Daft Punk is an experience. I can try and describe it to you but it doesn't do it justice. Anyone in attendance at the Los Angeles Sports Arena will tell you that their life was changed after seeing Daft Punk. I would write out the setlist for this show but Daft Punk combines elements of their songs and blends them together making it difficult to describe. They started out with "Robot Rock" and transitioned over to "Technologic" while dropping "Around The World" in and out of the mix. "Brainwasher" was also incorporated into the set effectively living up to the title of the track. The intimacy of the sports arena was missed but the performance and energy was similar. Daft Punk did switch up their set and played different parts compared to the Los Angeles set. Daft Punk's performance alone made the trip to Vegas worth it.
Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age have come a long way since I saw them at the Troubadour touring on their first album. As a fan of Kyuss, I always admired Josh Homme's guitar playing. I never would have figured they would gain as much popularity as they have now. Their latest album "Era Vulgaris" showcases Josh's sludgy riffs and his smoky vocal style as they pound you over the head with tracks like "Battery Acid", "3's and 7's" and "Sick, Sick, Sick". I admit I was stoked to hear them play "Regular John" and "Avon" from their first album. I also found it ironic to see Troy Van Leeuwen on stage because it meant I saw all the members of Failure within the span of a week.
Iggy Pop And The Stooges
Iggy Pop is a living legend. Iggy Pop and The Stooges performed the classic album "Fun House" in its entirety. Mike Watt (Bass) was filling on bass and watching Iggy jump all over stage and on top of the speakers. Iggy even had a staircase built in front of the stage so he could go down and interact with the audience. I am surprised that he didn't just stage dive down into the crowd. Iggy has more energy on stage then anyone I can think of. I wonder if Johnny Rotten(Sex Pistols) has the same amount of energy these days.
Public Enemy
I am sure most of the kids know Public Enemy today due to Flavor Flav's reality show. I remember Public Enemy from the Less Than Zero Soundtrack which included the track "Bring The Noise". Public Enemy are mavericks of the rap genre. I made sure to catch some of their set and didn't spot any members of Anthrax on the side of the stage for a guest spot on "Bring The Noise". I am sad that I missed "911 Is a Joke". My friends said they put on one of the better sets of the day.
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill doesn't need an introduction. "Hand On The Pump" still sounds just as fresh now as it did sixteen years ago. B-Real still has the skills with his chracteristic vocal style that is complemented well by Sen Dog. I am still wondering if B-Real and Stephen Carpenter from the Deftones will ever release the material they recorded for a rumored side project a few years ago.
MIA
MIA had the audience in the palm of her hand from the second she came out. It made everyone forgot about the delay in getting her turntables and laptop setup. MIA was traversing the stage and getting the crowd into a groovy mood. I could have sworn I heard her incorporate a New Order song into her mix. If you sample New Order, you will get my attention.
Battles
Battles played early and if you didn't get there you missed out. Tyondai Braxton (Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards) quipped that he lost ten thousand dollars at the MGM the prior night. John Stanier (Drums) followed up Tyondai's remarks with a quick drum roll. I saw them at the Henry Fonda a few days after and still can't comprehend how they do it. "Atlas" was the standout track of their white hot set.
The Shins
"Wincing The Night Away" is one of the better album releases of 2007. The Shins have been touring quite extensively as I caught them earlier this year at the Orpheum Theatre and at the KCRW show. They played a lengthy set at Vegoose with a good sampling from their three albums. The Shins also managed to throw in a jaw dropping Pink Floyd cover of "Breathe". I was excited that I would see them again on Sunday night at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.
Shins setlist in Las Vegas for the Vegoose Festival (10/28/07)
"Sleeping Lessons
"Kissing The Lipless"
"Mine's Not A High Horse"
"When I Goose Step"
"Caring Is Creepy"
"Turn A Square"
"Girl Sailor"
"A Comet Appears"
"Sea Legs"
"Girl Inform Me"
"Saint Simon"
"Gone For Good"
"Know Your Onion"
"New Slang"
"Australia"
"Turn On Me"
"Breathe"
"So Says I"
"Phantom Limb"
Blonde Redhead
I can't say enough good things about Blonde Redhead. I highly recommend you buy their album "23". I am so glad I caught them at the House of Blues San Diego, Sunset Junction, Glass House and the Wiltern Theatre this year.
Mastodon
Mastodon was one of the few bands that I have not seen live before. They did not disappoint as they kicked out their brand of doom sludge metal. I was drooling over Bill Kelliher's (Guitars) Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst guitar. It is the same guitar model that Adam Jones from Tool plays. Troy Sanders (Bass/Vocals) also got into the act with a silverburst bass. Mastodon played tracks of their album "Blood Mountain". It was pretty early in the day but Mastodon managed to keep it gloomy with their costumes and ear splitting performance volume coming from the stage. I need to see them headline their own show.
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello shows are legendary. I have heard so much about how good their live shows were and the dynamic performance energy that Eugene Hutz(Vocals/Guitars) puts into every show. Euguene is so energetic that I had a difficult time choosing what photo I wanted to photo to post because every shot conveys a ton of emotion. It was really difficult to leave their set but I couldn't miss Battles. Gogol Bordello is touring in support of their album "Super Taranta".
