (I don't know where I was at that time... but I was happy wherever I was.)

I didn't get to see Stevie Nicks come out with Tom Petty... I could hear it though.

I missed Gillian Welch and David Rawlings playing with Bright Eyes.

I missed My Morning Jacket covering one of my all-time favorite songs -- "It Makes No Difference" by the Band.

Radiohead didn't play for 2 more hours!

Beck never called me... maybe Scientologists have a different number system and he just couldn't read my phone number...

I was too tired to really dance my ass off for Sasha. I was laid out in the grass bobbing my head to it though.

No one at my campsite was prepared to really rage each night of Bonnaroo. They all passed out early! I had to make other partners in crime! :(

Otherwise, I was fully satisfied. It was most definitely the best Bonnaroo so far.

[skirob]

Everyone far exceeded my expectations except two artists.
-Be Your Own Pet rather annoyed me. Not sure what I expected but I wasn't impressed.
-Deadboy and the Elephantmen didn't seem to want to be there. The drummer had to restart songs twice. The setlist was all over the map. As soon as they got people going they shifted gears into a dirge and then into a rocker, followed by a ballad.

Don't have Bonnaroo neck but do have Bonnaroo back.

[cmp]

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (more like Shrug Your Shoulders Say Eh)

Ditto. Seemed like they weren't too excited about being there. They should've gone to see Bettye LaVette first. Great record though.

[kag]

I have bonnaroo toes! I can't get them completely clean ;-)

Beck was too sleepy and mellow. I wanted him to rock harder and I found the puppets annoying after the first five minutes

[jeffx]

beck didn't play "milk and honey" or "nobody's fault". then again, "do you realize?" was a nice surprise.

deadboy and the elephantmen were okay, but nothing to write home about.

i had to miss steven malkmus and the jicks because my camp wanted to pack everything up; that was a major disappointment for me.

[Apeville]

For me- almost all acts exceeded what I expected- except for the 20 minutes of Elvis C- that I saw. He sounded fine and all- but I just wasn't in the mood for what he was doing at that particular moment. I would have rather heard Tousaint more.

I felt guilty for leaving the Neville Brothers early- because they sounded fantastic as always. Was very curious on how the rest of their set went.

I got a big kick out of Dungen- though it's not anything I would normally enjoy listening to. It just hit me at the right moment in the right way.

[Apeville]

Oh- one surprise- Death Cab for Cutie. I have seen them on TV a bunch lately and have been very underwhelmed by their live show (though I like some of their records)- I thought their live show was really good at the 'Roo.

[mar]

I didn't like the puppet thing at Beck. Yeah, it was cute at first. But when a large percentage of the audience can only see the screens, it just seemed rude.

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. We saw them Sunday at the Preservation Hall and they were just kind of lame. Nothing near as good as they did at Blue Cats a few years ago.

[jeffx]

oh yeah, the biggest disappointment of all was that jumbotron trouble during radiohead. that was really jarring. i mean, they played a great set regardless, and i had a great time, but it would have been five times as awesome if everything had gone smoothly.

i bet someone lost their job over that shit. that's kinda droppin' the ball on the big one.

[kag]

Did anybody else see the wonder that was Electric Eel Shock?! Awesome!

"We play the rock and roll music from Tokyo JAPAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I loved Dungen. Those guys know how rock stars should look.

[gypsy]

radiohead disappointed me. i've been progressively less interested in them every album since ok computer, but i was kind of hoping that seeing them live would give me some reason to care again. but no. i mean, they sounded just fine, and i know a lot of the crowd was into it -- people who also love kid a and amnesiac, i suppose. i just thought they were, as katie has mentioned elsewhere, dullll. it was saturday night, i wasn't in the mood for a bliss-out. i think the boring and predictable fact is that i liked them more as an arty rock band than as a rock-y art band. and the deficiencies in their rhythm section really showed up on a weekend with so much rhythmically rich music. so, not a surprise given what i knew going in, but a letdown anyway.

and yes, beck's puppets were very funny and clever -- for about a minute. after that it was just kind of contemptuous of the vast majority of the crowd, which couldn't really see him.

