A group of 6 guys lined up to toss a volleyball, soccer throw-in style, into the sunroof of a car about 30 feet away. Each one failed. I said to myself, self, if all you have to do to win that car is throw a ball in the sunroof, you can do it. And I did it, no spin on the ball, dropped right in and bounced off the center console back out. I won a towel.
It got cold by the time we left 8 and 1/2 hours later so I was grateful to have it afterall.
Being at Universal Studies, where flames and bombs and water shot up beyond the outdoor stage at regular intervals, then going into Gibson Ampitheatre’s large hollow dark dome, was weird. And enhanced the I-am-inside-an-ipod-on-shuffle experience, where the wheel scanning through artists is a rotating stage divided in half. Each time it turned around, one band disappeared and a new one began playing.
My friends and I like a game called “This song is my _______ (activity or thing).” Sitting in a chair for hours fell somewhere between playing that game and watching TV.
The commercials: Duffy or Steve Aoki on a large screen during wait-time. The interim music: Incongruous tracks played between bands. Emo? Or Rob thomas, or something Good Charlottey. Tapes n Tapes actually played over it for much of their first song.
The shuffle begins with Datarock. As always, the guys have so much rollicking jolliness flowing out of them, it comes with a matching hoodie.
Next appeared Tapes n Tapes, rockin, 3 pm nachos…The cheese, thick salsa, and jalapeno slices in a pile for dipping pleasure. Good chips.
The Duke Spirit, architecturally stylish, bangs and slightly formal wear. Reverb and something in the tambourine gently crack open a can of psychedelic, still remaining this side of grunge.
M83, brings out a big glowing box of knobs and wires. That psychedeli-can spills over into a milky way. I liked the bath, sitting in my chair. Everything remained casual until “Don’t Save Us From the Flames,” champagne-sudden onslaught quick to heat, a tsunami of minty bubbles intoxicating your senses. I had to fan myself.
Yeasayer, apocalyptic but harmonically soothing, uplifting, shipwrecked on a desert, explores the land. Steel drum in the background.
Mates of State provided a gentle ginger palate cleansing. It was sort of adorable to see how many boys in the crowd sang along, slouching in the shadows so no one could see them getting smiley.
The speakers or the sound elves were too distracted watching Ghostland Observatory to work properly. Thomas shot some penetrating angry eyes to the sidestage. And all sorts of wizardy curses. Aaron took the dark knight approach, dissapearing into the shadows momentarily to take care of it, before sliding out in his motorcycle and popping wheelies across the stage.
Ghostland Observatory turns the body into a dissertation, reams of paper unraveling into Flashdance.
Mute Math, all proper Carlton swinging his arms and snapping his fingers…doing pommel horse gymnastics over his keyboard. Highlight at the end, three boys banging on one drumset. bompabomp, yaknowhat I’m saying?
Brand New sometimes looked like this:
But I felt more:
They went on forever and a gaggle of people showed up for their set, then walked out. Screamo suckers choked any lingering psychedelia left floating in the air from earlier. And so we stumble onto the last legs of the evening.
But not before “lookin for some real love” with Flosstradamus. This is the hold on while I shake my booty real quick moment.
Gang of Four, that awesome dark old rocker residue, involving a lot of arm gestures and suit shirts that progressively unbutton, new balance sneakers, serious faces insisting, you, -YOU!- will have fun now…now, culminates in beating a large white microwave with a bat as a percussive instrument.
Would an ipod shuffle be complete without spending at least an hour in the 90s? Nope. Which brings us to Jesus and Mary Chain. My brain could hardly process a thing at this point. So many hours, so much music, so much chair…Jesus and Mary cradled us in their basket before setting us down the river.
And then we were back through the crazy of Universal Citywalk, through the “Jurassic Park”ing lot, and back in my car, where more music played, and on to the Smell for a little bit of grime to wipe the clean off my elbows.
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