Catching up: MGMT, Wilco, more

Yes Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are here, and they kind of annoy me. I saw them sitting in the bleachers in the comedy sent, talking loudly amongst their entourage and paying no attention to what was happening on stage. I’m sure we were annoying them too, what with the staring and pointing and photo-taking.

As the Red Bull starts reaching the extremities of my circulatory system, I think I can muster up a few more thoughts on last night before I go catch Erykah Badu. My ears are still ringing from Dillinger Escape Plan…

MGMT is already huge, but they’re going to get huge-er. Their set at That Tent last night had the biggest crowd I had ever seen at a tent show in my three years of attending Bonnaroo – and this was at 3 in the morning. It was pretty much impossible to get near the stage, but from the sounds of it, they did a fantastic job convincing/reminding the crowd that they are a band, and one with songcraft lightyears ahead of most electro-fueled indie acts. “Time to Pretend,” “Kids,” – does any new band have songs as recognizable as these? It’s a rare, encouraging thing. Word has it that the Boss himself was checking out their set from the side of the stage. This was their second year in a row at the fest, and should they return next year, they’re all but guaranteed a main stage set.

Wilco has morphed into the best jam band in the world, without even intending to do so. I said it before when they played at Bonnaroo in 2007, but Wilco axe-man Nels Cline is the new model for guitar gods.

Phoenix remains the best set I’ve seen all weekend, with Raphael Saadiq at a close second. Springsteen’s in third – though I’m sure if I had gotten a spot within high-five distance, it’d be #1.

Already time for Erykah – then we move in Merle Haggard and Snoop Dogg territory. What a combo. What a world. I'm holding out for a Dr. Dre surprise appearance. A guy can dream, right?