[JohnnyB]

I'm disappointed that I bagged on Electric Eel Shock. Rivers & Drummonger came back saying it was one of the highlights of the Roo for them. You just can't see everything.

yep- the puppets were pretty annoying once the novelty wore off. The puppet skit at the end was very creative and funny though. "I smell a hippy"

jb

ps- And Apezilla, the Nevilles were fan-fucking-tastical. They funked up our lunch at the compound.

[kag]

I've decided to refer to Radiohead going fwd as "The Radioheads"

I just like that better.

[gypsy]

oh, and the streets -- i didn't really expect him/them to work very well in a live setting, but he/they didn't. not that he/they didn't try, there was a full band and a lot of "put your hands in the air!", but after seeing, say, cypress hill the day before, it felt kinda watery.

lady sovereign, now, SHE woulda rocked the mic. if there's going to be another british mc next year, she'd be my nomination.

[shady lane]

(lady sov is doing the intonation fest (http://www.intonationmusicfest.com/) this weekend in chicago. two days for forty bucks!)

[gypsy]

-Be Your Own Pet rather annoyed me. Not sure what I expected but I wasn't impressed.

they didn't really annoy me, but i did leave after about 5 songs. i liked their energy, and they were pretty tight. it's nice to see some teenage punk rockers with more in their repertoire than rehashed blink 182. the girl singer in the billy idol t-shirt was pretty entertaining. but they need help in the songsmithing department. most of what i heard was sort of generic. i liked the one that went "i'm an independent motherfucker/ and i'm here to take your money," but nothing else stood out.

they had a good-size crowd, tho. nice to see the nashville kids come down to show their love.

[gypsy]

(lady sov is doing the intonation fest (http://www.intonationmusicfest.com/) this weekend in chicago. two days for forty bucks!)

that intonation lineup is pretty sweet.

[jeffx]

yeah, i wasn't a big streets fan going in, and even though i thought they put on a solid and enjoyable set, i wasn't swayed to fandom coming out either.

and i second that lady sov nomination.

the beck puppet thing didn't bother me much, but i could definitely understand getting irritated with it.

i had the opposite reaction to radiohead as gypsy. like a lot of people, i was a bigger fan of the bends/ok computer era; but i came out of that show with a much greater appreciation for the quirky bleeps-and-bloops stuff. but then i'm a sucker for psychedelia.

[metulj]

Did anyone catch them? A collective known to kick a lot of ass. OK. Back to my house....

[Apeville]

oh yeah, the biggest disappointment of all was that jumbotron trouble during radiohead. that was really jarring. i mean, they played a great set regardless, and i had a great time, but it would have been five times as awesome if everything had gone smoothly.

i bet someone lost their job over that shit. that's kinda droppin' the ball on the big one.

Apparently it was their computer misfiring- in other words (groan now, avoid the rush) COMPUTER, NOT OK.

[skirob]

i had the opposite reaction to radiohead as gypsy. like a lot of people, i was a bigger fan of the bends/ok computer era; but i came out of that show with a much greater appreciation for the quirky bleeps-and-bloops stuff. but then i'm a sucker for psychedelia.
I also had the same reaction. Not a fan of latter-day Radiohead and ended up enjoying everything they did.

But not one band swayed me more than My Morning Jacket. I didn't even catch the entire set and yet they gained a fan in me. Something clicked that made me see/hear them in a new light and I was blown away.

[JohnnyB]

I also had the same reaction. Not a fan of latter-day Radiohead and ended up enjoying everything they did.

But not one band swayed me more than My Morning Jacket. I didn't even catch the entire set and yet they gained a fan in me. Something clicked that made me see/hear them in a new light and I was blown away.

Wow! what a marathon set. They were scheduled to play from midnight to 2:30 and they didn't quit till at least 3:45. And there was no slacking either. All totally rocking. Great version of "A Quick One While He's Away". I don't know how that guy can keep his voice that long.

[gypsy]

metulj, we saw some of bbb on saturday night. they were pretty cool. but i got distracted and wandered off toward the big rhythm sound sculpture and people playing with fire off in a field to the right of where bbb were playing. (i was in an easily distracted state of mind.)

[gypsy]

(actually the field was to the left.)

