Music Midtown - Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA (9.24.11)

Posted by Matt Arena on 10.02.2011

Bouncing back from a 5-year hiatus due to poor attendance, Music Midtown is back in Atlanta. Packed with a great line-up and overall great event organization, its pretty obvious Music Midtown has reinstated itself as Atlanta’s annual music festival.

Last seen in 2005, Music Midtown was a staple of Atlanta’s music scene. But increasingly popular southern festivals like Bonnaroo ate a lot of attendees, and eventually forced the festival to shut down. Then on a seemingly random note, an announcement came in July that Music Midtown would be back this September. Only this time as a one-day only event, most likely as a way to test to the waters and see if the music scene had warmed up a bit. After the night of September 24th, there’s no doubt to how warm the waters of live music had gotten in Atlanta. Promising to be back next year, but spread out across two days and more diverse musically, Music Midtown packed out Piedmont Park and gave everyone in attendance a fantastic bang for their buck.

Being blessed with a pretty great day as far as weather goes, it was all sun and no clouds in Piedmont Park. Right off the bat it was clear that there was tremendous effort put into bringing Music Midtown back in a big way. With headliners Coldplay, The Black Keys, and hometown favorites Manchester Orchestra on the main stage and an indie-rockers wet dream on the support stage, the lineup was one of the best I’ve seen for a one-day festival. The 2 stages sat pretty much adjacent to one another across a huge field that allowed the sound to carry over to whichever stage was empty. So if you were hanging at one stage all day like me, you could hear the other acts pretty well during set changeovers. There were tons of tents filled with merch, food, beer, SWAG, and in general lots of cool stuff. Hell they even had a Ferris wheel running. Being that most of my favorite acts were on the support stage, I headed straight there for the first band.

*Note: I was hanging by the second stage pretty much all day so I missed most main stage acts; The Constellations, The Joy Formidable, Manchester Orchestra, and The Black Keys.

THE POSTELLES
Hailing from New York City and being the first act of the day, The Postelles had a decent sized crowd in front of them as they showcased their indie-rock set. To be honest they didn’t do a whole lot for me. Their sound was very generic indie-rock and wasn’t bad as far as the instrumentals went, but their lead singer’s voice just felt very flat. The music didn’t really jump out and after about the 2nd or 3rd song I was pretty bored. For the most part the crowd seemed somewhat into it, jumping around at times (albeit by the lead singer’s request) but it felt like he was practically begging for us to rock out. During one of the songs, lead singer Daniel Balk confidently stated, “this one will be a big hit next summer, so I wanna see you move.” Cheers for having faith in your music, but I don’t see it happening. They did a pretty standard cover of Beat the Brat by The Ramones and it was pretty obvious that’s the vibe they were going for, but just never really captured. Throwing out their CD’s in between songs was a fun touch, even if I didn’t make a move when one landed right next to me. I’ll give pretty much any band a fair shot, but The Postelles weren’t very impressive and had me looking at my phone waiting for the set to end.





WALK THE MOON
Originally Mona, a really great band from Nashville that’s been getting bigger by the minute, took this slot but had to pull out last second as the lead singer broke his ribs. They were replaced about a week before the show by the Cincinnati band, Walk the Moon. They really surprised me. I went not expecting a whole lot, as they were filling in for an act I was really looking forward to, but I really warmed up to them by the end of their set. It took a couple songs for me to really get into it, but their percussion driven, synth backed sound resonated with me. One of those bands you see hippie chicks bouncing to at festivals, they really got the crowd going. It was obvious they already had some of the crowd on their side as I saw a bunch of people donning face paint (something that the band does at every show). The best part of their set was the great cover of Burning Down the House by The Talking Heads. It was perfect choice, as their sound is very similar. I hate to say a cover was my favorite part of a band’s set, but it was really fantastic. The maddeningly catchy I Can Lift a Car and pop-rock anthem Anna Sun were both standout tracks. They had a lot of back and forth with the crowd, as bassist Kevin Ray joked about an extremely potent smell when he asked, “when did they legalize pot in Atlanta? Seriously, I can smell that shit all the way up here.” Which probably had a lot to do with the fact that security seemed like high school kids just looking to make a couple dollars and hear some free music. The only negative thing I’ll say about them is the vocals. The excessive harmonizing drowned lead singer Nicholas Petricca, who has an outstanding voice and is impressive in working keys, synths, and drums simultaneously. Back up vocals are good up until it’s EVERYONE in the band as back up and they’re doing it in every line of the song. The man has a great voice and gives them a unique sound, they just need to let him be heard more often. Still, I was really pleasantly surprised by Walk the Moon as they seemed to fit in perfectly in the festival atmosphere. Check these guys out for sure.



