This years inaugural All Points West festival down over in Liberty State Park, NJ on all accounts should have really been called "Radiohead with a bunch of cool openers." Unlike the schedule filling, exhausting and very fun Lollapalooza last week, this festival seemed to be the perfect detox. A much smaller scale music and art festival using the New York Skyline, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as the backdrop, it was beautiful but not as intense as its Chicago counterpart.
Having tickets for Saturday only, I caught some sights and soaked in the atmosphere. Not feeling as rushed as I did a week before, I could really take my time with some of the openers. Catching Kings of Leon, the southern rock band making big noise. I can see why everyone from Bono and The Edge to Mick and Keith call themselves fans. This was the first time I saw the Kings and they blew my mind. A very energetic and traditional rock and roll outfit, they had the crowd amped. From the magnificent set of Kings of Leon, I went to see Philly's finest, the most incredible Roots crew. The Roots jammed through their hip-hop/jazz/rock sound and showed why they are masters at what they do. The traditional hip-hop crew that is not afraid to take chances and do their best each and every time they hit the stage.
After seeing just a handful of artists, it all lead up to the moment the tri-state area had been waiting for all year, the triumphant return of Radiohead. Underneath the same LED lightning rods as they were last week, they sounded so much better than in Chicago. They also seemed more comfortable on stage as well. Playing In Rainbows in its entirety, with select songs from their back catalogue tossed in, it seemed strange, but then again its Radiohead. Their fans and critics have learned that they can do whatever they want. The highlight of last night's performance certainly came during "Bangers and Mash," a B-Side from In Rainbows 2, Thom Yorke sat behind his own drum kit and banged away with his band rocking out beside him. The one thing you cannot take away from Radiohead is the musicianship. They are a band that is not just a drummer, a singer, a few guitarist, a bassist and a producer making beats. They are doing it all themselves and the fact they can emulate their micro beats and homemade instruments each night is a wonder all in its own. They are true craftsmen and I am glad to have had the opportunity to see them twice in a week and glad that they are making music in my lifetime.