(i said i was distracted.)

[Apeville]

I also had the same reaction. Not a fan of latter-day Radiohead and ended up enjoying everything they did.
.

The bleeps and boops stuff, imho, actually works better live. I loved it man- it was some really cool and fun stuff and the mix was superb. I was surprised how much the audience seemed to know in terms of lyrics, etc. even on records like Kid A. Which the band always seems to draw from a lot live.

[Raincrow]

I'm just disappointed I couldn't move my sorry ass around a little faster so I could have gotten to more shows. Imagine the agony of trucking back to your camp for necessities just as you hear EC hit the stage 100 yards behind you with "What's so Funny About Peace Love and Understanding?" (I got back in time to catch the second half of the show.)

I knew I was going to wish I'd brought my teleporter. Oh, and the big Laz-Y-Boy with built-in beer cooler.

[AC]

I enjoy Radiohead so much that I'm always surprised when people whose tastes I respect don't get it (in my opinion).
I can imagine however that if you were trying to get the full experience at the periphery of the crowd that it might not have translated so well...kind of like sitting in the back of the class.

I thought their show was outstanding. Very powerful. The way they combine a sense of dread and anxiety with exhilaration and release, along with a far share of self-deprecating humor is something that strikes a chord with me, and obviously many others.
But I'm also blown away by the way the music has both sheer majesty as well as an edgy restless experimentation. The basslines alone are beautiful and quite unique. In full flight, they remind me of the legendary German band, Can...

I also like the way the video is used to both enhance and subvert the "mega-show" experience. It is too bad that there was a problem for a while - it was a computer software malfunction - but fortunately it was restored for the last half of the show.

I'm a little brain dead right now, but I really enjoy reading other people's comments about the festival and the performances (even when I disagree).
I'm really glad that most of you seemed to have a great time.

Maybe some more from me later.

[kag]

Ashley - Let me just say again that I thought Bonnaroo was BRILLIANT this year. Loved it. I was blown away by the sheer logistics of it.

Thanks :-)

[jeffx]

man, i'm relieved to hear that it was software and not human malfunction. i kept picturing some guy up in the booth frantically rewiring things and sobbing uncontrollably.

[jeffx]

oh, and mega thanks ashley and the whole umpteen-hundred member crew. it really was one of the most impressive and enjoyable things i've ever attended.

[Raincrow]

I enjoy Radiohead so much


Radiohead was the transcendant moment (well--two hours) of the whole event.

[JohnnyB]

It is too bad that there was a problem for a while - it was a computer software malfunction - but fortunately it was restored for the last half of the show.

I'm a little brain dead right now, but I really enjoy reading other people's comments about the festival and the performances (even when I disagree).
I'm really glad that most of you seemed to have a great time.

Maybe some more from me later.

I was thinking at the time that maybe the malfunction of the video was planned. Kind of a conceptual thing. I totally dug Radiohead. Their lighting design is wonderfully done and adds to the experience. Looking up at the stars while it was going on was quite great too.

Thanks Ashley for a great time. Very impressively done. Congratulations

JB

[gypsy]

I enjoy Radiohead so much that I'm always surprised when people whose tastes I respect don't get it (in my opinion).
I can imagine however that if you were trying to get the full experience at the periphery of the crowd that it might not have translated so well...kind of like sitting in the back of the class.

oh yeah, it probably sounded better and was a more immersive experience farther up in the crowd. i think those guys are fine at what they do. i just find what they do a little bothersome. (see previous posts about them, wilco and flaming lips.) especially in contrast to so much of the rest of the festival... i don't know how to put this without starting the zillionth blab shitstorm, but radiohead was by far the WHITEST band i heard there. not that there's anything wrong with that. it just, um, paled in comparison, you know?

[gypsy]

and like katie sez, i had a GREAT time. thanks, ashley.

[gypsy]

and to clarify, since i'm thinking about it, by saying WHITEST i'm using ye olde stereotypical shorthand of measuring whiteness in music by rhythm or its absence -- that is, how present, forceful and fluid the rhythm is. it's not about being actually white, but about the difference between, like, radiohead and dr. john. i think my entryway to music tends to be through rhythm, and i get restless with rhythmic formlessness, which is what radiohead has tended toward more and more. not that i don't like any formless music -- i still like the first sigur ros album -- although now that i think of it, my favorite song on there sounds like a viking halftime show and has a big whomping beat.

i just don't want anyone to think i have anything against white people. some of my best friends are white.