BAND OF SKULLS
The first act I was really looking forward to in the day, Band of Skulls didn’t disappoint. Drawing a crowd well before their set started, everyone around me seemed to have seen them at least once before and set the bar pretty high for was I was expecting. Band of Skulls have a great blues-rock sound with a hint of southern twang (despite being from the UK), a lot like the White Stripes. And they have a chick bassist. We can all agree chick bassists are not only badass, but usually pretty hot as well. Easily the hardest act of the night, they make a lot of noise for just three people. Lead singer/guitarist Russell Marsden ripped through awesome riffs on a hallowed out, golden guitar while drummer Matthew Hayward did some of the most intense drumming I’ve ever seen. Completely lived up to what I was told before, as “he beats the shit out of those drums.” Highlight of the set for me was Death by Diamonds and Pearls, my favorite song of theirs, had everyone in the crowd rocking out and singing every word. Russell knew he had the crowd in the palm of his hand when he paused right before the big riff, let the crowd catch their breath, and then whipped into the awesome outro to Death by Diamonds and Pearls. Light of the Morning and I Know What I Am also sounded great, really getting the crowd into these songs that they knew by heart. It was one of those sets that I was shocked to see went by so quick and would have turned around to see them the next night. Actually I tried to, only to learn they sold out two shows at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. Band of Skulls were better than expected and even managed to surpass the high praise I heard from the crowd beforehand. Continuing the trend of British acts that kick ass, they’re definitely an act to see if you like old-school blues-rock.







Here's my favorite song of theirs, Death by Diamonds and Pearls:



YOUNG THE GIANT
Taking a break from their tour supporting Incubus and enjoying a burst of success from their big performance at the VMAs, Young the Giant seem to the new go-to indie rock band; a label that I think is well deserved. They’ve got a very distinct sound, not just because of the great vocals, but the guitars provide a unique feel to every song they put out. Lead singer Sameer Gadhia uses two mics on stage, which would seem awkward but works perfectly when used to give his voice a far off, echoing sound during choruses. I was bummed to see that a majority of the crowd were teenage girls that only seemed to be there for My Body, but performance-wise it was great. Having seen them from far off at both Lollapalooza and opening for Incubus, it was awesome to finally see this band from barrier. Starting off with my favorite track off their set-titled debut album, Apartment set the tone perfectly. With it’s echoing vocals, reverberating guitar riffs, and smooth bass lines, it’s a perfect song to start the set off with. The crowd seemed to be into it from the get-go, with single hits like Cough Syrup and My Body getting the biggest cheers. The latter got one of the best reactions all night and had the crowd jumping and singing along to the catchy chorus. With nothing but a massive banner behind them, Young the Giant put on a great show every time I see them. They may be new to the scene but they’re growing by more popular by the day it seems and they back their stellar studio album with an even better live show. It’s rare to hear a band live and not only do the songs sound as good on the album, but even better with Young the Giant. When I hear My Body or Apartment on my iPod, I can’t help but miss the subtleties added to their live performances. Definitely a band on a rise and one everyone should check out.





Here's a video of Young the Giant's hit, My Body from a gig at Slims in San Francisco, complete with the stage being mobbed by fans:



CAGE THE ELEPHANT
Rounding out the day on the second stage, Kentucky rockers Cage the Elephant were more than comfortable being the last band to hit the stage. Coming off a co-headlining tour with local favorites Manchester Orchestra and more recently opening for Foo Fighters, they can thank their ever-growing fan base to the absolutely insane live shows they put on. Whether it’s in support at an all-seated venue or in front of a massive festival crowd in the pouring rain, Cage the Elephant rarely disappoint. Headed by front man Matt Shultz, who likes to hurl himself at the audience on a nightly basis, they made sure the crowd at Music Midtown was in for a great show. Kicking off their set with one of the best opening songs I’ve ever heard, In One Ear got everyone pumped from the first note. Quite literally throwing himself around the stage and feeding off the audience’s energy, Shultz lived up to his reputation as a madman on stage. Before the press pit was even clear he hopped down into the crowd (mostly due to us beckoning him at the barrier) and hurled himself into a sea of fans. Prior to the set even starting, security mentioned their concern for things “getting a little crazy” from what they had heard about Cage the Elephant. Matt jumped into the crowd a total of 3 times, each time pushing further into the audience and even faking us out with a last second stop as if he was going to leap off the stage. Which was kind of horrifying being that the gap was a solid 10 feet and he would have been headed straight for me.

