…or some sort of Earthly cause.
The Chicago portion of the Green Apple Music Festival came to a close yesterday with a free show at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. The event was set up to celebrate Earth Day and raise awareness for climate change and other key environmental causes. With the free price tag and glorious spring weather, the turnout was pretty huge! The small space carved out in Lincoln Park Zoo was almost too packed. Despite the cowds, the weather and mellow vibe was perfect for a Sunday afternoon in the zoo.
Photos and commentary after the jump…
After Saturday’s late-night Brothers Past dance-fest, it took us a while to make the trek down to the zoo. But, luckily we made it in time to catch music by the Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee, the event’s headliners.
I’ve seen a lot of sets by the Disco Biscuits, and to be honest, this one was pretty weak. That said, their tribal take on Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” was nicely sandwiched in between “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line,” and got the crowd moving. And I still love the catchy, Japanese-tinged “Onamae Wa.” But the band ended their set with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” that was sloppy at best. Let’s just say I don’t think this band should attempt any more Led Zeppelin covers. Although I wasn’t able to attend their evening show, it sounds like the band made up for its weak daytime set with a rocking show at the Vic. Apparently, during that show, they announced that their annual Camp Bisco festival will indeed take place this August 16-18th in Mariaville, NY. I’m sure it will feature another stellar lineup, but hopefully they spare us the Zeppelin covers.
Judging by the crowd, it was pretty clear that most fans in attendance were a bit more interested in Umphrey’s McGee. This was UM’s second hometown show in less than 24 hours, and the Chi-town UM fans were in full force. My only complaint was the long set-up time in between bands, but so goes the problems of a one-stage music festival. Just as the crowd was growing impatient, Umphrey’s tore right into their set and woke the crowd out of its haze.
I can’t really speak to the song selection since I’m still getting to know these guys. But, I was definitely impressed with the dual-guitar madness of Jake Cinniger and Brendan Bayliss. A few tunes into their set, they locked into a nice reggae-tinged groove that perfectly fit the sunny afternoon vibe.
I’m sure I would have been much more impressed with a full, two-set Umphrey’s extravaganza, but even with the short, daytime set, these guys definitely grabbed my attention. The crowd left a little something to be desired, and I wasn’t totally enthralled with the tunes, but it’s pretty hard not to enjoy free live music in the zoo on a glorious spring afternoon in Chicago!
Setlists:
4/22/07 Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL
Green Apple Music and Arts Festival
The Disco Biscuits:
Set I: Therapy, Little Shimmy In A Conga Line> Run Like Hell1> Little Shimmy In A Conga Line, Onamae Wa, Kashmir
Umphrey’s McGee:
Set I: Alex’s House> Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Uncle Wally> Slacker, Resolution> Push the Pig