[Apeville]

and to clarify, since i'm thinking about it, by saying WHITEST i'm using ye olde stereotypical shorthand of measuring whiteness in music by rhythm or its absence --
.

This could start another endless thread. Hopefully a good one.

But in any case- comparing Dr. John to Radiohead is yer basic apples and oranges- or in this case, mango to acorns. And I love both- but I could understand how an acorn might be for everyone when they have just eaten a mango.

Here's my unsolicited take on Radiohead-

I went in not knowing for sure I would like their show. I didn't much care for Hail to the Thief or Amnesiac- though there are always songs I enjoy on any radiohead album. But those to I never listen to. I love Kid A- and I have no idea why because if you were to describe that record to me, I wouldn't buy it. The Bends and some of OK Computer are fine and dandy- though I don't listen to them much either for whatever reason. Just not in the mood much.

One of my favorite artists of the last 10 years is Brad Mehldau. I think he is fabulous- solo, trio, whatever. He does a couple of radiohead things that really show how incredible the melodies are - just as he does with Nick Drake. When I listen to a Nick Drake song or Radiohead song that he's recorded- I am in heaven, he knows what makes those songs so haunting and delicious. And goes with it to some great places. In turn, I hear those songs anew when I listen to the original version. It's fascinating how he's done that for me.

Now, here comes the Oliver Stone via the JFK film narration part:

- when I started to watch them I was standing about 10 feet from Gypsy and Katie- who were back near the fence on the opposite side of the stage. Katie had her back to radiohead- Gypsy was at a 45 degree angle as to catch both KAG's convo and radiohead's sound. From that area- It sounded OK, but not so engaging, kinda like background music given the distance.

We walked up about halfway into the crowd. Something happened- the music came alive, the people were transformed- the sound was perfect, I could, for the first time, really GET the band as a band. Shit, they were powerful. It was at that point that KAG and GYPSY snuck around to the side stage and snuck a virus-filled jump drive into Radiohead's onstage computer- the one controlling the visuals. The quickly headed back to the outside circle as not to draw attention.

Now- for me- I perfer shorter shows with that intensity of music- 30 minutes less would have been fine. But, that being said- it was all really good- and in many cases, fantastic. Certain songs sounded better live (Everything in it's right place)- and one of the new songs is now my favorite radiohead song. My lovely missus, never having really even heard one of their records all the way through (she likes Kid A when I play it, though)- loved every second of it. We made our way closer and it only got better. I didn't think about it being white or any of that stuff- it just sounded thick and powerful- and very very musically and sonically adventerous in a way that I find missing quite often.

In any case, I was close up and open and it hit me just the right way. Right in the acorns.

In another setting, I might not have enjoyed it as much.

[AC]

and to clarify, since i'm thinking about it, by saying WHITEST i'm using ye olde stereotypical shorthand of measuring whiteness in music by rhythm or its absence -- that is, how present, forceful and fluid the rhythm is. it's not about being actually white, but about the difference between, like, radiohead and dr. john. i think my entryway to music tends to be through rhythm, and i get restless with rhythmic formlessness, which is what radiohead has tended toward more and more. not that i don't like any formless music -- i still like the first sigur ros album -- although now that i think of it, my favorite song on there sounds like a viking halftime show and has a big whomping beat.


Ok, Jesse, dammit....It's fine to not like Radiohead but I strongly disagree with your comments here. Outside of some of the ballads, one of the things that CHARACTERIZES Radiohead is the groove and rhythm...which is often quite primal in much the same way that Can was...If you don't hear this, then you aren't really listening very well.
I will grant you that this is not typically the syncopated rhythm of funk and r&b - although they laid down a few pretty funky grooves on Saturday night too. But to call what they do as rhythmically formless is totally utterly wrong.