Mixing songs off their first two albums, the set was a perfect combination of fast paced, thrashing songs with a couple slower paced ones that sounded great. With a range of sounds in their music, they were able to mix frantic rock songs like Tiny Little Robots with somewhat slower jams like Aberdeen and completely stripped down tunes like Flow. Having seen Cage the Elephant 3 times, this was easily the best show they’ve put on. Songs like Indy Kidz range from frenzied riffs and screams suddenly descend into their trademark lull, allowing the audience to catch their breath right before the song explodes into madness again. They even brought out special guest Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra to share the mic during Flow (or Rubber Ball, can’t exactly remember). After coming out for their traditional one song wild encore of Sabertooth Tiger, Matt thanked the crowd and proceed to hop off the stage, leap over the barrier (taking a couple members of security with him) and float along the fans for a solid 5 minutes. It was one of the coolest things I’ve seen at a gig and was an oddly calming way to end the absolutely insane set as he was literally standing on top of the crowd at Piedmont Park. Continuing their dominance at festivals after their legendary performance in the torrential downpour at Lollapalooza (a festival highlight for many), they did it again in Atlanta. Cage the Elephant continues to be one of the best acts out there and proved it with their amazing show at Music Midtown.





Here's a video of Cage the Elephant performing Shake Me Down from their epic set in the pouring rain at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer:



COLDPLAY
After Cage the Elephant ended, we crossed the field for the act most came to see, Coldplay. Not being a massive fan before seeing them, I was somewhat lukewarm about their set. I knew the hits, only really being into songs like Fix You and Don’t Panic. They were able to turn a barely casual, skeptical audience member like me into someone who would see them at their next local show in a heartbeat. Everything about their performance was massive. From the multi-colored lasers, giant projection screens, and fireworks, they brought a lot of production along with them. Not that they needed it. Newer songs, which I wasn’t too impressed with hearing online, translated extremely well. And even though it sounds like a sinus medication, Mylo Xyloto has some great tracks on it. Songs spanning across their large back catalogue, they came across as one of those bands that doesn’t forget their earlier stuff. It’s common to see big bands like Coldplay come out with new albums and only play their more recent stuff (cough*RADIOHEAD*cough), they made sure to include old hits like Yellow and In My Place. Coming across as extremely humble, Chris Martin must have thanked the crowd over five times. Highlight of the set, and one of the single best songs I’ve ever heard live, Fix You was incredible. Hate Coldplay if you want, but it’s hard to deny how great that song is. Starting off with just Chris on the piano and slowly building to encompass all of Piedmont Park, it was beautiful.

Mid-way through the set, they paid tribute to local legends R.E.M. (who had just announced their split) with an acoustic version of Everybody Hurts. I always love it when bands go off the set or does something spur of the moment, even if it doesn’t work sometimes. I’m looking at you, Coldplay’s cover of Billie Jean. The crowd fed off the band’s exuberance on stage. It’s always cool to see a band that looks so happy to be playing, as Chris jumped around like an excited toddler it definitely brought the fans into the performance. Not that they needed it. The almost deafening “oh-oh-oh, oh-ohhhh” in Viva la Vida started before the song even began and kept going well after it was over. Closing the set with their most recent single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, was a perfect ending to both their set and the festival as a whole. It may be kind of lame to like Coldplay, but it’s hard to deny how great and entertaining they are live. They definitely turned me as I plan on going to one of their arena shows for the imminent countrywide tour. This is definitely a band you should give a shot live, as they lived up to their reputation as of the top acts in the world and then some.



This is Fix You from Coldplay's headlining set at Glastonbury Festival in the UK over the summer:

The 411: Though taking 5 years off, Music Midtown was back in a big way this year. Adding a slew of amazing indie acts and one of the biggest bands in the world for the headliner, it was a great value for a pretty fair price. Rumor is that they’ll expand to a 2-day festival next year, which is very likely considering the huge turnout this year. The performances for the most part were phenomenal, with only the earlier acts being a bit disappointing. If they grab another stellar lineup and keep the prices fair, I’ll definitely make the trek down to Atlanta for Music Midtown again next year.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]