Wolves and Horses and Mice (Oh, My!)

Hey folks, Clang here. Saturday marked the Download Festival in my hometown of Mansfield, Massachusetts. The all day concert featured sets from the aforementioned Wolf Parade, Band of Horses, and Modest Mouse, as well as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Guster, Neko Case, Apollo Sunshine, Bang Camaro, and the Adam Ezra band. All day is a long time to be at any concert and by the end I was quite exhausted. In between sets, naps, and trying to find free food (which was nearly impossible - nearly), I organized a series of Download Festival awards that I will give out at this time.


Best Set:
Easily Modest Mouse, who closed out the festival and are all kinds of awesome. The perfect blend of old and new songs. Honorable mention goes to Neko Case, whos voice sounded amazing and could relax me on day of the week.


Biggest Disappointment:
Guster, who appeared to be sleepwalking through their set of new crappy songs and didn't play any of their older more awesome songs. Honorable mention: Wolf Parade, who despite sounding fantastic, had a set that consisted of songs off of their upcoming album that the public hasn't heard yet.


Biggest Surprise: (Tie)
1. When Bang Camaro's set began, I thought that I had magically been transported back to 1984, and they were the opening act for a Quiet Riot/Warrant double bill. Then the band's twenty (yes, twenty) or so 'lead singers' took the stage. By the time their last song came, which happened to be "Push, Push, Lady Lightning" from Guitar Hero II, I was hooked.
2. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Usually, I am not a fan. But Karen O. and company actually put on a very theatrical show that the crowd really got into. They closed out with a melodic (?!) acoustic rendtion of "Maps" that made me rethink my opinions about them.