On the other hand, your post reminds me a bit of Brian Eno's comment that "a nerd is someone who doesn't have enough Africa in them. That was what we used music for...to let the Africa in..." or something to that effect.

[Apeville]

And to add- I found the new stuff was the opposite of formless music. Very solid on the rhythm, too.

[gypsy]

i dunno, i hear people say this stuff about radiohead and then i go and dig out kid a and amnesiac for the umpteenth time trying to see what i missed, and i still don't see it. i totally understand the comparison to can, i'd guess radiohead was listening to a lot of krautrock when they made those records, and i COMPLETELY agree about the grooves in can's stuff. jaki leibezeit is the main reason that my favorite can tracks are my favorite can tracks. i just don't feel that in radiohead. on the hard-rock stuff, the rhythms are fine in a hard-rock way, although even there they glide more than drive. on the more abstract stuff, they don't even really glide, to my ears. to make the obvious comparison to u2 (who i don't love, by any means, but i really like some of their stuff), larry mullen is a real thumper, and he keeps even u2's most boring music in motion. radiohead's most boring stuff, to me, doesn't have much sense of direction. i mean, i think that's intentional -- it's arty -- but it doesn't hold my attention. i do agree that they've written some very nice melodies. the melodies are what grab me on the bends and ok computer.

and again, this all bothers me more than it would otherwise because it seems culturally symptomatic of some of the same things i've talked about vis a vis wilco. they're kind of the john kerry and harry reid of art-rock.

i'm also sure that what zilla's saying is true, and if i'd had the inclination to move up through the crowd i may well have enjoyed it more. but, you know, that's part of your job as a performer, to make me WANT to get closer to the stage. a lot of people did that for me at bonnaroo. them boys didn't.

[skirob]

Yes, yes, yes! What Apeville said (minus the Brad Mehldau part who I will now have to go check out).

I started out farther back and I was into it. Then we moved closer and it became something more. The group around me knew the songs so well that they were drowning out the band so I moved just a touch further forward and stayed there in awe until it was over.

[gypsy]

(to take the can comparison a little further, i think two british bands obviously influenced by can are radiohead and happy mondays. radiohead understands the art in can, happy mondays understood the rhythm. guess which one i like better?)

[The Pullet Surprise]

Beck was too sleepy and mellow. I wanted him to rock harder and I found the puppets annoying after the first five minutes

If people would have sat the hell down when they were halfway back, I could have seen the jumbotrons. (And from that distance, you can't see the stage without 16x binoculars, so why stand the whole time? Idiocy.)

Every performance I saw actually exceeded my expectations (World Party, Seu Jorge, Amadou & Miriam, Dungen, Buddy Guy, Oysterhead, Damien Marley were all standouts), but there was too much collateral trouble. I literally can't stand for 12 hours a day because I have a faulty L4 vertebra. Well, I could stand, but I would be in fairly excruciating pain. In 2004, I was able to sit down for entire performances in front of the What Stage for Wilco & Los Lobos. No way that would have happened this year. I couldn't even sit 3/4 of the way back from the stage without someone's sweaty, dusty ass sticking right in my face.

Also -- I noticed a lot of people with SLR & dSLR cameras who weren't wearing media or VIP credentials. I was really disappointed because I left mine at home.

[Apeville]

(to take the can comparison a little further, i think two british bands obviously influenced by can are radiohead and happy mondays. radiohead understands the art in can, happy mondays understood the rhythm. guess which one i like better?)

You have a Manchester (England) bias. AHA!

[gypsy]

that's actually kind of true.

[Pecktacular]

Radiohead was the transcendant moment (well--two hours) of the whole event.

I'm kind sad that I had to miss that one.. I was playing during the same time-artvandalay-bummer, eh? After I went back to camp, showered, and grabbed a beer, they took their last set break.

I didn't really want to see them for the sake of hearing their songs though. I have almost all of their tunes, and the music, from what I could hear, was almost exactly like their albums. I really just wanted to see the "show" aspect of it--the lights, the energy, etc.

Guess I lost my chance.

[catpinw]

pecktacular, i'm sorry you missed out! you'll have a chance again in the future... but i must say, during radiohead i felt like i was definitely in the right place at the right time. out of all the events happening in the world at that time on that night, i wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but in that field watching radiohead. they were amazing.

ac, thanks again for all your hard work. you truly are a blessing to music fans in this region! (and you have amazing taste!)

