Lollapalooza 2007: Friday match-ups

Lollapalooza is just days away now. I've been studying the schedule and listening to all the bands, and I think I've got a plan. Of course, everything changes once you get there and you realize how far you have to walk between stages. But this is my going in position.

11:45 The Fratellis, Elvis Perkins, Carey Ott, Illinois
Starting out with a bang, I think the Fratellis would be fun to see, but if they suck it would be easy to walk over to Illinois. This is all contingent on me being able to leave the office this early.

12:30 Ghostland Observatory, Soulive, Tom Schraeder
I think I'll eat lunch. I don't care about any of these bands.

1:00 Chin Up Chin Up, Colour Revolt
Looking forward to hearing Chin Up Chin Up, a local combo.

1:30 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Son Volt, Bang Bang Bang
Ouch ... tough match-up between Ted Leo and Son Volt. I'm going to have to go with Ted Leo on this one because, as Joe says, "Ted Leo will save rock & roll".

2:15 Charlie Musselwhite, Viva Voce
This is an overlap time slot. I'm certainly interested in seeing Viva Voce, so maybe check them out while walking by.

2:30 The Polyphonic Spree, Jack's Mannequin
While Jack's Mannequin sounds pretty emo-riffic, I gotta check out the new look of the Spree.

3:30 Sparklehorse, Slightly Stoopid, Electric Six, Against Me!
I like Sparklehorse, but I'm not sure how their sound will translate for this kind of live performance. If they suck, then I'll head over to Against Me!, which sounds like fun.

4:30 M.I.A., moe.
No jam bands for me, thanks ... M.I.A. all the way. Let's hope she handles the heat better than Lady Sov did last year.

5:00 Silversun Pickups, The Rapture
This is where it starts to get really hard. There are a bunch of great overlapping bands. I'm really excited to see Silversun Pickups, but it overlaps with M.I.A., Blonde Redhead, and Wax on Radio. Ugh. May the best band win.

5:30 Blonde Redhead, G. Love & Special Sauce, Wax on Radio
So, I really like listening to Blonde Redhead, so I'd like to check them out, but the biggest surprise of the day might be Wax on Radio. I had never heard them before, but then I listened to their album and they blew me away (check out their MySpace page). Seriously awesome. So, I must check them out live on the small stage.

6:30 Satellite Radio, The Black Keys
I guess go show Perry Ferrell some support, but really this will be "wait in line for dinner" time.

7:30 LCD Soundsystem, Femi Kuti
No question. Might be a little too hot for running in place, though.

8:30 Daft Punk, Ben Harper
Daft Punk should be fun, but if it's not a good show then take off and rest up for Saturday.

Those are the picks for Friday. It's supposed to be in the 90s and humid, but let's hope for a nice breeze! I have a Yahoo Music playlist that includes a track from each band on Friday ... let me know if you want that link.