Lines detracted a little from a fantastic show of favorites
Mike Warren, Columnist
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I loved Rites – or at least what I saw of it. I was selective in what bands I saw, and I am sure I am a little biased since Old Crow Medicine Show and the Avett Brothers are two of my favorites groups. Those two performances were fun, as was Spoon’s, because I knew I would enjoy the music.
But the lines? Don’t get me started, don’t even get me started. I understand that checking in beer takes a long time, but for those of us without it, the process shouldn’t have taken as long as it did. Two old guys taking their sweet time with the tickets is nice at an event that nobody cares about, like the WNBA Championship or a Phil Collins concert, but it is completely unacceptable when Old Crow is playing “Tell It To Me” and I have been standing still outside of Sarratt for twenty minutes. Ridiculous.
Weather played a big role for the weekend
Aimee Sobhani, Columnist
For me, Rites had its high points and its low points. Other than seeing Spoon’s show and eating a delicious Chick-fil-a sandwich, I don’t really have anything positive to say about my experience on Friday. The weather was horrible — I can stand a little rain, but torrential downpours are another story. Also, the lines seemed excessively long, which is to be expected, but I think the incompetent people at the gate were the root of this problem.
On Saturday, I had a much better experience. Again, the weather wasn’t great, but it was tolerable. Feist put on a decent show, and Lil Jon filled Alumni Lawn with tons of energy. From what I saw, everyone seemed to be having a good time so it was hard not to have fun. Spending time with friends and listening to great music — there’s nothing better than this combination.
Rites delivered strongest lineup in years
Sean Tierney, Columnist
My only gripe is with the entrances. Lines were sometimes excessively long and the people working them had no idea what they were doing. On Friday afternoon, they took off all my over-21 wristband stubs even though I was sober and wasn't bringing in any drinks — leaving me unable to bring in any later that night. On Saturday, they twice neglected to take off any of my stubs when bringing in drinks, meaning I essentially could have brought in 18 drinks that night. (Actually, that's not a complaint.)
Saturday's lineup might have been the strongest I've seen in my three years here. The weather could have been better and I'm still not sure whether or not Lil Jon was mocking us, but, overall, the parts I remember were really good. Feist's vocals were a bit tough to hear, but she still rocked. Grace Potter's drum-out was ridiculous. Great music, lots of friends, a festive atmosphere, the beginning of summer and shoddy decision-making … only a Communist couldn't find something to like abut Rites.
'Almost headliners' proved to be the best performers
Darcy Newell, Guest Columnist
The theme for this weekend seemed to be that the best performances came from unexpected acts, and as a general rule, the headliners failed to impress. Lil Jon proved himself a producer at heart, allowing his deejay to make masterful mixes of fratting favorites like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Sweet Home Alabama”; whether or not Lil Jon contributed to these segments at all is still to be determined. Similarly, the general consensus is that Colbie Caillat and Feist were also slight disappointments; Caillat appeared lost during the instrumental parts of her set and her vocals were only decent, while Feist, while a great mellow musician in her own right, seemed to have accomplished putting all of Alumni Lawn to sleep. Yet, the moments that will stick out in my mind come from those “almost-headliners,” acts that are garnering popularity in their respective genres but have yet to hit it big; Grace Potter and all of The Nocturnals closing their set with a lively jam session on the drums, goofy Old Crow frontman Willie Watson dedicating “Wagon Wheel” to Cornelius Vanderbilt to the utter glee of the crowd. It is these artists who proved themselves to be truly talented and excellent live musicians, and it is these performances that will stick out in our minds when we think about 2008’s Rites of Spring.