[kag]

The thing with me not enjoying The Radioheads was not so much about them as about me. I'm not a big fan in general and it definitely wasn't what I was into listening to at the particular moment.

But it's fun to hear all the folks who ARE big fans talk about how great the show was. As I mentioned on my WBIR.com blog, the guy camped next to me told me that the Radio head set was "life changing" for him.

[Raincrow]

The thing with me not enjoying The Radioheads was not so much about them as about me. ... the guy camped next to me told me that the Radio head set was "life changing" for him.

EXACTLY. I'd never even heard of them. OK, that's not true. But, I'd never paid any attention to them. Suddenly during that show, though, I felt like I was 22 at a Pink Floyd show back in the '70s. I think I just knelt there, hundreds of yards from the stage with my mouth hanging open.

It might have been the 'shrooms.

[Apeville]

. As I mentioned on my WBIR.com blog, the guy camped next to me told me that the Radio head set was "life changing" for him.

There's something to them that obviously appeals to a great number of die hard music fans of all ages- but at the same time they are not for everybody. I motion to close this case.

[AC]

There's something to them that obviously appeals to a great number of die hard music fans of all ages- but at the same time they are not for everybody. I motion to close this case.


You mean like...to each his own...different strokes for different folks...no way man....don't realize that your favorite band (whoever they may be) sucks???? What's wrong with you!

[jeffx]

i'd like to hear how some of the locals' gigs went. the only one i caught was nug jug, who sounded great and seemed very much on top of their game.

[JohnnyB]

Nug Jug brought their "A" game. Phil Pollard & Band of Humans were outrageously funky and good. They are a perfect Bonnaroo band. If you haven't seen them, go. The Rockwells are hitting on all cylinders with their pop music. They were quite good. The Tim Lee Band, even though they were in a time slot very late in the weekend (it didn't help that the Napster folks were taking down the decorations during Tim's set), were the professionals that they are. They turned in a powerful slab of rock. They are a combat machine.

I regret to have missed Leslie Woods, Artvandalay, Hector Quirko and Garage Deluxe.

jb

[kag]

Phil Pollard earned a new, very enthusiastic fan in me (and my friend Q from ATL). I had no idea who they were or what they sounded like before I saw their set, but they were funkyfun to the max. I'll definitely go see them again ASAP. I mean, who doesn't love Costume Rock done right?

[gypsy]

johnnyb, if i'd known you were at the tim lee show i would've gone looking. i was kind of to the rear of the tent. but yeah, it was a really good set.

i mentioned the other knoxville bands i saw over on the "bonnaroo fucking rocked" thread, but in short, phil pollard and crew were a riot goin' on, leslie and jeff and co. acquitted themselves admirably in considerably less than ideal conditions (hard to be dreamy and foreboding in midday heat with the refugee all-stars just a stage away), and artvandalay was good fun. (yes, i was one of the people who actually left radiohead to hear artvandalay.)

[jeffx]

I regret to have missed Leslie Woods, Artvandalay, Hector Quirko and Garage Deluxe.

i regret nothing. i didn't drive 3 hours and pay $200 to see a bunch of bands i can see anytime for cheap, even if they are great (which i tend to think they are).

but i'm glad to hear they all performed admirably. knoxville fucking reprazent.

[Pecktacular]

i regret nothing. i didn't drive 3 hours and pay $200 to see a bunch of bands i can see anytime for cheap, even if they are great (which i tend to think they are).

but i'm glad to hear they all performed admirably. knoxville fucking reprazent.


Well, I can't really blow smoke up my own ass, but I can say that the Mitch Rutman Group was absolutely smokin'! Coffin was, of course, an awesome addition for the set, but the group alone was so very tight.

Props to C. Meltonio~probably the only guy I know that left right after he got there to go play another show in another city....What a flippin' rockstar.

[shady lane]

Well, I can't really blow smoke up my own ass

but admit it. you've tried, haven't you. just can't quite reach, eh?

[Gray]

Ok, Jesse, dammit....It's fine to not like Radiohead but I strongly disagree with your comments here. Outside of some of the ballads, one of the things that CHARACTERIZES Radiohead is the groove and rhythm...which is often quite primal in much the same way that Can was...If you don't hear this, then you aren't really listening very well.
I will grant you that this is not typically the syncopated rhythm of funk and r&b - although they laid down a few pretty funky grooves on Saturday night too. But to call what they do as rhythmically formless is totally utterly wrong.

On the other hand, your post reminds me a bit of Brian Eno's comment that "a nerd is someone who doesn't have enough Africa in them. That was what we used music for...to let the Africa in..." or something to that effect.

Two very interesting takes on something I've been pondering lately. Here's mine:

Can, to me, has to be the least-"white"-sounding bunch of Germans who have ever lived. Their rhythms strike me as very clipped and syncopated, much more closely linked to funk and R&B than rock. There's a bit more finesse involved, played a bit more behind the beat. Radiohead, by contrast, has syncopation aplenty, but in more of a pound it out, bash 'n' crash sort of way. At times, it's almost like Led Zeppelin with a little less swing (because somehow, in some way, literally everything John Bonham ever played SWUNG, to some extent.)

At the end of the day, it comes down to appropriateness: Radiohead wouldn't sound "right" with Jaki Leibezit playing drums, and Can wouldn't sound "right" with Phil Selway playing drums. It's just two different working methods. I would also propose that Radiohead made a conscious decision, post-OK Computer, to emphasize melody a bit less, rhythm a bit more, for better or for worse.

[straps]

[QUOTE=Pecktacular]Well, I can't really blow smoke up my own ass, but I can say that the Mitch Rutman Group was absolutely smokin'! Coffin was, of course, an awesome addition for the set, but the group alone was so very tight.
QUOTE]

For real though, MRG was smoking, even during the half hour before Jeff showed up. The entire band played the best show I have ever seen them do. Ben Maney was particularly on fire. Of course when Jeff showed up it was mind boggling as well. I just hope that our set the night before was close to being that killer (people said it was pretty kickin and I tend to think so too, so that will be as close to blowing a hit up my starfish as I get).

I think the major disappointment for me was me. I had 'roo ADD. I would sit and watch a killer set from a killer band for like twenty minutes and have the itch to go see something else. I have no regrets, though. Everything I saw was awesome, even some of the stuff I didn't get to 'see'. Tubab Krewe rocked well into Thursday night and a large contigency of us just sat in camp, drank some beers, relaxed and listened and let out the occassional "damn, these guys are bad ass". Long story short (for now), Bonnaroo killer and I've never done anything like it.

[straps]

Oh wait, and I don't usually call out bands in disrespect, but Bonnaroo's biggest disappointment for me was the band Golden. It had nothing to do with their music and everything to do with their disgusting attitude.

[Pecktacular]

but admit it. you've tried, haven't you. just can't quite reach, eh?

I'm sooo close.

[artvandalay]

Oh wait, and I don't usually call out bands in disrespect, but Bonnaroo's biggest disappointment for me was the band Golden. It had nothing to do with their music and everything to do with their disgusting attitude.

my fav part was the midnight drums jams at the Sonic Forest! welcome to the blab Nate.

[JCWhite]

[QUOTE=Apeville

Here's my unsolicited take on Radiohead-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well I thought I would chime in on this subject.
Since I did not attend Bonnaroo I cannot really give an accurate opinion on all this RadioHead stuff, however I did notice how dead the Fresh Market was on the saturday of Bonnaroo. Not a soul in the place.
:-) jcw

[Pecktacular]

[QUOTE=Apeville

Here's my unsolicited take on Radiohead-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well I thought I would chime in on this subject.
Since I did not attend Bonnaroo I cannot really give an accurate opinion on all this RadioHead stuff, however I did notice how dead the Fresh Market was on the saturday of Bonnaroo. Not a soul in the place.
:-) jcw


That's.....pretty dissappointing.. I think.

[JCWhite]

[QUOTE=JCWhite]


That's.....pretty dissappointing.. I think.



Yea well actually... I was able to get around the place much easier & without all those snide glances.